Timberline Lodge is one of the greatest and most iconic mountain lodges in the U.S. Constructed during the Great Depression as a WPA project, this classic alpine ski lodge is a paean to the materials and superlative craftsmanship of a bygone era. Both massive and intimate, it has lost nothing of its grandeur or period charm since President Franklin D. Roosevelt came out to inaugurate it. Timberline’s enormous stone fireplace, huge exposed beams, and wide-plank floors are as impressive as they ever were—even more so, because this size and quality of wood is no longer available. Woodcarvings, imaginative wrought-iron fixtures, weavings, hand-hooked rugs, and handmade furniture complete the rustic picture.

Staying at Timberline is an atmospheric treat, but it is not a place that was built with the kind of over-the-top luxury some travelers expect today. The simple, cozy rusticity in most of its rooms is not a stylistic gimmick but the real McCoy. The smallest rooms lack private bathrooms, and windows in most rooms were built for durability rather than view-power. The lodge has an array of restaurants and lounges that are open to the public, and overnight guests have use of a heated outdoor pool (always nice in the winter, with the snow piled up around it).