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    Inspire  --  North America Travel

    Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest – The Mushroom House

    Lakebay, Key Peninsula, Washington, USA

    June 20, 2025
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    We were lucky to encounter the most charming little hidden gem, on Washington’s Key Peninsula. We stayed in the KPMushroom House, nestled in the woods next to Penrose Point State Park. Only 30 minutes from Gig Harbor, 45 minutes from Tacoma, an hour and 15 minutes from Seattle and 3 hours from Portland, it’s a perfect get-away any time of the year. Let me tell you about this Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest – The Mushroom House Key Peninsula.

    Couldn’t be cuter

    What is a Mushroom House?

    Not only is this magical cabin in the woods shaped like a mushroom, it is loaded with charming mushroom touches both obvious and hidden. Built by a young couple, Rod and Shannon, the project, like most, presented more challenges and a higher cost than originally expected. More than three years after breaking ground, Shannon and Rod celebrated the completion of their artistic creation – a true Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest – The Mushroom House Key Peninsula.

    Morning coffee under the forest canopy
    Interior is a work of art
    Hidden nooks and crannies around every corner
    “Found” treasures like this giant bellows add so much drama and fun

    Tragedy

    But this fairy tale came to a stop, when Rod was killed in 2023 while flying solo in his Cessna over the Olympic Peninsula. This tragedy was, of course, devastating to Shannon and Rod’s family and friends – many who had helped bring the Mushroom House to life. Shannon was determined to keep the house in Rod’s memory, and she has worked tirelessly to create a happy ending.

    Gorgeous staircase including a tree on top
    Multiple well throughout outdoor spaces

    Believing in Magic

    If you are looking to find a little magic in the woods, The Key Peninsula Mushroom house is available to rent on Airbnb. We visited midweek in June, before the busy summer rush. And we were enchanted by so many special little touches;

    Eclectic and Reclaimed

    The 930 square foot house sleeps four with a main loft bedroom and a smaller Murphy Bed in the living room. The reclaimed and natural additions to the construction include beautiful wood from the property, wood and concrete countertops and cabinets, and vintage or antique items turned into useful and beautiful additions. And everywhere you look – mushrooms.

    Eclectic
    Reclaimed
    Mushroom are everywhere

    Never Never Land

    If you grew up in the Pacific Northwest in the 60’s and 70’s you probably visited Never Never Land at Point Defiance in Tacoma. I definitely did. Back when kids were not stimulated all day by screens and devices, Never Never Land was a magical place for kids. I took my young children there too, in the 1990’s before it closed due to lack of interest and changing times. I have a framed postcard in my kitchen of Humpty Dumpty at Never Never Land.

    Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet
    Little Jack Horner sat in his corner

    Rod, like many from Tacoma and beyond, felt nostalgia for Never Never Land, and when some of the original figures went up for auction, he purchased them. Today, as you wander the little trail near the Mushroom House, you encounter Little Miss Muffet, Little Jack Horner and Three Men in a Tub. I remember them all with a fondness that is difficult to explain if you are not from the Pacific Northwest. But The Mushroom House has brought them back to life as part of this Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest – The Mushroom House Key Peninsula.

    Rub a Dub Dub, Three Men in a Tub
    This is my Never Never Land Postcard which hangs in my kitchen with other vintage postcards

    Beneath the Twinkling Stars

    Multiple outdoor spaces provide both day and evening nooks to relax and enjoy some forest bathing beneath the stars. A hot tub is available as well as two separate fire areas, one a fire pit the other a fireplace. Shannon provides fixins for s’mores too. Just behind the Mushroom House the 2 acre property opens up into a meadow, a great place to throw a Frisbee, do yoga or star gaze.

    Firepit and wood is provided
    Covered seating area perfect for all seasons
    Hot tub too
    Making s’mores after dinner

    You May Never Want to Leave

    The Mushroom House is within walking distance of Penrose Point State Park, a perfect place to beach comb or hike. Penrose is one of my favorite State Parks and it too is a hidden gem. It’s also a short drive to Key Center where you will find a grocery store and other services. 2 Margaritas Restaurant is only about a mile from the house. Staying longer you might consider a day in Belfair or Gig Harbor or a drive around the Hood Canal.

