Travel

Slide Show: The Northwest's Most Romantic Retreats, Part 2

We add a dozen pulse-quickening destinations to last year's list. See what made the cut.

January 29, 2013

Sakura Ridge, Hood River | sakuraridge.com; from $185

Escape Hood River’s hustle and bustle at this Hood River Valley sanctuary, five miles southwest of town. (Trust us, when you get to Sakura, Hood River will seem like a harried metropolis.) In fact, the only crowds you’ll see on Sakura Ridge’s 72 acres of

Photography by Courtesy Sakura Ridge

Five Pine Lodge, Sisters | fivepinelodge.com; from $149

If Dante penned a modern revision of his seminal Paradiso chapters, he’d surely set it at Five Pine. Heavenly sphere 1: an on-site brewpub and old-school movie house, ideal for a date night within walking distance. Sphere 2: a fireplace. Sphere 3: a sunk

Photography by Courtesy Five Pine Lodge

House on Metolius, Camp Sherman | metolius.com; from $149

Nothing says hideaway like a locked gate—especially the high-tech kind that guards House on Metolius. For 50 years, this seven-room sanctuary above the Metolius River has been an invite-only affair. While cabins southwest of the main house were available

Photography by Christian Heeb

Beacon Hill Cabin, Carlton | airbnb.com; from $200

The idyllic Beacon Hill Cabin—a spectacular lighthouse-like cabin perched atop 22 acres of vineyard smack in the middle of Willamette Valley wine country—offers panoramic views of verdant vineyards rolling into the valley's forested slopes (from just abo

Photography by Kasey Cordell and Courtesy Airbnb

Awtrey House, Neahkahnie | awtreyhouse.com; from $295

With two units, this intimate B&B is about as close as you can get to owning your own beach home without a down payment. It’s not just any beach house, either: Awtrey couples one of Oregon’s most dramatic locations with the bone-simple design of one of t

Photography by Randy Gragg

Painted Lady Cottage, Newberg | paintedladyrestaurant.com; from $225

Newberg’s Painted Lady restaurant has been quietly dishing out exquisite modern fare from a quaint restored 1898 Victorian home in the heart of town since 2005. But now this hidden gem is serving up something different altogether: a picture-perfect place

Photography by Courtesy Painted Lady

Neal Creek Retreat, Hood River | vrbo.com; from $175

Nestled on two acres of creek-side property outside Hood River, the Neal Creek Retreat stands as one the Gorge’s most elegant modern-design rentals. The Dwell-ian, 930-square-foot space, designed and owned by Portland architects Amy Donohue and Paul McKe

Photography by Courtesy Stephen Tamiesie

Le Puy Inn, Newberg | lepuy-inn.com; from $195

Stationed slopeside just outside of Newberg, practically within sight of several Dundee wineries, the two-year-old Le Puy Inn’s eight luxe rooms come with valley views, complimentary wine tastings, and tips about restaurants and wineries from affable ow

Photography by Courtesy Le Puy Inn

Salish Lodge & Spa, Snoqualmie Falls, Wash. | salishlodge.com, from $189

Back when Salish was a simple country breakfast spot perched at the edge of roaring 268-foot-tall Snoqualmie Falls (1916), waitresses stood on the second floor and dripped the inn’s famous honey onto biscuits. Today it’s dripped onto your face—and arms a

Photography by Nate Watters

WildSpring, Port Orford | wildspring.com; from $198

No matter what your romance recipe calls for, WildSpring Guest Habitat has the ingredients: five adults-only cabins nested in a forest of firs near a gale-prone stretch of southern coastline, perfect for privacy and storm watching; radiant-heat floors (n

Photography by Courtesy WildSpring

Run of the River, Leavenworth, Wash. | runoftheriver.com; from $230

A mile from downtown Leavenworth—and blissfully free of its kitschy Bavarian theme—Run of the River Inn & Refuge’s majestic setting makes it nearly impossible not to fall in love. Wake up to winter songbirds (the inn is surrounded by a bird sanctuary and

Photography by Courtesy Run of the River

3rd Street Flats, McMinnville | thirdstreetflats.com; from $170

Housed in an 1885 bank building, each of the four apartments inside the year-old 3rd Street Flats adheres to a different design theme. Among your choices: a romantic wine country suite dressed in warm hues, soft textures, and dark wood accents or a luxur

Photography by Courtesy 3rd Street Flats

Charles Kingsley was right: romance is not dead.* The proof is in Google analytics: Last year's "Romantic Retreats" post, featuring 11 mood-setting Northwest escapes, remains one of Tripster's most popular. Point taken. So in anticipation of Cupid's special day, this year, we deliver (more) of what your hearts desire: swoonworthy escapes from around the region. Don't get us wrong. You won't go amiss with any of last year's picks. But in the event you're looking for a little additional V-day inspiration, we give you a dozen more.

*Technically, the British author and clergyman only implied this when he said, "Some say that the age of chivalry is past, that the spirit of romance is dead. The age of chivalry is never past, so long as there is a wrong left unredressed on earth." But whatever. Close enough.

Central Oregon, Weekend Away

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Slide Show: The Northwest's Most Romantic Retreats, Part 2

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