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Seaview, Washington In July, Don and I spent one night in Washington, on our West Coast Road Trip. Seaview was not exactly on the route between Portland and Sacramento.
But when I found The Shelburne Hotel on the internet, we changed our course. A reasonably priced historic hotel, within walking distance to a beach! We booked a night! Two-House Hotel Our curious house-like hotel, was made up of two buildings... that used to be across the street from each other.  In 1911, the original Shelburne Hotel from 1896, was pulled across the street by a team of horses. The Shelburne Hotel expanded, by connecting with the house next door. Afternoon Arrival Don and I arrived on a sunny afternoon, this past July. We parked near the white fence, across the street from where the Shelburne once stood. There was a grocery store in its place and a man standing nearby doing a little panhandling.  That wasn't the view we had hoped for, but I still had a good time imagining how these buildings came together over 100 years ago. Which is Which? I'm pretty darn confused about which was the original hotel that moved.  This old image shows looks like the one that stands on the right end, now. Was this the building that moved? Why didn't I just ask the staff, when we were there? Flowers! Beside lots of green shingles, the obvious thing that caught my eye, was the garden!  What a gorgeous jungle of summertime flowers, with white picket fence peeking out here and there. Afternoon Light The timing was perfect, because we arrived when the afternoon light was glowing on all the colors.
I am not a gardener, so I can't list all the flowers I spotted. But I do know they have a gardener who tends it regularly. Lots of Signs The main entrance was in the building on the left. We headed towards the door with all its signs and banners. I'm a little picky, but I think the 2 white signs on both sides of the door, take away from the charm.  Why did those signs remind me of some touristy area with lots of fudge and tee-shirt shops? I wonder what kind of sign the hotel had 50 or 75 years ago. Newer Signs But the BLM sign in the garden and the colorful sign taped to the door glass, were okay by me.
The world has changed in incredible ways since this hotel opened over a century ago. It's nice to be reminded that all are welcome now. "Historic and Hip" Historic and Hip, is how the hotel describes itself on their website. I have mixed feelings about that.  I love the historic-hip idea, but it seems like a title you shouldn't give yourself. I don't like it when a place tries to be hip. The Parlor We checked in at a desk in "The Parlor"  This is how it looked a century ago, with the same wood walls, beams and staircase, that you see today.  In the seventies the hotel was bought by a couple, who filled the place with Victorian furniture and art. The most recent owners removed lots of the old stuff.  I can appreciate that the updating and decluttering, but I'm not sure about the mid-century modern furniture and white painted brick. Wood and Antiques I did love the wood on the walls and ceiling. And I spotted an antique or two. I used my camera flash to light up the dim space, to look at the details on the lovely piece that was used as a coffee station.
Next to the lobby desk, was a cute little nook with an old phone. I wonder if that was original or not. Second Floor The trip upstairs to our room was amusing. My photo doesn't really show how slanted the steps and floor were.
We found our room (11) to the left of the stairs. After some fumbling with the feisty key & lock, we eventually had to ask for help. Cozy Room I knew our room would be small, but it was only $156. Good price for hotel in sort of beach community, even if it was across from a grocery store.
Luckily Don and I know how to navigate the teeniest of hotel rooms. The fact that it had a door and tiny balcony, made it feel much larger.  As you can see there was room for little more than the bed. Luckily there were no lamps on those crowded tables. No complaints though. Cheers for having actual wine glasses in a tiny hotel room. Bathroom There was no closet, but they did offer a rack to hold the robes. There was a standing fan which was useful since there was no air-conditioning.
There were some nice bath products on the little table and the retro shower tile was fun. In Search of Happy Hour Spot There was a tiny table on our balcony, where we could have enjoyed a glass of wine. But it was pretty cramped. We went wandering for a spot.
Back in the day, we could have enjoyed our wine on the wraparound porch. Or maybe that wouldn't have been allowed back then. But in 1983, the owners enclosed the porch to make room for a bar and restaurant. They added some stained glass, from an old church in England. Odd Bar/Restaurant The photos show the dining and lounge area in the enclosed addition, between the two buildings. I had seen photos on the internet that showed diners eating at tables, with white cloths.
This looked nothing like that. I heard the food was very good, and the place was popular with locals, but honestly the set up felt more like a pizza joint in the daylight. Maybe this was a temp pandemic set up. I'm not sure, but it felt just a bit odd. Pool Table We walked though a little further and found a pool table and a few more dining tables. This was in the first floor area of the old building, on the right.  There was more appeal in this space, which showed the old woodwork and columns. I wish I'd seen it when it was in use. Pub Time The pub was just to the left of the parlor. We heard it was popular with locals. The website showed a very "hip" couple sitting at the bar.
We peeked in at 5:30. The woman behind the bar did not seem to be in the best of spirits. We headed for the table by the stained glass, but paused when we heard a table of "less hip" local men talking in obnoxiously loud voices. Outside Then we realized there was a door to a garden area!
