Sometimes we find ourselves with a dietary mixed table ~ a couple who are trying the Vegan lifestyle for a month and a couple who aren’t. Donn and I get into the kitchen at 8 a.m. for 10 o’clock breakfast service hoping to make everybody happy at breakfast. 

Donn has discovered his inner chef and has progressed from being a prep chef to dressing the oven roasted potatoes, seasoning them perfectly, himself. He has brought the majority of the new gadgets lately and loves his de Buyer mandolin that creates the thinly sliced onions to top this morning’s paleo pizza – recipe to follow for both vegan and regular variations.

His prep-chef routine doesn’t work for part of the week when he leaves for our Olympia Optometry office- Martin Way Vision Center, but for most of his local eye doctor week at Medical Vision Center (www.medicalvisioncenter.com) in Morton, he starts the day in the kitchen with me and ends it at the clinic. While guests often sleep on, we’re creating fantastic memories playing in the kitchen together…

We all wear lots of hats these days! I was appointed Associate Editor of the National Health Federation’s (www.thenhf.com) magazine, Health Freedom News, so I will often be writing for NHF or lining up authors while the pizza crust is on its first bake. Check out my article on Dry Eye in the Spring issue of HFN and learn to solve it naturally, once and for all. Magazines are free with your membership of $36 for the year and some of you will also wish to publish in this international, sophisticated magazine.  Call me if you have an article to share…

This morning, we make one gluten free Vegan paleo pizza crust using ground flax seeds mixed with water as the egg substitute and one crust with eggs. Each will receive the topping suited best for the desires of the guests, and we end up making everyone happy. We start with the Sweet Breakfast Quinoa that I shared with you before- only now, since we went to the Hawaiian Vanilla Company on the big island bringing home beans with us and I learned to make our own Vanilla Extract- this time we finish the quinoa with a healthy splash – okay, splashes…of Grand Marnier Vanilla. Yes! This is the ‘elevator’ that takes it to the next level. Everyone loves it!

 We have a large bottle ‘brewing’ of Vanilla Rum and Vanilla Vodka and also the Queen of all Vanillas: Grand Marnier. They each add their own special signature to the dishes we prepare. Do you know the Vanilla Orchid only blooms once a year? It is hand pollinated on that singular day and is one of the most expensive spices in the World…Fascinating!

You can keep a bottle of vanilla extract going for years. Just keep adding the same liquor. Back in the Prohibition Era, because people started drinking Vanilla Extract as liquor, they diluted it with water by 40%

The Owner’s Son Teaching Us The Art of Vanilla Bean Production…Another Plan for Adytum

. So if you want the real thing…get some beans, open and scape the seeds down into the liquor of your choosing and drop the beans in- three to a large bottle. Six months later you have The Real Deal! And seriously, what a difference. You can buy directly if you’re ready to try your own and you will not regret it: http://www.hawaiianvanilla.com/

Today, with half Vegan guests, the traditional ‘Egg on the Half-shell’ is transformed into a base of roasted Portobello mushroom with slivers of garlic, garlic powder, sea salt, olive oil and Italian Seasoning. Each option is topped with the same sauté of mushrooms, red bell pepper and garlic highly seasoned. We only use sea salt at Adytum…one is topped with Vegan Cheese and the other with Asiago. Again, all guests are happy. You can sauté all this off with Pesto too, but it has a bit of Parmesan in it.

I’ve done all the diets…raw, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian 

which includes fish in a vegetarian diet, traditional SAD (Standard American Diet)….In my perfect, idealistic World no one has to pass up a dish at the table because, “I can’t eat that…” and in my ultimate perfect World, we can actually eat out at restaurants and have amazing meals anywhere, anytime because GF and vegetarian are mainstream. My chef son, Phillip advised me that to order vegetarian at the average restaurant was to get options that have, shall we say, been around in the freezer for awhile? 

