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Port Townsend cabins are a great retreat

Ten-percent discount for military

Sunset at Chevy Chase Beach Cabins overlooking Discovery Bay near Port Townsend. Photo credit: JBPhotto

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Serendipity and an Internet special brought Jennifer Dickey and her friend on her first visit to "these cute cabins in Port Townsend."

Along for the ride was her beloved dog, Tana, who was battling cancer. Little did Dickey know that this was to be a life-changing experience.  In love with the property and its sweeping views of Discovery Bay, Jenn, as she is known to family and friends, booked a return visit to bring her husband, Jeffrey Betinol, to see this special place.

"Jenn sent me photos, but it just didn't do it justice. On my first visit, after I left the car and by the time I reached the cabin, I felt this emotional connection to the property.  It was something I had never experienced before," Betinol said. "You can't really understand the magic of this land until you walk around."

Soon, the two were regulars, and during a weeklong visit with Dickey's parents, she uttered these fateful words, "Wouldn't it be great if this was our life?  If this is what we did and this is where we lived?"

The group chuckled at her big dreams.

A short time later, the Bailey family, owners since 1947, decided to sell. They wanted to find the perfect buyer who would treasure the property as they had. The Baileys sent out a letter to the generations of guests who spent many a family vacation on Discovery Bay. The friend who introduced Dickey to the Chevy Chase Beach Cabins saw the letter.  

Overwhelmed by the opportunity, but ecstatic at the potential, the couple took a leap of faith. They quit jobs they loved, purchased the property and never looked back.  In December 2012, nine short months after their first visit, they moved into their new home and their new vocation.  In a bit of fate, the home came with the Bailey's dog, Scout, who got to remain in the only home she had ever known.

Running the business has become more than a job for the two, but it's a true vocation.  

"For us, it is very humbling to know we are the third family to own this place since the 1850s,"  Betinol said. "It is a responsibility, and we feel more like stewards rather than owners. We have met families that are the fourth generation to vacation here and have been coming here longer than we have."

Along with the property comes a responsibility toward their longtime guests.

"Grandparents come with their grandchildren and will tell us stories about when they played here as children. People really open up to us about their lives and share the good times and the bad," Dickey shared.

The couple has a special affinity for military members serving in the area and the sacrifices they make.  They offer military members and their families a 10-percent discount, which is available year-round. Other specials are offered during the low season.

The resort offers a variety of cabins for couples and families as well as beach access and a heated pool in season.

Chevy Chase Beach Cabins, 3710 S. Discovery Rd., Port Townsend, 360.385.1270, chevychasebeachcabins.com

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