It was lovely. We couldn't have been happier on the little deck beside the garden.  Don and I were especially happy when we put on our new jackets, purchased that morning at a Marshal's. We did not pack for Northwest Coastal tempts! Night Time We probably should have given our hotel restaurant a try. But we wandered down the road and had a great meal at Galletti's Italian.  When we got back, the little courtyard garden was quiet and lit with festive lights. Good-Night It was nice that we were there on a Monday, with no late night bar crowds. Our room was quiet except for the scampering feet of some children, who who kept running to their parents' room, down the hall. Sort of funny.  I was sort of amused imagining myself as a kid staying at the hotel with parents in a different room. If I'd been with my sister, we probably would have pulled out the ouija board and gotten ourselves all worked up over ghosts! Morning We were up and off pretty early the next day. Made a quick dash a block over to see the beach.  We had been so excited to book a hotel near the beach and yet we failed to hike over to it. We did not give ourselves the whole Shelburne experience. What's Notable? I loved the charm of the building and the gardens surrounding.  I loved our room, which was teeny, but clean and cozy and fresh. For some reason, I just never felt comfortable in the common areas. Was it the staff? Was it decor? Was it the dim lighting? Was it the pandemic?
I'm glad we stayed, but we might need to give it another try and see if we enjoy it more. Maybe we'll work on our hipness, between then and now.
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A McMenamins Hotel in Kalama, WA Kalama Harbor Lodge is one of 12 hotels with the McMenamins name attached. That makes it sound like a chain hotel.
But all McMenamin properties are unique and curious. I don't associate those words with chain businesses.Don and I are addicted to McMenamins. Location Other McMenamin hotels are in renovated, historic buildings. Kalama Lodge was built just a year ago, but its location is what makes it unique.  Where else can see ships in one direction and trains in the other? Where else can you walk over a bridge and visit the small Northwestern town, with a name that sounds Hawaiian? Lelooska Totem Pole I knew the history of Kalama, WA was linked to the Columbia River and the Northern Pacific Railway. But it wasn't until we saw the nearby totem poles that I was reminded about the Pacific Northwest Native American culture in the area.  These totem poles were carved in the early 1960's by Chief Don Lelooska who lived in town, just across the tracks. Recently, the 140-foot pole was lowered due to safety concerns. It still is the tallest totem pole in the world, carved from a 700 year old Western Red Cedar. Heading Inside Don and I arrived at Kalama Lodge a few days before Christmas. We were eager to see how this hotel compared to the others.
I didn't care that the weather was cold and gloomy. It all seemed to add to the charm Hawaiian Heritage As we came through the door, we were greeted by tropical designs and colors. The Hawaiian flavor of the lodge was linked to the town's namesake, John Kalama.
In 1837, he came to the area from Maui and worked as a middleman, between the local Cowlitz Tribe and the Hudson Bay Company. Christmas and Beer In the lobby we saw a few things that had no tropical flavor at all.  Just to our left in the lobby, I could see the brewery through the glass. (It wouldn't be a McMenamins property, without beer) I was happy to see there was a little Christmas happening at the lodge. The tree was festive and the Grinch (looking through the window) was humorous. Finding Our Room The staff at check-in was friendly and enthused about the new hotel. We were told we'd love our room.
We headed to the third floor and found room #306. All rooms are named and ours was called, Pioneer Room. The knotty pine walls made me think of a pioneer log cabin.
The Old Hickory furniture and lumberjack fabrics, felt cozy and lodge-ish. We opened the door to the balcony and felt a blast of cold. No worries. There were 4 cozy lap blankets, right beside the door. Pioneer Inn Our room's name really had little to do with pioneers and cabins. It was named for an actual hotel in Maui.  When the McMenamin brothers were young, they stayed with their family at the Pioneer Inn, in Lahaina. They must have had good memories, because the old hotel inspired the design of the Kalama Harbor Lodge. The colorful hotel painting (over the couch) made me long for a trip to Hawaii! Good to Have It was a treat having a couch, as well as a table with chairs. It was an even bigger treat having our own bathroom.
Some of the McMenamins hotels have shared, European baths... down the hall. Cozy at Night I loved the mix of styles. The thick curtains and pine walls, felt like a cozy cabin in the Northwest.
The tropical feel of the painted headboard, made me feel like I was tucked into a boat or hut. I of course loved the little red bird... as did Don. The View! The corner porch had two sets of comfy chairs.
There were dividers for privacy, but I don't think anyone else was sitting out watching the boats go by. I made use of a blanket.
Looking Below Besides the river, there were other things to look down on.
The riverside pathway and fire-pit were pretty quiet, on a chilly weekday afternoon. But at night, the fire was lit! Early Next Morning We were on Texas time, so we woke early the next day. It took forever for the sun to come up, but I finally got down there on the path and made use of my running shoes.