That isn’t appealing…why can’t they realize there isn’t “one size fits dietary ALL” out there?? Get real, this is 2012 not 1960. I remember when basil hit mainstream and I thought, “Where have you been all my life, baby??” We know how to make sure everyone leaves not only full, but nurtured, nourished and pleasantly surprised at how good ‘healthy, (modified to GF) Mediterranean based foods can be!”

 The Hale Project is something I have discussed frequently- Google it if you haven’t heard it yet or check out this link: http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/292/12/1433.full.pdf    . The study took people aged 70-90 years of age with active diseases in progress. After ten years’ adherence on the MeDi, with no smoking and moderate red wine/moderate exercise there was an amazing 50% reduction in ALL causes of death and disease. This isn’t a vegetarian or dairy free diet, but realize that lamb and sheep/goat cheese and fish are different (i.e. healthier…) from our choices in America. The molecular size of the milk from sheep and goats is different from cattle,  and European standards are often so much higher and the food cleaner…You never heard this on this diet promoted as being both healing and preventive for major diseases on the nightly news, did you? If Big Pharma produced a drug that promised these same results, you would have heard about that though. We need to invest in our own health. No one is going to do it for us.

Health begins in the kitchen – really in your bowels with good bacteria…and in the mind and our will- our freedom to choose living, health promoting foods. We’re currently immersing in fermented foods to restore the proper terrain/terroire of the gut and I’ll share in future blogs our smelly kitchen concoctions…or you can share with us as so many of you already know how to make many fermented things we are just exploring. “Wild Fermentation” is now downloaded on our Kindle…Donn is also playing with the dehydrator again- this time making Kale Chips with a Cashew Cream Chili Sauce that is fantastic! Friends popped by this afternoon and finished them off not realizing they were full of active enzymes and full of health.  They are better than any chips we’ve had. Olympia Vegan shared that link on You Tube and this is how we all grow in health…By caring with love for the health of every one of us…iron sharpens iron!

Donn’s Dehydrator Kale Chips With a Cashew Creme and Chili Finish- Excellent!

It’s amazing how many people really love the paleo pizza crust. With Cross-Fit pushing paleo in the form of meat (read the latest studies on red meat…Hmmm. Someone is after looks before health there… the main cause probably being iron overload) it’s nice to find this morning’s table devoted to Paleo with the protein in the crust and in the quinoa- a complete protein there much the same as eggs or meat. We love introducing people to things they haven’t tried yet- or tried in that form. We all help each other and so many of our guests are introducing us to recipes that we turn out loving. Adytum is a magnet for this healthy exchange. 

Despite some early predictions that we would fail unless we offered “a complete English breakfast” (Google that one…) we are holding our own as a vegetarian, gluten free kitchen. Even dedicated meat eaters don’t miss it because the food is savory, prolific and satisfying. We are open to growth and change and would love to hear YOUR favorite recipes. One guest left me with a Pumpkin Paleo Muffin that actually did come from the Cross-Fit people that I’ll try tomorrow with guests here. We appreciate these ‘gifts’ so much, so please do share!! We need you and we appreciate each and every one of you so very, very much…We are a growing community of like-minded individuals here growing in grace and health every day of our lives. Blessings to you all.

Paleo Pizza Crust – From a Telluride Chef – a Friend of a Friend…

2 cups almond meal
2 eggs – or 2 T ground flax seeds mixed with 6 T water and let it sit a few minutes
3 T olive oil
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 T freshly chopped rosemary (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Using a spoon mix all crust ingredients together until it becomes very thick. Using your hands, form the dough into a ball. Press it onto a lightly greased pizza pan all the way to the edges making it as thin as possible,  and remember to make the hole in the center that Mike taught us was essential to allow the steam to escape. We bake on a pizza stone for 20 minutes, then remove and put the toppings on and put it back in for 20 minutes watching for burning around the crust edges. We brush olive oil on to make the edges more crispy before baking the first time but it is not necessary. Everyone loves this…use oil on your hands if you’re having trouble pressing it out. Without the seasonings it could be used as a tart base for fruits…you may want to add a little sea salt to the dough recipe before baking too.

