1889 Washington's Magazine | December/January 2022

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Mussels, from Sea to Table

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Experience Estacada Unexpected Small-Town Charm and the Holidays

Small-town Oregon is the best place to be for holiday traditions and leaving yourself open to the unexpected. Estacada is 30 miles southeast of Portland but feels 180 degrees different. With a population of 5,000, that was once home to Clackamas Indians who fished on the river that now bears its name, Estacada became a mill town whose fortune rose and fell with the railroad.

Today the small town is a balance of arts and agriculture with a dash of recreation and a splash of craft beer. During the holiday season, you’ll stroll the classic downtown, past boutique clothing and gift shops, a gallery, a saloon, restaurants and local tap houses. The historical downtown brings charm, especially in early December, when the town comes out to City Hall for the annual tree-lighting ceremony, hot cocoa in hand. Known as the Christmas Tree Capitol of the World for its tree farms, Estacada goes big for its own holiday tree ceremony.

The small but vibrant arts community comes together in December for the Winter Artisan Show. Artists come out of the woods and their studios to present paintings, photography, crafts and handcrafted musical instruments.

Shopping locally and small, especially for the holidays, is what makes Oregon special. It’s easy to remain true to that ethic in Estacada. You’ll find the work of local artists at Spiral Gallery; clothing and handmade jewelry from Julie Cooper Designs at Lennox Jai Boutique; Bigfoot souvenirs and nature-themed gifts at Mossy Rock; vintage furniture, home décor and much more at Wade Creek Vintage Marketplace; and handmade body care items for women at Hillockburn Farm.

As with many small towns, murals tell the story of the area. In the case of Estacada, more than twenty murals are wonderfully conceived and executed images of the natural world, the earliest people, the settlers, its mill era, fishing on the Clackamas, even a mural devoted to the arts in Estacada. There are murals and then there are murals. This is the latter. Find the walking tour online at artbackmurals.com.

Mt. Hood Territory’s Tap Trail brings trail imbibers into Estacada for the excellent Stone Circle Cider, a traditional British cider brewed to crisp, dry perfection. The cool factor goes up on the second Friday of the month when Stone Circle Cider hosts Vinyl Night on its 36-acre farm just outside of Estacada.

Not to be missed is local craft brewer Bent Shovel Brewing, located on a viewpoint overlooking Estacada. Creative beers such as Key Lime Pie Sour, Sonova Peach fruit beer, and coffee stouts are served to beer connoisseurs while area bands come in and belt it

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT The holidays are a magical time in Estacada. Murals adorn many of the local buildings.

Estacada is known for its tree farms.

Visitors to Clackamas River Growlers are encouraged to order in American Sign Language.

out on the weekends. Bent Shovel Brewing also hosts a Second Saturday Popup Market, through which local artisans and farmers present their best to the public.

The food scene is small but not without hidden gems and classics.

Locally owned and operated food carts offer a variety of eats— logger-sized, made-to-order meals at Timber Town Grub and authentic Mexican street food from Pepe’s Tacos are local favorites.

Harvest Market is a true venue for local foods from the surrounding agrarian areas. Cazadero is a steakhouse named for the town’s first dam. Here you’ll find hearty Hunting Lodge salads and tender steaks of all cuts. For breakfast, try Harmony Baking Company on Wade Street. Almost forty years of perfecting their trade, Harmony is known for its homemade croissant danish, bagels and maple bars.

There’s also The Country Restaurant, home to killer omelettes such as the Polynesian (ham, cream cheese and pineapple) or the BOSC (bacon, onion and sour cream).

Over the course of your visit, perhaps you’ll encounter many unexpected things in this small town on the banks of the Clackamas River that may make you change your own holiday traditions.

VISIT ESTACADA FIELD GUIDE Both locals and visitors alike can pick up a free field guide in town. This pocket-sized guide provides a history and overview of recreation, dining, arts and culture, craft beverages and shopping, and makes for a great keepsake. You might find things you didn’t know, and discover something new!

TO EXPLORE MORE, VISIT: mthoodterritory.com/estacada

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LANE COUNTY

ITINERARIES FOR WINTER SOLACE Winter brings opportunity for destinations along the Oregon Coast, in Eugene and into the McKenzie River area, when the crowds substantially dissipate and snow wraps the mountain scenery in a handsome white blanket.

Indeed adventure awaits those who love these areas but not the bustle of the high season. During summer, Florence and the Oregon Dunes on the coast are typically teeming with visitors hiking, sandboarding and riding dune buggies over the 40–mile-long hills of sand.

Winter on the coast can bring rain, but planning for the crisp, clear days for a hike along the dunes is a rare treat. Try the four-mile round trip Oregon Dunes Loop Trail with stunning views and the opportunity to make sandy excursions from the main trail.

Likewise Florence can be a busy hub in the summer and fall as windsurfers and kiteboarders ply the nearby surf and beaches. Old Town Florence, however, has four-season charm, boutiques and restaurants that make it more desirable for those who avoid crowds.

This town—known as Oregon’s Coastal Playground—is also known for its chowder. From the famous Mo’s, to Lovejoy’s Restaurant and the Waterfront Depot, Florence is a champion of chowder served in cozy settings for winter wanderers.

