Have a Super Bougie Spa Day

Feb 9

I’m no stranger to a bougie spa experience, but this one is one of the best I can recall experiencing…

The Salish Lodge & Spa in Snoqualmie Falls is a luxurious experience. And not in like a let us show off ourselves, but more like - let us take great care of you while you’re here.

I’d heard lots of things about this area and especially of this hotel, err, lodge. When I originally booked services, I had only planned for a day visit with a few of their spa treatments. Since I’m a regular with my elite massage therapist on a monthly basis, I stuck to things I hadn’t tried before. And thanks to a lovely friend, she gifted me with a very generous financial gift toward the package I chose denting my cost by almost half (thanks, C!).

When Mister passed away at the end of January, I briefly considered cancelling the entire thing but after sitting quietly with the reality/discomfort of moving forward without him, I decided to double down and make it an overnight and as I would enjoy it with his fully support.

So, I made a reservation at their restaurant through Open Table (if you don’t have an account, I recommend you get on that) and then booked a room so I could really slow down and enjoy the full experience as a birthday girl. My 50th birthday was underway.

ARRIVAL + CHECK-IN

The Salish Lodge & Spa is less than 25 minutes from where I live. And I’m so thankful for the route that my Maps App took me because it was scenic and stunning. I kept thanking God for allowing me to live here, while also talking aloud to my husband as if he were enjoying it right alongside me. I KNOW that he missed the mountains while living in Texas, but I never understood what he meant until we moved here. And this drive solidified my understanding of his affection and my own excitement about being a Washingtonian.

When you choose to stay the night at the lodge, the valet parking is complimentary. Which was surprising and appreciated.
The valet gave me clear instructions for where/how to check-in and also made sure that my bags were in my room when I finally checked-in around 3:30p (a half hour earlier than check-in was supposed to be permitted).

Oh! I forgot to tell you about my concierge, Cooper.
He texted me a few days before my overnight stay to remind me to take care of a few things - like make a reservation for dinner or suggest the spa. I was texting with a live person and appreciated the nice touch. I was able to move into the experience without fretting about the details. They were prepared for me and wanted me to know it.

SPA + HOTEL

So your gurl may have rolled up to her first service 4 minutes late. And then I had to wait a few additional moments because the person at the desk was giving great, patient aare to someone on the phone inquiring about - it seemed - every little service + treatment. I was so impressed at the level of calm and knew that being patient was the only way to go - I wanted that grace + patience for my late self too.

The spa was clean and modern and smelled great.

I got two services:
1. The Organic Dry Exfoliation
2. Honey Hand + Foot Revitalizer

I will likely return for the first one each season and the second one put me into snoring mode + waking up feeling like the esthetician ruffied me and wrapped my hands in towels. Let me say that I don’t believe the woman drugged me, it was just that the way she dealt with my feet said “sleep like you haven’t slept in a year” - and I did. I should probably come up with a better way to praise her work lest y’all think something nefarious happened and don’t want to try it.

Both services were phenomenal.

I also opted in for the Soaking Pool for 50 minutes.
Y’all!!! I was 75% overjoyed and 25% clueless…

I didn’t realize that you got the entire soaking pool with waterfall TO YOURSELF.
This definitely helped secure the “bougie” designation for me. I found the 50 minutes to go fast + slow. I walked around, sat in the water, read by the pool and sometimes just sat and felt the grief of knowing that I enjoyed this time alone but that my life is one that will be lived without my partner + best friend. It was a full experience and I soaked in every minute (see what I did there?)

And the hotel - soooo cozy!!!
The room had so much space and yet felt well decorated and had modern fixtures but not too over the top. It was lovely, truly.
Normally, I don’t “borrow to my home” the mini toiletries they provide, but I took the Eucalyptus Shower Spray - see more below - and body lotion as well as the coffee I didn’t drink, two of the tea bags and the unopened bottle of water provided free of charge in the room. I’d brought my own wine from the room - you guessed a pinot noir! - and they had clean stemless wine glasses with an old fashioned opener. My wine was already opened so I didn’t need it, but that would have made me sweat a little; those things are difficult to navigate.

RESTAURANT + F00D

I’d read some reviews about the restaurant + food so I think my expectations were pretty standard. I didn’t look at the menu before I went and was a little in my feelings because I’d shared in my reservation that it was my 50th birthday and wanted a window seat over the falls. I showed up on time and was sat not near the window but at a small table in front of the fireplace. Which turned out to be perfect for me because after much debate, I took my book and it mirrored the kind of reading experience your gurl likes to re-create every moment she can get.

