TRIP PLANNER: BELLINGHAM PG. 86
Washington’s Winter Olympic Hopefuls
DIY: Build Your Own Sauna
Luscious Oysters
ROMANTIC GETAWAY GETAWAYS AROUND THE SOUND
SNOWSHOEING: EXTREME BEAUTY SLOPESIDE GLAMOUR: WINTER HOLIDAYS IN SUN VALLEY 1889mag.com $5.95 display until January 31, 2022
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December | January
volume 28
Set, Drift, Shuck photography by Reva Keller ON WASHINGTON’S ONLY saltwater fjord, the sun is rising, and the world is silent and still, but for the stirring of otters— and Alice and Van Helker. Get a glimpse of the hard, dirty and rewarding world of oyster farming, its loyal community and their fight to save an industry from the effects of climate change. (pg. 24)
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FROM LEFT Alice Helker stands on the beach in the early afternoon during low tide at Set & Drift, the oyster farm she runs with her husband on Hood Canal. Fjordlux oysters retrieved from the water at Set & Drift.
LOVE on the
ROAD Romantic getaways around the sound
written by Corinne Whiting
The natural beauty of Washington lends itself to romantic getaways, especially when the dark nights and chill of winter prompts more snuggling. From windswept beaches to the misty mountains, make a plan now to bond on invigorating adventures among the evergreens or to cozy up inside with spa treatments, tasting menus, steamy libations and warming Washington wines. Here are eight venues made for rest, rejuvenation and romantic moments you won’t forget.
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The Captain Whidbey Inn, a lodging and hospitality establishment built in 1907, is located on Whidbey Island at the west end of Penn Cove. (photo: Captain Whidbey Inn) DECEMBER | JANUARY 2021
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adventure
Cascade Loop Association/Twisp Chamber of Commerce
The Methow Valley will beckon you to walk a few miles in different shoes—snowshoes.
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adventure
Sensory Extremes Snowshoeing these routes will transport you into the heights of outdoor beauty written by Isabel Max
EXTREME BEAUTY in nature is unmistakable—when we see it, we are awed by it. Under a blanket of fresh snow, such scenes have a visceral effect. We experience them with all of our senses. Pale winter light falls on vast ranges of snowcovered peaks. Proud evergreens weighed by snowfall and strewn in icy moss make a spirited frame for the view. Cold is what we smell and taste, as a blissful concoction of pine-infused snow lands on our lips and noses. Midday, snow creaks underfoot and our breath dissipates into the panorama. If you know these sensations, you know the aesthetics of winter. Rather than an excuse to wear house slippers, let it be an incentive to walk a few miles in different shoes—snowshoes.
Leavenworth Magic is tangible in Leavenworth—snow dusting the Bavarian-style shops, narrow streets and tall pines take you out of yourself and out of the country even, with the feel of a quaint village in the Alps. The snow designs its own architecture, though, thirty minutes northeast of Leavenworth on Stevens Pass. The pass’s parking area intersects the Pacific Crest Trail and proffers scenes inspiring stamina for the journey ahead. The 7.8-mile Lake Valhalla out-and-back is a gentle ascent toward views of Mount McCausland and an icy Valhalla through the Smith Brook Valley. Trails wind through fir trees, a buffer from the elements, but the pièce de résistance is truly irresistible, especially under blue skies. The Yodelin Ski Tour, also accessible from Stevens Pass, is a blank canvas for snowshoers who want to choose their own route, ranging from 5 to 7 miles round trip. The retired ski area is popular among OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2021
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