An Eternal Golden Hour

On our honeymoon, Hailey and I watched the sunset from the tower of a restored Roman villa. For a few brief minutes, the air seemed to turn gold, and the fading light softened everything around us. Photographers call it the “golden hour.” We remember the warmth, the light, and the feeling of being completely present in that moment — and the beginning of something we would spend a decade building.

We translated that memory into three suites.

The North Star Suite

The North Star Suite brings together the idea of a grand voyage with the stillness of the shore. Its private garden was designed as a harbour, a quiet place to arrive at the end of a long journey and linger awhile.

The Under Hill Suite

The Under Hill Suite takes its cues from the landscape and the warmth of a cottage. We imagined it as a place to slow down — to step away from the pace of the modern world and settle into something quieter.

The Copper Crown Suite

The Copper Crown Suite is the most theatrical of the three. Inspired by royalty and fairy tales, the suite was designed to catch the light and let the changing sky become part of the room.

The Hazelnut Inn is the result of a decade spent turning one evening on our honeymoon into something we could build together.

We hope that when you stay here, you feel something of what we felt that evening: the warmth of the light, the stillness of the moment, and the sense that, for a little while, there is nowhere else you need to be.

Dream With UsPeter Sawatzkyevergreen, storytime
Twelve Years and One Blue Thistle

I am watching the late afternoon sun filter through a crab apple tree. In front of me, a cluster of globe thistles catches the light, their fierce, spiky heads, an impossible purple-blue against the earthy greens of the tree.

To anyone else, these thistles are landscaping. But to me, they are a living promise. When I look at them — as I do nearly every day — the last twelve years vanish, and I am standing once again at the beginning.

Twelve years ago tomorrow, Hailey and I were married. Wanting our celebration to feel entirely like us, we had tucked tiny seeds into the soil of our first garden — watering them, watching them break through the dirt, and grinning like fools when they finally bloomed. They became my favourite wedding flower: a literal piece of the home we were building together, carried in her hands and tucked into my lapel.

When the time came to sell that house, leaving was bittersweet. We were moving on to a daunting dream: building the Hazelnut Inn from the ground up.

It was a massive undertaking — a chaotic season of blueprints and construction dust. But when we packed up our old life, we didn’t leave everything behind. We carefully uprooted our faithful thistle, and brought it with us.

Gardening, like marriage, requires a quiet kind of stubbornness. It’s about anchoring yourselves through shifting seasons and trusting that what you have nurtured in the dark will eventually reach for the light. As we declared twelve years ago:

“I love what I know about you and I trust what I do not yet know.”

Today, that same thistle is growing strong. Its roots have claimed new ground, just as Hailey and I have grown into this life we’ve built together — twelve years of shared mischief and of holding fast to each other through every unexpected turn.

Happy anniversary, Hailey. Twelve years later, our love — just like our thistle — is deeply rooted, wonderfully vibrant, and growing stronger every single day!

Dream With UsPeter Sawatzkystorytime, celebrations
Teapot Hill

Just a 15-minute drive from the Hazelnut Inn, Teapot Hill is a woodland trail that feels as though it has wandered out of a fable.

The Story

Teapot Hill takes its name from a teapot discovered along the trail, and over the years, more porcelain teapots have appeared among the forest vegetation. Today, finding them tucked beside the path and nestled among the ferns has become part of the fun.

There is something delightfully unexpected about coming across a teapot in the middle of the woods — a little touch of whimsy that makes an ordinary walk feel like a treasure hunt.

The Climb

The trail begins along a gravel path before narrowing into packed-earth switchbacks as it winds steadily uphill. The climb takes roughly two hours to complete, allowing plenty of time to pause, explore, and keep watch for the teapots hidden along the way.

As you make your way deeper into the forest, the surroundings become increasingly peaceful. Moss, ferns, and towering trees create a cool, green woodland setting that invites you to slow your pace and look a little more closely.

The Woods

Sword ferns fringe the trail throughout the year. In spring, delicate phantom orchids appear among the forest floor, while summer brings tiger lilies brightening the greenery.

Listen for the knocking of woodpeckers and the distinctive calls of Steller’s Jays overhead. With a little patience, you may also catch sight of deer moving quietly through the undergrowth.

The Summit

At the top, the trail ends at a modest viewpoint where Cultus Lake can be glimpsed through the trees. It is a quiet place to pause, catch your breath, and take in the landscape before beginning the walk back down.

But the real pleasure of Teapot Hill isn't the view at the summit. It is the sense of discovery along the way — the unexpected teapots and the changing forest — small moments that make the hike a little more enchanting.

And, after a two-hour wander through the woods, you can return to your cozy suite at the Hazelnut Inn and settle in with a well-deserved cup of tea. Because sometimes the best part of a journey isn't where you end up, but the little wonders you discover along the way.

Trail Overview

Plan Your StayPeter Sawatzkyoutdoors, evergreen