The wind blasted my face and made me laugh. I couldn't complain. I was running along the Columbia River... trying to remember Woody Guthrie's song as I jogged along. "...Roll Columbia, won't you roll, roll, roll..." Wet and Cold A light rain stung my face, but I couldn't complain.
I was running by a totem pole...
And... I got to see trains moving down the railroad tracks. I got to see the little Alhes Point Cabin, which houses a cozy bar for the lodge. Breakfast in Harbor Lounge When I finished my brief run, we headed down to the Harbor Lounge and served ourselves some coffee.  We took a seat on the couch, beneath a giant outrigger canoe. Soft classical and jazz music filled the homey space. We ordered an omelet and shared it right on the couch, kind of like we were having breakfast in bed! Music at Night That night the same lounge was transformed into a relaxed music venue.  A couple, sharing one guitar, sang in the corner by the wood burning stove. Locals and hotel guests took over the couches and comfy chairs, sipping cocktails and coffee. Exploring With a 2-night stay, Don and I had time to explore. The 40-room lodge wasn't huge, but there were a few stairwells and floors to wander.
We found surprises when we took the stairs... chandeliers, painted stars, artwork and creepy pipes with faces! Secret Rooms Don and I knew there were two secret rooms in the hotel. We traveled down every hallway, trying doors that weren't "titled" as guest rooms. We enjoyed lots of artwork, hanging on the knotty pine walls. Each painting or photograph, shared a bit of history.
It would have taken a week to read about all the people and places who were spotlighted. Don suddenly noticed one piece of art hanging near a blue light. A slight push on the wall, revealed a surprise! Rock & Opera! We suddenly found ourselves inside room lit by a black light. (I never knew the laces on my tennis shoes glowed in the dark!) Sounds of Grateful Dead filled the tiny room.
I attempted a photo of Don with Jerry Garcia. I posed with Pavarotti, when the music changed to opera! Room # 2 The grooves in the walls made it hard to spot the second hidden door. There was no blue light to signal us. Don finally found the moving wall and gave a push.
We were not alone in this room. Zach the Brewer, had set up a special beer sample station. The newly created brew was named, "Hidden Unicorn Glitter Beer". Zach used a light to shine into the cup so we could see the swirling sparkles... barely. What??? Luckily Zach gave us a hint that there was yet another secret room, off of the room we were in.
In the swirling artwork, we found an image that looked like a button. When we pushed the button, we found ourselves in a room filled with eerie images and glowing lamps. What a total hoot! The Cloud Lounge On the top floor, (not far from the secret glitter beer room) we enjoyed a drink in the Cloud Lounge.
There were plenty of clouds outside the window, but also a great view of the river. No one was outside enjoying the deck, but I imagine it gets a lot of use in warm summer months. Dining On our second night we had dinner in The Pub. It was dark, so we didn't care that all the tables and booths near windows were taken.  It was so crowded, that we were actually thrilled to find 2 stools at the wonderful bamboo bar. We shared a gigantic Kalama burger and a house salad. The menus are similar in all properties so there were no surprises, but the food was hot and tasty. Alhes Cabin One of the coziest places on the property, is the little cabin just a quarter mile down the walkway. It was fun walking the lamp-lit path for a drink on our first night.
The place was tiny, but we lucked out with 2 seats at the bar. We had a memorable chat with a Portland baker and our wonderfully chatty bartender, Amanda. Real Fires! Coming from Texas, we're thrilled to find wood burning fireplaces. It's also added entertainment watching the staff deal with the fires. Some were more skilled than others!
The inside fireplace kept us extra toasty on a cold night. I loved the whimsical mask. I checked out the deck fireplace, the next morning and had to chuckle at the angry mask, wearing a wreath. What's Notable? New hotels don't usually impress me. They usually have a lot of kinks to work out and they also lack history and charm. I was glad we ended up absorbing some of the local history, after all.  And it was a nice change to sleep in a freshly created space, with new linens and paint and furniture... that looked old and cozy. We liked our hotel oasis! We'll have to try it during a sunny season, next time!
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Ninety Notable
Nights My New Year's Resolution for 2014 was to start documenting some of the memorable overnights I've had in some very odd and curious motels and hotels. Like the adventures in my Dining Blog, I have learned to enjoy the surprises that happen when you step out of the comfort zone, far away from the well-known chains. I began with a few entries recalling my very first home away from home memories from my youth. Then, I started sharing about some of the quirky and unforgettable motels, hotels and inns that my husband and I have discovered in recent years. The best part about this challenge was making some lists with Don and getting on the road in search of new overnight adventures. I gave myself a 2-year goal to write up 90 stories and the goal was met. Now we just keep on adding! Archives
March 2022
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