Bill's Bountiful Blog

May I keep you posted on my thoughts, ideas, observations, and silliness?. Am I serious? Is it relevant?. Does anyone care? Probably not much.

But in today's age of everyone has something to say, why not me? And who can blame me for jumping into to the pool? For speaking up For laying it out?

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Allison & Chase Discover Family Skiing at White Pass!

By Wendy Thomas
Published: 08/06/24 Topics: Dog Friendly, Family, Interview, Mount Rainier WA, Packwood WA, Things To Do, Vacation Comments: 0

Allison & Chase Discover Family Skiing at White Pass
 
Allison, who works in inventory management, and Chase, who is active-duty military, are currently stationed in Port Orchard, Washington.  They wanted to take a skiing vacation within Washington State and chose to stay in the Cowlitz Manor house in Packwood Washington. 
 
The vacation rental is managed by Packwood Properties a member of the Vortex VIP group of lodging managers, and we spoke with Allison and Chase for an interview. Their stay was a full house, with Allison, Chase, their two kids, two friends, and their dog, Magnolia.
 
 
VIP: What made you choose Packwood and Cowlitz Manor House?
 
Allison: Chase is an avid skier, and we wanted to take a ski vacation to someplace new. We’d never been there, but he wanted to try the White Pass area, and the house looked beautiful and the location seemed to be amazing. Plus, it had a hot tub.
 
VIP: Did you use the hot tub at all?
 
Allison: Oh yes. The kids took skiing lessons, so after spending a day skiing, it was great. We used the gas fire pit upstairs as well, especially when the power went out!  
 
VIP: Oh no!  Sorry about that. I hope that turned out to be okay in the end?
 
Allison: It was. Packwood Properties kept us up to date about when the power would come back on. We had the gas stove inside and the gas fire pit outside, so we were fine until the power came back to the street in the evening.
 
VIP: What was your favorite thing about the house?
 
Allison: We loved the front porch facing the river. We spent most of our time there. And, of course, the hot tub after skiing. We used the fire pit quite a bit. Especially with the power out!  We liked how close it was to the White Pass Skiing Area, only a half hour drive. The house was big enough for all six people plus Magnolia to spread out. It was beautiful. Just like the pictures showed.
 
VIP: I hope we’ll be able to host you again in the future.
 
Allison: It was one of the better Airbnbs we’ve stayed in. We will definitely stay here again, if available!

Read more

Author: Wendy Thomas – Cowlitz Manor House, Cowlitz Manor House
Blog #: 0977 – 08/06/24

Working With Leavenworth VIP Getaways

By Wendy Thomas
Published: 04/11/24 Topics: Guest Behavior, Guest Management, Interview, Leavenworth WA, Lodging Management, Vortex VIP Comments: 0

Mike, a retired attorney and the owner of Icicle View Vacation Rental Home in Leavenworth, agreed to sit down with Leavenworth VIP Getaways, a member of the Vortex VIP lodging managers group, for a few minutes this week.

For over 20 years, Mike and his family have owned Icicle View. They’ve spent weekend, holidays, and New Years there. Their daughter’s favorite childhood memories have been at the house, and the entire family has enjoyed seeing the California Quail and Grouse in the backyard. A special event for this family of birdwatchers.  
 
Deer have even taken advantage of the carport to cool off during the summertime.
 
VIP: Mike, thank you for speaking with us today. We’re so glad you are trusting your house to us. What made you buy it 23 years ago?
 
Mike: The location was very important for us. We wanted to be out of town, but have the benefit of town water. We love the views of the hills, the night skies, and the sunrises and sunsets from our quiet hillside.
 
VIP: As a resident, what are your favorite things to do in the Leavenworth area?
 
Mike: Golfing at the Leavenworth Golf Course is one of the hidden gems for golf in Washington State. We love to hike up in the Alpine Wilderness area in the Enchantments by Colchuk Lake. Icicle Ridge Trail is beautiful. We’ve enjoyed cross country skiing here. There are three courses in and around Leavenworth. Leavenworth is halfway between Stevens Pass and Mission Ridge for downhill skiing.  
 
We love going shopping at Apple Annie Antique Gallery in Cashmere, and there’s a diner there we enjoy named Café Jazmin. It’s a 50s themed diner that we enjoy.
 
To enjoy the natural features of the area, we go to Ohme Gardens and overlook Wenatchee, Dry Falls beyond Wenatchee. We love the geology of the area.  
 
