"The deck on our waterfront room was like a reviewing stand from which we watched an afternoon parade of pleasure craft and fishing boats traveling this tidal strait between Bainbridge Island and the Kitsap Peninsula.

Near the resort's towering totem pole, a fellow guest and her dog raced across the expansive lawn toward the beach. Later, children roasting marshmallows at the jumbo fire pit provided the entertainment.

This wasn't the casino resort we knew from the Vegas Strip, with neon lights, flash, glamour — I mean ... that's Vegas, baby! This year, with 27 tribal casinos in Washington, some with lodging, we decided to gamble and try a few closer-to-home destinations. What we found in addition to the expected Vegas-style games, both table and machine, were family-friendly, top-of-the-line, luxurious accommodations, some in stunning natural settings. Museum-quality Native American art and craft displays were bonuses — introductions to the Pacific Northwest's rich tribal heritage.

We hit the jackpot at the Clearwater, an 85-room boutique hotel on the tip of the Kitsap Peninsula, only a bridge span from Bainbridge Island. The contemporary Northwest lodge-style hotel at the water's edge is hidden behind its cavernous casino and parking garage just off Highway 305.

Towering wood-carved female and male figures welcomed us at the entry. Inside, suspended from the ceiling, an enormous woven Salish fish-gathering basket and canoe dominated the Great Room, an area serving as lobby, breakfast room and gallery for its collection of woodcarvings, glass sculpture, weavings and paintings. Each piece seems to tell a part of the story of the Suquamish people (whose name means "clear saltwater") and their culture. Self-guided tours are a snap; explanations of the work are provided."

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Rich Native American heritage on display at local casino resorts (The Seattle Times 9/18)