We woke to snow this late February Sunday morning at Adytum. What a better way to celebrate the end of Winter and Spring just around the corner with the warm scent of yeasty Classic Belgian Gluten Free Waffles filling the house? Amber was here last weekend with her partner, Trista. She returned to enjoy the Orion Suite with her mother Linda this weekend. 

Arthur and Rachel came down from Seattle where he works at Google Maps to relax in The Star of the North this snowy weekend. Despite the often stormy weather, they got a great long hike in to the Fish Hatchery and also the look out at Noble Springs Tree Plantation with its magnificent territorial view.

Amber was sweet to bring a case of drinks that we will begin carrying at Adytum for those that don’t want red or white wine or champagne and are overwhelmed by the sweetness of Sparkling Cider. They are fantastic and carried by New Seasons Market in Seattle. I have yet to find them in Olympia, but will keep looking.

In the past I’ve blogged “Every guest that comes to Adytum leaves a bit of themselves here.” How true when Sparkling Cider, which has been around the block a few times, gives way to drinks with exotic names and even better tastes- and pretty healthy as well- low/no glycemic.

Enjoy the following recipe that our guests are still lingering over the Adytum table with for Sunday Brunch. I bought the waffle maker- two now actually – from the Kitchen Collection Store at the Centralia Outlet Mall for about $100. It’s made our guests very happy and these waffles leave us feeling fantastic instead of sleepy and bloated from using regular flour.  We paired them with oven-baked Smoky Sweet Potato Fries dredged with sea salt and the Peach-Mango salsa. Using Thai Sweet Chili Sauce is great too.

Classic Belgian Waffles have a crispy outside and are soft and moist on the inside. They are often served as part of a celebration – even to celebrate something as simple as a beautiful day of one of the last snows of the season. Try these waffles with pure maple syrup and organic butter or one of the many toppings that we serve at Adytum; house-made blueberry compote from the fields of blueberries in the valley below…house-made lemon curd atop the compote or a raw caramel sauce to die for- made with our own Adytum Vanilla from beans we picked up  in Hawaii.

This recipe that came with the Waring Pro Professional Waffle Maker is modified to gluten free by experimentation and it’s open to more improvements. So far, guests love them and they are thoroughly enjoyed! I will experiment further with creating a vegan, gluten free option and let you know how that turns out.

Makes 10 Waffles

1 ½ cups water, divided

2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet)

3 cups sifted Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Flour

1 T cornstartch

1 T baking powder

¼ tsp sea salt

3 large organic eggs, separated + 1 egg white

1/3 cup sugar

1 ½ cups whole milk

8 T unsalted organic butter, melted and cooled

2 tsp olive or coconut oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

Heat ¾ of the water to lukewarm 105-110 degrees. Dissolve the yeast in the water with a pinch of the sugar froom the recipe; let stand 5-10 minutes, until the mixture begins to foam.

Put the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt into a large bowl; stir to blend and reserve. Add the egg yolks, one of the egg whites, and remaining sugar to the yeast mixture; stir to blend. Add the remaining water, milk, melted butter, oil, and vanilla; stir until the mixture is smooth. Stir the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and beat until the mixture is smooth.

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites gently into the batter. Let the batter stand for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Preheat your Waring Pro Professional Belgian Waffle Maker on setting #4 or preferred setting *green indicator light will be illuminated when preheated.

For best results, do not open waffle maker during the cooking process. Doing so will offset the timing mechanism.

Use the measuring scoop to measure the batter and pour into the preheated waffle iron. Use a heatproof spatula to spread the batter evenly over the grids. Close lid and rotate waffle maker 180 degrees to the right. Bake the waffles in the waffle iron until beeper indicates that the waffle is done. Rotate waffle maker 180 degrees to the left. Remove waffle and repeat until all batter is used. Waffles may be kept warm in a low (200 degree) oven. Place waffles arranged on a cookie sheet on a rack in a warm oven until ready to serve dredged with powdered sugar.

