Great Escapes 2010: Methow Valley
| By Allison Austin Scheff , Laura Shinn , Lisa Wogan , Roddy Scheer , Shannon Huffman Polson , Ellen Bodal , Tom Griffin |
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The stress of daily life falls away as you drive to the Methow Valley over the spectacular North Cascades Highway. Surrounded by the glacial peaks of the North Cascades, and gateway to the vastness of the Okanogan National Forest, the Pasayten Wilderness and the Sawtooth Wilderness, the Methow lures Seattleites back again and again. A trio of small towns in the 50-mile-long valley attracts bold adventurers and seekers of quiet. From Mazama to the Western-themed Winthrop and finally to Twisp, outfitters will take visitors to secret fishing spots and on hot-air-balloon rides, river-rafting trips, mountain climbs, horseback rides and mountain-bike adventures. Or they'll happily let you kick back and do nothing.
Travel time from Seattle: About 3.5 hours in summer
What’s New:
In March, Winthrop welcomed a new Mexican grill and cantina, Carlos 1800, at the former Winthrop Palace. Owner Carlos J. Perez will host his first Cinco de Mayo festival May 1–5, with Mariachi Estrella de Mexico performing May 5. The French Quail, a women’s boutique that opened in the valley in 2007, is moving this month to a new building on the site of the Last Trading Post in Winthrop.
What To Do:
The Methow Valley Ranger District in Winthrop has information on more than 1,600 miles of hiking trails in the Okanogan National Forest. Get wet while tubing, kayaking or rafting the Class III and IV rapids of the Methow River with River riders. Browse the Methow Valley Farmers’ Market in Twisp on Saturday mornings April through October. Can’t decide between road biking or mountain biking? The Methow makes room to do both, with quiet, scenic roads for the touring set and plenty of wooded trails for the vélo tout-terrain crowd. (Travel light and rent your gear at Methow Cycle and Sport.) Even if you don’t care to leave the comfort of your car, taking the rough but scenic switchback road up to Slate Peak (elevation: 7,000 feet) will allow you to say you drove the highest road in Washington state. Remodeled last December, the funky MAZAMA STORE is known for its fabulous chocolate emmer espresso cookies. It also makes fresh bread from local flours, and a selection of pastries guaranteed to fuel any ambitious—or sedentary—activity. Sheri's SWEET SHOP in Winthrop has dreamy caramel apples, plus an outdoor ice cream stand. Also in Winthrop, Arrowleaf Bistro offers gourmet dining from a menu that changes almost weekly. Tappi, in Twisp, names its wood-fired pizzas after family members—try the Uncle Felix, featuring fennel sausage from the local butcher. The cookies and the focaccia from the Cinnamon Twisp Bakery shouldn’t be missed.
Where To Stay:
The Freestone Inn ($139–$745 per night) rents lovely Northwest-traditional lodge rooms (with sunny balconies) as well as rustic cabins, all facing a sparkling lake at the edge of Mazama. Steps away from the lodge, jack's hut has gobs of outdoor gear for rent, and it can help plan hiking, biking, horseback-riding and hot-air-ballooning trips. At the Mazama Country Inn, comfortable but spare rooms ($95–$145 per night) may remind you of Grandma’s house and generous meals come family style. The inn rents mountain bikes and can point you to hiking trails or book your next adventure on horseback. The distinctive rolling huts AT wesola Polana ($95–$105 per night), designed by Seattle architect Tom Kundig, put a modern twist on camping. A new café on site operates Thursday through Monday. Winthrop’s River Run Inn has comfortable rooms ($75–$145 per night) and cabins ($140–$200 per night) situated on the river right outside town and within walking distance of many activities.
