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Premium
#30914
Overlook the US mainlands only Fjord in our newly renovating spacious home.
House • Union WA United States
Exchange types accepted
Statistics
Listed June 2024
Views 2397
General Overview
The view across the water and it's location amongst an area of popular outdoor adventures are just the beginning of what makes this a special vacation spot.
A retreat like master offers relaxation after a busy day exploring, hiking or on the water.
Nestled in a very small town pop. 650 full timers (more like a European village size!), this quiet spot is also home to a thriving music scene, artists abound and soul relaxing surroundings.
The house sits 2 rows back on a shared dead end road up from the winding canal hugging road and looks across the canal (Fjord) inlet to the Olympic mountains beyond (snow covered for 7 months of the year).
Famous for it's oyster ladened shores, the 'beaches' are not sand, but are fun to explore with old oyster shells, little crabs and sometimes visiting whales and seals.
Ferry rides are not too far away, which can take you straight into the Seattle waterfront and walkable up to the famous Pikes Market. Other nearby ferries are to Victoria on Vancouver Island, Canada or up to the San Juan islands.
The Space
The space has been undergoing extensive renovations and depending on swap timing will depend how far along we are. The whole house will be ready end 2025 (3 or 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom) in the meantime, only the upper main floor will be made available, comprising 2 bedrooms (master king & guest queen ), 2 bathrooms, living room, kitchen, dining & office with futon.
Currently the upstairs main living area is mostly complete with the master bedroom and gorgeous ensuite complete with Finlandia cedar sauna, freestanding double tub, huge double shower & 2 sinks. There is a second queen bedroom, plus another fully renovated bathroom. A futon if needed is available in the office for extra sleeping.
The kitchen has all new cabinets, unique custom concrete countertops, new appliances including dishwasher yet hand doing the dishes is a dream overlooking the fjord!
The main living area is all open plan, with dining area off kitchen, large glass sliding doors to big new deck and the living area has 2 seating areas, a gas fireplace with windows galore taking in the view.
There is a separate office space overlooking the garden through French doors, small desks and futon if needed.
Downstairs is still very much underway in renovation stage, (as of July 25) separated by a door at the bottom of the stairs. The recreation room is nearly complete, has the properties only current TV with a large sectional. There is also a completed kitchenette in there, with sink & fridge etc. Much of the remaining area down there is at drywalling/paint stage and is not expected to be completed until end 2025.
Operational laundry is also down there off the rec room. It will probably have 2 more bedrooms (one with queen, one with twin beds) and a spacious full bathroom. Doors and windows lead out to the garden (not yet landscaped, still dirt!)
Our forested area sits to the side and is currently being tidied up for nicer access and a new side loop driveway is underway but not complete (please dont use yet without 4x4 vehicle!) The gardens are very much a current project but will one day be beautiful!
A semi private shared dock down at the water can be used by our guests for launching the kayaks, paddle board or just sitting and watching the lovely sunrise, seals or just being close to the water.
Our current driveway to the garage is short and steep. We do not recommend using it in winter. The garage houses much of our renovation materials and tools, so is not yet available for parking without prior conversation with us!
This home is our labor of love for future retirement here, we are happy to share with those understanding it is a work in progress in some areas, but the main living area offered will be clean, tidy and beautiful!
Guest Access
At this time, we can offer the upper main floor living even though there is still finishing touches and some final coats of trim paint etc to do. Guests are welcome to use the nearly complete downstairs rec room if desired. (Note some areas of downstairs are very much being worked on) Exploring the area and enjoying the views, plus 2 kayaks available (with shared private dock), we would hope outdoorsy people can look past our ongoing upgrading! Or if you want to sit back, relax, take in awesome views and enjoy soaking in the master's deep double tub, double shower & sauna in our retreat space.
Please note entry to the home has stairs to access front door. (8. + 6 steps). The driveway is short and very steep. We advise guests to first use the parking areas above the home! (Once you are familiar with the quirky steep drive, you are of course welcome to use it).