Pure maple syrup pairs nicely with organic butter and the raw caramel sauce and perhaps a dollop of Greek Yogurt… Blueberry compote pairs nicely with lemon curd. You could toast some chopped pecans to scatter over the top and of course, fresh berries always work well.

Collecting antique silver reflects a philosophy of life. Anything worth maintaining is going to require some diligent hard work at times and at minimum, regular care and attention. If you’re simplifying your life, don’t collect silver or close friends. Both have similar needs. I’ve been willing to provide that loving care since inheriting an antique silver set from the 1800’s.

Sitting on the mantle in the Adytum kitchen, it reminds us of a gentler time when there were formal teas and butlers and maids to serve them. It comes from a time when there was more time. From its quiet reminder to live more slowly to the time it takes to slowly polish its tarnish away, it is also about slowing down-puttering…letting your mind wander while your hands do the work, to contemplate life and the beauty shining out of the metal.

On my way to the outlet malls to get The Orion Suite more effective as a lock-off condo, where guests can provide most of their own meals with a Panini Press, Crockpot and Egg Cooker, I pulled into the Silvercreek Grange to see what was inside. I’ve driven past for 5 years now and have only now slowed down long enough to check it out.

 Outside there a sign that said, “Antiques” and when I entered, I was pleasantly surprised to see it was very full of interesting old artifacts common to all good antique stores as well as some newer things like a saddle. I bought a brass ewer…when was the last time you saw that word? “An ewer is a vase shaped pitcher, often decorated, with a base and a flaring spout…” Ok, got it Wikipedia. It holds a bouquet of orange Oriental lilies I picked up later in town.

At the entry were freshly baked cinnamon rolls that Juanita, one of the vendors, said she lays down on a bed of sautéed cinnamon apples. That’s original!  I had just finished breakfast with guests at Adytum, so I will try them next time, assuming she always brings them for customers. Juanita’s son, John, helped me carry out box after box half hour later. I found abundant silver both antique and silver-plate…and a very unusual metal bench that looks handmade.

These prices are what every bargain hunter lives for. I’ve noticed many of the shops on the way to Mt. Rainier are all priced well under retail in any city antique store. $20 for silver trays…$15 for the lovely set of mugs (I’ve yet to discover what metal lays under the tarnish but I love them with their tarnish coat on anyway and my arm is falling off trying to find out…)

I paid $15 for the 6…bought at an auction and cooler than cool….

There are several vendors displaying in the Silvercreek Grange; the hours are Saturdays from 11-3:30p.m.   The Silvercreek Grange is on Highway 12 off exit 68, just before the Great Wall Chinese Restaurant which happens to be run by Portlanders. If you stop there on the way to Adytum, split a plate because they serve monstrous proportions. We like the Mao Po Bean Curd and Vegetable LoMein without MSG.

Morton has a charming antique store called Town and Country. It’s a flower shop full of armoires, dressers and interesting smaller pieces. Many of the antiques in Star of the North came from this little hidden gem in the heart of downtown Morton. Again, the prices are 1/3 what you’d see in downtown Seattle or even on a side street in Portland. This is what makes small town antiquing fun!

I’ve already shared about the little antique store in Packwood where we got the antique trunk with the rolled top. Many of us seek to pare down instead of adding ‘knick-knacks’. Buying for the Retreat gives me an excuse to indulge a little and spoil our guests too with fresh visual stimulation, which I love doing. Beauty is best expressed when the element of ‘soul’ is inherent. The little flaws, the hints of use and the patina of age. For this reason, I much prefer these kinds of shops versus the catalog stores in the city or online.

Cleaning this silver this late, rainy afternoon makes me realize that life and the accoutrements of life flow into the hands of the next generation in a steady stream. I wonder as I work whose hands caressed these platters and lovingly encouraged the tarnish to give way to the shine beneath? Did the teapot serve the highborn or the field hands? Did they know how bad sugar was for them back then, I think shining countless covered sugar containers. Did these tea sets sit in the parlor of a grand house? It made me think about the bluebloods. We’ve all heard that word but most don’t know it bears a literal relation to the use of silver. 

