Many years ago when I was a young child, my parents owned a cottage at Valley of Enchantment in the San Bernardino mountain range in Southern California. It was a wonderful place, hidden back in a beautiful deep, dark forest. The rustic cabin's exterior was not particularly memorable, but the interior, done entirely in tongue and groove knotty pine seemed to emit a warm glow of light all on its own. I never forgot the feeling of coziness and how special it was to stay in that cabin.

Now, years later, I spend much of my time traveling. This means I must depend on a town’s overnight accommodations wherever my work takes me. I usually look for a motel that appears somehow welcoming to me, one that does not appear too austere or too glitzy…the proverbial bowl of porridge that is just right. Rarely do I ever find one that is just right. That is, not until recently…

Poulsbo is a small town that seems to mainly exist as a gateway to Bainbridge Island out on Washington’s Olympic peninsula. After my first day of work in Poulsbo came to a close, I began driving around to locate yet another motel in my seemingly never ending quest for nightly rest. I quickly realized the town had very few places for travelers to stay which, because of the size of the town, was not surprising. I quickly made my choice, pulled in and registered. When I found my room and entered it, suddenly all my childhood memories of my parents little mountain cottage suddenly came flooding back. The appointments were obviously carefully chosen by someone who thought beyond the usual utilitarianism that I so often encounter. The walls were paneled with natural wood that seemed to glow just as I remembered. I was so taken with my room that for the first time I called my wife to say, “I’m home!” It was difficult to leave my "little home" when it came time to move on.

I suspect others will not have the same experience I had at the Inn in Poulsbo, but nevertheless I recommend it for the lodge and cottage feeling that one just doesn’t experience much anymore. The owners went the extra mile and I commend them for creating an experience that I think anyone would find a pleasure.