Suncadia was just voted the Best Mountain Resort in King 5 Evening Magazine's Northwest Escapes contest. 

Click here for a the full list of winners:  http://king5.secondstreetapp.com/Best-Northwest-Escapes-2017/

The snow has finally melted :)  Dust off those clubs!  Rope Rider golf course is opening on April 15th.  

Note:  Prospector and Tumble Creek golf courses will open in May. 

Thank you to Corinne for leaving a nice note on the chalkboard.  We're glad that you enjoyed your stay at Twin Links Lodge :)

This past weekend, our family went on a horse-drawn sleigh ride through the snowy forest. Complete with sleigh bells that jingle (just like the song) and nice cozy blankets to keep you warm.  Everyone had a blast.  Lasts about 20-30 minutes.  Highly recommended if you have small children. 

The sleigh rides are offered by Three Peaks Outfitters, located about 1/2 mile away from the Suncadia entrance on Bullfrog road. 

Two elk stopped by the house this morning to say hello.   Check out the video below.

Pretty amazing to see them up close.  Beautiful animals!  There is something strangely peaceful about watching elk walk through powder.

Suncadia received a few inches of snow overnight. 

There have been numerous sightings around Suncadia of the elk coming down from the hills.  They do this every year about this time to escape the snow falling in the mountains.

This past weekend was the 11th Annual Suncadia Harvest Festival at the Nelson Dairy farm in Suncadia.  The event takes place during the first two weekends of October. 

The festival is packed with fun for the entire family including horseback rides, a 1000-bale straw maze, petting zoo, pumpkin patch, wagon rides in an old-time covered wagon, a bouncy house, musical entertainment, lots of great food/drinks, and a good variety of local merchants.

Each year, Red Tricycle asks their readers to pick their favorite family-friendly businesses in the Seattle area.  This year, Suncadia won the Totally Awesome Award for "Exciting Family Escapes"

Check out the full list of 2016 Seattle Totally Awesome Award winners.

If you'd like to see other awards that Suncadia Resort has won, check out my blog post titled "Suncadia Awards"

Yes.  It's true.  The one-and-only Justin Bieber (aka The Biebs) was spotted hanging out at The Brick in Roslyn over Labor Day Weekend. 

Rumor is that he was hanging out with E! Television host Jason Kennedy, who posted a few pictures on Instagram at Speelyi Beach on Lake Cle Elum (pic)

Check out KISS 106.1 Facebook post for more.

If you've ever wondered what it's like inside Tumble Creek (Suncadia's private community), here's your chance to peek inside the gates.

Here's a link to the story on Evening Magazine's website:  http://www.king5.com/entertainment/television/programs/evening/take-a-peek-inside-suncadias-most-exclusive-neighborhood/309436935

If you're looking for a good ol' fashioned BBQ, head down to the Nelson Farm Barn on Saturday nights (between June 18th and Sept 3rd) for some great food, music and fun for the kids.

As you've probably guessed, Suncadia gets its name because of the region's fantastic sunny weather.   This is caused by the proximity of mountains and the direction of the wind.  Scientifically speaking, Suncadia benefits from the westerly winds rushing down the eastern slopes of the Cascade mountains.  As the air descends down the mountains, the clouds evaporate which gives you sunny skies (this also explains why Suncadia has quite a bit of wind as well).  You can see in the images below how there is a distinct gap in the clouds that runs parallel to the Cascade mountains.  

Don't feel like cooking?   Here a few of our favorite places to eat around Suncadia.

The 2016 Suncadia Summer Concert Series is in full swing.  All shows start at 7:00 PM at the Village Amphitheater (which is located between the Lodge and the Swim & Fitness Center).   Not to be confused with the Swiftwater Cellars Concert Series, whose shows are performed at the winery.

Here's a list of this year's bands:

This weekend (7/29, 7/30, 7/31) is the 3rd Annual Cle Elum RoundUp which features a variety of rodeo events including Bareback Riding, Saddle Bronc Riding, Team Roping, Steer Wrestling, Bull Riding, Team Roping, Breakaway, and Barrel Racing.   The RoundUp is located at the Washington State Horse Park in Cle Elum.  Admission is $15 per person on Fri/Sat and $15 per carload on Sunday.  Lots of fun for the whole family.

Attention fitness (and beer) lovers, the 2016 Suncadia Multisport Summer Festival is this weekend, July 29, 30 and 31st

Activities include:

If you've driven around Suncadia or Tumble Creek, you can't help but be amazed by the beautiful custom homes around the resort.  With large wooden beams, stunning architecture and expert craftsmanship, Suncadia and Tumble Creek have some of the most beautiful cabins in the Northwest.

