Living in West Seattle a visit to Vashon Island might not seem like a very exciting destination, but don’t be fooled….. it is! Thanks in large part to the Lodges on Vashon it has helped catapult Vashon Island to my short list of places to go for a weekend. Vashon Island is an unassuming, but peaceful place to visit full of country roads, rocky beaches, farm land, a vast array of shoreline parks and even a lighthouse. Now that Vashon Island offers such light filled, airy, and hip accommodations there is a very good reason to plan a trip to Vashon island in the near future.

A favorite place to hang out at the Lodges on Vashon aside from their rooms is at the Pavillion, an open air space with heat lamps, overhead lighting and an outdoor fireplace. This space is free for guests to use, but is also available for rent. You could easily spend hours curled up in a swinging chair reading a good book or on the lawn playing the ever popular ladder ball or corn hull. The Public House is another space just begging for an intimate dinner, or as an indoor space to hang out or play games on a drizzly day.

Upon arrival to the Lodges on Vashon, it is easy to become smitten with all the thoughtfully planned public spaces scattered throughout the property. Once inside one of their rooms, it doesn't take much to feel at home amongst the plants, accessories and furniture. From the alcove bed to the fireplace and sunken tub, to the hand stamped soap, and succulents scattered throughout; every item in the room was well thought out. I have stayed a great many places in my life time, but as a self proclaimed plant lady staying in a place with plants makes me incessantly happy.

There are a myriad of things to do on the island from park hopping and visiting roadside farm stands to laying low and never leaving The Lodges on Vashon property. A simple itinerary to consider might include a leisurely stroll to the main drag to find breakfast and do a little shopping. Perusing local artwork at Hinge Gallery, eating pastries as large as your head at Snapdragon and taking in plenty of visual inspiration at every turn.

An afternoon could be spent enjoying lunch at The Hardware Store, exploring Point Robinson Park (especially enjoying a little blackberry picking with a stunning back drop of Mount Rainier), searching for the perfect piece of sea glass to add to your collection, and driving down country roads to see where they go. It is easy to feel like Vashon is a private island for guests at The Lodges on Vashon because a majority of your time spent there is easy to enjoy solo.

The overriding theme of a stay at the Lodges on Vashon is simplicity. Once settled into a Courtyard Suite it is easy to notice a distinct difference between the pace of life on the island verses at home. After a stay on Vashon Island it is easy to leave feeling refreshed and with a renewed interest in this little neighboring island. From now on, Vashon will be in the forefront of my mind for a quick, easy and unexpected weekend getaway. One needn't go far to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.