Travel
Upgrade Your Seattle Staycation in Woodinville
Find luxurious accommodations and wine tasting just a stone's throw from home
By Chelsea Lin May 3, 2020
This article originally appeared in the May 2020 issue of Seattle magazine.
This article appears in print in the May 2020 issue. Click here to subscribe.
Editor’s note: Due to the COVID 19 health crisis, we recommend you save this trip for a time when it’s safe to leave your house. Many of these businesses are not fully operational, and some of the more rural areas we write about in our travel coverage don’t need an influx of Seattleites right now. But it’s fun to dream, isn’t it?
Is it still called a staycation if you have to drive for 25 minutes to get there? Never mind—when it comes to getting to Woodinville, driving isn’t even essential. The Burke-Gilman Trail connects Seattle to this oenophile’s dream in the woods via a two-hour bike ride, if you’d prefer.
Semantics and travel logistics aside, Woodinville is perhaps the easiest wine-and-dine destination for maximum relaxation with minimal effort. Book a night at centrally located Willows Lodge, where you could easily spend from check-in to check-out without leaving the property: Kick up your feet in front of the in-room fireplace, take advantage of the heated outdoor soaking tub and sauna, then head across the parking lot for a meal at Barking Frog (order the off-menu crispy prawns in creamy Grand Marnier sauce).
Just next door, accessible via a tunnel through the hedge at the western edge of the parking lot, is Hollywood Station, on the former Redhook Brewery site. The flashiest tenant here is Teatro ZinZanni, which paused its dinner-and-a-show theatrics in February to construct a permanent glass structure to house its iconic Belgian spiegeltent (reopening date TBA). Also on the Hollywood Station campus: DeLille Cellars’ stunning new tasting room (make a reservation, and check out the upstairs patio for Mount Rainier views while you’re sipping Chaleur Blanc); farm-to-table, all-ages gastropub Wheelhouse; aerial adventure park Adventura; and Sparkman Cellars’ new wine tasting room, which was still under construction at press time.
Still thirsty? Wander on foot to Chateau Ste. Michelle, across the street, or Woodinville Whiskey Co., just down the road. And if you’ve brought the car, don’t leave the area without stopping at the Novelty Hill–Januik winery for a case of the excellent Spring Run rosé.
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