FABulous Snoqualmie Date Weekend!

January 22, 2010:
The Old Hen B&B and Snoqualmie Casino Weekend!

She Said: Brett and I decided to pack up our snow gear and head off to Snoqualmie for a weekend away! The plan? A little Bed and Breakfast, Snoqualmie Casino, Snowboarding getaway! Little did we know it would end up being one of the best weekends we've ever had! Just 40 minutes outside of the city, tucked away in the quiet and peaceful Snoqualmie Valley, you will find a hidden gem that is The Old Hen Bed and Breakfast.

A newly built inn with an earthly country feel, The Old Hen Bed and Breakfast has an old-fashioned elegant country beauty.

Brett and I arrived on Friday, and were promptly greeted by the owners’ Deanna and John's daughter. (Deanna and John were out on Date Night, so she checked us in. :)

Immediately, we were blown away with the tiny details that were put into everything. The house was beautiful. There were gumboots on the porch in case you wanted to take a muddy walk along the grounds.

The entry way showcased a gorgeous wooden staircase leading up to two of the three bedrooms. A fire was lit in the living room warming us immediately upon entry. A large kitchen just beyond the main room gave every indication that our breakfast would be second-to-none.

As we headed upstairs to our room, we were greeted with a little bag of hand-made chocolates on our door knob, welcoming us with a cute little note.

We were lucky enough to stay in the Old English Balcony Suite, boasting a king-size bed (the MOST comfortable bed we've ever been in! We actually went to Costco on our way home to get a memory foam for our own bed!), two Juliet balconies (one overlooking the living room, one overlooking the back yard and its chicken coop and goats!), a flat screen television and two reclining chairs, and an enormous bathroom with both an old-fashioned claw foot tub, his and hers towels, AND a rain shower -- yes, there was a spout ON THE CEILING that rained down on you (click on the photos below for more detail). IT. WAS. AMAZING.

And this is just the beginning. Everywhere we turned there were thoughtful details put into ensuring we had an amazing time.

A bottle of Snoqualmie Riesling chilling with two glasses... hand-made soaps in the shape of a hen (made by the talented Deanna!)... a state-of-the-art coffee maker and all the fixin's; a journal for us to keep our memories of our stay in, bath salts in case we wanted to go for a soak...

We felt so spoiled, sitting in our his and hers towels, feet up, glass of wine in hand, watching Family Guy on the flat screen.

Just what the doctor ordered to melt away our stresses of work and life and wedding planning.

Right next to our room was a small recreation room, complete with bookshelves stuffed with literature and games, a comfy couch, and a corner with an easel and paints set up in case you're feeling artsy.

There are two other suites apart from ours, you can read about here. But if you're taking my advice (and you should take my advice!), stay in the Old English Suite... it was AMAZING! And that bed... ohhhh, that bed. Was like nothing I've ever felt before.

But alas, "Bed" was only half of our "Bed and Breakfast" experience. We woke up to the sound of roosters crowing in the morning. But fear not, these are polite roosters: they waited until 8am to wake us from our slumber. We woke to the most amazing smell: BREAKFAST! As hesitant as we were to pull ourselves out of that bed, the siren smells carried us down the stairs to see a feast awaiting us. And because we had missed Deanna and John the night before, we finally got to meet our hosts!

It takes a special type of person to own and host a Bed and Breakfast. John and Deanna are those people, and then some. It is so clear that they love what they do (and each other!), and take pride in every little piece of this wonderful space.

It is clear in the small yet thoughtful details, and in how they interact with their guests. We immediately felt as though we had known them for ages.

Breakfast was amazing. We were spoiled both mornings, with fresh coffee, quiche, potatoes and scones, and then the second morning with a prosciutto-wrapped asparagus-stuffed omelet and hollandaise sauce, new potatoes, a cinnamon bun and a fruit juice cocktail to top it all off. WOW. We hadn't eaten this well since we first started dating and I was trying to lure Brett in with my mad cooking skills. And even that didn't compare to this culinary treat.

On Saturday we headed up to Snoqualmie Pass to spend a day on the slopes! We headed back mid-afternoon to start getting ready for our night at the Snoqualmie Casino. It's only a 10 minute drive from the Inn, so naturally, we HAD to go! :) Stay tuned for Brett's review on the Casino, it's gonna be good! On Sunday, after enjoying yet another amazing breakfast, we headed out back to feed the three goats! It's not every day that you get to experience nature like this, especially living in the city.

After lazing around a bit more (read: trying to take in the comfort of the suite as much as we possibly could!) we finally (begrudgingly) headed back into reality. But not without a goodie-bag from Deanna. She packed us a bag full of trail treats -- waters with their own personal labels on them, trail mix, and a 'thank you for staying with us' note. Wow.

Every thoughtful detail throughout our stay helped this to become one of our most unforgettable mini-vacations. And with it being only 45 minutes outside of Seattle, we cannot recommend it enough to those of you needing just a little bit of R&R.

You will not be disappointed.