Inc. In a roundabout way, we have Grover Cleveland to thank for the Freestone Inn. During the 1890's, the 24th president saved the upper Methow Valley from development by creating the Washington State Forest Reserve. Cradled on three sides by snowcapped peaks, four or five curving and twisting hours by car from Seattle, the Methow Valley is the kind of place where tap water tastes better than bottled, road signs warn you to watch for ranging livestock, and poetry is posted next to inspiring overlooks. These days, locals sing a far different tune from that of their prospecting forefathers.
Nobody locks a house or a car door.
Terms like conference center and resort can strike instant fear in the hearts of residents. All of which sort of explains why the tiny, 12-room Freestone Inn took so long to get off the ground. As you drive up to the Freestone's front porch, you find it almost impossible to shake the theme song from Bonanza. Front and center is a stunning river-rock fireplace. The smell of fresh-cut wood vies with a heady garlic aroma escaping from the kitchen.