Heading to Snoqualmie & Seattle this year

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xman
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Heading to Snoqualmie & Seattle this year

Post by xman »

I will finally be visiting the Snoqualmie area this summer for the first time. I am going to pick the most significant filming locations that I want to check out and not drag my girlfriend to all of them.

But outside of the Twin Peaks destinations, has anyone come across any other destinations that they would recommend? I am happy to review tripadvisor but just thought I would throw it out for discussion here.

I would love to hike Mount Si, but may not be able to work it into the schedule given how many other places I want to check out.

Thanks for any input.
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Re: Heading to Snoqualmie & Seattle this year

Post by Twin Peaks Freaks »

This IS a filming location, but I would highly recommend making a day trip to Bainbridge Island to see the Kiana Lodge (where the Martell House exteriors were filmed, The Great Northern interiors from the Pilot, "Laura's Log," etc. It was truly beautiful out there in the summer.
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Re: Heading to Snoqualmie & Seattle this year

Post by OK,Bob »

Twin Peaks Freaks wrote:This IS a filming location, but I would highly recommend making a day trip to Bainbridge Island to see the Kiana Lodge (where the Martell House exteriors were filmed, The Great Northern interiors from the Pilot, "Laura's Log," etc. It was truly beautiful out there in the summer.
The Martell's kitchen from the pilot ("Goin' fishin'") was also a Kiana interior, immediately adjacent to the room where the Norwegian's meet. Speaking of which, the VERY first shot of the pilot - Josie applying lipstick - was filmed in that meeting room as well, at the same spot where Audrey loiters before addressing the Norwegians.

When I visited the Kiana, I'd called ahead and was given free reign of the grounds and interiors. There wasn't another soul around as we wandered about all afternoon. Highly recommended, also.

Word has it that TP 2016 will be filming late May and early June, btw...
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OK,Bob
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Re: Heading to Snoqualmie & Seattle this year

Post by OK,Bob »

I realize you're looking for OTHER recommendations in the area, but this is a great resource for filming locations: http://www.intwinpeaks.com/2008/02/locations.html
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Re: Heading to Snoqualmie & Seattle this year

Post by OK,Bob »

The wren (or thrush?) from the opening sequence was also filmed at the Kiana!
http://www.intwinpeaks.com/2009/03/birds-branch.html
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xman
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Re: Heading to Snoqualmie & Seattle this year

Post by xman »

I have returned from my trip and wanted to report my experiences for anyone in the same boat as me. We juggled the plan a bit and added Vancouver as a destination so we only had two nights at the Salish.

If anyone is heading to the area and wants to do a non-twin peaks activity, I would highly recommend a hike. The Salish had a handout with possibilities that gives a brief description of each. We had considered Little Si and Snow Lake, but started out one morning on the Snoqualmie Falls trail which takes you down to the bottom of the falls. It was redone in late 2013 and has signs along the way to describe local plants/trees that you pass. At the bottom you hit the river/see the falls from below and there is an excellent description of the power created from the falls. Anyone should be able to reach the bottom of the trail, but the trip back is a decent aerobic workout.

After lunch we headed to exit 38 on route 90 and did the Twin Falls hike. There was a small landslide this spring and the entrance at exit 34 will not get you to the falls so take exit 38 until you hear that the entire trail is open again. You take a mostly downhill path to reach the falls and there are two to see once you reach the river below. The views there are outstanding and once again it is the trip back that will give you the big workout. For this trip, you need a Discovery Pass to park and you can grab a one day pass at the Ace Hardware on Main Ave South in North Bend for around $11. This will let you park at any state trail that day and you can do multiple trails in a day if you are up for it.

On the day we headed to Snoqualmie we first went to Bainbridge Island on the ferry from Seattle. I called the Kiana Lodge from the ferry and they were very nice. The woman that answered let me know that there was nothing happening at the lodge that day (Monday) and we were more than welcome to stop by. After spending time exploring the stores near the ferry and eating lunch we drove over to Poulsbo and found the lodge easily. The doors were all wide open and we walked right in. We checked out the interior and headed to the beach. There was a man mowing the grass but he didn't bother us one bit. The only glitch was that it was low tide so I couldn't see the log with water close to it but this was a minor disappointment. This was probably my favorite location to visit (after the falls) and I would suggest you check it out if you are a first timer.

In the North Bend area I visited the Twin Peaks sign spot, Ronette's bridge, the RR diner (outside only), the giant log (the road here is being worked on so there is traffic at this location), Snoqualmie Point Park, the Mount Si Motel, and the Sheriff's Station/Mill. At the Sheriff's station there are no trespassing signs along with about five 'you are being recorded' signs so I took one photo and left quickly. I hadn't planned on seeing it but passed Mo's Motors while driving. I wouldn't have minded seeing Big Ed's or the Fall City buildings but didn't want to drag my girlfriend around too much.

