A river flows outside my patio doors, lulling me to sleep like a natural white noise machine.
A few metres away, the water cascades down 81 metres (268 feet) in a stunning waterfall nearly twice the height of Niagara Falls.
I’m staying at Salish Lodge & Spa, the setting of Twin Peaks, an iconic mystery TV show from the ‘90s. The lodge is owned by the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe.
While I can’t see the falls from my room, I can hear them. The water plunges into an effervescent mist, surrounded by evergreens and moss-dotted granite cliffs, where tiny birds flit and dive towards the stream. The hotel is plopped next to the falls at the very top.
To view the waterfall in all its majesty, I walk two minutes to the viewing platform as the sun begins to set. Orange and pink hues bathe the lodge in ethereal light, transforming the setting to look as if it’s autumn, not spring. Giggling like a child in an amusement park, I stay rooted to the spot snapping photographs and taking videos until dusk dims the sky and spotlights illuminate the milky waves against the dark night.
This place is beautiful, spiritual, sacred. For thousands of years, the waterfall has plunged into a pool below, creating clouds of mist. For the Snoqualmie People, it is a place of healing and connection.
The Snoqualmie (sdukʷalbixʷ) are The Transformer’s People. The Transformer, the Changer, changed the world to what we see now. The legend of Moon the Transformer is about the formation of the falls. The Snoqualmie believe that supernatural power permeates all of life and the whole universe is worthy of respect.
The falls are their birthplace. They use the Snoqualmie River for ceremonial and non-ceremonial purification and cleansing, and as a transportation route. They paddled upriver in canoes to visit tribal members. Today, the area is designated as Traditional Cultural Property.
The lodge was built in 1916 and purchased by the tribe in 2019. You’ll notice a two per cent Lands Protection Tax added to any lodge stay or purchase—the first of its kind in the USA. These funds go directly to the tribe and supports their ancestral land movement, allowing them to purchase key properties.
The thoughtful absence of displayed alcohol at the bar in the lounge (until 5 p.m., when a few bottles appear) reflects their value to not advertise or encourage overconsumption. The entire menu focuses on seasonal food, locally harvested honey and healthy, house-infused juices—I try fresh honeydew orange and rhubarb apple ginger along with perfectly fluffy pancakes as part of the four-course Country Breakfast, a historical offering for over 100 years.
To work off the meal, I hike the 2.3-kilometre trail down to the river for a foliage-framed view of the waterfall. The steep dirt path is lined with swordfern, salmonberry, maple, hemlock and huckleberry. Interpretive signs tell of traditional uses from medicines to household items.
Earlier that morning, I was woken up with the best room service: a steaming hot latte. After caffeinating, I met Cheryl from Pineapple Life at the Hidden Terrace. She led our small group through a unique singing bowl yoga and massage, placing different bowls on our stomachs and backs to release specific frequencies into our energy centres.
Time and space to slow down, focus on wellness and healing is felt deeply throughout the lodge, from the library-turned-exclusive Club 268, where guests can order bespoke cocktails and read by the fireplace, to the Pacific Northwest-inspired spa, which brings the outdoors inside. I don a luxuriously soft robe and cozy up in the relaxation room before indulging in a CBD-oil-infused signature massage, HydraFacial and soak in the waterfall-lined jetted hot tub.
Sufficiently sleepy with spa brain, I enjoy some of the best food I’ve ever tasted—I highly recommend the Angus Filet Mignon—with a view over the falls from the Cliffside Room for dinner.
On my last morning at this sanctuary, I eat breakfast in the Visitor Center. A 30-minute looping video tells stories about the Snoqualmie People, spirituality of the falls and reclamation of the land.
I can feel the spiritual significance as I watch the water plummet over the cliffs—even amongst a sea of tourists. Before heading to the airport, I lean over the railing, and I see it.
Magic.
Colourful streaks of light dance in the mist at the base of the waterfall. A double rainbow appears across the shifting spray, glimmering in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. “I feel it,” I whisper, gazing in fascination and appreciation at this wondrous place. I am thankful to be here, to witness this, to see the magic.
Disclaimer: The author was hosted as media by the lodge.
The post Sleep on Top of a Waterfall at This PNW Wellness Retreat first appeared on Explore Magazine.