United States Archives - Alyssa Smirnov

Post Hotel, Leavenworth, Washington Experience

Alyssa — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 20:00:19 +0000

For Christmas 2020 I was gifted a one night stay to Post Hotel. The Post Hotel is a boutique hotel in Leavenworth, Washington. It is known and has become popular for its various sauna and steam rooms. It is considered very luxurious and comes with the price tag to match. It follows the German theme set by the town of Leavenworth. Me and my husband decided we didn’t want to wait and booked it soon after. We ended up staying in the first week if January. I loved the idea of a winter getaway and The Post Hotel in Leavenworth seemed like the perfect spot.

Booking and Check-in

Since we did book somewhat last minute, I had to check frequently and wait for a cancelation to reserve us a booking. We also wanted to go on the weekend to avoid taking too much time off work. It’s important to keep in mind that if you book on Friday or Saturday, they require a minimum of two nights. Even if you were only gifted one night for the gift card. Booking was easily down online and the hotel was quick to answer any questions I had over the phone as well. We ended up paying the extra night ourselves but it turned out better. It is about a 2.5 hour drive from us so we didn’t want to have to drive back home the next day and we got to enjoy more experiences.

We arrived and the check-in process was simple and quick. They have good security at the front door as you have to use your key card to get in or get buzzed in by the front desk. They took our temperature for covid safety measures and gave us a little overview of the hotel offerings. One of the best parts about the hotel is that they offer a free parking garage to their guests. This turned out to be a huge plus because it did snow quite a lot while we were there but our car stayed clear and we didn’t even have to go outside to put our luggage away.

We were really impressed when we got to the room. It was very cozy and nicely designed. I love the balcony and fireplace. We had the Mountain View room. In the video below I shared a room tour. Each of their rooms features a large marble bath. The bath was really beautiful but it does take a while to fill up and I didn’t find it that comfortable. It cools off quickly due to the cold marble. The room was very clean. Some of the amenities included were a large wardrobe, tv, mini fridge, iron and hairdryer. Many of the guests in this hotel wear their robes around the hotel. This is probably because they spend most of their time at the pool area. The hotel provides the robes and slippers in each guest room. Each room also gifts water bottles to the guests that they can use to fill up at the water stations around the hotel.

Pool and Spa

The pool is one of the most popular features that attracts people to Post Hotel. Upon entry into the pool room you are greeted and handed a clean towel. You can choose your own lounging chair to place your belongings. There were a variety of large round cushioned loungers and and the traditional fold out kind. During our stay the hotel seemed to be quite full so at times there was some difficulty finding an open spot. The staff is helpful and try to locate one for you if you ask. The pool area consists of a large half indoor and half outdoor pool, a hot jacuzzi outside, a hot jacuzzi inside, 2 very cold dip tubs, and foot soaks of varying temperatures. They also have several rooms that include 3 steam rooms and 3 dry saunas of varying temperatures with various essential oil infusions. They also have one cold room. I really enjoyed all these rooms, they were very relaxing as well as beautifully designed. The entire pool area was clean and seemed to be well maintained. They had a water station there as well. The only negative was that it did get a little crowded at one point while we were there. The hotel also offers a paid spa that is separate. There you can get massages and other treatments. We didn’t try anything but it is there as an option. I did not take any photos at the pool area as it was too crowded and they do ask guests to avoid taking photos for privacy reasons. It’s best to leave your phone in your room and enjoy the moment.

Food

One of amenities factored into the price at Post Hotel are the meals. They offer complimentary breakfast, lunch and an evening dessert. They don’t offer a dinner but you have the option of going into the town and getting something there or they have night bites which are small snacking plates. We ended up ordering take out from some places in the city. The meals that they provided were very good and filling. You are able to order multiple dishes to make sure you get full and you can try different things. Another tip is that you are able to order lattes and various coffees even though it wasn’t on the menu. They have a rotating seasonal menu so during our entire stay the menu was the same for breakfast and dinner. They feature German dishes so that you can get the full Germantown experience. The nightly dessert also changed so we got to experience something new both nights. The first night was chocolate pudding and a cookie and the second night was a baked fruit tart. I included some photos of our dishes at the bottom of the post. Overall the food was really good and fresh. They also had a lot of beverage options to choose from. After you check out or if you are only staying one night. You are allowed to stay on the grounds till 2pm. This way you can still enjoy the lunch even if you only stay one night.

