This ‘Inn-Fluencer’ Visits Hotels for a Living. Here’s Her Latest Obsession.

Sunset’s Insider Guide series highlights seasonal diversions and secret travel tips from local experts. Follow along as we learn where to eat, drink, stay, and shop.

Kelsey Bumsted

Meet the Insider: Kelsey Bumsted, Photographer

Location: Tokeland, Washington

Seattle-based photographer Kelsey Bumsted is far more than just a sharp shooter. The travel and outdoor enthusiast has a real passion for showcasing some of the West’s most incredible boutique properties, giving life to their organic charm through her generous lens and beautiful Instagram page, where she has earned the nickname of “inn-fluencer.” Her current obsession is the Tokeland Hotel, nearby the wayfaring town of Westport. She shares her tips for the perfect weekend in and around Tokeland on the Washington coast.

STAY

Kelsey Bumsted

Tokeland Hotel is great for beach walks, reading, hot-tubbing, and board games. It also has a sweet farm animal area where you can pet goats, pigs, and chickens. It’s both dog- and kid-friendly, with a fire pit for roasting s’mores! And LOGE Westport serves as a convenient basecamp for the world-class waves and offers rentals of all the gear you’d need, including wetsuits, boards, kayaks, and bikes. At the end of the day, you can grill your catch on the camp’s communal Traegers. If you’re into the #vanlife, Peace Vans is a Seattle-based rental service that is a wonderful way to explore.

EAT

Heather Earnhardt for The Wandering Goose

The Wandering Goose at the Tokeland Hotel serves three square farm-to-table meals a day, all made using the local farmland’s bounty nearby. Nelson Crab Inc. is a historic business with handpicked crab and also serves seafood from the Willapa Bay and the Pacific Northwest, along with sides with an Asian flare. There’s also a small shop with fine foods and handmade crafts. Betzy’s Tienda Mexicana is a really casual Mexican restaurant, and everyone in the area raves about its quesadilla. Being a fishing town, you’ll definitely want to pick up some tinned fish at Shoalwater Seafood, where you’ll find some of the best oysters and crab from right off the bay.

DO

Courtesy of Washington State Parks

Visit the gallery of Jeffro Uitto, who makes stunning coastal driftwood sculptures. In the summer, you can go razor clamming, deep-sea fishing, or crabbing by organizing a tour through the Tokeland Hotel. Visit the Willapa Valley Lavender Farm, or if you’re a water baby, the area is also known for being one of the best spots for surfing, so grab a board at The Surf Shop. Go whale watching on part of the Whale Trail at Westport Light State Park. Also worth visiting is the Westport Boardwalk, or climbing the stairs at Grays Harbor Lighthouse, the tallest in Washington. Or visit Northwest Carriage Museum for the best collection of horse-drawn vehicles in the country.