Sensology.blog.com shares:

               Why is the term “blue blood” used for aristocrats?

“The term blue blood came to be associated with the aristocracy simply because it was not uncommon in earlier times for European nobility to have skin that appeared to have a blue cast.  The bluish (or sometimes greenish) discoloration of their skin was often caused by a condition known as Argyria.

Argyria is the result of ingested silver particles that are not able to pass through the body and instead are deposited under the skin.  Historically this was caused by particles from silver eating utensils being swallowed along with food or silver being taken for medicinal purposes.  Since aristocrats were the ones who could afford medicine and who enjoyed the daily privilege of eating off of silver plates, drinking from silver vessels and as the saying goes being born with “a silver spoon in their mouth” it was a condition that was more common among the upper class.”

Now we use Colloidal Silver (www.silver100.com)  to achieve what the bluebloods got by multiple daily exposures. In fact, I sprayed some in Gabriel’s eyes this morning after our shepherd mix got an eye infection and it is clear this evening. It’s good for everything from sore throats to wounds and much more. Here’s the information on the website www.silver100.com :

“Silver 100™ Ionic Silver Complex with Opti-Silver™ is the state-of-the-art technology for delivering silver ions to the body. It is designed to surpass all other forms of silver in performance and efficiency .The result of more than a million dollars in development, it has gained the reputation for being the leading-edge product in the field by healthcare professionals, retailers and users.

Jay Newman, the President of Invision International and co-creator of Opti-Silver™, has been interviewed on such shows as Good Morning America and NBC TV news as the leading expert in the industry. The company’s Board of Advisors includes such highly credentialed experts as the former heads of the departments of chemistry of major universities and the founder and director of the world’s largest clinical research center for pediatric drugs.What all this means to you is that you get far superior chemistry, information, and performance.”

On the way back over the Lake Mayfield Bridge, I saw bald eagles hunting although the lake was so rough and choppy from strong winds they must have been worried about going back to the nest hungry. It’s hard fishing in chop. Heading down Birley Road, I drove through Robins scattering. Spring is coming and these long, dark evenings spent tending to things inside the Retreat will give way to time in the garden. But still we will find balance, as in any good relationship. This time with a commitment to keeping alive something of the past, pressing it into service and appreciating the beauty it radiates.

Adytum was already lit up like a beacon on the hill, lights lovingly turned on to shine through nearly 100 windows welcoming my return home from town. After polishing all the great finds from the Silvercreek Grange, the silver lends a soft light to lead us out of this winter and into the days when the sun sets at 10 p.m. Silver adds firelight of its own to the dark of late winter and it’s worth the effort to keep it burning bright. 

The black sand was the lure. The surprise was finding so much spontaneous natural art! The determined and the strong who made their way from the slippery cliff  descent to sea level expressed themselves with a creativity most likely unparalleled in their daily lives. The fine black sand interspersed with an artistic and amazing display of volcanic rock and driftwood proved irresistible to many. How I wish I could have carried just a little bit back to Adytum as it transcended any display the well paid merchandising departments of the catalog shops ever brought to market….this is my favorite table-scape right here on the beach….and I have carry on….Grrrr…..

 Altars, stacked stones imbued with tiny holes and dips, figures drawn from driftwood, more stacked stones and volcanic stones marching in file along bleached driftwood… a large stacked stone fire pit, hammocks fashioned out of fishing nets and heavy rope washed ashore long ago…this beach has a Robinson Crusoe feel to it. It invites languorous play to be sure….it most assuredly brings out the inner Child. Met that Child lately?