Things to Do

Although you could totally just relax at the hotel all day, we wanted to get outside for some winter fun. There’s many options for fun activities near Leavenworth, especially in the winter. For our full day there, we planned a snowmobiling tour. It was through the company Leavenworth Snowmobile Tours. We chose to do the two hour tour and it was perfect for us! My husband really enjoys more adventurous activities and I thought it would be fun too so i booked it. I just rode as the passenger on the back and he was the driver. It was just long enough. Riding through the snow covered mountains was definitely one of the most beautiful sights. The only negative about the tour was that it was quite bumpy. I had a hard time holding on at one point. Our guide said that the trails probably wasn’t groomed recently so it might not always be so bumpy. Another fun activity that I was considering was a sleigh ride. It looked so cool and it would be better for a larger group, if you have kids or just want a more calm activity. There are several companies that offer sleigh rides. Near the town there is also a reindeer farm. This would be another fun option with kids. The town of Leavenworth itself is also really nice to walk around and explore. They have a variety of shops to look through.

Overall I really enjoyed our little winter getaway to the The Post Hotel in Leavenworth, Washington. It was very relaxing at the pool and spa rooms yet I feel that we got to enjoy some fun winter activities outdoor as well. I would definitely recommend visiting there at least once to experience it and I hope to come back some day. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment down below and I’d be happy to answer.

The Brothers Greenhouses, Hobbit House in Washington

Alyssa — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 19:00:47 +0000

No matter how much you love your home, there is nothing quite like being out in nature. There is just something about being among plants, and feeling the wind in your hair that is so soothing, refreshing even. Since I have always had a thing for such moments, I recently decided to go to The Brothers Greenhouses in Washington.

This is home to the enchanting Hobbit House, a beautiful remake of the ones featured in the legendary Lord of the Rings. Its designer, Cheryl, even got its picture signed by Sean Austin, one of the actors in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

It is therefore not surprising that this place is a favorite among the movie buffs, some even going as far as coming to visit it in full Hobbit attire. When visiting the Hobbit House in Washington, you’re not just restricted to the cute little pavement, you can go inside. But it was closed when we went, such a bummer in my opinion but I have something to look forward to for my next visit.

However, all was not lost. We still got to see lots of plants and flowers in the various greenhouses. There were succulents, perennials,houseplants, and a few edibles. The place even has a cute gift shop that sells cards, local tile art, gardening essentials, and fairy garden accessories.

There are also people you can ask questions to and workshops that happen all year round. I even got word of a yearly tomato-tasting event that is held every September and features 40 to 50 tomatoes; a unique opportunity for all tomato lovers! And if your thing is photography, they also have a contest to keep you busy.

Needless to say, there is a lot to do at The Brothers Greenhouses. All things considered, it is a cool place to visit, and I will definitely go back again!

For this look I wore this beautiful side bow top from Chicwish. It’s a knit style top with good stretch and it’s very cozy. The bow is a perfect way to dress up a simple long sleeve. I paired it with some dark wash jeans, my Saint Laurent espadrilles and my classic Chanel medium flap.

Shop The Look

Black Lace Bodysuit with Belted Trousers

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Sweetheart Top with Bell Sleeves

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Red Bodysuit Styled with a Louis Vuitton Logomania Scarf

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Wicked Tulips Farm, Rhode Island Experience

Alyssa — Sun, 05 May 2019 22:57:02 +0000

The Wicked Tulips Farm is one of the only large tulip farms in New England. While doing my research it seemed like the only one worth visiting. But this also makes it one of the most popular and busy. This experience isn’t one that you can just decide you want to visit one weekend. It’s best to plan your visit ahead. You may only purchase tickets online on their website. They sell out very quickly, especially for the weekend dates. We got very lucky to buy some last minute early bird tickets that were added to their website the day before. This year (2019) the tickets included 10 tulips with an adult ticket. So we got to take 20 tulips home. You can definitely buy as many more as you like. You will most likely need to drive there and it was about 1 hour away from Boston. The parking is also included in your ticket but their lots are very muddy and they try to put hay down to prevent cars from getting stuck. The actual farm is quite large but there are also very many visitors. We got there a little after noon on a Saturday and the line wasn’t too bad to get in. The tulips are organized into two sections, a small show garden and the rest is U-pick. They have lots of varieties and colors for you to choose from. When you’re done picking you can wrap them up to take them home.