I’m really enjoying seafood + salads right now and so dinner (and then lunch the next day) did not disappoint.

At dinner there was full service…
An amuse bouche to awaken my taste buds and a palette cleanser at the end of the meal - before dessert.
I only took a sip of their bubbly sweet wine and really savored my pinot noir - if you’re new to knowing me, this is my favorite! The food was delicious and though I turned down the dessert options, they brought me a white cake with raspberry filling. It was great; light + spongy - but I only ate a few bites.

I skipped breakfast to enjoy lunch via room service before check-out at 12p. It was delicious but I would not want to pay that price again to have the full Romaine Cesar Salad with so little Dungeness Crab. The flavors were great - I may try to replicate it at home. The presentation was beautiful and every bite tasted fresh. In hindsight, I may have eaten this meal in the restaurant, but room service just feels so fancy, am I right?!?

COFFEE, THE FALLS + THE GIFT SHOP

I’m still not eating a good breakfast. Maybe this is something the Lord will help me with this year, but one thing that is still routine for me is finding a good cup of coffee (and caffeine) before 10a each day. I make most of my coffees at home but my go to when I’m out is a hot caramel latte with oat milk. It keeps me regular (ahem) and it keeps the headache away. If you see me drinking coffee after 2p, it’s probably because I’m working an event and I am going to need to be up past my 6:45p bedtime. I’m not even kidding about that.

So, after getting ready for the day - spending time in my journal, reading a devotional about God’s perfect love, praying, packing up all my stuff and making myself clean + presentable, I ventured down for my cup of coffee and to see the famed falls. Famed because of their beauty, but also because the outside of the hotel was used for filming of Twin Peaks, which I still haven’t seen yet.

I ordered my coffee and gave them my card to pay, then went to sit and wait.
Less than five minutes later, the barista came with my coffee and card and gifted me my cup of coffee. Not because of my birthday or any other reason I’m aware of, but just because. Now, if that ain’t God. I was touched by that moment - so small, so big. I grabbed my perfectly made, very hot latte and walked over to see the falls very close by.

I’m not going to say a lot about this stunning landscape here because my words can not do it justice.
But, I did feel like it would have been something me and Mister would have done together - except for the 1/2 mile walk where the sign said to "Please Do Not Feed Animals” and (Be Cougar & Bear Aware) with a drawing of a Sasquatch. Literally my sign to turn my newly fifty, Black skinned self right back around to stay on the paved path. Which was great because it took me down another set of steps to see the whole view in its majesty.

I wore my fave Washington baseball cap of Mister’s and the oversized coat he let me “steal” from him when we first moved to Washington. I even stopped to read/skim most of the signs explaining the environmental impact + why/how these falls came to be. It was definitely something we would have done together. And if you’re ever in the area, this is worth pausing to enjoy, even if you don’t do anything else. Simply stunning and in my opinion, even more so because of the dramatic overcast weather.

On my way back to my room, I perused the gift shop (The Country Store) and picked up some stickers for my Trove Notebook, a couple for my son and some cute pieces of jewelry (a ring that I’ve already misplaced). I also added a large/full size of the Eucalyptus Shower Spray to my purchase. And by the way, if you stay at the lodge you get a discount and if you spend over $100 you also get a discount. I had $40 taken off my final bill. The salespeople were chatty and kind, not at all pushy. It was neat to listen to how they connected with other customers. Not me, I struggle with making friends - or being overly friendly??? - while traveling…

It was just the kind of morning I needed. I enjoyed it very much.

DEPARTURE

As easy out as it was to get in. I recognized the valet who greeted me and tipped him a larger amount + thanked him for seeing my bags all the way through to my room. I gave a smaller tip the gentleman who grabbed my car. I also left a tip for housekeeping with a note about how much God loves them. I hope it’s received well.

Driving away from the Salish Lodge & Spa, I found myself at peace and grinning.
It was a fancy, bougie experience and I enjoyed every moment of it. Not because I earned it or deserved it but because it was so “me”. And that made me feel like God created this kind of experience for someone like me who would really appreciate all of it.

Enjoy some of the snapshots of the experience. And if you don’t already know, I wholeheartedly recommend the Salish Lodge & Spa.