Tag Archives: Kirkland

The Woodmark Hotel: Very Dog-Friendly and Inviting

Woody is the Director of Complaints at the Woodmark Hotel

Woody, the Labradoodle, has his own private office at the Woodmark Hotel in Kirkland, but prefers to spend most of his time mingling with the guests, human and four-legged.

Located on the shores of Lake Washington at Yarrow Bay, the Woodmark welcomes dog guests and provides them with a bed, water bowl and a treat. You won’t be charged a fee for your pet, either. That truly is the purest in dog-friendliness.

As the warmer weather approaches, Woody hosts a Yappier Hour on Wednesdays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Beach Café’s outdoor seating area. Dog treats abound. For those of us who eat with a knife and fork, the Beach Café focuses on Northwest cuisine in a casual and friendly atmosphere. The menu includes burgers, steaks, salads, seafood, chicken and more.

Hotel Lobby

For a more fine dining experience, Bin on the Lake serves local and seasonal delicacies, small and large plates, and 80 different wines by the glass.

Guestrooms and suites contain all the extras. Luxury bedding with down pillows and cashmere throws grace the beds. Complimentary high speed Internet access, a 32” LCD Flat Panel TV with surround sound and a computer docking station make it easy for those who need to stay connected. Soaking tubs and a rainwater shower along with a selection of bath amenities allow for self pampering. If you’re not inclined to use the make-your-own Martini Bar, call the desk and someone will do it for you.

Hungry late at night? You have complimentary “Raid the Pantry” privileges, from 11 p.m. – 1 a.m., to snacks that include sandwiches, soups, chips, desserts and juices.

Hotel guests can go cruising on the Woodmark II, a 28-foot Chris-Craft. The tour takes you through Yarrow Bay, to the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, by the University of Washington and in front of elegant homes on Lake Washington. One of those homes is owned by Bill Gates.

Washington Boasts Fantastic Children’s Book Authors

Our state seems to attract artists of all kinds, but especially writers or at least that’s the art I know the most about. Last night 18 authors and illustrators gathered at Park Place Books in Kirkland to present “The Inside Story” on their newest releases. Each presenter was give 2 ½ minutes to tell the story behind the story of what they’d written and had published. This event was presented by the Western Washington chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators.

Below I’ve revealed some of their insights in case you want to buy and read these books. Some haven’t been released yet, but most have.

I overheard two members of the audience talking about how they would rather read children’s books than some of the books for adults out there because the children’s authors do a better job of engaging the reader. I heartily agree.

Picture Books

A Bedtime for Bear by Bonnie Becker continues the saga of a grumpy bear and a cheerful mouse and the series now comes with a cuddling stuffed toy.

New to Seattle, Maggie Smith has penned Christmas with the Mousekins just in time for the holidays – how does a mouse family prepare for Christmas?

Illustrator Kevan J. Atteberry said drawing monsters in Frankie Stein Starts School by Lola M. Schaefer, makes his job fun and though friends and relatives don’t find Frankie frightening enough, he is his own kind of scary.

Hope for Haiti by Jesse Joshua Watson gives some much-needed realism to the Haitian earthquake disaster so it doesn’t get relegated to a news item that’s forgotten after a couple of days.

While J. Elizabeth Mills was riding a Metro bus in Seattle, the idea for The Spooky Wheels on the Bus was conceived. It started with, “what if the bus was haunted?”

Kathryn Thurman’s sister once brought home a pig for a pet and that sparked the initial idea for A Garden for Pig, which took more than five years to become a published book.

Every time Erik Brooks saw wrapping paper or greeting cards with polar bears and penguins together, he marveled at how inaccurate that was – they didn’t live together. So this Winthrop author finally used the topic as fodder for Polar Opposites.

Early Readers & Chapter Books

When her contractor quit in the middle of building her dream home, illustrator Liz Callen took solace from and immersed herself in the pictures in Wolf Pie – a story about the three Pygg brothers.

While explaining the back story for Zelda and Ivy: The Big Picture, Laura McGee Kvasnosky strummed the ukulele and sang about her own family.

Stay tuned for Middle Grade and Young Adult Novels by local authors.