    Awesome garden
    Perfect touches on theme
    The beach at Penrose Point State Park
    The dock at Penrose Point State Park

    Or you may want to just put your feet up, read a book, and breathe. It really is one of the most peaceful places I have ever had the pleasure of staying. A magical fairy tale that might just be the happy ending you are looking for. Book your stay here.

    Cheers to the KP Mushroom House
    Dinner outdoors

    Thank you for reading my post Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest – The Mushroom House. Follow the KPMushroom on Facebook or KPMushroom on Instagram and see it here on Airbnb.

    A mushroom treasure hunt is highly recommended…how many can you find?

    See last week’s post Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest – Steilacoom. And be sure to come back again next week for more hidden gems of my home, Washington State.

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    Reading Wednesday

    Book Review Gendarme by Mark Mustian

    by the author of Boy With Wings

    June 18, 2025
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    Incredible. I am an avid historical fiction reader, particularly when the plot is based on real events and people. Having recently been to and fallen in love with Armenia and the surrounding Caucasus countries, I devoured this story. Here is my book review Gendarme by Mark Mustian.

    Gendarme

    A couple months ago I posted a review of Mark Mustian’s latest novel Boy With Wings. Read my book review Boy with Wings by Mark Mustian here. In my review I say it was one of my favorite books of the year. I was so impressed I went in search of other novels by Mustian, and ended up with Gendarme.

    If you aren’t familiar with the word Gendarme, it is a French word that describes a police force, which is also part of the armed forces. In this novel we experience a harrowing story of Gendarmes during the Turkish genocide of Armenians between 1915-1917. As a point of reference, Mustian has Armenian roots.

    In this story we meet an old man, Emmett Conn. He is at the end of his life, diagnosed with a brain tumor and having ‘hallucinations”. But Emmett insists these are dreams, in a chronological sequence, telling story he cannot remember. But the dreams and the story are so real to him.

    Armenia

    Due to a head injury in World War I, Emmett Conn (Ahmet Kahn) cannot remember his time in the Turkish army. His memory begins in a British hospital where he meets his future wife Carol. But as Emmett deals with failing health and a brain tumor in his 90’s, and his dreams bring him back to the time he was a Gendarme marching Armenians out of Turkey. Are these just dreams or did this really happen? In his dreams Emmett does horrific acts, commits unthinkable war crimes. But one girl, an Armenian beauty with one blue eye and one green eye is as real as can be in Emmett’s dreams.

    Break Out

    Emmett’s daughter and his doctor recommend Emmett to a phychiatric institution “just for a while” when his dreams or visions turn dangerous. Emmett knows his life is short, and his final wish is to find the girl, Araxie, with one blue eye and one green eye. He must know if she survived the Armenian genocide.

    In an almost comical but also depressing way Emmett breaks out of the institution on a bike, manages to get to New York city and find his way to an address where he thinks she lives. The resulting encounter is both heartwarming and heartbreaking, but it gives Emmett the answers he longs for.

    Book Review Gendarme by Mark Mustian

    I really loved this book and find it hard to put down. It’s not only a love story, it’s about aging in a fast paced world. But mostly it is about an event in history that is not taught in schools, is still not recognized by the Turkish government, but is real to every Armenian. If you aren’t familiar with the Armenian genocide, read this book.

    *****Five stars for Gendarme by Mark Mustian. See last week’s book review Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten.

    Thank you for reading my book review Gendarme by Mark Mustian. We love it when you share, pin and comment about our book reviews.

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    At Home  --  North America Travel

    Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest – Steilacoom

    And The Bair at The Bair Drug & Hardware, Steilacoom

    June 13, 2025
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    Summertime! In the summer we enjoy our time at our tiny house located on the Kitsap Penninsula in Washington State. It’s a respite from world travel, and a place we re-energize and prepare for winter travel. My husband and I both grew up in the great Pacific Northwest and when we are here we make a point to get out and be tourists in our own backyard. A few years ago this prompted my local series of blog posts. So today we begin again with Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest – Steilacoom.

    Steilacoom Town Hall

    Where is Steilacoom?