Modern-day von Trapps
Sun Mountain Lodge
For those who cross the North Cascades in search of sun, there is no better destination than aptly named Sun Mountain. At the top of a winding road outside the Old West–style town of Winthrop, the elegant 96-room Sun Mountain Lodge is prettily situated to capture light and views (the snow-capped peak of Gardner Mountain, for one heart-stopping example) without dominating the landscape. Operated by the Haub family of Germany, the lodge radiates an understated, European elegance—Douglas-fir beams and stone floors—with plenty of family-friendly touches, including a game room with pingpong, foosball and billiards. Miles of trails for mountain biking (much of it fairly challenging), guided horseback riding (some rides ending in cookouts), hiking and wildlife watching thread through aspen groves, pine forests and meadows. Patterson Lake is a sweet spot to cast your line or rent a boat (from kayaks to sailboats). Two swimming pools, two hot pools and a spa scratch any resort itch. The Dining Room and Wolf Creek Bar and Grill feature Northwest regional cuisine, with many ingredients sourced from nearby farms, ranches and woods (think: foraged mushrooms). Oh, and there are 5,000 bottles in the wine cellar—everything you need is here, because once you’re on top of the world, you won’t want to leave. Lisa Wogan
>> Prices: Rooms $167–$375/day, suites $385–$725/day (509.996.2211; sunmountainlodge.com). Getting there: From Winthrop, drive east on State Route 20 to Twin Lakes Road. Follow it 3.2 miles to Patterson Lake Road. Turn right onto Patterson Lake Road and follow the signs 6.4 miles to Sun Mountain Lodge.
Methow Valley Coordinates
Arrowleaf Bistro
253 Riverside Ave.
Winthrop, 509.996.3919
arrowleafbistro.com
Carlos 1800
149 Riverside Ave.
Winthrop, 509.996.2245
carlos1800.com
Cinnamon Twisp Bakery
116 N Glover St.
Twisp, 509.997.5030
cinnamontwisp.com
Freestone Inn and Jack's Hut
31 Early Winters Drive Mazama, 800.639.3809
freestoneinn.com
The French Quail
245 Riverside Ave.
Winthrop, 509.996.9935
courtyardquail.com
Mazama Country Inn
15 Country Road
Mazama, 509.996.2681
mazamacountryinn.com
Mazama Store
50 Lost River Road
Mazama, 509.996.2855
themazamastore.com
Methow Cycle & Sport
29 State Route 20
Winthrop, 509.996.3645
methowcyclesport.com
Methow Valley Farmers’ Market
Methow Valley Community Center
201 S Highway 20,
Twisp; 509.997.2926
Methow Valley Ranger District, USFS
24 W Chewuch Road, Winthrop, 509.996.4003
River Riders
800.448.7238
riverrider.com/rivers/methow.htm
River Run Inn
27 Rader Road
Winthrop, 800.757.2709, riverrun-inn.com
Rolling Huts at Wesola Polana
18381 State Route 20 Winthrop, 509.996.2173
centralreservations.net
Sheri’s Sweet Shop
207 Riverside Ave
Winthrop, 509.996.3834
Tappi
201 S Glover St.,
Twisp, 509.997.3345
Travel time from Seattle: About 3.5 hours in summer
What’s New:
In March, Winthrop welcomed a new Mexican grill and cantina, Carlos 1800, at the former Winthrop Palace. Owner Carlos J. Perez will host his first Cinco de Mayo festival May 1–5, with Mariachi Estrella de Mexico performing May 5. The French Quail, a women’s boutique that opened in the valley in 2007, is moving this month to a new building on the site of the Last Trading Post in Winthrop.
What To Do:
The Methow Valley Ranger District in Winthrop has information on more than 1,600 miles of hiking trails in the Okanogan National Forest. Get wet while tubing, kayaking or rafting the Class III and IV rapids of the Methow River with River riders. Browse the Methow Valley Farmers’ Market in Twisp on Saturday mornings April through October. Can’t decide between road biking or mountain biking? The Methow makes room to do both, with quiet, scenic roads for the touring set and plenty of wooded trails for the vélo tout-terrain crowd. (Travel light and rent your gear at Methow Cycle and Sport.) Even if you don’t care to leave the comfort of your car, taking the rough but scenic switchback road up to Slate Peak (elevation: 7,000 feet) will allow you to say you drove the highest road in Washington state. Remodeled last December, the funky MAZAMA STORE is known for its fabulous chocolate emmer espresso cookies. It also makes fresh bread from local flours, and a selection of pastries guaranteed to fuel any ambitious—or sedentary—activity. Sheri's SWEET SHOP in Winthrop has dreamy caramel apples, plus an outdoor ice cream stand. Also in Winthrop, Arrowleaf Bistro offers gourmet dining from a menu that changes almost weekly. Tappi, in Twisp, names its wood-fired pizzas after family members—try the Uncle Felix, featuring fennel sausage from the local butcher. The cookies and the focaccia from the Cinnamon Twisp Bakery shouldn’t be missed.