2 kayaks, a paddle board & lifejackets are available for your use. You may also take these to nearby lakes etc if you can transport.
Notes
Hi, we are Dave and Sally & would love to welcome you into our home!
I (Sally), a British & Canadian serial entrepreneur, now runs a small tea business, Mama-te-a , just part time these days and Dave is a retired industrial electrician.
We have travelled extensively in Europe and would love to continue these travels using home exchanges throughout the world. We are also open to the US and other world destinations, nowhere is really off the table for us to consider exploring!
Please understand that the outside of the house, as well as the lower level are still undergoing renovation and we will update this listing as each area gets completed.
We do have a cat, Marley, who comes up with us to our vacation home and during all our renovations, but he will not be there when exchanging unless you are happy to have him stay.
Although this is hopefully our future permanent home and we spend much of our time here doing the renovations, our 'official' home is still Oregon. We currently have friends staying down there too, but are able to be fairly flexible on dates to not be in Union. Therefore our calendar does not show specific available dates as we are happy to try to accommodate anytime.
Features
Washer
Dishwasher
Clothes dryer
Oven
Microwave
Coffee machine
Fridge
Iron
Hair dryer
Heating
Air conditioning
TV
WiFi
Bathtub
First aid kit
Smoke alarms
Fire extinguisher
Bed sheets
Towels
Workspace
Fireplace
Sauna
BBQ
Balcony
Garden / yard
Deck / patio / courtyard / terrace
EV Home Charger
Kayak
Standup paddleboard
Travel Styles
Weekend
Adventure
Budget
Family
Romantic
Sport and leisure
Foodie
Relaxing
Village
Mountains
Beach
Water
Hiking
Last minute
Golf
House Rules
Suitable for infants under 2
Suitable for children ages 2-12
Pets welcome
No smoking
Allergens
Carpet free
Smoke free
Low allergen
Dates of Availability
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Neighbourhood
There are several small restaurants, a well known popular resort hotel (Alderbrook Resort and Spa ) with restaurant/bar, activities and boat trips. Post office, bank, gas station, chiropractor, a few gift shops, marina and country store.
The main grocery large stores are 20 minutes away in several surrounding towns of Belfair, Hoodsport or Shelton. Please plan accordingly for your groceries, as Union shops are just for top up type supplies.
Seafood is famous here and there are also fun festivals and local events around. The local music scene is vibrant and fun. The famous Hama Hama Oyster experience is about 30 mins away.
Fishing, including salmon and a local diving company are nearby, as is sky diving if you are adventurous enough to jump out of airplanes!
Access to the Olympic Mountains starts about 30 mins away at Lake Cushman where there is super hiking trails, particularly Staircase. For the experiences hiker, Mt Elinor can be a great day hike/climb.
The Olympic Peninsula National Park is huge. To access the main parts of the peninsula involves going up and around them. Although some can be done in a day trip, we also recommend that you can overnight part way round eg Forks in order to explore more.
Just 2 hours away in Port Angeles is the ferry that takes you to the heart of Victoria, Vancouver Island, Canada. This is a delightful day trip or even stay overnight (some wonderful PLU members offer overnight hospitality) or you can move on to a Canadian trip from there.
Ferries from Bremerton to downtown waterfront Seattle are just 45 minutes away where Kitsap Fast ferries are walk on only, 30 min ride or Washington State ferry, cars and walk on with a 40 minute ride. There is also a ferry (45 mins away) from Southworth stopping at Vashon Island (where there is a famous Troll, quaint downtown and Orcas whale watching opportunities). The ferry can continue on to Fauntleroy, the south side of Seattle.
A ferry to Whidbey Island leaves from Port Townsend just 1.5 hrs away.
The Fjord is deep, 650 ft in places and at the north end is the US nuclear submarine base. There is an interesting submarine history museum just outside Silverdale as well as in Bremerton, a large navy base town, offers an open to the public Naval ship tour.
