Courtesy of Salish Lodge and Spa
On the crest of Snoqualmie Falls, the Salish Lodge and Spa offers picturesque surroundings, body therapies and restaurants.

Olympian file photo
Snowboarders, like this one at Alpental on Snoqualmie Pass, make up an increasing percentage of the visitors to ski resorts.

Courtesy of Salish Lodge and Spa
The Salish Lodge and Spa is famous for its five-course Sunday brunches.

Olympian file photo
Tubing is available at Snoqualmie Summit during the winter.

Courtesy of Salish Lodge and Spa
The Spa at the Salish Lodge offers several types of body therapies.

Laid back with a view

Snoqualmie Valley is a great place to take it easy

BRIAN CLARK, FOR THE OLYMPIAN

Each year, more than a million people make the trek to Snoqualmie Falls to drink in the beauty of the thundering cascade and get soaked in its mists.

Karl Anderson is one of them.

"Whenever I have friends or relatives come to town, I'll often drive them up there to show them what I think is one of the Northwest's prettier spots," said the Tacoma businessman.

"And if I want to really impress them, I'll take them to breakfast at the Salish Lodge," he said. "Now that's something to write home about."

But there's more than good food and a waterfall drawing visitors to the upper Snoqualmie Valley.

In addition to the Salish Lodge and Spa, which has cushy rooms and a top-notch spa, the area also has great hiking, cycling, a batch of golf courses and museums.

If you make the trip in winter, you can ski or snowboard at one of four resorts at Snoqualmie Pass, which is about 30 minutes up Interstate 90.

Moreover, if you're a "Twin Peaks" fan, you can stop in at Tweeds Cafe for some cherry pie and "damn fine" coffee. Recently renovated after a fire, the restaurant -- which was once known as the Mar-T Cafe -- features burgers, soups, pies and other comfort food.

Then again, you don't have to do anything other than relax and take a short stroll in the woods.

"This is such pretty country up here that a lot of people just go on walks, curl up by the fire, read a book and just take it easy," said Peggy Backues, who runs a bed and breakfast inn called the Roaring River at North Bend.

"It's a low-key place, and that's what people like about it," she said.

Here's a rundown of things to see and do in the area:

Lodging

- Perched on the north side of 268-foot Snoqualmie Falls, the Salish Lodge and Spa has a location to die for. The hotel has 91 guest rooms that range in price from $229 to $419 a night. Each one features a wood-burning fireplace, an oversize whirlpool tub, feather bed and goose-down comforters.

The spa offers a variety of therapies, covering nearly every inch of the body. One of the most popular is the heated stone massage. Rates range from $85 for a 50-minute massage to $480 for a five-hour package that includes a facial, hand and foot revitalizer, deep cleansing body polish, body wrap, re-elasticizing hair pack, aromatherapy scalp massage and lunch.

The Salish also has two good restaurants, but the meal it is most famous for is the lavish Sunday brunch. These five-course extravaganzas cost $27.50, so be sure to bring your appetite.

For directions and more information on the Salish Lodge, call 800-826-6124 or go online to www.salishlodge.com.

- The House in the Trees at Bethabara Farms is set back in the forest amid trails and gardens. It is in the town of Snoqualmie, five minutes from the falls. It has two rooms, which rent for $80 and $95. The country breakfast includes Dutch pancakes, hash browns, eggs, juice and coffee. For directions and more information, call 425-888-2549.

- The Roaring River at North Bend B&B has four rooms with private entrances.

Prices range from $95 to $150 a night. The inn is set on a high bank overlooking the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River and is two blocks from the Mount Si trailhead. Breakfasts often include bacon quiche, huckleberry pancakes, juice and scones.

For directions and more information, call 877-627-4647 or go online to www.theroaringriver.com.

- Alexendra's River Inn Snoqualmie Valley is a B&B with five rooms, including three suites that overlook the Tolt River. It is near Carnation, a few miles north of Snoqualmie Falls. Prices range from $65 to $225 a night. For directions and information, call 425-333-6000 or go online to www.isomedia.com/ homes/riverinn.

Hiking

Many visitors to Snoqualmie Falls are happy to take in the view from the observation deck or picnic at the Snoqualmie Falls Park. But if you want to hike to the bottom of the cascade for a different view, there is a moderate quarter-mile trail that starts just outside the lodge. It takes 20 minutes to reach the base, but give yourself twice as long to get back up.

If you are looking for something tough and more than a little challenging, the Mount Si Trail offers a 4.2-mile grunt to the summit. The reward for the 3,200-foot gain is spectacular views -- when the weather is clear -- from Mount Rainier to the Olympics.

To reach the trailhead, take Interstate 90 east to Exit 32 (436th Avenue Southeast). Turn left (north) over the freeway and drive one-half mile to North Bend Way. Turn left (west), and after a quarter-mile turn right (north) on Mount Si Road. The large trailhead parking lot is on the left, 2.5 miles down the road.

On the easy side is the Twin Falls Trail along the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River. It even features a footbridge, which is an ideal spot to view the falls. It's 1.6 miles each way and has an elevation gain of 200-plus feet.

