Weekend staycation in Vashon Island
Vacations are always so much fun but they often require a lot of planning and can be pricey depending on the destination. When you live in the Pacific Northwest, you really don't have to go far to find adventure, a great place to stay and things to do all within budget! Which is why I've become a firm believer in staycations.
I learned about The Lodges on Vashon, a scenic staycation spot of my dreams located on Vashon Island (a mere 20-minute ferry ride away from West Seattle) by a couple of close friends who visit this place often. The last time I visited Vashon Island was for soccer games when I was a kid, so it was needless to say that I knew little to nothing about what this beautiful nearby place had to offer! I was intrigued after researching some adorable shops, eateries and other island happenings and so the weekend staycation began to fall into place.
My boyfriend Tristan and I decided to make the ferry trek for a weekend in late February to The Lodges and we lucked out with great weather our first full day dedicated to exploring the island and Lodges site! When we arrived to the Lodges site, I was swooning from the minute we stepped foot onto the property with the various lodges clustered together with their minimal, modern and Design Milk-inspired architecture. There's also several communal spaces on site that you can enjoy during your stay.
The Public House - Public House offers coffee and tea, an ice maker, plenty of refrigeration and a lounge room. Eat dinner at our oversized table or steal away to a corner to catch up on emails.
The Pavilion - The Pavilion, a great open-air space, is ideal for enjoying the breeze during the day and relaxing with a drink near the gas fireplace in the evening. Play guitar, watch the stars and enjoy a drink under the moonlight.
The Cottage - The Cottage is a bright, airy space with large windows and a vaulted ceiling. With a prep space, refrigeration, sink, dishwasher and bathroom, it has all the necessities for a wide range of events.
We were assigned the Star Anna lodge / Lodge 6. Star Anna Lodge is one of the Meadow King Lodges that provides an oversized shower with heated floors, double doors that open to a private patio (perfect for summer time!), a cozy fireplace, a dining/game room and a comfortable king sized bed. Each lodge has different decor on display inside, making your overall experience unique to you each time you stay. Our lodge was adorned with nordic styled decor and was minimal in style and color -- making any lover of design quite smitten. All of the decor details made this place so unique from a yarn hoop in the bedroom to the succulents on display in the kitchen and living room to the lit up white twinkling tree in the game room, it made the entire experience comfortable and refreshing for a much-needed break away from the city.
The Lodges is in a perfect location making walking to nearby restaurants and shops easy! I highly recommend walking over driving. When we arrived to the island we agreed that brunch was a must. After reading great reviews on The Hardware Store, we decided to stop in and it has become a Vashon Island favorite of ours! In fact, we loved it so much we went both mornings during our weekend stay. Tristan tried out the breakfast burrito the first morning and I got the eggs benedict (they also make a mean latte and Irish coffee!) Our second morning we both had breakfast burritos and they are going to be hard to beat.
In terms of things to do on the island, there's plenty of options depending on the time of the year and what you're into! My recommendations?
- Go cider tasting! The Nashi Orchards is a great go-to with a fun vibe and the tasting fee is only $5. Tristan and I finally found a cider that we both enjoy and we also discovered our love for Perry. We purchased a selection of our four favorites from our tasting.
- Check out local shops! Walking distance from The Lodges are several cute boutiques including a flower shop where I scored a $5 bouquet of fresh tulips as well as a couple of candles. Vashon Island is home to large majority of artists and their presence is apparent throughout the shops and galleries you can visit on the island. As a fellow creative, it is so wonderful to visit a place that prides art and the people that create it!
- Visit the point. Soak in beautiful scenery from Point Robinson Park where on clear days you can see Mt. Rainier. We ventured over here before it started to rain to relax and soak in the view.
- Try out a new place for dinner. We were craving our usual and favorite, pizza. We were thrilled when we spotted the Saucy Sisters Brick Oven Pizzeria was just a couple blocks away from The Lodges. We indulged in personal pizzas that were a great price and also had a side order of breadsticks. There are many other restaurant options on the island depending on your preference, but some require reservations in advance so do your research! Some other recommendations? May Kitchen + Bar (renowned for being excellent thai food, but you'll need a reservation), Gravy (convenient location) and Bramble House (farm to table) are a few to name.
- R&R. The whole purpose of our staycation was to relax and enjoy a new place together. We spent some time in our lodge playing games, drinking wine, watching movies and snacking on a cheese plate throughout our stay. I also was able to get some work/blogging done since WiFi was included! The Lodges also puts on concert series in the communal Cottage Room which is a great way to bring those on their stay, together.
Staycations are so good for the soul as they provide you with a time to reset, explore and appreciate a new place. I highly recommend a visit to Vashon Island and more specifically, The Lodges for your northwest staycation or vacation fix as this is a great weekend spot to stay with plenty to do and see and excellent accommodations making it that much more enjoyable!
* I would like to thank The Lodges for collaborating on this travel guide post with West Coast Aesthetic.