With wolf sanctuary and nature tours nearby, there is lots to do for day activities.
The Alderbook resort has a super 18 hole golf course and clubhouse just 10 minutes you the hill from us as well as there are many other fairly local golf courses.
Happy to let you know of lots of other things to do!
You can walk the neighborhood, including up to the trail system offered by Alderbook resort.
We have the advantage of elevation to look down across the water, but this also means we are on a hillside!
Getting to my home
Seattle would be the nearest airport 1.5 hours away. There is little to no public transport nearby and a car is essential to get around. The drive along the Hood Canal is beautiful.
When you turn off the small canal hugging Hwy 106 to access our neighborhood, the last few hundred yards is gravel.
Best to park in our parking area just above the house as our silly driveway is short and very steep entry to the garage door!
There are steps down to the front door, so this is not suitable at this time for anyone unable to navigate some stairs.
Nearest airport
Seattle 1.5 hours.
Portland 2.5 hours
Getting Around
A car is essential to getting around in this area.
Map of Approximate Location
People Like Us Local Guide
Happy to welcome anyone or answer questions about this area or share our experiences about PLU so far.
Feedback
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Sally was great with communication and her home was lovely, clean and in a great location. Very peaceful! I appreciated her leaving us the 2 kyaks on the water for us to use. Highly recommend~ -
Thank you Jacky, so happy it all worked out perfectly for your trip. We would always welcome you back and look forward to visiting your cabin.
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Sally is one of the sweetest hosts! She went above and beyond and made our stay super comfortable and interesting. She left us the cutest gifts and provided resources on where to go and what to see. Her home is a dream! It is super nicely decorated, has a breathtaking view of the canal and mountains and is simply the coziest home we've ever stayed at. Highly recommend Sally and her home! -
Appreciate you and such a wonderful experience for our first time welcoming smaller children! There sweet gift will be treasured and the forest made teepee so fun! Looking forward to wearing those cute winter socks too that you left as well as leaving our home so spotless.
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This was a wonderful exchange. The property is in a beautiful spot with glorious views over the Hood Canal. We saw Orcas on our second day! The house has ample room to spread out, all the mod cons plus more and is close to some great food and beverage outlets (don't miss out on The Posh Pescatarian at Twanho State Park only 12 minutes away). They had plenty of maps, brochures and ideas for us to fill our days. Sally and Dave were great to deal with and we look forward to having them stay in our home when Sally finally retires!!. The house was all we needed and much more. Thanks again! -
Such a pleasure to not only exchange with you, but to also spend the evening together, we really enjoyed getting to know you! Perfect guests and wish you well on your travels!
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Sally's home in Union, Washington is lovely. This home has been restored/updated by Sally and her husband and you can see how much care they put into that work. We were there in February and the surroundings were lovely. The view of the Hood Canal from the home is breathtaking. Sally is great to exchange with and she made everything easy. If you're looking for a Western Washington view home then this is for you! -
Thrilled you enjoyed our home and getaway! You are welcome anytime!
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We spent a long weekend at Sally and Dave's place in Union, and are so grateful that they accepted our request- it was a wonderful few days. From the fabulous views, to the proximity to great hikes, the use of their kayaks, and the spa-like amenities (a sauna, double rain-shower, and soaking tub!), they really have something special in a magical part of the world. The house had everything we needed and the area was such fun to explore. We met Sally and Dave before they took off for our house, and they made us feel so welcome and comfortable. They left us beautiful teas and other treats, including a bottle of bubbly to celebrate our anniversary! They have a great guest book with loads of good recommendations, and communication was perfect. We would highly recommend exchanging with Sally and Dave and hope to return to their beautiful home again in the future! -
Thank you! Anytime, do come back, would be a pleasure!
