christmas in february

Anne and I spent last weekend in the foothills of the Cascade mountains. I had arranged for a weekend getaway for two as her Christmas present this year. Our destination was the Salish Lodge. The lodge is located next to the 276-foot Snoqualmie Falls. A Salish word meaning "moon," the name Snoqualmie reflects its valley's native inhabitants as they were known as "the people of the moon." We arrived on Saturday afternoon to find a room decked-out in rose petals and campaign glasses. After a relaxing afternoon by the fireplace, Anne enjoyed a wonderful massage and we settled in for a goose-down slumber. The next morning I braved the windy, wet weather to snap a few picks of the falls before we headed off for breakfast. The breakfast at the Salish is legendary. Not only is it delicious, but it never ends. A breakfast parfait, sweet rolls, oatmeal, eggs, bacon, sausage, fruit, fried potatoes, pancakes, and fruit juice was my meal. I didn’t think it would ever end! The first lodge was built in 1919 as a food and rest stop to meet the needs of the influx of tourists. The present day Dining Room still hosts the lodge's original fireplace, where our table was located. For over 100 years Snoqualmie Falls has hosted a power generation plant. In 1898 work began to route some of the water through a series of shafts, drilled through solid rock, to turbines. The power station remains in operation today. You can learn more about Snoqualmie Falls here. It was a great weekend that I will cherish for many years to come.