The Salish was great. We had a river view and I could just stand on the balcony for hours while watching the river hit the falls. One afternoon there was a deer over near the power plant and she was just hanging out about 15 feet from the river. I would recommend The Attic if you are looking for a drink or meal as we ate there several times. On our last day we ate lunch there and it looked like a window table was about to open up. I asked our server if we could move if the table became available and he said 'no problem.' The two women left the table and three people came out to move our plates over to the window table in about 20 seconds. This was a great way to end our time there--great service.

My experience at the Dining Room at the Salish on 6/9 was not great and I will skip it if I go back. The hostess gave us our choice of seats between the small river room (7/8 tables were taken and we wouldn't be able to see the water from the free table) and the main room near the fireplace. I chose the table near the fireplace as it was quiet. A man greeted us/brought us water. A server came and explained that she was not our waitress but would be happy to take our drink orders. My girlfriend couldn't decide on a wine and the server was very nice and brought a splash of each so she could pick one. Then our server arrived and we were ready to order (scallop appetizer/salad & salmon/tuna for my girlfriend/I.) I am pretty sure I heard someone at another table order a 'special' which I hadn't heard about.

A group of 16 coworkers was seated near us and things changed dramatically: my girlfriend and I had to speak loudly to hear each other as did all other couples in the room. A manager stopped by and asked us how we were doing that evening and joked "I hope it is warm enough for both of you and you don't need a fire in the fireplace." When we said 'yes', he wandered off to another table. I was kind of hoping he would have noticed that the room had just become quite loud and offered to move us. No luck. Our appetizers arrived and were fine. A woman at the work table would clap when someone made a funny remark. You would hear light laughter then "clap clap clap clap." It would pierce the room like a lightning strike and happened several times. I was hoping the manager would swing back around but couldn't spot him.

Our entrees were served. My girlfriend enjoyed the salmon but I found that the tuna was under-seasoned and only had decent flavor when I combined it with other items on my plate. I have never heard Gordon Ramsey tell someone that the meat was bland, have the person counter with "you should mix it with the other things on the plate', and have them get away with it. The person that took my plate (not our waiter) didn't ask how our meal was. If it were $22 I would have been disappointed, but at $38 it was a miss. I was ready to flee at this point and we declined dessert.

I walked back to the room shaking my head feeling as if I had just played 'entree roulette' at $40 a throw and lost. It was not a great ending to my stay. But I started a fire, headed out to the balcony to enjoy the sounds from the river, had a glass of wine, and I was able to forget the dining disappointment.

The gift shop at both the Salish and Snoqualmie Falls (all of 200 yards from the hotel) were great and had a good selection of items. There is a new tall coffee mug at the Salish with an owl that I was thinking of buying but didn't want to try to get it home safely in my luggage. I am hoping it shows up on their website soon so that I can order one. I bought a couple of items and everyone was friendly. We stopped by the spa and sat in the warm pool for about 20 minutes after hiking and it was pleasant.

So there it is. I fell in love with Twin Peaks during the summer of 1990 (on summer reruns and quickly started figuring out a way to be home on Saturday nights) and finally made it there. If I go back I will definitely hit a few more trails as the countryside was beautiful.

Edit: I forgot to mention that we completely lucked out on the weather front. Every day was mostly sunny. During the early part of the trip highs were reaching into the mid 80s which was not typical for Seattle. We were hitting about 80 when we were in Snoqualmie and the mid 70's up in Vancouver. The Salish gift shop did tell me that they would provide a link for any item I wanted to buy that was not on their website and I gave them my details for the mug, but no news yet. They offer a 20% discount on purchases if you are staying there. Very happy to have gone and would love to go back again (but somehow add a bike to the mix.)
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Re: Heading to Snoqualmie & Seattle this year

Post by hopesfall »

xman wrote:I have returned from my trip and wanted to report my experiences for anyone in the same boat as me. We juggled the plan a bit and added Vancouver as a destination so we only had two nights at the Salish.

If anyone is heading to the area and wants to do a non-twin peaks activity, I would highly recommend a hike. The Salish had a handout with possibilities that gives a brief description of each. We had considered Little Si and Snow Lake, but started out one morning on the Snoqualmie Falls trail which takes you down to the bottom of the falls. It was redone in late 2013 and has signs along the way to describe local plants/trees that you pass. At the bottom you hit the river/see the falls from below and there is an excellent description of the power created from the falls. Anyone should be able to reach the bottom of the trail, but the trip back is a decent aerobic workout.