If a longer hike is desired, this trail connects with the Iron Horse Trail, an old railroad bed that traverses the state and is a great place to ride a bike.

To get to this trail, take Exit 34 from I-90, turn south on 468th Avenue Southeast. Immediately before the South Fork Snoqualmie River Bridge, turn left (east) on Southeast 159th Street and drive one-half mile to the trailhead parking lot at the road's end.

Another gentle hike is the Asahel Curtis Nature Trail, a 1.5-mile loop with an elevation gain of just 80 feet. It winds through one of the few remaining old-growth forests in the Snoqualmie Valley. The trail crosses Humpback Creek several times before rising gently to a grove of mature Douglas fir, hemlock and cedar trees. Ferns, mosses, orchids and a variety of wildflowers cover the forest floor.

To reach this walk, take Exit 47 off I-90, turn right off the ramp and left onto Road 55 and drive one-half mile to a large parking lot. The trail begins at the east end of the lot.

Golf

If walking fairways is your bag, the Snoqualmie area is rich with golf courses. Here's a sampling:

- The Snoqualmie Ridge Golf Club Tournament Players Club, 36005 S.E. Ridge St., Snoqualmie. Call 425-396- 6000 or go online to www. tpcsnoqualmieridge.com.

- Cascade Golf Course, 14303 436th Ave. S.E., North Bend, off I-90 at Exit 32. Call 425-888-0227.

- Carnation Golf Course, 1810 W. Snoqualmie River Road, Carnation. Call 425-333-4151.

- Mount Si Golf Course, 9010 Boalch Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie. Call 425-888-1541.

- Snoqualmie Falls Golf Course, 35109 S.E. Fish Hatchery Road, Fall City. Call 425-222-6440.

- Tall Chief Golf Course, 1313 W. Snoqualmie River Road, Fall City. Call 425-222-5911.

- Twin Rivers Golf Course, 4436 Preston-Fall City Road S.E., Fall City. Call 425-222-7575.

Snow sports

Winter is a good time to visit the Snoqualmie Falls area. The river is often running full, and there is usually plenty of snow to slide on at Snoqualmie Summit and its four base areas and a tubing center. Depending on the weather, the season usually runs from around Thanksgiving to early spring.

Another plus is that this complex has the most night skiing and riding terrain of any resort in the nation.

The four areas are Summit East at Hyak, which is home to the Nordic Center; Summit Central; Summit West; and Alpental, which has the most challenging skiing and snowboarding of any of the resorts. Prices range from $8 (for seniors over 70 and kids 6 and under) to $41 for a weekend ticket good from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Rates at the tubing center range from $8 to $10 for a two-hour session, tubes included. For more information, call 425-434-7669. The snow line is 206-236-1600. The resort's Web site is www.summit-at- snoqualmie.com.

Trains

Trains played a major role in the history of the Snoqualmie Valley and the entire region. If you are a rail fan, be sure to check out the Northwest Railway Museum, 38625 S.E. King Street in Snoqualmie.

More than 75,000 people visited the museum last year to see its collection, which includes steam and diesel locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, maintenance equipment used for building and repairing track, a 5-mile segment of historic railroad, a 19th-century train station and thousands of publications.

The museum also runs a Santa Train -- its most popular offering -- during the winter holidays. For more information on the museum, call 425-888-3030 or go online to www.trainmuseum.org.

To reach the museum, take Exit 27 from I-90, turn left at the stop sign and pass under the freeway. Continue for about a mile on North Bend Way. Turn left on Meadowbrook Way and proceed for one-half mile, crossing over the railroad tracks. Turn left on Railroad Avenue, state Route 202, and go half a mile to downtown Snoqualmie. The depot is on the left at the intersection of King Street.

'Twin Peaks'

No story on the Snoqualmie area would be complete without a little information for "Twin Peaks" buffs. Though B&B managers say interest in the film and television series has dropped in recent years, Shelley Anderson, a concierge at the Salish Lodge, said she still gets many people who are looking for cherry pie and some "damn fine" coffee, the kind that Agent Cooper, played by Kyle MacLachlan, used to devour in every episode.

When musician Lyle Lovett visited recently, Anderson spent an entire afternoon driving him around to see a batch of sites made famous by the program and movie.

They include:

- The Double RR Diner, aka Tweeds Cafe, at the corner of North Bend Way and North Bend Boulevard in North Bend.

- The Great Northern Hotel, aka Salish Lodge, 6501 Railroad Ave., Snoqualmie.

- The Roadhouse, aka Colonial Inn, in Fall City at the corner of state Route 202 and state Route 203.

- The Railroad Bridge. Follow Meadowbrook Way south of Snoqualmie. The bridge can be found where Meadowbrook becomes Reinig Road.

- Twin Peaks High School, aka Mount Si High School, is on Meadowbrook Way, just south of Route 202.

For more information on the Snoqualmie Falls region, contact the Upper Snoqualmie Valley Chamber of Commerce at 425-888-4440 or go online to www.snovalley.org.

The Olympian Copyright 2001

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