Another great way to enjoy the beauty of the area is to rent inner tubes from Adventure River Tubing Leavenworth. You can spend an entire afternoon floating down the Wenatchee River, right by downtown. Some people bring food and drink and have a picnic along the way, or get out and stop for a while, then restart.  
 
VIP: That’s amazing, Mike. Thanks so much for sharing all of that. Sounds like you’ve been loving the area for a while. When did you start putting your house in the vacation rental market?
 
Mike: It was during Covid. July of 2020.  
 
VIP: Did you rent it yourself, or did you use a management company?
 
Mike: We started with Vacasa. But we didn’t like how they handled it. The house wasn’t consistently cleaned, and some of the guests we had were worrisome. There was a fight in the house where there was quite a bit of damage.
 
VIP: That sounds awful! We’re glad we are able to help you!
 
Mike: Bill said we’d have better clients, and you’ve kept your promise. You’ve positioned the house well and marketed so we don’t have any more problematic guests. We want to keep the house in our family for years, so making sure we don’t have guests who ruin it is very important to us.  
 
VIP: How do you like our local manager, Michelle?
 
Mike: She’s good.  We have a dedicated housekeeper who has been with us for years, and she and Michelle have a good working relationship. Michelle is very businesslike, and it’s good. She has been very helpful.
 
VIP:  Thank you so much for speaking with us, Mike. We appreciate you taking time out of your day.  
 
Mike: It was my pleasure.

Read more

Author: Wendy Thomas – Contributor, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0985 – 04/11/24

Birthday at Pintails Lodge

By Wendy Thomas
Published: 03/06/24 Topics: Dog Friendly, Family, Hood Canal, Interview Comments: 0

Heather, an elopement photographer from Seattle, wanted to celebrate her birthday with family and friends. She and her husband, their toddler, her childhood best friend, and her two rescue dogs headed up to Port Ludlow for a vacation. Read more

Sponsor: Pintails Lodge – Picture yourself sitting back with your eyes closed - the gentle sea breeze blowing through your hair. The faint call of the elegant pintail ducks waivers in and out of your earshot as the sweet and salty smell of the sun hitting the bay wafts across your face. Sit on the veranda overlooking the marina and enjoy the sailboats puttering out toward the crystal blue waters of the Puget Sound, almost weightless in the calm waters. The sunlight dances on the surface and shimmers like gold. – (Click here for Pintails Lodge)

Outdoor Preschool Director Finds Classic Cabin

By Wendy Thomas
Published: 02/26/24 Topics: AirBnB, Cooking, Crystal Mountain, Interview, Mount Rainier WA, Vacation Comments: 0

 

Justin, the director of an outdoor preschool in Denver, stayed true to his likes when he and friends booked a trip to Mount Rainier. They wanted to be able to hang out together and ski, coming together from their homes across the United States.

Justin chose to rent Lindgren House managed by Crystal Cabins in Greenwater Washington, a manager of the Vortex VIP lodging group of vacation rental managers. Here is Justin’s interview.

VIP: What made you choose Lindgren Haus and the Mount Rainier area?

Justin: The price was hard to beat for the weekend. It was an awesome location and had a classic cabin kind of vibe. We wanted to go skiing at Crystal Mountain. That was the biggest driver of where we stayed. I’d been to Seattle a bunch of times, but never up to Crystal Mountain before.

VIP: Did you and your friends enjoy the cabin?

Justin: It was great for hanging out with friends. It had a nice layout and everything was provided.

VIP: Were the amenities ok? What you were expecting?

Justin: We were surprised by a TV and DVD player. We hadn’t realized that they would be there. We hooked up our Switch to the TV. The kitchen was well stocked and we were excited we didn’t need to bring in anything. Soap and towels were already there. That was great for those of us who flew in.

VIP: Was your favorite part of the trip the skiing?

Justin: That was definitely part of it. It was phenomenal skiing. But all of us hanging out in the cabin at night was the best part.

VIP: You skied and you stayed at the cabin. Sounds both fun and relaxing. Did you feel you had a good trip?

Justin: Yeah, we got everything we wanted and more out of it. It was an awesome stay. If we can get everyone together again, we’d like to come back.

Read more

Author: Wendy Thomas – Editor, Lindgren Haus
Blog #: 0979 – 02/26/24

Yuka's First Trip to Hi-Tide Resort

By Wendy Thomas
Published: 01/25/24 Topics: Aberdeen Washington, Dog Friendly, Hi-Tide Resort, Interview, Moclips Beach WA, Ocean Shores WA, Vacation Comments: 3

Michael Muller and his dog Yuka came and enjoyed Hi-Tide in October 2023. Read more Read 3 comments

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