We tried finding it yesterday and ended up at a Catholic cemetery instead. Don’t despair. It was fascinating! I am a self confessed cemetery junkie…One of the head stones from the 1800’s  was written by hand in wet concrete.Still, we were heading to the beach for that elusive black sand…. We hiked a mile or two on a deserted, overgrown road replete with orange butterflies, tiny blue butterflies that swarmed around my feet like a silent entourage and thankfully guavas! They looked a bit like lemons and because it was 3 p.m. and my blood sugar was low, I bit in…4 total. Mmmm! Nice! Strength to go forward!

We came to an old Hawaiian sacred space and a sign asking us not to enter.Sorry, Hawaiian deceased. I never met a rule I could  follow.. but still  we respectfully skirted around the edges in case we inadvertently offended SomeOne coming to the cliff overlooking the sea…

‘Overlooking’ being the key word. Wrong turn way back there before the guavas. Should have gone right following some Hawaiian boys with boogie boards we saw earlier that flashed a knowing look at the honkies… No access  here and no black sand. The dead evidently don’t need beach access but revel in great views…

It was ruggedly beautiful in a frightening sort of way- like you better trust the one you venture here with or you might end up on CSI. The sense of dread and foreboding literally haunted this exquisite space. It was palapable….

Whether it was the sacred burial area of ancient Hawaiians or the sharp drop off the cliff, it was hauntingly beautiful but again,  not peaceful. The constant wind fed a growing agitation and we left after a short while determined to find the elusive black beach another day.

The Pololu Trail is on the northernmost tip of the map before curving gently around this island in the sea. The cars along the road were the dead giveaway we’d found it. Few travelers were willing to venture down and were taking pictures from the safety of the look-out above. 

Live your life while you can. There will come a day when you’ll slide down on your arse before you’ll make the trek with any sense of dignity. This turned out to be challenging. Mentally I was cutting about 90% of the ‘team’ up top as we began the descent. 

It was slippery down and tedious and taxing coming back up Think ‘work out DVD’s… It reminded me a lot of walking across stones in a river, but there was no water. Just constantly picking and gauging the next steps. Dexterity. Agility. Great ass in the making…

Get too close to the edge and yes, you really could meet your Maker. All those signs were for a reason. My Keens worked out pretty well. I can’t imagine making it in anything less.

Whatever washes up on the shore is fair game for play…again creativity abounds here. The black sand beach is a vortex for pulling creativity out of those that venture down…

There are no facilities so don’t overdo on the MaiTais or iced tea before heading down or you will be achingly miserable.

The ocean is rough and the undercurrent signage in full view. So what is the lure? It’s just a great, quintessential hike. It’s challenging, engaging, interesting and ends in yet another feeling….different from the one evoked by the ancient Hawaiian burial ground. it is Pure Unadulterated Beauty.  We had seen a few signs that said ‘Pure Life’ (Pura Vida)  Yes, that capsulizes the feeling this beach of fine black sand evokes. Nature in all her pure fineness. Rugged and pristine. Visually stimulating and even artsy. There is a heartbeat here…the pounding waves in their rhythmic cycle pounding out life – our life – on the black shores of this beach for centuries with a metronomic sense of duty.

Off on the horizon, we see a whale blow and breach. Donn is a child again asking questions of me I have no answers for…”Why do whales breach?  Do you know?”. “No, but I’m glad they do…” It breaks the sparkling beautiful monotony of the ocean. 

Plus it makes me wonder what else is going on down there…it reminds me of a parallel universe, another dimension that is inhabited that remains largely outside our consciousness. It is indeed, suggestive of more, isn’t it?

On the way, we pass a man heading down with a lot of baggage. He will stay there alone tonight lulled to sleep by the incessant wind through the pines and the roar of the incoming tide. He’s brave…he looks simple enough but deep inside I know he quests, or he’s a rugged individualist that doesn’t let society confine or define him. I admire him, but were he in the supermarket I’d just pass him by unaware.