Where To Stay:
The Freestone Inn ($139–$745 per night) rents lovely Northwest-traditional lodge rooms (with sunny balconies) as well as rustic cabins, all facing a sparkling lake at the edge of Mazama. Steps away from the lodge, jack's hut has gobs of outdoor gear for rent, and it can help plan hiking, biking, horseback-riding and hot-air-ballooning trips. At the Mazama Country Inn, comfortable but spare rooms ($95–$145 per night) may remind you of Grandma’s house and generous meals come family style. The inn rents mountain bikes and can point you to hiking trails or book your next adventure on horseback. The distinctive rolling huts AT wesola Polana ($95–$105 per night), designed by Seattle architect Tom Kundig, put a modern twist on camping. A new café on site operates Thursday through Monday. Winthrop’s River Run Inn has comfortable rooms ($75–$145 per night) and cabins ($140–$200 per night) situated on the river right outside town and within walking distance of many activities.
Modern-day von Trapps
Sun Mountain Lodge
For those who cross the North Cascades in search of sun, there is no better destination than aptly named Sun Mountain. At the top of a winding road outside the Old West–style town of Winthrop, the elegant 96-room Sun Mountain Lodge is prettily situated to capture light and views (the snow-capped peak of Gardner Mountain, for one heart-stopping example) without dominating the landscape. Operated by the Haub family of Germany, the lodge radiates an understated, European elegance—Douglas-fir beams and stone floors—with plenty of family-friendly touches, including a game room with pingpong, foosball and billiards. Miles of trails for mountain biking (much of it fairly challenging), guided horseback riding (some rides ending in cookouts), hiking and wildlife watching thread through aspen groves, pine forests and meadows. Patterson Lake is a sweet spot to cast your line or rent a boat (from kayaks to sailboats). Two swimming pools, two hot pools and a spa scratch any resort itch. The Dining Room and Wolf Creek Bar and Grill feature Northwest regional cuisine, with many ingredients sourced from nearby farms, ranches and woods (think: foraged mushrooms). Oh, and there are 5,000 bottles in the wine cellar—everything you need is here, because once you’re on top of the world, you won’t want to leave. Lisa Wogan
>> Prices: Rooms $167–$375/day, suites $385–$725/day (509.996.2211; sunmountainlodge.com). Getting there: From Winthrop, drive east on State Route 20 to Twin Lakes Road. Follow it 3.2 miles to Patterson Lake Road. Turn right onto Patterson Lake Road and follow the signs 6.4 miles to Sun Mountain Lodge.
Methow Valley Coordinates
Arrowleaf Bistro
253 Riverside Ave.
Winthrop, 509.996.3919
arrowleafbistro.com
Carlos 1800
149 Riverside Ave.
Winthrop, 509.996.2245
carlos1800.com
Cinnamon Twisp Bakery
116 N Glover St.
Twisp, 509.997.5030
cinnamontwisp.com
Freestone Inn and Jack's Hut
31 Early Winters Drive Mazama, 800.639.3809
freestoneinn.com
The French Quail
245 Riverside Ave.
Winthrop, 509.996.9935
courtyardquail.com
Mazama Country Inn
15 Country Road
Mazama, 509.996.2681
mazamacountryinn.com
Mazama Store
50 Lost River Road
Mazama, 509.996.2855
themazamastore.com
Methow Cycle & Sport
29 State Route 20
Winthrop, 509.996.3645
methowcyclesport.com
Methow Valley Farmers’ Market
Methow Valley Community Center
201 S Highway 20,
Twisp; 509.997.2926
Methow Valley Ranger District, USFS
24 W Chewuch Road, Winthrop, 509.996.4003
River Riders
800.448.7238
riverrider.com/rivers/methow.htm
River Run Inn
27 Rader Road
Winthrop, 800.757.2709, riverrun-inn.com
Rolling Huts at Wesola Polana
18381 State Route 20 Winthrop, 509.996.2173
centralreservations.net
Sheri’s Sweet Shop
207 Riverside Ave
Winthrop, 509.996.3834
Tappi
201 S Glover St.,
Twisp, 509.997.3345
I wish you have a wonderful day!Thank you.
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River Run inn has dog-friendly rooms too, yay! You have to do the river float, amazing!
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Oooh, can't wait to go back! Loved the River Run Inn in winter for cross-country skiing. Thanks for sharing all the latest about the Methow, I especially want some of those espresso cookies!
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