Greg Gilbert / The Seattle Times
The lighthouse at Fort Flagler sits at the end of a lonely beach with Whidbey Island in the distance.
Printer friendly
E-mail a friend
Digg itMARROWSTONE ISLAND — Under clouds the color of wadded steel wool, a red tugboat strained against a gathering wind blowing north up Admiralty Inlet. From our sheltered vantage point at Fort Flagler State Park, we could make out the headlands of Whidbey Island to the east. Normally, the channel separating the two islands would be busy with marine traffic, but the impending storm kept pleasure craft at moorage.
Even without the spectacle of passing ships, the roiling sky, cruising gulls and the occasional bald eagle provided interest enough. We were sitting under the covered porch of a 1903-vintage two-story home originally built for a noncommissioned officer (NCO), one of three properties at Fort Flagler available for nightly rentals throughout the year.
Similar quarters are for rent at state parks up and down Western Washington, some with off-season discounts, some of which start today. All offer a dry, warm place to stay in a state park in winter, no tent required.
"I think people sometimes do not realize that we have our own historic homes available in our own back yard," said Thuy Luu-Beams, public-information officer for Washington State Parks. "These are some of our best-kept secrets."
 |
Those "secrets" number more than three dozen, stretched along the Pacific and Puget Sound coastlines. The largest number are at Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend, but you can also rent places from Orcas Island to the Columbia River. They range from utilitarian yurts and platform tents to historic cabins and well-appointed former military homes and living-quarters once occupied by lighthouse keepers.
The gem of the vacation homes operated by state parks is undoubtedly Scarborough House, a four-bedroom Victorian adjacent to an old-growth forest at Fort Columbia.
"We have these amazing homes, and we would like to make them available to the public," said Luu-Beams.
A stroll through history
Since the properties are within state parks, nature and the great outdoors are close by. From our NCO home-for-the-night at Flagler we strolled the beach below the fort and inspected some of the nine abandoned gun batteries on an hourlong hike through part of the 800-acre park.
Flagler was once part of a chain of coastal defenses installed at the turn of the last century on Puget Sound and at the mouth of the Columbia River.
Fort Flagler had the additional distinction of being one side of the "triangle of fire" — three strategically placed forts on Admiralty Inlet — designed as an outer defensive line to protect the Puget Sound naval yard at Bremerton and Puget Sound cities from enemy ships.
We gained insights into life in the coast artillery and the purpose of the forts during a visit to the Fort Flagler Museum. Volunteers Bob and Glenda Edwards, retirees from Jamestown, N.D., staff the museum with a friendly enthusiasm. Bob switched on a 13-minute video that detailed the fort's history.
Flagler, like the other coastal forts built around 1900, was soon overtaken by military technology and strategy; they were essentially obsolete within two decades of completion. The forts saw later service in World War II, but by the 1950s their days were numbered. Fort Flagler, named for Civil War veteran General Daniel Webster Flagler, was declared surplus in 1953 and became a state park in 1955.
That may be approximately when the exterior of the NCO house we rented was last painted. Paint on the shiplap siding was heavily weathered and peeling in places — not an encouraging sight when you have signed up to spend the night.
However, state parks has done a commendable job in retaining original features inside, such as the fir floor and pressed-tin ceiling. Luxurious, it's not, but it's comfortably furnished and equipped with crockery, utensils and kitchen essentials for cooking your own meals.
A handsome reproduction oak table dominates the kitchen: The living-room is furnished with a sofa, easy chair, rocker, coffee table, occasional table and a TV/VCR.
Upstairs, the smaller bedroom has a double bed and dresser. The front room has two twin beds and a dresser. A small gripe we had was that the double bed was in the rear bedroom, rather than at the front of the house facing the water. The bed could have been firmer.
The house was well warmed by a forced-air heating system, and even with a storm blowing, the house didn't get chilly inside. For some reason, the NCO house had a pungent smell — oil, paint or cleaning solvent, we couldn't quite decide — that pervaded the house until we gave it a good airing. By morning, with the windows closed, it had begun to return.
Availability varies
The NCO North house we rented is slightly more popular than its NCO South neighbor, but finding an opening shouldn't prove too difficult. Last year, both houses were rented out for a total of 127 nights.
Availability at other state-park vacation houses varies greatly — both between seasons and by day of the week. The Hospitality House at Kitsap Memorial State Park, which became available for rental last April, recorded 60 nights' rental in eight months.
"Right now, the shoulder season, places are usually available," said Luu-Beams. "During the summer season, we are very busy, especially with the yurts."
