June 14th, 2010 by edit1media

Alderbrook Resort

It seems like we are always so busy with running our business, shooting and editing that the only “getaway” time we have is when we are traveling to shoot a wedding or corporate video. And we certainly don’t seem to get out of town with our kids. So since we didn’t have a wedding this weekend, and it’s our only weekend with no wedding until mid-September, we decided to take the weekend off with our boys. I forgot to mention that Saturday was also our 17th wedding anniversary! So we decided to head out to Alderbrook Resort in the Hood Canal.

Mind you, I grew up in Hawaii so my idea of a vacation doesn’t usually involve pine trees and hiking…more like palm trees and boogie boarding. But we had SUCH a great time this weekend that I wanted to share it with you. We also saw two weddings taking place at the resort and of course that means we bumped in to other wedding vendors who we know too, which was cool.

We got a two bedroom cottage which was perfect for me, Chris and our two teenage boys. There was a full kitchen with all the utensils, plates, etc. so we took some food with us since we knew we would be very active and the boys would need to eat constantly. The cottage was so much nicer than I expected it to be! I was imagining a rustic, semi-bug filled place, but it was like a big hotel room but with lots of privacy. I felt like we were staying in a small house. It was great!

We arrived about noon on Saturday and were able to check in a little early, so we put our bags in our cottage and explored the grounds a bit. The resort is beautiful and we seriously could not have picked a more beautiful day to be there…perfectly sunny and 76 degrees…ah!! The tides at Alderbrook are amazing to watch…they go out so far! And there are beautiful views of the Olympic mountains. We decided to rent a pontoon boat and we saw herons, seals, jellyfish and let the boys take turns driving the boat while we sunned on the deck. Afterwards, we hiked the short trails that give a great view of the resort, water and mountains. Then we headed to pool to play a hysterical game of “beachball volleyball” and then relaxed for a while in the hot tub.

Next was an amazing dinner at the restaurant where they had a nice “Happy Anniversary” card waiting for us at the table. The food was incredible! I highly recommend the Tenderloin Gratin which they sell as an appetizer, but honestly that alone could be a meal! We were super stuffed and couldn’t stomach any dessert until they brought out a special Anniversary creme brulee…the boys attacked it and it was gone in about 35 seconds! Then we walked off dinner for a while and watched the sunset on the dock before hitting the gym and the hot tub again. When we got back to our cottage, there was a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries from our friend and wedding planner Ellen Peterson from Serenity Weddings with a sweet card. We managed to eat them all then fell in to bed tanned, full, tired and happy.

We slept in a little then made some eggs in the kitchen before heading back out to the dock to do some sea kayaking. Now, I’ve never been in a kayak before and I was a little worried that I might not even fit in to it! But David at Hood Canal Adventures reassured me that I’d be fine and would have a great time. We rented two tandem kayaks and paddled around for about an hour and a half. I was instantly in love with kayaking and can’t wait to do it again! After that we had to check out but then we headed back to the gym, pool and hot tub again.

My overall impression of Alderbrook Resort as a getaway location, is that it is top notch! Great staff, incredible food, neat cottages and plenty of activities. We can’t wait to go back again and explore some more…and maybe even check out the spa next time! My impression of Alderbrook for a wedding is also great. It’s like a mini destination wedding but still local. Having a ceremony on the lawn with that gorgeous view is stunning. A unique thing I liked about the reception room is that there are large windows that can be opened to the courtyard and guests can flow in and out and gather around the sofas at the outdoor fire pits. There are so many places to take pictures and video….I just can’t wait to shoot our first wedding there…so if you are getting married at Alderbrook Resort, make sure you call us about having the day filmed because you won’t regret it and I already have ideas flowing in my mind!

Alderbrook Resort, Destination Weddings, Personal Life