by Lauren on March 8, 2010
There were times when staying at the Jupiter Hotel in Portland’s northeast side that we felt just a little like we’d stepped into a different world. And it had nothing to do with the hotel’s name.
You see, hipness has eluded us of late. Somewhere in between the disposable diapers and humming along to our daily dose of Thomas the Tank Engine, we just lost it. And we were all too starkly reminded of this fact the second we pulled into the parking lot of the Jupiter Hotel. I turned to my husband, who was behind the wheel of our 1987 Volvo station wagon with the “Baby on Board” sign on the back window, and I said, “Um, honey. We’re not this cool.”
The Jupiter is a remodeled, suped-up TravelLodge in a close-in urban area in the northeast. At first it reminded me of another hipped-up travellodge we’d stayed at in L.A. on Hollywood Blvd a few years back called The Vibe. Fortunately in the end the Jupiter is a far better accommodation on many levels. (Don’t stay at The Vibe in L.A. unless you are 22 years old. Or wish you were.)
Upon close inspection, the Jupiter exhibits some fraying around the edges, but decent modern decor and unique touches really help it along so you don’t really notice or mind. To be clear, though, the Jupiter is not quite on the same level of “niceness” as, say, the Hotel Modera or even the Ace Hotel, which offer rooms in the same price range this time of year.
Folks come here for the cool vibe, live music at the Doug Fir Lounge connected to the hotel, and the party atmosphere. As far as I could tell, everyone was having a really great time. And despite the fact that we’re a family with a small child, and prefer to hit the sack somewhere around 9pm, so were we.
There are elements of this hipster-laden, boutique hotel that were surprisingly kid-friendly. Take your hotel room door, for example. They’ve painted it with chalkboard paint, and provide several fresh sticks of colorful chalk so that you may have at it. Sure, some patrons undoubtedly use the chalkboard medium for scoring their drinking games or composing haiku. My 16-month used it to draw lines. Lots and lots of lines.
There’s more. As a budget traveler, room service is typically not even in my vocabulary. The Jupiter offers really affordable room service from the Doug Fir restaurant next door, and the menu is fabulously complete with kid-friendly items like grilled cheese and root beer floats. This came in handy our second night there when a cranky baby and pouring rain outside combined to make stepping out for dinner a seemingly impossible task. Plus, Vacation was on the tube, and it had just started.
One joy of waking up at the Jupiter is the promise of strong, freshly-brewed Stumptown coffee available in the lobby. This beats in-room, flavorless coffee-in-a-bag any day. Both mornings we stayed here, this first cup was quickly followed by a second over a delicious breakfast at the adjacent Doug Fir restaurant, where every meal (including our first night’s dinner) was a total hit. Their corner booth makes a terrific spot for people-watching. (Aside–my people-watching notes from this booth include two observations: (1) Morrissey’s haircut is back in fashion, and (2) if you like a bloody mary with your eggs over easy in the a.m., you’ll be free of judgment at the Doug Fir.)
One last family tip: request a room away from the lounge when you book your room. We were on an upper floor, well away from the lounge, and were never kept awake by the noise or parties as I’d feared we would be. Still, this can be an issue for some of the rooms, so earplugs are provided on the nightstand (along with a condom, btw.) We have white noise on our iPod and there’s an iPod plugin on the nightstand, another convenience that could come in handy with the kiddos.
The room rates at the Jupiter run about $110 – $160, and are too steep for what you get. I think a reasonable rate for this hotel would be $75 – $100. There are ways you can secure a better rate. One is their advance pay option–reserve and pay 21 days in advance of your stay and get 15% off. (The downside is your reservation is non-refundable.) Booking your room through Priceline will also shave about $20 off the rate quoted on the hotel’s website. And, in the unlikely scenario you find yourself in the vicinity of the Jupiter in the middle of the night with nowhere to stay, you can check into a room after midnight and pay $59 (provided rooms are available, of course).
Info: (503) 230-9200 or check out their website.
Note: We were charged the discounted “media rate” the two nights we stayed at this hotel.
by Lauren on February 28, 2010
In my state of Washington, the economic recession has hit state budgets extremely hard. Our state legislature is currently grappling with fixes to fill a $2.6 billion budget gap; this is on top of a $7 billion budget shortfall they dealt with last year. These are big numbers, and they’re resulting in big, deep cuts across the board to pretty much any cause or program you could care about, from education to health care to state recreation lands.
Last week, I learned that they’re seriously considering deep cuts to the agency called Washington State Tourism. In some proposals, the cuts are so deep that the agency would be eliminated; the Senate supplemental budget includes a more than $3 million cut that would close the office of tourism through 2010, at least.
