Cliff House and Seaside Cottage
Freeland, Washington
Whidbey Island has many hidden treasures. We found a fabulous one at the end of a long, winding, wooded driveway. Dick Clark, Lance Henriksen (Frank Black on Millennium) and John Ratzenberger (Cliff, the mailman on Cheers) are just some of our predecessors to have visited this fantastic B&B. It was featured on the cover of Sunset Magazine and many others and has won numerous architecural design awards.
Walter came out and showed me where to park the Eagle, while Cindy went in to take care of the introductions. I gathered the luggage and laptops. As I entered, Cindy smiled, wide-eyed, and said "Look!" I walked into a magazine layout. It was truly awesome. I saw hundreds of pictures to be taken and had just stepped inside!
Peg and Walter took us on a tour of the home and cottage. The home had been designed by Peggy and an award-winning architect. She had every right to be proud! She had told us many people wanted to buy the home after staying there and at least one home had been built on nearby Vashon Island, closely using this design. After the tour, Peggy told us to enjoy, showed us the bell to ring if we needed anything and then they quickly disappeared to their adjacent home, leaving us to revel in the private luxury of this wondrous retreat.
 | There is an atrium in the center of the home and a sunken "conversation pit" with a stone fireplace. The three-sided sofa had indirect lighting coming from under it. There was a TV/VCR and large coffee table. Another unique feature of the home is the built-in vacuum cleaning system. The kitchen was huge, stocked with not only every imaginable choice for breakfast for two days, but every utensil, pots and pans, appliances and serving dishes you could possibly need. There were ham & cheese croissants, pastries, eggs, milk, cereals and a drawer full of spices. Comfortable chairs and secluded sitting areas abounded, some with views of the water and some tucked into quiet corners. |
There is a working player piano (for sale - because Peg pictures a baby grand piano is this spot!), books, and hundreds of VCR tapes and CDs. There was a desk for Cindy to do her work, but she opted for the conversation pit in front of a crackling fire that Walter had prepared for us. He offered his car for us to go to dinner. We chose to stay in and enjoy the house. Besides, Cindy was not about to pass up a chance to cook in this great kitchen! Outside there is decking that leads around to a private deck, complete with hammock and a hot tub, that offers a full view of the channel. We watched the many boats of all sizes and even spied an orca whale!
| Two bedrooms are upstairs in the lofts overlooking the living room and dining room below. Connected by a walkway that passes alongside the atrium, each has a private bath and TV. The master bedroom boasted a king size featherbed with down comforter and was so comfortable! In the bathroom, there was a Jacuzzi tub. You can look down from either room to see what was for breakfast or catch a view of a deer in the backyard. The way to the beach is 39 feet down a private staircase. As you get there, you are greeted by miles of driftwood. You can spend hours searching through it for oddities and mementos of your stay. |  |
The nearby cottage is also fully equipped for a long-term stay. With living room, TV/VCR, bedroom, bath and complete kitchen, it also boasts a "tree house" overlooking the water. On the platform were table and chairs, a great place to picnic or just relax and wait for the whales and seals to visit.
The property is surrounded by woods and completely secluded. An eagle has nested in the top of one of the trees and Cindy watched as it flapped it's wings to drive off the crows that were attempting to bother the eggs. She had her camera ready, but never did get to see the eagle leave the nest.
It was raining heavily and we relaxed after dinner and watched a couple of movies in front of the fire. Cindy decided that she could live here.....perhaps Peg & Walter would adopt us? We truly loved our brief time here and hope one day to be able to come back.
If you are looking for the perfect spot for a honeymoon or just a quiet retreat with EVERY amenity, be sure to check out their Website, make your reservations and tell them Cruising America has made the recommendation and that we will return!
A Winding Road * (formerly Cruising America) * 6301 Cotton St., Pensacola, FL 32526 * 850-292-1599 * freedom@awindingroad.net
This page created and maintained by A Winding Road (formerly Cruising America), Copyright 1997-2008
User Agreement