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Just spent the most wonderful couple of days at Sally & Dave's beautiful mountain side retreat. This was our first house exchange ever and it was AMAZING! A mountain side house, overlooking the beautiful Canal, with the friendliest people wherever we went, yummy treats that Sally generously left us, a cosy fireplace, bright stars at night, a Sauna to relax in, beautiful sights to go see, restaurants with delicious food, I could go on and on... Honestly blown away by how wonderful Sally is and how wonderful our stay has been. Although Sally and Dave weren't looking to stay at any of our homes, they so generously offered theirs up for our stay, which is really so generous. I highly recommend that you visit Sally & Dave's incredible house and welcome them to yours. -
Thank you for your lovely review and taking such great care of our home. Glad you enjoyed the views overlooking mountains & ocean inlet from from our little cove just above the water. You are welcome back anytime!
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I have the great priviledge, along with my girlfriend Sophie to be the first to exchange with Sally and Dave in Union. This exchange came about after Sally stepped in after another member was not available to exchange ( for very valid reasons). Sally and Dave were super generous as it was their first experience, their home is still under renovations and they had no imminent intention on visiting Montreal! Talk about hospitality and PLU spirit!!😊🙏. Our communications were easy, Sally is quick to respond, very transparent and truly dedicated to making her guests stay as enjoyable as possible. We had been told that we would have access to only the upper part of the house and they obviously worked really hard to make it as complete as could be. First the outside deck is huge and allow for a full access to THE VIEW! On Hood Canal, the mountains soo beautiful. A lot of space inside, great kitchen ( that should be completed soon), the master bedroom and the ajoining bedroom with a DOUBLE shower and a Sauna! Talk about luxury😊. Sally gave us access to her kayaks with carts to roll them down to the pier you have access to. Ps bringing the kayaks back up could prove to be a bit of a workout who not not enjoy working out as I do... We had quite an experience while kayaking as the resident seal ( who slept on the pier one night) followed us while we were exploring the coast!😊🤟. You will find at least three restaurants in town, the pizza at Hood Canale was very good. You are close to Olympic park Forest but you should realize the size of the park makes for an 8 hour round trip which makes the house a logical base to explore about half of it if you are thinking day trips only. We really enjoyed, Hurricane Ridge, Port Townsend, Staircase Rapid nature trail etc etc. Anybody looking to find a truly relaxing holiday, close to nature should really jump on the occasion to exchange with Sally and Dave. -
Such a pleasure to have you and Sophie and have written more details in your guest review. Such wonderful guests and a perfect first experience for us.
Premium
Sally
Dave has now retired and I, Sally am semi retired now working just part time in my small Tea blending business.
We love to explore and adventure in other parts of the world.
I was born in England, adventured off to work in Canada at 18 for 3 years and returned at 24 to live so called permanently there. I have 2 now adult daughters. Little did I know that after my divorce at 40 I would meet and marry Dave, an American and move my family to join him and his daughter & son, raising them all in Oregon, USA.
We love to explore Europe, visit my mother in Somerset,UK and sometimes have them join us on vacation.
We also like to explore Canada, other parts of the US and consider further.
We are avid skiers, love hiking, kayaking, the outdoors, the countryside as well as some towns and cities.
We live on a small homestead in Oregon where I am a passionate gardener, with a greenhouse that's bigger than my house! Union, WA is our second home, with the idea to probably one day live retired there overlooking the water.
We have a cat, Marley, who travels up and down to Washington with us, but would stay in Oregon for our other exchange travels!
We are avid home renovators and love rebuilding homes in our 'spare' time, but as we age, we see travel more and more in our future and love the idea of exchanging our home.
Sometimes we may enjoy to travel with any of our adult kids, but usually it is just the 2 of us.
Travelling group
My Desired Destinations
Open to any destination
Can travel at any time
Dates Flexible
"I am originally from the UK, but love to go back and visit."
Dates Flexible
"Would enjoy doing trips within the US and explore other states."
Dates Flexible
"I lived in NS, AB and BC (became Canadian!) and love to travel back there, anywhere, when we can."
Dates Flexible
"We would consider anywhere in Europe, love everywhere we have been so far."
Dates Flexible
"Have always fancied exploring these amazing looking islands."
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