When I learned of this, I was floored. Let’s talk about tourism in Washington state for just a moment, shall we?
Last year, tourists spent $14.2 billion in Washington. That was $1.2 billion less than in 2008, a sign of the recession and the “staycation” trend, no doubt. But still – $14.2 billion. In the Seattle area alone, tourism employs over 60,000 people. Statewide, tourism provides 147,600 jobs — nearly 4 percent of all jobs in the state. Statewide, tourism generated about $958 million in local and state tax revenues.
With the nationwide economy poised to begin its long road ahead to recovery, it would behoove our state to make smart investments in areas that can benefit quickly from that economic
recovery as it happens, especially in areas that can immediately bring in new revenues and create jobs statewide. Statewide tourism tops that list, and it is senseless to make deep cuts to it, and plain idiotic to eliminate the engines for it.
What can you do? Contact your legislators, and do it today, as soon as you read this. Find your legislator here. It’s easy to write a quick message to them. Tell them how much tourism matters to our state and how short-sighted it is to bite the hand that feeds us. We need tourism to grow our state’s revenue and get out of this budget hole–it’s that simple. Do it for the independent B&Bs nestled among vineyards of the Yakima Valley, the bike rental shops along the shores of Long Beach and the art vendors at Seattle’s Pike Place Market.
Thank you.
by Lauren on February 26, 2010
Have you ever been on a hiking trail and thought, “I wonder how this got here?” Look at the trail the next time you go on a hike–really look at it, and notice the footbridges, boardwalk, rock steps, and switchbacks. Whether you’re at Mount Rainier or the Hoh rainforest, that trail under your boots was built by someone, probably several people, and is likely maintained regularly by hard-working volunteers in brightly-colored hardhats.
Last year, volunteers with the Washington Trails Association (WTA) logged over 90,000 hours building and maintaining hiking trails on public lands. Many of those generous volunteers spent their vacation–yes their vacation–helping these trails. WTA hosts Volunteer Vacations all over the state.
Inexpensive? Check. Beautiful location? Check. Totally unique? Check. Incredibly rewarding? Check!
Imagine taking a Volunteer Vacation to a place like this: the trail to Hart Lake in the Glacier Peak Wilderness near Lake Chelan.
WTA’s Volunteer Vacations are extended trail maintenance work parties, lasting a whole week. The first of 42 Volunteer Vacations scheduled for this summer begins March 27 on the Hoh Rainforest Trail in Olympic National Park. Enormous towering trees, rich moss-covered forest canopy, perhaps some dappled sunlight and the gentle calling of the Hoh River. Does it get any better?
So, what can you expect on a WTA Volunteer Vacation? There will be great meals, chats by the campfire, and llamas for companions. You might find yourself lingering over your lunch on a sun-drenched granite ridge top, awed by the natural scenery around you. Maybe you’ll form some friendships with kindred spirits that last a lifetime. Perhaps you will encounter a wild animal you have longed to observe, or make great strides in your plant identification skills. Oh, and you’ll probably want to hike a little, too. They give you a whole day off just to do that, like these folks did on a Volunteer Vacation to the Upper Stehekin Valley in North Cascades National Park.
And you will most definitely be making a difference, a contribution to hiking trails that will serve generations of hikers to come. That’s right, there’s some work involved– the “volunteer” part. Your crew might be responsible for building a new bridge across a stream, or restoring a damaged alpine meadow. You might be logging out a trail littered with downed trees after winter storms, or building a rock wall to support a slumping portion of trail. And after all that work each day, you’ll be ready to eat.
It’s a real community out there on a WTA Volunteer Vacation, and everyone contributes. In the morning and in the evening, everyone takes turns sharing in-camp chores like helping the cook, washing dishes and pumping water. But there will be plenty of time left over to sleep under the stars, eat and eat some more, explore, and relax.
No prior trail experience is necessary to take a Volunteer Vacation with WTA. There are variety of trips to choose from. Some are strenuous (vacationers backpack in to the work site carrying their own tent, sleeping bag and other personal gear.) Some are car camps. WTA packs in the food, tools and other supplies on horses or llamas. A Volunteer Vacation with WTA costs only $165 ($125 for WTA members) and includes all your food, tools, and training.
So, where will you be spending your summer vacation?