If you are coming here to take photos, as it seemed everyone else was (including me) you will need to have a lot of patience and take your time to get good photos. The biggest challenges were not having people in your backgrounds while trying to stay in the best patches of tulips. The results are so worth it! It would be very difficult with children but if you are able to move around a lot to avoid people and have patience then you can still get amazing photos. Just have reasonable expectations before coming. Be sure to dress accordingly when visiting Wicked Tulips Farm. They are open rain or shine. It wasn’t raining when we went but the ground was still muddy so I would highly recommend wearing some mud proof shoes like rain boots. In the photos that I was wearing my sandals, I put those on only for the photos and had boots nearby. You will also get a little muddy from picking the tulips so wet wipes would come in handy as they don’t have full bathrooms, only portable ones.

I would recommend vising this beautiful tulip farm if you live on the East Coast. It is smaller than the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival I’ve been to in the past but still worth and visit and you are able to pick the tulips to take home.

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Plymouth, MA Travel Guide

Alyssa — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 22:58:32 +0000

On a warm spring day, Vlad and I decided to visit Plymouth, MA and see all the interesting historical sites that are nearby. We want to make an effort to visit as many significant places around New England before we move back to the west coast. I’m creating this Plymouth, MA travel guide because it is a great place to take a day trip to as well as to make sure you can see the most interesting spots while in the area.

Proposed Itinerary:

(details on each section and more below)

Plimoth Plantation (2-3 hrs)
Walk along the water in Plymouth Cultural District and grab lunch (1-2 hrs)
Walk to the Waterfront Exhibit (1-2 hrs)
Plimoth Grist Mill (1 hr)

This was really the highlight of our trip. Its a living museum where you are able to visit and experience what life was like in 17th-century Native American village as well as the 17th century English village. In the Wampanoag site, they have real Native Americans (not actors) who show you have they did various things back then. On our visit, a man was showing how they would build canoes and there was a real fire to demonstrate.

Nearby was a woman showing me how she was making a belt from handmade natural spun and died string. They are willing to answer any questions you have about the things around them and how they lived. It was really inspiring to see how in tune they are with their ancestors and that they were still able to demonstrate the original traditions.

When you’re done with the Indian site, you can walk down to the English Village. Right away you will notice the difference in the way they lived. It is a full city and you can go through all the areas of it. Instead of tour guides, you get to interact with the villagers and learn from them. While we were there they had an interactive activity where they did “militia training” and they taught you how to use spears for a battle. It’s so realistic, you feel like you are being transported to another time.

More photos at the end of the post

Waterfront Exhibit

After finishing up at the plantation, you will need to drive to the next location, depending on which one you choose to go to next. We were hungry by this point so we wanted to get lunch somewhere. Driving along Water street and down to Town Warf Road, there are lots of places to choose from, especially seafood. This is right along the coast so you will have the best views to go along with your lunch. While there, a really cool place I would suggest walking to it the Plymouth Breakwater. It is a long strip of rock that allows you to walk into the Plymouth Harbor. You can walk or drive but right down the street from the shops and restaurant is the Plimoth Plantation Waterfront Exhibit. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to participate in this exhibit because the Mayflower II, which is the full-size replica of the original, is being remodeled until 2020. Walk down a little further and you can see the Plymouth Rock! There are also several statues in that same area.

Plimoth Grist Mill

A short drive or 10 minute from the waterfront is the Grist Mill. The Grist Mill was our last stop for the day. There was also free parking at the Town Brook Park. Inside there is a quick tour about how the Mill works and how they used it to make cornmeal. Even if you don’t do the tour inside, it is still nice to visit and see the outside of it. It’s much better looking in the summer where there are flowers and greenery surrounding it.

When to Go

The city of Plymouth has similar weather to Boston but it can be a bit cooler and windier since its right by the ocean. We went in Mid-March and there still wasn’t that much greenery and it can be cold to walk. I would suggest visiting late Spring through early fall and planning according to the weather that day. The exhibits close at 5 so don’t go too late or you might not be able to see everything you wanted to. It’s about a 45-minute drive from Boston.

Plymouth is a place I would recommend anyone to visit who is nearby or enjoys historically significant sites. There are so many more places and museums in this area that you could probably even spend a couple of days here. If you are planning a day trip, I hope my Plymouth, MA Travel Guide was helpful. If you have any questions feel free to comment and I’d be happy to answer the best I can.