Life in the Trees

A Fall City Sanctuary in the Sky

When You Go 6922 Preston-Fall City Road S.E., Issaquah 425.441.8087 treehousepoint.com According to General Manager Russell Coxen, Treehouse Point is hoping to offer several activities for guests and visitors, including team building exercises (such as tree climbing), eco tours, live music and concert series and wine tastings.

Pete Nelson wandered around his Fall City property in the dark looking and groping at trees, listening as the Raging River made its way around the point in the background. He made his way through big, thick, old firs, Sitka spruces, Western red cedars and the occasional hemlock. The full moon was obscured by clouds, but in a moment of kismet, it broke through its gray shroud, shining a blue light on a gigantic Sitka spruce. He went to sleep. Nelson woke up the next morning knowing it was that tree that would start it all at Treehouse Point. The Sitka spruce eventually became the literal and figurative pillar for his first tree house at the inn, lovingly referred to as “The Temple of the Blue Moon.”
in the beginning

Pete and Judy Nelson purchased their 4-acre property a little more than three years ago. Pete had driven by the Fall City property several times and it was always in the back of his mind. One day, he decided to poke his head in and take a look. He had a vision of tree houses surrounding the already-built home on the property. He immediately saw a central location for all his loves: tree houses, art, music and food.

Pete and Judy decided to go for it. “I guess I thought that if you build it, people will come,” says Pete. But becoming an innkeeper was a slow process at first. According to Pete, the biggest challenge in the beginning was dealing with King County.

“They had no experience with tree houses, so the permit process dragged on and on,” he said. King County had been pushing eco-tourism and local travel. Pete built his tree house to demonstrate that his place could be functional at an adult-level scale. It worked in the long run, and King County saw the benefit a place like Treehouse Point could have for local tourism.

Now Treehouse Point is up and running for summer. There’s a lodge and two tree houses with more slated to be built later.

the lodge
A lodge with two full-sized suites and an extra bedroom is at the center of the inn. Judy caters delicious meals for events in the dining room. Her menus emphasize ingredients from local food artisans. The list includes handmade cheeses from River Valley Ranch, a few minutes away in Fall City. Owner Julie Steil uses milk from cows, goats, sheep, water buffalo and yak, all on her farm in Fall City. Judy also showcases produce from Fall City farms, and one of her favorites for salmon is Cape Cleare Fishery in Port Townsend. “Their salmon is excellent. We love them because they’re sustainable, all their fish is line-caught and is so fresh. You can’t really find fisheries like this anymore,” says Judy. On busy nights, Pete and general manager Russell Coxen will throw on their aprons and do whatever Judy requires to feed hungry guests.

In the 1970s, the building was an automotive garage shop, then it became a home to a Fall City couple, but the structure of the home hasn’t changed since it became Treehouse Point’s lodge. Pete has made some additions though, all with reclaimed wood. Highlights include the beautiful reclaimed cedar beds in the suites. Each bed is built-in and they are like pieces of art. And you can’t miss the hand-made dining room table downstairs. A winery in Upstate New York went out of business, and Pete heard through the grapevine that there were some huge planks of old growth redwood available from the winery’s owner. The result was a rich dining room centerpiece, complete with hand-made chairs from the same wood.

giving trees
Even though the lodge is the base of Treehouse Point, the true focal point is the tree houses. Pete’s been a builder for many years, but is particularly passionate about tree houses. He’s penned several books about tree houses. He and his partners have built more than 100 tree houses in at least 26 different states and seven countries, including Morocco, Japan and Germany. The scale of the houses and the challenge of building them into a tree really drives him.

The two tree houses at Treehouse Point are evidence of all of his experience. The first, Blue Moon Temple, is wrapped around a beautiful old growth Sitka spruce. A small wooden bridge with rope hand-rails leads to the entrance of this quaint sanctuary. The bed is similar to those you’d find in the lodge, but the view looks out through the trees and straight at the Raging River.

The second tree house is two levels. A wooden staircase wraps around a Western red cedar and leads to the entrance. The first level is a sitting area with an almost 180-degree view of the surrounding forest. A stepladder takes you to the second level, where the bed looks out at the same panorama.

Both tree houses offer a chance to escape from the overbearing noise of busy city lives. Instead of a distracting television, the experience offers the quiet calm of the forest — the occasional cry from a bald eagle, the motion of the river and the sound of the wind moving through the trees.

With charming Fall City as the backdrop, Treehouse Point is the perfect getaway for couples and families and offers ideal meeting venues for corporate folks and serves as a unique wedding venue during the warmer months. Just minutes from Bellevue and Seattle, it’s a can’t-miss “staycation” destination, and the Nelsons are eager to share their sanctuary with anyone who just needs to get away.

“I am doing what I think everyone should be doing,” says Pete. “Follow your heart and do what you love to do.”

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