Here is a list of Suncadia and Tumble Creek home builders:

With breathtaking scenery and fantastic amenities, it's no wonder that Suncadia Resort has received a bunch of awards since opening in 2008.  Here's a complete list of Suncadia awards:

Last week, Suncadia was featured on King5's Evening Magazine television show.  The segment gave a nice overview of the amenities and featured an interview with a few Suncadia homeowners (Ken & Heidi Whitehair, whose house is also on Spragger Way).

Here's a link to the story on King5's website:  Suncadia is a great getaway, not too far away

Here's the video clip:

If you’ve ever been to the Roslyn Farmers Market, you’ve probably seen the amazing local photography by Mark Berry and Phil Klucking.  Both of these photographers live in Ellensburg and are regulars at both the Roslyn Farmers Market as well as the Ellensburg Farmers Market.   They do some amazing work!   Here are a few samples:

Kristina Moy over at Red Tricycle just posted "12 Reasons You Need to Visit Suncadia This Summer".  In case you aren't familiar with Red Tricycle, it's a very popular website focused on local events and activities for kids and families.

Here's a list of their 12 reasons to visit Suncadia:

Did you forget your clubs?  Or maybe you just want to hit a few balls for fun.  We've got you covered.  I just purchased a set of Callaway Strata golf clubs for the house.  These are perfect for beginner golfers who want hit some balls at the golf range (over by the Inn) or try out the Rope Rider Par 3 practice course over by Swiftwater Cellars.

Thinking of getting hitched?  With breathtaking views, awesome amenities and plenty of stuff for guests to do, it's no wonder that Suncadia Resort was recently voted the Best Resort in Washington for Meetings and Events.  The Resort offers two different venues to tie the knot.

1) The Lodge --  Absolutely amazing setting overlooking with an awesome view of the Cascade Mountains and the Cle Elum River valley.

2) The Inn -- More intimate setting overlooking the Prospector golf course. 

Twin Links Lodge is located on the 5th hole of the Rope Rider Golf Course.  Completed in 2011, Rope Rider is the newest course at Suncadia (Prospector and Tumble Creek both opened in 2005).   It’s probably best known for the 120 ft high coal slag mound located next to the hole #10 (visible from clubhouse).  It’s a great course that accommodates players of all skill levels with 7,300 yards from the back tees for the pros as well as youth tees on all holes for the youngsters.

A few more interesting facts about Rope Rider:

Located about 6 miles away is Speelyi Beach Park on Lake Cle Elum.   It's a great place to go to run around on the sand and take a dip in the lake.   It's also pretty fun driving your car out on the sand.  However, as my wife and I found out on a recent trip, there really isn't much of a beach until the end of summer when the water level goes down.

Check out how low the water is in this video shot on Labor Day 2013:

Attention music-lovers, we just added a Sonos Play:5 speaker system to the Suncadia house.   This thing rocks!  I read numerous reviews about how great the new Play:5 sounded, but it's hard to believe given how small it is.  I had heard a Sonos Play:3 before and I wasn't very impressed.  The Play:5 is a completely different story.  The low end creates a nice punch while the highs are clear (not harsh at all).  Just a very neutral, pleasant sound.  And since the patio speakers are controlled via a Sonos Connect Amp, I can instantly switch (or combine) the sound between the living room and the patio all from the Sonos app on my phone.   To top it off, it looks really good too! 

Be sure to check out the 4th of July Kids Bike Parade at Suncadia.  Lots of fun for the whole family. The parade takes places at 10:30 AM on Monday, 7/4.  It departs from the Village Pavilion and loops around the lake and pool, returning back to the Village Pavilion.  See map below. 

Pre-registration tickets are $10/child.  Day-of registration tickets are $12/child.  CLICK HERE to register.

CLICK HERE for a full list of activities going on at Suncadia over the 4th Of July weekend.

Russell Wilson and NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne's annual charity golf tournament (The DRIVE) is being held this upcoming Monday, 6/27 at Suncadia.  In addition to the golf tournament,  there will also be an auction and concert.  Proceeds from the event go to Seattle Children's Hospital Strong Against Cancer Initiative.  Last year's event raised over $400,000 for this great cause.

Kymco motorized scooters are now available for rent from the rental shack near the Suncadia lodge.  These are great little scooters for exploring the Suncadia resort as well as Roslyn and Cle Elum.  Must have a valid driver's license.    Guided tours are also available if you want to learn a little bit more about the area from a local guide. 

MotorToys in Cle Elum also offers scooter rentals (in addition to snowmobile and ATV rentals). Pricing for scooter rental from MotorToys is $40 for 2 hours, $75 for 4 hours, $110 for 9 hours and $175 for 24 hours.