How can we see more deeply into people in the middle of our busy days? He is the one who should be writing this blog and I’m sure he would have much, much more to say. His finger is on the pulse of the Universe and I am simply an observer…

We are so hungry when we get back to the Jeep that we stop and have a pizza in Kohala- surprisingly cheap and surprisingly good but yes, the dreaded gluten crust that will make us tired and bloated later…In a perfect World all pizzas are GF, we think….

We sit outside next to 4 Hawaiian girls about 12 or 13 years old… long black hair cascading down each back like a shimmering black waterfall…We wait a long time for this pizza and so we overhear their lives, their memories of being in class together in second grade. We hear them talk about ‘white people’ and realize suddenly there is color. We’ve been in Nature where all is One…We are back up on top now where there is separation… We watch them flirt with the cute Hawaiian boys eating an after school snack here and who are old enough to drive off in a car. They dream of them at night… We wonder what it is like to be Hawaiian and to live on this lovely island earth in the confines of a very small Universe here.

Nature is the One that unites us all. Down below, on the black sand beach we are absorbed by the passion and energy of the Sea. The whales breaching and blowing engage every single One of Us. The lonely beach calls out to the inner artist in each and many succumb to the pleasurable temptation of playing like a child with the materials Nature has so freely provided in extravagant abundance as she is so prone to do.

A few brave souls venture into the wild waves, sure of their ability to swim against the strong under tow and emerge braced against the eternal agitating wind and chill in the supposedly tropical air. Here, on this black sand beach there are Two – but those two are One. There is Nature. There are Humans. There is no male. No female. No white. No Hawaiian. No separation. This is It. Get It. 

Life is short. Get out there. Pura Vida!

In order for the great effort it takes to get away from the routines of life, the travel has to reward us by meeting deep needs and desires. Thinking of elements of successful travel, I came up with my list. Yours will be different, just like the Alaskan oil field man’s list was that I sat next to on the flight to Hawaii. He wants zip line adventures and exploring black sand beaches while he’s here with his wife. Because I came rather worn thin and tired, I want reconnection and restoration from this island escape. I don’t want to ‘go’, I want to ‘be’.  No matter our different reasons to get away, there are some foundational needs we all share in common.

Up at 3 a.m., a two hour drive to PDX, we arrived 6 hours later having endured coach and the humiliating “pat down” in (non) security because we refuse to expose our educated selves to radiation in dangerous and barbaric total body scanners. I had only an hour’s sleep before the ‘adventure’ began. Starting a vacation when we’re already tired, not to mention the fatigue and demands that led up to the trip set us up for some strong foundational needs once we finally got off the plane, the shuttle to the rental car and to our destination.

I see this in so many that have arrived on Adytum’s doorstep fresh off the freeway from Portland, Seattle or Olympia, travel weary on top of having just ended a long, hard work-week. The transformation in your faces is remarkable when you hug good-bye on Sunday. Adytum is not only made for reconnecting with all that really matters in life. It is made to restore the deep places in our heart, in our spirit and give rest to our mind. The birdsong, the water-music and the loving energy from nature and all the animals of Adytum, the eclectic décor with a lot of visual stimulation and beauty all combine to work their enchantment; the change in visible!

We are staying in a timeshare exchange- a Hilton Grand Vacation Suite here on the big island that rents from $450-$600 a night. With the incredible luxury here and attention to detail, with their expensive marketing geniuses at the helm and their way of answering the phone, “I can help you…” it’s simply beyond my ability to comprehend where the disconnect between the reality of today’s traveler’s needs and what Hilton will do to create a sense of immediate welcome and comfort occurred. This is perhaps the biggest difference between a Retreat like Adytum and a sterile vacation home or hotel room, no matter how luxurious.

Finally upon arriving, rather dehydrated after over a day’s worth of travel, where is the water besides the polluted tap water? Is it really going to hurt the bottom line to provide a bottle or two, gratis Hilton? But really, where is the wine, sparking cider or champagne to set the mood for a relaxing celebration that we’ve finally made it and we’re on ‘vacation’? Like many of you, I want some instant gratification- I’m hungry…No fruit-bowl or dish of nuts…nothing. Certainly no flowers on the table that you enjoy at Adytum from our own gardens or walking in to music softly embracing you as you enter this sacred space… Instead we are greeted by an empty beautiful shell perfectly decorated by expensive design firms. We just got here and now we have to turn around and go right back out to get our needs met…Hmmmm…..It’s not working for me….not at all.