After lunch we headed to exit 38 on route 90 and did the Twin Falls hike. There was a small landslide this spring and the entrance at exit 34 will not get you to the falls so take exit 38 until you hear that the entire trail is open again. You take a mostly downhill path to reach the falls and there are two to see once you reach the river below. The views there are outstanding and once again it is the trip back that will give you the big workout. For this trip, you need a Discovery Pass to park and you can grab a one day pass at the Ace Hardware on Main Ave South in North Bend for around $11. This will let you park at any state trail that day and you can do multiple trails in a day if you are up for it.

On the day we headed to Snoqualmie we first went to Bainbridge Island on the ferry from Seattle. I called the Kiana Lodge from the ferry and they were very nice. The woman that answered let me know that there was nothing happening at the lodge that day (Monday) and we were more than welcome to stop by. After spending time exploring the stores near the ferry and eating lunch we drove over to Poulsbo and found the lodge easily. The doors were all wide open and we walked right in. We checked out the interior and headed to the beach. There was a man mowing the grass but he didn't bother us one bit. The only glitch was that it was low tide so I couldn't see the log with water close to it but this was a minor disappointment. This was probably my favorite location to visit (after the falls) and I would suggest you check it out if you are a first timer.

In the North Bend area I visited the Twin Peaks sign spot, Ronette's bridge, the RR diner (outside only), the giant log (the road here is being worked on so there is traffic at this location), Snoqualmie Point Park, the Mount Si Motel, and the Sheriff's Station/Mill. At the Sheriff's station there are no trespassing signs along with about five 'you are being recorded' signs so I took one photo and left quickly. I hadn't planned on seeing it but passed Mo's Motors while driving. I wouldn't have minded seeing Big Ed's or the Fall City buildings but didn't want to drag my girlfriend around too much.

The Salish was great. We had a river view and I could just stand on the balcony for hours while watching the river hit the falls. One afternoon there was a deer over near the power plant and she was just hanging out about 15 feet from the river. I would recommend The Attic if you are looking for a drink or meal as we ate there several times. On our last day we ate lunch there and it looked like a window table was about to open up. I asked our server if we could move if the table became available and he said 'no problem.' The two women left the table and three people came out to move our plates over to the window table in about 20 seconds. This was a great way to end our time there--great service.

My experience at the Dining Room at the Salish on 6/9 was not great and I will skip it if I go back. The hostess gave us our choice of seats between the small river room (7/8 tables were taken and we wouldn't be able to see the water from the free table) and the main room near the fireplace. I chose the table near the fireplace as it was quiet. A man greeted us/brought us water. A server came and explained that she was not our waitress but would be happy to take our drink orders. My girlfriend couldn't decide on a wine and the server was very nice and brought a splash of each so she could pick one. Then our server arrived and we were ready to order (scallop appetizer/salad & salmon/tuna for my girlfriend/I.) I am pretty sure I heard someone at another table order a 'special' which I hadn't heard about.

A group of 16 coworkers was seated near us and things changed dramatically: my girlfriend and I had to speak loudly to hear each other as did all other couples in the room. A manager stopped by and asked us how we were doing that evening and joked "I hope it is warm enough for both of you and you don't need a fire in the fireplace." When we said 'yes', he wandered off to another table. I was kind of hoping he would have noticed that the room had just become quite loud and offered to move us. No luck. Our appetizers arrived and were fine. A woman at the work table would clap when someone made a funny remark. You would hear light laughter then "clap clap clap clap." It would pierce the room like a lightning strike and happened several times. I was hoping the manager would swing back around but couldn't spot him.

Our entrees were served. My girlfriend enjoyed the salmon but I found that the tuna was under-seasoned and only had decent flavor when I combined it with other items on my plate. I have never heard Gordon Ramsey tell someone that the meat was bland, have the person counter with "you should mix it with the other things on the plate', and have them get away with it. The person that took my plate (not our waiter) didn't ask how our meal was. If it were $22 I would have been disappointed, but at $38 it was a miss. I was ready to flee at this point and we declined dessert.

I walked back to the room shaking my head feeling as if I had just played 'entree roulette' at $40 a throw and lost. It was not a great ending to my stay. But I started a fire, headed out to the balcony to enjoy the sounds from the river, had a glass of wine, and I was able to forget the dining disappointment.

The gift shop at both the Salish and Snoqualmie Falls (all of 200 yards from the hotel) were great and had a good selection of items. There is a new tall coffee mug at the Salish with an owl that I was thinking of buying but didn't want to try to get it home safely in my luggage. I am hoping it shows up on their website soon so that I can order one. I bought a couple of items and everyone was friendly. We stopped by the spa and sat in the warm pool for about 20 minutes after hiking and it was pleasant.