    Steilacoom is a small city in Pierce County surrounded by Lakewood, Tacoma, and DuPont, as well as Joint Base Lewis-McChord on it’s North, East and South borders and the Tacoma Narrows waterway on the west. This historic little village is only about 2 square miles and has a population of around 7000. It is about two miles from Chambers Bay Golf Course. From where I live in Port Orchard Washington we travelled about 40 minutes over the Tacoma Narrows Bridge to make our way to Steilacoom.

    Small and Mighty Steilacoom
    Crossing the Tacoma Narrows Bridge

    History of Steilacoom

    The Town of Steilacoom website explains;

    Steilacoom was founded twice in 1851. Two land claims were filed in this best place on the South Sound, as Captain Lafayette Balch established Port Steilacoom with a 315-acre donation claim on January 10, 1851, and the lawyer John Chapman filed his own land clam for the adjacent 312 acres in October of the same year and named it Steilacoom City.

    The two were merged by act of the Territorial Legislature on April 22 of 1854, but are still divided by Union Avenue, where the angle of the streets changes.

    The Steilacoom Tribe was an independent group inhabiting a geographic area now known as the Tacoma Basin. There were approximately 600 Steilacoom Indians living in five bands within the basin. They spoke a separate subdialect of the Puget Sound Salish language. Unlike their closely related neighbors, the Puyallup and the Nisqually Tribes, the Steilacoom did not have a glacier-fed river within their territory for freshwater resources. The principal feature of the Steilacoom territory was a group of spirit-inhabited lakes.

    Historic Byrd Mill Road
    Beautiful Historic Homes

    Steilacoom is home to many “firsts” in the region, and you can discover a wonderful self-guided walking tour to learn more about the history with the help of the city’s Steilacoom Walking Tour.

    Pierce County Ferry to Anderson Island
    Historic Railroad Depot

    Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest – Steilacoom

    This was not our first visit to Steilacoom; we used to ride our bikes from Gig Harbor to Steilacoom on sunny days. Today we traveled in my ’67 Mustang, as a weekend day trip we try to do as often as possible.

    Walking Tour
    Walking Tour

    Our main destination on this day was The Bair at The Bair Drug & Hardware, a fabulous little breakfast and lunch spot in an incredibly well- preserved historic building built in 1895. Most of Steilacoom is made up of beautifully well-kept residences (many historic), but there are also a handful of businesses and restaurants. The Bair can get busy on a sunny summer day, but the wait is usually not too long. On the Saturday we visited, we walked right in.

    Bair Drug & Hardware
    Breakfast at The Bair
    The Bair is like a museum inside. Great coffee too.

    You might also enjoy the Steilacoom Taproom and the always popular Topside, with great views of the Narrows.

    Topside Restaurant
    Steilacoom Taproom

    Recommend

    Steilacoom is small, and there is usually lots of parking. Stroll and enjoy. Walk down to the ferry dock where the Pierce County ferry to Anderson Island operates. Here you will also see the old train depot and likely see a train fly by…as they do about 70 times a day. If you are in Steilacoom on the weekend, visit the Historical Museum (open Saturday and Sunday afternoons).

    Steilacoom Historical Museum
    Orr Wagon Shop Steilacoom Historical Museum

    Steilacoom is home to several parks you can enjoy, and if you have time a visit and stroll on the paths at Chambers Creek Regional Park next to Chambers Bay Golf Club is fun. Just a short drive away.

    With my ’67 Mustang at Sunnyside Beach Park Steilacoom

    Thanks for reading my post Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest – Steilacoom. Make a visit to this hidden gem, and definitely don’t miss The Bair at The Bair Drug & Hardware. Stay tuned for more hidden gems coming up. Read my last post Traveling in France by Rail here.

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    Reading Wednesday

    Book Review Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten

    The Barefoot Contessa

    June 11, 2025
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    It was no surprise to me that I loved this memoir. I’ve been reading a lot of memoirs lately (more reviews coming), but Ina Garten is someone I can really identify with for many reasons I will mention in my review below. Here is my book review Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten.

