The Cabin in the Woods

A Retreat on the San Juan Islands

What started out as a plan for a massive camping trip ended up being a cozy cabin retreat in the San Juans. A group of us drove up from Portland and stayed at the Sunrise Cliff House, on the Southeastern side of Lopez Island, where we cooked together, boozed together, and got away from the city together.

Though the weather wasn’t always ideal, it lent itself to the tranquility of the island, and you could always find someone huddled next to the fire. The property was big enough that there was plenty of room to breathe when anyone needed a bit of alone time… Or if you just wanted to take a beat-up rowboat out onto the ocean, that was there, too.

I take pride in the people I choose to spend my time with, and I’m grateful to this weekend for allowing me to foster a deeper relationship with those I didn’t get to see much during wedding season. One of my favorite memories of the weekend was when I went out on a bike ride by myself, and coincidentally ran into Mark and Richelle as they were biking to the cabin, fresh off the ferry. I turned around and rode back with them — a quiet, lonely outing turned into one full of giggles, stories, and ideas for what the rest of the weekend would hold.

Crossword puzzles. Family dinners. Sipping Aquavit. Watching the late night ferries slither behind the neighboring islands.

Thank you, Lopez Island.

Mostly, though, I’m just glad we didn’t get murdered by a zombie redneck torture family.