By the time we got to Walter's Cabin, Rick and I had already worked a full weekend. Astoria on Saturday for the Crab & Wine Fest, back up to Tokeland on Sunday for Oyster Fest, a night at the Breakwater Resort in Grayland, and then finally, Monday night, we pulled up to the cabin and just... stopped.

Which, if you know us, is not something we're great at.

Walter's Cabin is the newest addition to the Tokeland Hotel property, about half a mile down the road, tucked into the trees. It went through 18 months of restoration and you can feel that when you walk in. Custom tilework, walnut countertops, a marble sink, hand built millwork throughout. A fireplace. A queen sized reading nook framed by windows. A vintage record player. Bubbles and heirloom popcorn waiting for you like someone knew you were coming and wanted you to feel taken care of. There's also a cedar sauna with a cold plunge and an open air shower outside, which I will say is a different experience when you're surrounded by trees and ocean air and there is genuinely nobody around.

The first night we of course went over to the hotel for dinner. Steak frites, which were amazing. I had wine, Rick had cocktails, we went back to the cabin and then did something we almost never do at home: we just hung out. No TV. We played Yahtzee. We did 80s trivia. We were genuinely just two people in a cabin enjoying each other's company, which after seven years together still happens pretty naturally and I don't take that for granted.

The next day we drove up to Ocean Shores to golf, which I am getting genuinely good at by the way. When we got back Rick fired up the grill and we cooked together, ribeyes, spicy skillet potatoes, fresh green beans with bacon, garlic bread. A whole production. It was one of those nights that felt really simple and also really good at the same time.

Walter's Cabin is the kind of place that works best if you actually like the person you're bringing with you. It's quiet, it's intentional, it's not trying to entertain you. It just gives you a beautiful space and kind of gets out of the way. If you and your person are good at just being together, you're going to love it here.

Seven years in and we still genuinely choose each other, which I think is the whole thing really. But the steak frites and the Yahtzee didn't hurt.

xoxo Chelsea