    Kindred Spirit

    It’s not hard to like Ina Garten. She is lovely on camera and exudes a fun personality. I feel a kindred spirit with her as a “foodie” (a term I learned was coined by Gael Greene of New York Magazine in 1980), as a self-taught cook, as a writer and as someone who is married to her first love. Her get-it-done personality, vision and drive are all things I identify with. But there are also differences, things she reveled about her personal life that make this story both surprising and inspirational.

    We’re All Living in Cages with the Door Wide Open

    Ina credits George Lucas with the quote “We’re all living in cages with the door wide open” and boy did I identify with that. Like Ina, my AHA! moment came late in my career, when I realized how caged I felt. She says “I realized I had the power and the responsibility to set myself free.”

    I felt that. Because people ask me often about how we launched our travel life, about how I walked away from a career and about reinventing myself. In hindsight – I walked through the wide open door.

    Food and a Whole Lot More

    Yes this book is about food. It’s about the love of cooking, running a very successful food shop called the Barefoot Contessa (no longer operating). It’s about cookbooks (she has many) and television cooking shows. But Be Ready When the Luck Happens is more about recognizing opportunities, giving up things to gain other things, knowing what your good at (despite a childhood of repression of any creativity) and building a life with a partner who is your best friend.

    How Great is That

    Ina’s signature How Great is… imbues her sense of fun and discovery and wisdom in a life that isn’t perfect, but hard work and creativity can make it pretty close.

    *****Five stars for Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten. Inspirational and few recipes tossed in too!

    Thanks for reading my book review Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten. See last week’s book review Unearthed by Chanchal Garg.

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    Reading Wednesday

    Book Review Unearthed by Chanchal Garg

    The Lies We Carry & The Truths They Bury

    June 4, 2025
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    I was provided this book gratis by Coriolis Company in exhange for a review. Here is my book review Unearthed: The Lies We Carry & The Truths They Bury by Chanchal Garg

    Tradition

    I’ve stumbled into a couple of memoirs lately. I’ve been asked in the past about writing my own memoir. It sounds exhausting. But when someone has a really strong and truthful message based on their own experience, I always am engaged. Unearthed looks deeply at a culture I am frankly unfamiliar with. Chanchal Garg explains in detail her upbringing in a traditional Indian home, by immigrant Indian parents and the traditions that were unquestioned in her upbringing. Traditions of female/male roles, marriage and childrearing, and most of all, religion. These unbending rules, almost cult like, are the basis of her personal story.

    Question

    I was intrigued from the very beginning with this open-

    Dear Reader, May you question the narrative that no longer serves you. May you have the courage to trace what you carry – and choose what you keep. And may you reclaim your truth, in all it’s beauty and power.

    This opening statement, spoke to me. I was struck by a great sense of power in this author with words like question, courage and truth. As women we all are faced with the biases against. Garg found her way out of a life defined by rules, traditions, cultural and gender expectations and spiritual abuse.

    Culture-Clash

    This story opened my eyes more widely to the difficulties of being raised “American” but with immigrant parents holding to cultural traditions. As a child, teenager and even later, searching for an identity can be fraught with confusion. Who are we when we are more than just American? This question caused the author to question her identity, turn to a religious leader, who ultimately abused her and caused her significantly more insecurity about herself. And the abuse continued for a decade as she tried to self-mitigate her personal feelings of a dutiful Indian women who should never question authority.

    Lost

    When the author finally is mature enough to realize she must make drastic changes in her life, the result is a new self-guided journey. A journey alone, without her community and faith but a journey to recovery. Her strength is inspiring and I think you will be inspired by book review Unearthed: The Lies We Carry & The Truths They Bury by Chanchal Garg.

    Unearthed: The Lies We Carry & The Truths They Bury by Chanchal Garg

    My only criticism of this memoir is it is a bit long-winded, and some readers might get lost in the minutia of details. But the outcome is positive and affirming and I enjoyed reading Unearthed:The Lies we Carry & The Truths They Bury by Chanchal Garg.

    Four stars for Unearthed by Chanchal Garg ****

    Thank you for reading my book review Unearthed: The Lies We Carry & The Truths They Bury by Chanchal Garg. See last week’s book review Cabin by Patrick Hutchison, another memoir from a PNW author.

