Nestled on an island near the Pacific Ocean, Puget Island Haus is a sanctuary nothing short of magic. Only an hour-and-a-half from Portland, we swapped traffic and crowds for the sweet reprieve of a weekend in nature, made sweeter by this well-appointed home base.

We couldn’t decide if we wanted to cozy up inside or stay on the river all day, so we did both — cooking meals in the kitchen and drinking wine on the patio, but also kayaking and exploring a wildlife refuge nearby. I loved cozying up on the outdoor couch and watching the osprey nosedive into the water. The light at every hour of the day is… *chef’s kiss.*

This place let us unwind without any hint of boredom or malaise — just enough to do, just enough not to do, with an ABBA record spinning as the soundtrack of the weekend.