The pleasant grounds at the pet-friendly Westwynd Motel (6703 144th St. NW, 253/857-4047 or 800/468-9963, www.westwyndmotel.com, $69–105 d) are a cut above most mom-and-pop motels. There’s a pleasant lawn lined with flower beds, a quiet picnic area, and a playground for the kiddies. Westwynd rents motel units, as well as apartments and suites with kitchens. Rooms are Spartan with plain IKEA-type furnishings, but are quite clean.

Twelve miles north of Gig Harbor on Glen Cove at the beautiful Olde Glencove Hotel (9418 Glencove Rd., 253/884-2835, www.glencovehotel.com, $75–95 s or d), built in 1897 and now on the National Register of Historic Places, this waterside retreat has been restored and transformed into a family-friendly bed-and-breakfast. Inside are four guest rooms with shared or private baths.

Out in the rolling pastures of the tiny hamlet of Olalla, Childs’ House Bed and Breakfast (8331 S.E. Willock Rd., 253/857-4252, www.childshouse.com, $85–100 d) is a good base for cyclists to rest their heads—this comfortable country home is only a block away from the rolling strip of pavement of Banner Road. The five-acre grounds are surrounded by a pleasant garden and forest. The innkeeper strives to serve local seasonal ingredients in her daily breakfast spread.