So there it is. I fell in love with Twin Peaks during the summer of 1990 (on summer reruns and quickly started figuring out a way to be home on Saturday nights) and finally made it there. If I go back I will definitely hit a few more trails as the countryside was beautiful.

Edit: I forgot to mention that we completely lucked out on the weather front. Every day was mostly sunny. During the early part of the trip highs were reaching into the mid 80s which was not typical for Seattle. We were hitting about 80 when we were in Snoqualmie and the mid 70's up in Vancouver. The Salish gift shop did tell me that they would provide a link for any item I wanted to buy that was not on their website and I gave them my details for the mug, but no news yet. They offer a 20% discount on purchases if you are staying there. Very happy to have gone and would love to go back again (but somehow add a bike to the mix.)
I got genuine goosebumps at various points whilst reading this, thank you so much for sharing. I've always dreamed of doing this myself, despite my wife being rather indifferent to Twin Peaks. She said she'd do it for my birthday or something one day, so no doubt I'll be coming back to this post numerous times for pointers! :D

EDIT: The part about the clapping had me in stitches. What the hell is that all about?
Last edited by hopesfall on Tue Jun 23, 2015 12:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
xman
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Re: Heading to Snoqualmie & Seattle this year

Post by xman »

hopesfall wrote:
I got genuine goosebumps at various points whilst reading this, thank you so much for sharing. I've always dreamed of doing this myself, despite my wife being rather indifferent to Twin Peaks. She said she'd do it for my birthday or something one day, so no doubt I'll be coming back to this post numerous times for pointes! :D

EDIT: The part about the clapping had me in stitches. What the hell is that all about?
Well, more on the clapping woman. We probably got back to the hotel around 4PM that day and a man was giving his car to the valet and mentioned checking in for a work function. I have a feeling that most of these people were checking in that afternoon and probably hit The Attic (which has happy hour every day from 3 - 6) to enjoy some drinks before dinner. The company president did make quick remarks at dinner thanking everyone for their contributions and it was clearly a celebratory mood/event. They did have beer/wine with dinner. The table of 16 was closest to the circle in front on the hotel and furthest from the water. Her side of the table was facing the circle so she couldn't see any other diners except the people at her table. If she had enjoyed some drinks before dinner and didn't see how many couples were in the room (soon trying to communicate with loud voices, hand signals, and flag semaphore) she was probably just oblivious to how distracting the clapping was for those of us trying to enjoy the company of the person across from us.

Thanks for the compliment on the post. I didn't want to ask questions and then not tell anyone what I enjoyed most about the area. I will try to get some pictures posted, but I was in the same boat as you where my girlfriend really didn't care all that much about Twin Peaks but enjoyed the area just as much as I did. If you work in Seattle as a destination, that will give you plenty to do in the area.

I heard Sherilyn Fenn talking about the Twin Peaks reboot (youtube video) and she mentioned that they were going to redo the interior of the RR Diner (Twede's) so that it looked just like it did in the pilot and then leave it that way after filming was done. If this holds true, it will be another good reason for many of us to head there. I will also check the tidal charts before I head to the Kiana. :D
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Re: Heading to Snoqualmie & Seattle this year

Post by xman »

Let's see how this works....King Salmon at the Salish dining room.
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Re: Heading to Snoqualmie & Seattle this year

Post by xman »

Yay, it worked. My lackluster tuna at the Salish.
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Re: Heading to Snoqualmie & Seattle this year

Post by xman »

This is the type of thing you will see on any hike (even the one down to the bottom of the falls.) 100 years ago loggers cut down some of the larger Douglas Firs and a new one later sprouted on top of the stump. The roots go over the top/sides of the stump to the soil below.
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xman
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Re: Heading to Snoqualmie & Seattle this year

Post by xman »

The view of the power plant/river from our room.
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Re: Heading to Snoqualmie & Seattle this year

Post by xman »

And another shot looking more towards the falls. Glad we splurged for this view/sound of the falls. When you keep the door to the balcony open, you can barely hear one sound from the hotel as the rushing water takes over.
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xman
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Re: Heading to Snoqualmie & Seattle this year

Post by xman »

If you take the Snoqualmie Falls Trail (right behind the Falls gift shop--the first hike we took) it leads you down to the bottom of the falls for a unique view and *really* clear water flowing by. It turns out one of the water pipes from just before the falls travels partly underground to the power plant near this photo--it passes underneath the Salish. Here is the view from below.
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Re: Heading to Snoqualmie & Seattle this year

Post by xman »

And I think the only Twin Peaks related photo I will post is this one showing the falls. It's amazing how good your photos turn out when you point them at this beauty. :D
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