On Sunday, my boyfriend and I ran several errands in Woodinville. We stopped by Home Depot for gardening supplies, filled my car up with gas, picked up pet food and treats for my dogs at PetSmart, and shopped for taco making supplies at Haggen. Back at home, after unloading the car, feeding the dogs, cleaning the kitchen and taking a nap, we felt like we’d earned a nice quiet late afternoon drink somewhere lovely.
I suggested Willows Lodge – my boyfriend had eaten a meal at Barking Frog once in the past, but had never strolled the grounds nor stopped by the Fireside Lounge. Outdoorsy as he is, I figured he’d enjoy a nice walk through this pretty place.
We began our leisurely wandering by stopping to admire the hotel’s namesake, this majestic, towering willow tree.
I’m no plant expert – are these pink hellebores? I was just so glad to see flowers in bloom, promising Spring will arrive soon!
We wandered down the little path around the hotel. I love how many intimate seating areas the hotel provides for guests in its outdoor gardens.
I stopped to admire these green flowers (hellebores again?) They reminded me of the St. Patrick’s Day we all just celebrated!
The landscapers here at Willows Lodge really do a marvelous job, I am impressed!
I wonder what this little gazebo will be used for this spring. It’s so charming!
We were delighted that it was warm enough to wander these sun dappled pathways without coats on. No hotel guests were in sight (we would have tried not to disturb them if we came across any!) so we felt like we had our own private oasis for a few minutes.
I can just picture hotel guests gathering around a bonfire, wine glasses in hand, chatting and making new friends. Perhaps on some other slightly warmer evenings to come!
After Seattle’s dark, gray winter rainy days, I was so happy to see pink flowers blooming away in the sunlight!
Notice the absolutely immaculately maintained event space. There’s not a cigarette butt or piece of litter anywhere in sight. Just beautiful gravel paths and green grassy lawns!
After we visited the pigs (Borage and Basil), leaving them snoozing in the sun, I stopped to photograph this charming window box full of flowers.
Bob had never seen the gardens here and was duly impressed. We mused about how much work it takes to maintain these gardens.
Next time you’re lunching or dining at Barking Frog, take your own tour of the garden some of your food might have been grown in!
My amateur photographs surely won’t make it to the cover of National Geographic, but I was hoping to inspire you to come take a sneak preview of Spring at Willows Lodge yourself next time you’re in the area.
All that wandering and snooping around the gardens made us thirsty, so we headed into the Fireside Lounge. Bob was impressed with the size of the fireplace, and we both were grateful for the warm fire and cozy atmosphere. Bob was happy to see Manny’s on the menu, but had been hoping they’d carry beer from Redmond-based Mac & Jacks.
Even girls who own wine blogs don’t necessarily drink wine *every* day. I was in the mood for a well crafted cocktail, perhaps something with gin. This is the “Bergamont” which I’m fairly sure was a typo of “Bergamot” but sounds much fancier this way.
We appreciated the friendly barkeep who immediately poured us glasses of water, and the amiable bartender.
Surely this cheery flower was grown in the nearby garden? What a lovely touch. This cocktail was quite refreshing and I would definitely order it again.
We were really tempted by several items on the lounge’s menu (garlic truffle fries, for example) but alas, we’d planned to cook tacos together at home, so had to abstain.
Outside on the terrace, a family had just finished enjoying snacks by the fire pit. I’m excited to start coming back to Fireside Lounge in the evenings to order tasty food and beverages and bask in the beautiful atmosphere.
On our way back to the car, Bob admired this ornamental stone work. I think of it as a castle turret, but I suppose it’s a fountain?
I tried out one of the thoughtfully placed Adirondack chair seating areas, but didn’t want to linger since we weren’t actually guests of the hotel. It felt so nice to sit in the sun!
We said goodbye to the stunning willow trees on our way back to the car.
Imagine how gorgeous this flowering tree will look in another week or two!
-Carrie
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