The little gestures that show the needs of the traveler begin the moment they cross the threshold become points of contention when not accounted for in the least. It is the height of ‘unwelcome’ in my experience. It is not true hospitality but a marketing plan. If there was a complimentary breakfast- and there isn’t- it wouldn’t make up for these gross oversights.

Kat Enjoys Black & White Beach

Later, starving, when I finally did get to breakfast the next morning the $31 that I paid for a two egg vegetarian omelet, a tiny cup of fruit and a pot of coffee and minuscule glass of juice was washed down with a healthy dose of resentment. I headed for the welcoming embrace of a salty swim in chilly Hawaiian waters to recover from my sticker shock and stopped off for the rest of the weeks’ groceries on the way back to the villa.

The little oversights continued to emerge for me and my 50+ eyes when I was hoping for a magnifying mirror to apply my eye make-up. Even some brighter lighting would have been appreciated…

Where are the robes when I emerge from the shower and I’m cold? Later…no Kleenex by the bed. Everything seems designed to be slightly irritating when we have accustomed ourselves to having all these concerns carefully managed in advance. I could go on….

Successful travel must offer reconnection with yourself and if you’re traveling with a significant other- it must reconnect you with your lover. That might mean experiencing the island, or whatever locality you’re in. It may be as simple as watching a movie or sunset together. We let the guests shape Adytum so that it belongs to all of us for our pleasure. Many of you have created the very changes you enjoy when you return! Thank you so much!!

Some of you read of the recent transformation in Star of the North into an even more romantic lover’s nest/writer’s retreat. Jennifer needed more and we listened by adding a chandelier and antique trunk that serves as a coffee table. We created yet another writing nook to unleash her creativity in. Robert wanted to watch movies from the internet streaming TV in Star of the North so a Roku player (www.roku.com) that plays our collection of Mp4 videos was added to that suite. Every single suggestion is taken to heart and every guest coming in their wake benefits with a richer, more soulful experience.

We inquire what might have made the experience at Adytum better…was anything missing? I have learned to think from the perspective that everything needed should be at hand. Everything in the suite should be functional as well as beautiful. What we hear most is, “I was needing/thinking of X, Y or Z, and ha! There it was like you already thought of it….” Yes, we have. It is our gift to you because we care deeply for each of you that are drawn to Adytum. Not everyone likes puffy pillows. So there are neck pillows to choose from too. If we haven’t thought of it yet, we will! Or you tell us please!!

We have big plans for the future. A few cottages. Two lodges.  An infinity pool and another salt water hot tub. Adding on to the back to create another private entrance, patio, shower and kitchen in Star of the North. A wine tasting room and wine cellar to process Adytum’s own pinot noir label. A miniature gothic wedding chapel on the pointe. Seats to enjoy the rushing stream by or overlook the Lake and valley below. A labyrinth modeled perfected after the one at Chartres…bikes lined up outside the Suites for your use. We have the greatest desire to spoil you rotten…Adytum will continue to develop as a resort over the 16 acres of tree plantation. These dreams came from co-creating with God. They came from thin air with minimal funds. Ultimately they come from your desires. Nothing is impossible if we all want it. Let’s all create this together….

The success of Adytum springs from deep respect and a true caring love of others. Every need of the traveler, the lover, the adventurer is taken into consideration. If it’s within our power to provide all that creates immediate comfort, beauty and true functionality we have done it or it’s added to the growing list of improvements. Adytum is now the only 5-star luxury retreat in our locality.

After experiencing this lovely 5 star Grand Vacation Hilton on the big island of Hawaii, I am really convinced Adytum is a 6 star on her way to a 10.