More information: http://www.wta.org/trail-news/volunteer/vacations
Volunteer Vacations for youth: http://www.wta.org/trail-news/volunteer/youth
All photos are courtesy of Washington Trails Association.
by Lauren on February 18, 2010
By now you’ve probably heard about the wildly-popular cedar cabins for rent at Cama Beach State Park on Washington’s Camano Island. They’re such a hot commodity that if you don’t already have reservations to rent one this summer, you probably won’t be going. A Cama Beach employee recently posted on Northwest Cheapsleep’s Facebook page that “there are only a handful of one night stays during the summer left.” Hmmm….I guess now is the time to book your autumn or winter 2010 stay at Cama Beach State Park! Note that rates just inched up once again; 2010 rental rates range from $23 – $95 per night.
For those of you lucky enough to have an upcoming trip planned to Cama Beach, we’ve got some tips to help you make the most of your cabin stay. My sister Lesley just returned from a quiet, peaceful three-night stay in a waterfront cabin, and has shared her impressions and practical tips with us. Thanks, Lesley!
My overall impression of the cabins at Cama Beach State Park? They live up to the hype. This is an incredible escape during the off-season months. The value is simply sensational (our deluxe waterfront cabin was just $41 a night–about half the price we’d have paid in the summer months).
This is not luxury living; a basic cabin stay at Cama Beach is just a notch or two up from a deluxe camping trip, but the amenities sure feel like luxuries during the winter months compared to winter camping: an actual roof over your head, heat, on-demand hot water, electricity, and refrigeration. If you’re looking to keep a few more of the conveniences of home, the Deluxe cabins offer a great value at just a few additional dollars per night over the Basic cabins. In addition to all that the Basic cabins provide, the Deluxe cabins have a bathroom with a shower, a phone, and internet access. 
We were blessed with mild and mostly dry weather during our February visit. We also enjoyed plenty of solitude–there were only a handful of other visitors there during our stay. The cards and board games we brought along came in handy, and we spent a lot of time sitting outside, taking in the views and the water, or stargazing at night. Even in poor weather, we would’ve had an excellent vantage point for the view; the kitchen table looks out the front window right onto the beach. I wished there were a covered front porch large enough to sit on, though.
The price of these cabins literally doubles in the summer months, which slightly diminishes the value for me. The park is far more crowded then, too. Personally, I’d rather camp in a tent in the summer. I think Cama Beach is particularly attractive to families in the summer because your kids will have other kids to play with, the Park sponsors educational programs, and you can grill out. And to stay on the beach an hour from Seattle, what more can you ask for, really?
If you go, here are a few practical tips.
- There are no cars allowed near the cabins. You’ll park your car at one of several parking lots up on a hill above the waterfront. There is a shuttle van available during “business” hours (ending at 6pm) that will cart you and your stuff down to the beach. To get the shuttle, you may have to call a number provided to you in your check-in materials, and it will pick you up at the upper parking lot with your luggage and take you to your cabin.
- Will you arrive after 6pm? Be prepared to carry your luggage down a steep, possibly wet hill, possibly in the dark, to your cabin. Luckily, we didn’t pack a lot and were able to fit everything in the provided cart (kind of like a giant wheelbarrow) and on our backs, but we were tempted to bring more, which would’ve required two trips.
- Be sure to bring warm bedclothes and warm pajamas in the winter and shoulder seasons. Though there is electric heat in the cabin, the heat is in the living space and in the bathroom; there is no heat wall unit in the bedroom. And, the cabin is not insulated in any way, as far as I could tell.
- You may want to bring earplugs to sleep, especially during a busy time of year. The walls are just thin wood and actually seem to resonate the noises inside. We were clearly able to hear our neighbors in the cabin next door as they talked, walked, and scooted chairs across the floor. Also, keep this in mind when you are making noise yourself.
- You are expected to clean the cabin upon leaving, which includes wiping off surfaces and sweeping and mopping the floor. Be prepared and allow time to do this. Cleaning supplies are provided.
- If you don’t want to use a microwave to cook, you are limited to eating cold food, grilling outside, using your campstove outside (though there aren’t a lot of places to set it up), or being more creative. That’s right – the cabins have no stove. We brought our trusty electric tea kettle and were making tea and coffee, instant oatmeal, instant soup, etc. There are some strict rules about appliances you are able to bring. Though electric kettles are not on the forbidden list, they may be looked down upon. We kept ours under wraps! There is a rather large refrigerator in each unit with a real freezer.
- What is there to do? There are board games available to check out at the Welcome Center. In the summer, there are boating workshops, boat rentals, horseshoe rings, and educational programs for kids.
- Camano Island State Park next door is a very beautiful excursion if Cama Beach State Park is feeling too limited. The beach there is much longer and there are plenty of hiking trails.
Contact Cama Beach State Park at (360) 387-1550, or visit their website.
