Gain A New Perspective with an Overnight Stay Among the Trees
Climb up to the canopy and find rest (and inspiration!) in one of the amazing treetop hotels that are sprouting up all over the country. Feats of contemporary engineering, treetop retreats help “awaken that inner child who dreams of living among the trees,” says Pete Nelson, a treehouse craftsman who stars in the Animal Planet series “Treehouse Masters.”
Options range from rustic versions in national parks to luxury abodes featuring gourmet kitchens, Jacuzzis and on-call personal chefs. One popular option: Nelson’s TreeHouse Point, nestled in a lush forest 30 minutes east of Seattle, in Fall City, WA.
There, each treehouse has its own design. The Temple of the Blue Moon is accessed by a swinging suspension bridge. This treehouse includes a handcrafted armoire and a custom-built queen-size bed. The Trillium is two stories and features 80-foot-high windows and a ship’s ladder that leads to a loft bed. One guest favorite is the shared bathhouse, according to Joanna Van Ronk, TreeHouse Point’s manager. “The bathhouse interiors are cedar-lined so they smell amazing, and they have heated floors so you feel like you’re in a spa even though you’re in the woods,” she says. While travelers who check in typically are happy to simply relax and enjoy their surroundings, some venture out to local farmer’s markets and hiking trails, she says. www.treehousepoint.com
Want to be a kid again? Pretend for a night that the canopy of
trees is your whole world.
Nature-lovers who want to kick the luxury quotient up a notch further might check out the Carolina Jewel Treehouse, a relaxing sanctuary supported by five trees perched on the hills of the Reems Creek Valley in Weaverville, NC. With a gourmet kitchen, a gas log fireplace, a cozy master bedroom and two bathrooms with heated flooring, the treehouse also sports a 1,000-square-foot deck with rocking chairs and an outdoor shower with a seemingly endless supply of hot water. Don’t want to cook? No worries. The owner will book a private chef to come and prepare a gourmet meal. www.thecarolinajewel.com
