House in the Trees B & B at Bethabara Farms, Snoqualmie

Bethabara Farms/A House in the Trees is a hidden gem of a B&B. And by hidden, I mean it. To get there, you drive off the paved road onto gravel, and the world seems to suddenly drop away, as you're surrounded by trees and high grasses. You turn left and go down a steep driveway, and you feel like you've gone through a portal, arriving at a place like the Hobbits' Shire in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings (or a giant terrarium, depending on your viewpoint). The main character here is something out of a story, too. Our main host, Owen Walsh, looks like Santa Claus, and has a matching disposition. He and the friendly dog, D'arby, both greeted us warmly into his self-made house. By self-made, I mean from built based on blueprints that Walsh drafted, and materials put in place by the man and his family, piece by piece, for the most part. Our room was cozy and oozing with the charm that permeates the place. Shortly after we arrived, Owen placed fresh flowers from the garden in our room. We had a full bath to ourselves just a few paces from our room. The bed and pillows were very comfortable. Owen's breakfasts were hearty, and he tailored mine every day to my diet (low carb), a request I made just before we flew up to Seattle. He also gave us kitchen privileges, so we could prepare some of our own food from the grocery store or store and reheat restaurant leftovers. He also allowed us to use his computer, which has high-speed internet access, so we could look up things to do and directions to get there, and we could keep up with our e-mail. Owen's wife, Nancy, the other innkeeper, was around less than Owen, but she was equally gracious, engaging us like houseguests rather than just customers. When neither of them was at home, we were free to use the TV, and the one evening when we arrived to find their friends there, we were welcomed into their conversation. In fact, the innkeepers and this special place were so inviting, we actually looked forward to coming back after even just a moderately paced day of touring and visiting with my wife's son (whom I like). When we go back to this area, we will definitely stay here again, assuming the Walshes are still in business. But since Owen is in his mid-60's, this may be a limited-time opportunity.