Wending my way along the back roads west of I-5 to Semiahmoo Resort, I scolded myself for not leaving earlier in the day.
I got a late start and now it was dark, real dark … and the wind and rain were revving up for a major autumnal storm.
Following the numerous Semiahmoo signs that dot the Whatcom County landscape just south of Blaine, I finally reached the milelong narrow spit that leads to the 198-room inn.
And narrow it is, with Drayton Harbor within dipping distance to the right and Semiahmoo Bay a frisbee toss to the left. It was just me and the road and all that water on each side. I gripped tightly to the wheel.
I hadn’t visited Semiahmoo Resort since it opened in 1987 and was curious to see the multimillion-dollar renovation that it has undergone in the past year.
I was also looking forward to the new full-service European-style spa, where I had booked two appointments for the following afternoon. No matter how frightening the weather forecast, this all-girl getaway (a friend was joining me the next day) was going to be good.
Although generally a self-service traveler, I chose valet parking at the main entrance to the resort. The lobby has been stylishly warmed up with an abundance of wood, comfy furnishings and a fireplace.
Historical photos are on display, telling the tale of earlier days.
Semiahmoo, a Salish word for “half moon,” was established in 1894 by the Alaska Packers Association as a cannery and boat repair facility.
As the largest sockeye salmon canning organization of its kind in the United States, the Alaska Packers Association was famous for its Star Fleet of three-masted sailing ships that transported the salmon to ports of call along the Pacific Coast.
The cannery was sold to the Del Monte Corp. in 1916 and remained in business until 1965. Today, Semiahmoo Resort and the Skagit Valley Casino Resort in Bow are operated by the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe.
Enough history. I’m ready to relax. My water-view room on the fourth floor was done up in what I call “Eddie Bauer casual,” with a real fireplace and a king-size bed in a separate room. Across the black waters of Semiahmoo Bay, the lights of White Rock, B.C., glistened in the night.
It was time for dinner, and I headed to Packers Lounge and Oyster Bar. Stars, the resort’s fine-dining restaurant, is closed Sundays and Mondays in the winter.
I selected a table next to the fireplace in the dark wood and glass enclosed eatery and enjoyed a yummy bowl of clam chowder, homemade brown bread and a glass of white wine. A limp salad and oysters Rockefeller with something called bingo sauce were not as successful. The other dinner option is the Blue Heron, just across the spit at the Semiahmoo Golf and Country Club.
In the evenings, there are free “Movies at the Moo,” playing in the resort’s Discovery Theater at 6 and 8 p.m. The early movie is family fare, rated G, and the later movie is for adult audiences. There’s free popcorn, too, but I passed on the flick and headed for my cozy room and lit a fire.
The next morning the skies were still heavy and gray … a few lone gulls were scooting around on the putting green just outside my window, and a fishing boat plied the waters of Semiahmoo Bay. After a room-service breakfast, I headed out.
Semiahmoo boasts two golf courses: the Semiahmoo Golf and Country Club and Loomis Trail Golf Club. The latter is open to resort guests on odd days of the month.
Not being a links lover, I walked along the bike and pedestrian path of the milelong spit, officially called Semiahmoo Parkway, to see where I’d been the evening before. Blue heron were in abundance, and as the clouds began to part, I had a clear shot of Mount Baker.
At the entrance to the spit is the Drayton Harbor Maritime Museum, open Fridays through Sundays, where you can learn about Semiahmoo’s fish cannery days.
Following a lunch of seafood gumbo at Packers accompanied by a daytime water view, it was off to the Spa at Semiahmoo.
The spa features 10 treatment rooms, plush waiting areas and comfortable “quiet” rooms, all wrapped in wood and stone. Make sure to book in advance.
Scooting up the back stairs after my session at the spa (yes, it’s OK to wear your bathrobe, provided in all guest rooms), I was ready to read, take a dip in the indoor-outdoor pool or maybe indulge in a late afternoon nap.
Semiahmoo is perfect for all of that.
Sue Frause is a freelance writer from Whidbey Island: skfrause@whidbey.com
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