At last #1!

We created the Top Lodging Gems list while sitting in a hot tub under the stars during our stay at Rock Haven Cabin, which met all of the criteria on our list.

Our stay started with one of the warmest welcomes we’ve ever had at any lodge or cabin, followed by our being able to experience Joshua Tree National Park by walking down a path from our cabin. Because Rock Haven Cabin is right next to the park, much of the wildlife came to us. I would have been ...

Top Lodging Gem #2 –  Kahakai Cottage Beachfront, Kaaawa, Oahu Island, Hawaii

Want to avoid the crowded beaches of Waikiki? This room is located on the North Shore of Oahu, just down the road from Kualoa Ranch, where movie scenes for 50 First Dates, Pearl Harbor, Jurassic Park, Lost and others were filmed. And, if you want a photo of Chinaman’s hat, head down the road to Kualoa Regional Park early in the morning when there are fewer crowds. 

The roo...

Top Lodging Gem #3 Volcano Rainforest Retreat, Volcano, Hawaii

The cabins at the Volcano Rainforest Retreat are like none other. The cabin we stayed in, the Sanctuary, was round shaped with windows on the ¾ sides, giving a new meaning to feeling like you are in a fishbowl. The best part is, when you look outside, you don’t see any other cabins because all the trees create a thick, jungle atmosphere. 

Each afternoon, they brought fresh fruit, granola and filled up our fr...

Top Lodging Gem #4 – Aurora Borealis Lodge, Cleary Summit, Alaska

If you want a chance to view the Northern Lights from the comfort of your room and not even have to stay awake to watch for them, look no further! 

Aurora Borealis Lodge is 5 miles from the Poker Flat Research Range facility where they are researching the northern lights… How much closer can you get than that? It’s a perfect place to view the lights.

And, it keeps getting better! The owner, Mok...

Top Lodging Gem #5 – Grand Canyon Frontier Cabins, North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

It’s the one place where you can sit along the edge of the Grand Canyon and have a sip of wine (or beer) while you wait for the sun to set. And, if you’re lucky, watch a summer squall with lightning bursts move over the canyon. 

Just like Bryce National Park’s cabins, you can crawl out of bed, grab your camera and be at Bright Angel Point to capture the canyo...

Top Lodging Gem #6 – Bryce Canyon National Park Cabin, Utah

If you want to capture the sunrise (or sunset) splashing the hoodoos (odd-shaped pillars of rock left standing from the forces of erosion), the individual cabins along the Bryce Canyon National Park rim are a must. 

You can literally crawl out of bed, grab your camera and be on the rim at Sunrise Point in 2 minutes or less! If you want to photograph the sunset, no problem. Sunset Point is about the same dist...

This little piece of heaven sits on the shores of Resurrection Bay in Seward, Alaska, and welcomes you with breathtaking views and marine wildlife.

You’re lulled to sleep by the sounds of the sea splashing on the rocky shore along with the smells of the sea. Come morning, you can eat your breakfast while sitting snug inside the warm cabin and watch the sun rise behind the mountains on the other side of the bay through the large bay windows. 

If you enjoy salmon, sto...

Top Lodging Gem #8 – Creekside Lodge on the grounds of the State Game Lodge, Custer State Park, South Dakota (in Winter)

Winter is the best time to enjoy this lodge versus summer because you will practically have the place to yourself! In summer, Custer State Park is packed with tourists, but come winter, you may be the only guests at this lodge.

The best feature is that it’s a stone’s throw away from the beginning of the “Wildlife Loop ...

Top Lodging Gem #9 – Lion Downe Cottage, Lake Pepin, Wisconsin

Tucked away on top of the bluffs along the Mississippi River, the Lion Downe Cottage offers breathtaking views especially sunrises and sunsets late in the year when the winter shadows are long.

There are so many sleeping nooks and crannies in this cottage, so bringing along a second family with kids (or two families!). It won’t be a problem. There’s enough sleeping space for ev...

Top Lodging Gem #10 – Bird Blind at the Iain Nicholson Audubon Center at the Rowe Sanctuary, Gibbon, Nebraska

Some people would never imagine that sleeping in a bird blind in the middle of winter would make the Top Lodging Gems list, but this isn’t your ordinary list!

Falling asleep to the sound of 10,000 Sandhill Cranes is, simply put, one of the most Amazing experiences of a lifetime! The unique sound of the Sandhill Cranes will lull you ...

Let the Top Lodging Gems countdown begin!

Top Lodging Gem #11 – Tettegouche State Park – Illgen Falls Cabin, Silver Bay, Minnesota

We’re starting the first week of the countdown with one of my favorite cabins found in northern Minnesota.

Tettegouche State Park Cabin overlooks Illgen Falls along the Baptism River. The secluded cabin is available year round.

If you love to hike, Tettegouche State Park has a plethora of choices along the cliffs of the north sho...

Many of you know that finding the “perfect” lodge or cabin doesn’t happen very often. And after a recent stay at what I would call the best lodging gem ever that is located in the United States, I thought it might be fun to share our Top Lodging Gems.

As some of you know, the photos showcased on the Wallner Photography website are taken on trips organized by Kristin (aka, Wallner Photography’s travel organizer extraordinaire). She scours the Internet using various search techniques t...