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    Reading Wednesday

    Book Review Cabin by Patrick Hutchison

    May 28, 2025
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    The subtitle of this book, which I listened to on Audible, is Off the Grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman. What could be more intriguing than that? Not to mention, this is a true story based in my home region of the Pacific Northwest. Here is my book review Cabin by Patrick Hutchison.

    Wit’s End

    The name of the street (if that’s what you can call it) is a perfect precursor to Hutchison’s project. A project on street named Wit’s End to acquire and make liveable (kinda) an off-grid cabin in the rainy and rural Cascade Mountain region about an hour from Seattle.

    Searching

    Hutchison, a single young man, stuck behind a desk with dreams for being a writer. Searching for something more, Hutchison decides on a whim to purchase a ramshackle cabin with no power or plumbing for $7000. He doesn’t have $7000 but his mom gives him a loan, and thus begins a six year adventure to bring the cabin to a place worthy of Hutchison’s dreams.


    Cabin

    Cabin is not just about a young man tackling a construction project, or biting off more than he can chew. Cabin is more. It’s about finding oneself, being resourceful, true friendship, and finding potential in the smallest things. Reminiscent of Bill Bryson, Patrick Hutchison is surprisingly honest and open about the experience. Hutchison writes with humor and hindsight about all the highs and lows of the renovation project. The story reflects on growth, worry and joy – all emotions Cabin brought to Patrick’s life.

    Book Review Cabin by Patrick Hutchison

    I laughed out loud to this book and enjoyed this story very much. Having done my own share of renovations and because I call the Pacific Northwest home, I identified closely with this story.

    ****Four stars for Cabin by Patrick Hutchison. See last week’s book review The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kajin.

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    Reading Wednesday

    Book Review The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali

    May 21, 2025
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    What does it mean to be or have a true friend? One who forgives and still loves? This is the theme of this novel. A beautifully written story of devotion and love of friends and country. Here is my book review The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali.

    Friendship

    It’s the 1950’s in Iran, and little Ellie has a privledged life in a beautiful home with her domineering and narsisstic mother. Her mom, constantly claiming to be of royal blood, looks down on most people. Ellie is a lonesome girl and just wants a friend.

    Ellie’s father dies suddenly and she and her mother lose all of their wealth and security, and move to the poor side of town.

    When Ellie makes friends with Homa at her new school, Ellie see’s another kind of simplier life, with kind, caring parents who welcome Ellie into their humble home. Her friend Homa shows Ellie what a true friend can be, and helps Ellie come out of her shell. But Ellie’s mother looks down on Homa and Homa’s family and decides to take extreme measures to get Ellie out of the neighborhood.

    A Different Life

    Ellie’s mother marries the brother of her dead husband and once again Ellie finds herself in a mansion and opulent school. Years go buy and beautiful Ellie is “queen” of the school. She is slowly falling for a nice boy, when one day Homa arrives at the school too. Expecting to pick up their friendship where it left off, Ellie is conflicted by her old friend and her new status.

    Coming of Age

    The two young women with very different political views will come of age during the tumoltuous 60’s, 70’s and 80’s of Iran. Finding different paths for their beliefs. When Ellie makes an innocent statement in what she believes is an innocuous conversation, Homa’s life will change forever, and Ellie will live with the guilt of that night and her naivety.

    The Lion Women of Tehran

    Ellie and her husband will go to New York for him to take a tempory job. And soon after the Shaw of Iran flees the country and the Ayatolla Khomeini takes over. Women in Iran lose most rights and now are required to wear the Hajib. Ellie and her husband never return to Iran. Homa continues her political fight despite being raped, beaten and imprisoned.

    When Homa reaches out to Ellie after years of silence, Ellie’s continued guilt resurfaces for her old friend. Homa will ask Ellie for the ultimate favor. What can Elllie do but say yes?

    A story of deep friendship, political uncertainty, female strength and the ultimate sacrafice. A sweeping saga of courage and destiny and the different paths that each can take.

    *****Five stars for the Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali.

    Thank you for reading my Book Review The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali. See last week’s book review Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford.

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