Your next romantic weekend begins with Edenwild Boutique Inn on Lopez Island

Looking to rekindle your romance, or maybe carve out that quiet time to simply connect with each other?

Here in the PNW, we do not have to travel far to find a little piece of paradise to relax, unwind and escape the pace of everyday life.

Look no further than Lopez Island to slip away from it all — where you can disconnect from everyday life while connecting with the person you love most. Your romantic weekend begins with Edenwild Boutique Inn.

Located in the heart of charming Lopez Village, the Edenwild Inn offers a cozy and welcoming atmosphere perfect for couples looking to reconnect and unwind. Innkeeper Anthony Rovente sees guests return year after year, and he likes it that way.

"This is a place to unwind, to think about the changes in life, and ponder the previous year," he said.

The property features 10 unique and beautifully decorated rooms, each with its own personality and charm. We had the pleasure of staying here, and ours came decorated with a delightful bouquet of spring flowers and a birdseye view of Fisherman Bay from the private deck — the perfect place to sink down into the ease of island life and watch a magnificent sunset.

Each room includes a cozy fireplace and soaking tub, making it the perfect setting for a romantic weekend.

In the mornings, guests are treated to a fresh, locally-sourced breakfast, brought right to your room so you may greet the day at your leisure. Coffee, check! Chocolate (and organic) muffin, check! Now we are ready to hit the road.

See The Island By Bike

Bicycling is big on Lopez and a fun way to tour the island.

It is famous for its bike-friendly roads, no traffic lights and drivers who wave at you as they pass by. Rent an e-bike from Edenwild for a seamless ride or BYOB — bring your own bike — and explore the island at a leisurely pace, taking in the pastoral scenes and beautiful waterfront views.

Hopping onto our e-bikes, we headed first to Blossom Grocery where we packed a picnic lunch into our paneers and rode from Lopez Village to Shark Reef Sanctuary, about 4.5 miles through the rolling hills of this tranquil island. Being on a bike not only allows your body to be in motion but allows you to hear the birds singing, the cows mooing in the distance and to breathe in the sweet aroma of the countryside.

The sanctuary is located on the southwestern tip of the island. We hiked a very accessible trail out to the water's edge overlooking Cattle Pass, the waterway leading into San Juan Island. The rugged, rocky landscape is breathtaking, making this the perfect backdrop for lunch. Stretch out on the rocks, listen to the lullaby of the lapping water, and tell each other the story of your first date.

Another popular ride is The Lopez Island Loop, a 30-mile bike route that takes you around the entire island, passing by farms, forests and picturesque waterfronts. Rovente will supply you with a map to ride the loop or pick your favorite spots to visit, one at a time.

Or, if you would rather spend your time on the water, why not rent a kayak and paddle through the protected waters of Fisherman Bay watching for wildlife, such as eagles, seals and even whales. Edenwild provides sea kayaks, helps with the launch, and Rovente is happy to provide you with his favorite route recommendations.

Visit the Farmers Markets

During the summer months, stop by The Lopez Island Farmers Market, held on Saturdays.

As a must-do activity on the island, it offers a wide array of fresh produce, local crafts and live music. It's a great opportunity to meet local producers, sample some delicious local tidbits or purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, and handmade crafts to take with you as a wonderful way to keep the romance going once you return home.

A Romantic Dinner For Two

Whether you filled your day with biking, hiking, kayaking or simply relaxing, it may be time to satiate some hunger, and fresh, local, farm-to-table cuisine is abundant on this island.

Enjoy a romantic dinner at Ursa Minor, one of the island's cozy restaurants while you sip a glass of wine and lose yourself in a conversation only the two of you share, or for a livelier evening out with spectacular waterfront views, dine at the Islander Bar and Grill. Indulge in delicious meals made with the unique flavors of this region by ordering take-out from Poutine Your Mouth, then bring it back to that birdseye deck and share the savory tidbits while watching stars fill the evening sky. It is these small, shared moments which define the word romantic.

Or, for a more intimate bonding experience, try your hand at learning a new skill, like taking a cooking class together. Chris and Krista Stovall, the dynamic duo of Skarpari will take you into the gardens and the wilds of Lopez Island to forage for edible plants, herbs, and even seaweed.

"We make use of what is here and what is sustainable on the island," said Krista.

Return to Edenwild Inn to cook up dinner and dessert using the day's foraged goodies fresh from the vine, garden, and sea, all under the gentle direction of the Stovalls. Foraging the beaches for seaweed and then turning it into salsa has become a very popular request, according to the Stovalls.

"Experience the Salish Sea as never before, as a salsa," said Krista.

Riding our bikes to a neighboring farm, BabaYaga Farm, we foraged for her homegrown mojito mint and chervil with the Stovalls. Once back in the kitchens of Edenwild, our mission was to make a mint chocolate chip ice cream for an afternoon treat. This ice cream making had a twist -- or more appropriately, it went up in smoke. In order to freeze these island-grown ingredients of fresh cream, sugar, and mint, the Stovalls used a leftover by-product from their craft knife-making business, a small amount of liquid nitrogen.

Zero-waste is the ethos they live by, and they do not let anything go to waste. In the spirit of alchemy, they used liquid nitrogen to turn liquid into a solid.

Pouring the liquid nitrogen into the milky mixture seemed more like a mad science project as a misty, white smoke began to emerge, then fume from the mixer. The chemical reaction resulted in ice cream, a very delicious chocolate chip mint sprinkled with chervil leaves. Certainly a story my partner and I will share and moments we will remember for a very long time.

Our time here is a testament that romantic getaways can be fun-filled, outdoor adventures or they can be quiet, simple retreats for two. Either way, the island life of Lopez offers it all, for it is really about collecting those shared moments which make the heart grow fonder.

While the products, services and/or accommodations in this story were provided without charge, the opinions within are those of the author and the Seattle Refined editorial board.