We are in a busy flurry over here as we prepare to have son #3’s wedding at our house in less than two weeks. You don’t realize how slowly things deteriorate in your home until you look at it through someone else’s eyes. Like when you are going to have over 100 people at your house for a wedding. Gulp. Well, technically, hopefully, God willing, it will be in the yard. Maybe it is just me, but when I live in a house for a while, I seem to quit seeing it objectively and do not notice that the trim around the doors is starting to peel, or the front door mat needs to be replaced. So, we have been busy pressure washing the house, painting door trim, laying new bark dust, resurfacing the front walk, putting a fresh coat of paint on the front door, etc. But amidst the preparations, life still goes on and my dad hit his 96th birthday. Now that is something to take time out to celebrate! So, my wonderful sister and I decided to whisk him away for a night to one of my favorite places on earth.
Just a two-hour drive north from us is a rustic resort, nestled in the pine trees at Priest Lake. Close enough to go for a night, but far enough that you feel like you get away. Hill’s Resort has a long stretch of beach with calming views of the water and Selkirk mountains. Exhale. We rented one of their rustic cabins for the night. The above feature photo was taken outside our cabin door just after the sun came up. (Photo credit to my brother-in-law, Craig.) The smoke hanging over the mountains was from a wildfire up north in Canada. Below is a picture of our cozy cabin and the beach in front of it. The water is still pretty high from the springtime mountain run off.
George William Hill grew up in the 1920’s and 1930’s and spent his summers at a family cabin on Priest Lake. He loved the area and eventually returned with his wife in the 1950’s and began building their dream of a rustic summer resort on the edge of the lake. The resort is now open year-round and is still owned and operated by the Hill family. All of the cabins are equipped with a small kitchen, or you can have a more formal dinner at their award-winning restaurant with stunning lake views. There are several stacks of chopped firewood on the property ready for use inside your cabin’s fireplace or down at the beach in the evening. We have made a lot of memories at this old resort. We have celebrated anniversaries and birthdays and my dear friend and I come up every year for a girl’s trip.
When you decide you need more exercise than watching the waves lap up on shore and the tall pines sway, you can go out on the dock and cast a fishing pole, take a walk along the well-maintained path next to the water, or rent a kayak or canoe for a few hours out on the lake.
No trip up north to the resort is complete without a stop at The Falls Inn, which isn’t really an inn at all. It is a quirky little sandwich & pizza place. This old watering hole is known for a couple of things. First, they serve HUGE sandwiches that are packed with meat. The guys love them. Secondly, the restaurant/bar is built over a waterfall, which is a little unnerving. It has been uncharacteristically warm in our neck of the woods, so we stopped there to have a cold brew outside.
If you are ever in the PNW, I would highly recommend you take the time for a night or two at Hill’s Resort. It is difficult to get in during their busy season, but you can usually get a reservation, at a much cheaper rate, during the off season.
Well, writing this blog post has been a nice reprieve from house maintenance chores, but I had better get back at it. Wish me luck that we get everything done in time. Happy 96th birthday dad!
