Hotel: The Lodge at St. Edward State Park.
I know I typically focus on travel destinations and call out where to stay, eat, and visit within a city, but after a little staycation at The Lodge at St. Edward State Park, I feel like this place is right on par for couples who may be looking to get away for the weekend in the Pacific Northwest.
If you’re in the Seattle area, this property is about a 30 minute drive outside of town and is located within a state park in Kenmore, Washington.
The Lodge’s History
Before it was a hotel, The Lodge served as a seminary for 45 years. And when you walk around, you’ll see history throughout the property.
The guest rooms themselves were once dormitories that were combined and enlarged for a more comfortable stay, and the former classrooms are now used as meeting and event spaces. Back when it was a seminary, they also had a barbershop, which is now the Tonsorium Bar (Latin for “barber shop”), and the former dining hall is now home to the Cedar + Elm restaurant.
What I enjoyed about this property was walking through the lower level and seeing the historic photographs taken when it was actually a seminary, and seeing how they’ve maintained the building’s original features. So much so that in one section, there is still a small little room (almost closet-sized) down the backside of the stairs where students would go if they were punished.
My Stay
I stayed 2 nights in February, right after Valentine’s Day. With a lot to do at The Lodge, I found myself dining and enjoying the amenities onsite.
To embrace the winter weather, I got the chance to check out the Vita Nova Spa and enjoyed the infrared sauna for as long as I could handle (I don’t last long). Of course, they also have spa treatments available and a fire pit to enjoy. On the main level, there is a free art gallery to enjoy that’s filled with local art from the Washington area.
If you get the chance to explore the grounds of the hotel, you’ll notice a garden that the restaurant Cedar + Elm uses for ingredients and a bee yard where all the honey bees are kept. There’s also a pickleball court that’s available to hotel guests and the public and an area where the old indoor swimming pool was located, but right now, they haven’t renovated that area.
What I found amazing was how tranquil the surrounding forest was. You’re literally surrounded by trees pretty much everywhere you turn, and there are also a couple of hiking and mountain biking trails you can explore as well; most take you down to Lake Washington.
Another fun and quirky thing about the property is Father Mulligan’s Heritage Bar, which my partner raved on and on about having some of the best cocktails he’s had in a while. And yes, a photo of Father Mulligan is in the bar and he watches you get a little tipsy. Should you feel shame? Not in the slightest.
The Lodge has a lot of history, and something that continued to come up in my searches of the hotel was whether it was actually haunted. While some have said to have had a weird or supernatural experience here, I never felt like I was in the presence of a ghost. I did have the chance to meet with the general manager and asked him about it; he shared that most of his staff believes there is something supernatural on the property, so keep that in mind.
Why Should You Stay Here?
Surprisingly, there’s a lot to do at The Lodge. Yes, you are kind of secluded since you’re staying in a state park, but most of the time, I didn’t feel like I needed to leave because The Lodge has a handful of restaurants and bars, hiking trails, and a spa to keep guests entertained.