One of the beauties of travel outside the busy summer months is that you can enjoy natural surroundings without the crowds. Certainly, that was the case at Fort Flagler. Other than a few volunteers, who bring their own RVs, we had the main part of the park to ourselves.
We awoke to find deer sitting like lawn ornaments behind the house.
The storm had passed to reveal a still-cloudy day of lighter breezes tinged with salt. It went down well with some fresh orange juice enjoyed on the porch.
More about Washington State Park vacation rentals
If you want to spend a night or a weekend at one of the properties offered by Washington State Parks, first choose a location. Although there is a centralized reservation number, accommodations are not standardized throughout the parks.
In some locations, wheelchair-accessible properties are available, but since many of the homes are historic, not all have been modified or are capable of being adapted for use by wheelchair users.
|
Likewise, some properties require that you bring your own bed linens, towels and soap, while other properties have an on-site laundry and provide those items (Fort Worden, for example).
Also, you may find that to reduce staff costs, some parks expect guests to clean up at the end of their stays, including mopping floors. Some park properties will welcome your pets; call to inquire.
To find out specifics on cost and suitability for your particular needs, check at the State Parks Web site or call the central number. You may be referred to the park.
Reservations: You may reserve a vacation home up to 12 months in advance; yurts and small cabins at Fort Canby State Park on the southwest coast and platform tents at Dosewallips State Park on Hood Canal may be booked up to nine months in advance. The yurts are round structures of canvas walls, with heaters, electricity and lockable doors. The cabins at Fort Canby are 13-foot square with restrooms nearby. To reserve the houses, call 800-360-4240. To reserve yurts, Fort Canby cabins or platform tents, call 888-CAMPOUT or book on the Web at www.parks.wa.gov.
Rates: Regular rates range from $35 a night for a yurt or primitive cabin sleeping four to $350 a night for the Scarborough House, for which there is a two-night minimum stay required. Now through winter, however, the state offers up to a 50 percent discount on many — not all — of its historic houses (including Scarborough House, for $175). Discounts exclude holidays.
Among the more unusual rentals are the North Head lighthouse keeper's residences at Fort Canby State Park, near Ilwaco. Both are century-old, two-story Victorians, painted brilliant white with cherry-red roofs. One rents for $233.59 per night, but a companion unit is half price for winter.
The off-season rate for our NCO North house, which could sleep up to four, is $70.11 per night November through March (two-night minimum stay on weekends).
1. Moran State Park
Camp Moran Vacation House: Quaint two-bedroom house in forested setting. Five bunkbeds; sleeps up to 10. Off-season rate: $62.32 per night.
2. Fort Worden State Park
Officers' Row: More than a dozen stately houses within walking distance of the beach feature elegant details including fireplaces, ornate tin ceilings, Tiffany lamps and Victorian-style furniture. Sleep from seven to 14. $121.95-$261.60 per night.
Noncommissioned Officers' Quarters: Century-old buildings maintain their early 1900s' character through architectural details such as claw-footed bathtubs. Duplex units sleep five. $97.85-$110.10.
3. Fort Flagler State Park
Hospital Steward's House: Century-old two-bedroom house with view of Admiralty Inlet and Marrowstone lighthouse. Sleeps four. Off-season 20-percent discount: $70.11 per night.
Waterway House: Four-bedroom World War II-era home overlooks water, sleeps eight. Off-season 10-percent discount: $124 per night.
Noncommissioned Officers' Quarters: 1903 home near shore has two duplex units, each sleeping four. Off-season 20-percent discount: $70.11 per night.
4. Kitsap Memorial State Park
Hospitality House: Cabin overlooking Hood Canal with view of the Olympic Mountains. Built in the 1930s, it's newly decorated with log-style knotty-pine furniture. Sleeps two. Kitchenette. $125 per night.
5. Snoqualmie Pass
Hyak Lodge: Originally built as a bunkhouse for highway snowplowing crews, Hyak Lodge has been transformed into a casual, European-style inn with 34 dormitory-style guest rooms and shared restrooms. Fireside recreation room and shared dining area. Minimum age for renters: 21 (children welcome with parents). $50 per room November-March.
6. Fort Canby State Park
North Head Lighthouse Keepers' Residences: Two three-bedroom houses available, each offering ocean views and 1800s flavor. Each sleeps six. One house is half-price ($116 per night) through May 15.
7. Fort Columbia State Park
Scarborough House: Four-bedroom home facing old-growth forest. Sleeps 12. Half-price ($175 per night) through May 15.
Steward's House: Quaint two-bedroom house with view of the Columbia River. Sleeps four. Half-price ($72 per night) through May 15.
Copyright © The Seattle Times Company
post a reply