We arrived at Quinault Lodge on a rainy, foggy July afternoon. The cedar, spruce, and hemlock trees line roads like green velvet curtains. As we walked through lobby to back deck, sun broke through over lake. This brings up a bit of advice - and a secret - about Washington Coast. The weather on Olympic peninsula is NOT seasonal. It's completely random. July can be wet and foggy and cold, and January can be clear and sunny and you can even find winter days when you can put your feet in Pacific Ocean. That means that if you can go off-season, you should. Prices are down, trails are empty, and weather may surprise you. Still, don't head out there without being prepared for rain. It rains between 140 to 167 inches - that's 10 to 12 FEET - a year at Quinault and that rain can fall in any season. Trust me on this, I've been heading out to coast for years now, and not once has weather been least bit predictable.

While waiting for check-in, we visited Lake Quinault Historical Society and Museum, temporarily housed in ranger station. If you're lucky, you'll arrive on a day when one of long-time residents of area is watching gallery and get to hear a little bit about what life was like on peninsula when loggers were still heroes and a trip out to lodge was a big adventure.

The lake, home to steelhead trout and salmon, is a great spot for fishing, paddling, canoeing, and even swimming. (Since lake is on reservation land, special restrictions apply. Be sure to ask at front desk about purchasing appropriate permit.) You can rent a variety of low-impact watercraft right there at lodge, or bring your own and launch yourself from one of nearby campgrounds. We stayed off water, but watched a couple of hesitant guests carefully helped in to kayaks by dockside staff.

A short walking distance from lodge is trailhead for Quinault Loop Nature Trail. We decided to give it a miss, as both of us have walked trail before, and got in car to go over to Maple Glade. The self-guided trail is ½ mile, with a longer option, which we took, that goes through an old homestead. Old growth maple trees are draped in moss here, air is wet with mist, and environment is, well, a little mysterious. We had trail to ourselves, but park leads ranger guided walks from most of more popular trailheads and if you'd like to learn more about natural history of area, these walks are a great way to go. We also stopped on North side of lake to take a look at one giant Western Red Cedar. The tree is one of a half dozen trees in area that are largest of their variety in U.S. Lean back and look up!

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Pam, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent – Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To book travel visit Jetstreams.com at www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit Beach Booker at www.beachbooker.com

The bathroom was best designed I've ever seen. The shower contained two shower heads, so that Bob and I could shower together without fighting over water. Plus he could lift shower head to reach over his 6'3" height, and I could lower mine to my comfort as well. The tub is not to be missed. It's large enough for two of us plus a large dog, quite comfortably. Jets give your tired feet and back a delightful massage. As an extra touch of comfort, tub is heated from underneath, so no matter how long you sit in tub (and I was there a very long time), water never gets cold. If that isn't enough, tub overlooks same view as living room. Needless to say, I acquired a rather permanent pruny quality to my skin over three days we visited.

The staff wants you to feel as though you are visiting a friend's home, a place where your soul is replenished, where abundant natural beauty brings you back in harmony with yourself and nature. The Lodge's heart and soul are about balance — wonderful nature, fun-loving people, a place of relaxation and rejuvenation. How do they do it?

It starts even before you arrive. If you notify Matakauri of your likes and dislikes, they will have everything waiting for you. But even if you didn't plan ahead, they make it appear as though you had. We had been traveling so much that we didn't quite get around to telling them that I am allergic to wheat and mushrooms. No problem . . . cook was able to make some adjustments on fly.

But we really put them to test when we asked if my step-son and his girlfriend, who had been living in Queenstown, might be able to join us for dinner. This was trickier because Lodge only hosts 16 people when it is full, and there were only eight guests when we were there. The chef usually only cooks for number of guests, but he was cheerfully able to accommodate our last minute request.

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Cymber Quinn, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent – Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To book travel visit Jetstreams.com at www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit Beach Booker at www.beachbooker.com