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Eugene also makes a compelling case for exploration through holiday and winter itineraries. Saturday Market’s Holiday Market is the perfect place to find a unique holiday gift, or, better, find the self-gift only you could buy for yourself. Earrings, hand-stitched scarves and candles—all made by hand and local artisans—are just a few reasons to put this on your holiday shopping list.

When you’re done with shopping for the day, take to the Eugene Ale Trail as a hoppy reward for your shopping fortitude. Stretching from Eugene’s Whiteaker neighborhood to downtown to the Westside Warehouse District, the ale trail features some of Oregon’s best brews.

Craft brewers such as Falling Sky, Ninkasi and Claim 52 are just a few of the brewers that you’ll taste along the way.

Wine is definitely on the itinerary in Eugene, too. Indeed the South Willamette Wine Trail brings some of the state’s best wine and food pairings to visitors. Further, personally connecting with winemakers and learning about their wine is much easier after the busy harvest months, which can last into November. The fantastic wines of Silvan Ridge, LaVelle, King Estate and Rainsong are just a few of the wineries

where you will swirl, sniff and sip along the way. Pair this with farmto-table restaurants along the South Willamette Valley Food Trail and your itinerary now includes world-class wine and food.

After the chaos of the holidays, the body and mind truly demand solitude and beauty. Head east from Eugene into the Cascades and along the McKenzie River, where it runs beneath towering Ponderosa pines, alongside miles of trails, past Cascade lakes and waterfalls and adjacent to old-school resorts and lodges, where cell service is scarce.

It’s here that you hear the babble of the river, feel the crunch of snow underfoot and find your post-holiday zen.

Plan your trip today at eugenecascadescoast.org

Though not easily accessed, Alpine Lakes High Camp and a warm fire are worth the reward.

Winter’s Cozy Cabins photography by Jerald McDermott FROM RUSTIC to a little less rustic, find our picks for cozy cabins across Washington for your winter adventures. (pg. 80) 6 1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE

DECEMBER | JANUARY 2022

DECEMBER | JANUARY 2022

1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE 7

Carina Skrobecki Swain/State of Washington Tourism

FEATURES DECEMBER | JANUARY 2022 • volume 34

56 10 Places to Kiss in Washington From urban grit to pristine mountaintops, we showcase the best places for a special moment and that Insta photo. written by Ryn Pfeuffer

66 The Last Canary in Life’s Mine Birds in the Pacific Northwest are dying off at an alarming pace. What are the ramifications for avian life (and human life) going forward? written by Lauren Kramer

72 Making Waves Gorgeous underwater scenes from Puget Sound Restoration Fund.

Find stunning views of nearby islands and the snow-capped Cascade Range from Mount Constitution on Orcas Island.

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DECEMBER | JANUARY 2022

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DEPARTMENTS DECEMBER | JANUARY 2022 • volume 34

LIVE 18 SAY WA?

Lake Chelan Winterfest, Finnriver Cidery and a novelist who mashes up The Bachelor with John Berryman poetry.

24 FOOD + DRINK

Quillisascut Farm School of the Domestic Arts, Remlington Farms adds its own brewery.

28 FARM TO TABLE

Mussel mania at Penn Cove. Plus Penn Cove mussel and bean ragout and other recipes.

36 HOME + DESIGN

18 24

Three bathrooms. One designer. Many new looks.

44 ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

Photographer Garret Grove channels literary photography.

THINK 50 STARTUP

A Belgian-inspired pay-what-you-can bike repair learning center.

51 WHAT I’M WORKING ON

Can the study of grizzlies offer insight into human aging? One professor thinks so.

52 MY WORKSPACE

Sleight of Hands Cellars, Walla Walla.

54 GAME CHANGER

Charity Burggraaf

Travel Southern Oregon

The Lummi and Nooksack nations’ new outlet for youth—snowboarding.

EXPLORE 78 TRAVEL SPOTLIGHT

92

Kurt Cobain’s Aberdeen.

80 ADVENTURE

Five remote cabins for your winter adventure.

14 15 94 96

Editor’s Letter 1889 Online Map of Washington Until Next Time

86 LODGING

The handsome new Royal Block hotel outside of Walla Walla.

88 TRIP PLANNER

Woodinville: Sip your way through this weekend escape from Seattle.

92 NW DESTINATION

Applegate River Valley: Oregon’s winter escape for wine and recreation.

COVER

photo by Jim Meyers Snoqualmie Falls (see “10 Places to Kiss in Washington,” pg. 56)

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1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE

DECEMBER | JANUARY 2022

Slots, craps, blackjack, roulette, bingo, weekend getaways, culinary artistry, live shows, dancing, sports, spa – whatever it is you want, you’ll find it here.

Get into everything at EverythingTulalip.com

CONTRIBUTORS

JEN SOTOLONGO Writer Adventure

LAUREN KRAMER Writer The Last Canary in Life’s Mine

JAMES HARNOIS Photographer Farm to Table

“Over the past several years, I discovered a love for outdoor winter activities. I find the snow provides a welcome respite from the dreary rainy weather. I approached this story with that in mind—what would get someone excited about winter who had maybe never embraced the season previously? I sought out a mix of luxurious, secluded cabins that combine outdoor activities like Nordic skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling. I think a stay at any one of these cabins would turn someone into a winter lover!” (pg. 80)

“As a lifelong birder, I’m always searching the skies and trees, listening for birdsong and marveling at colors and wingspans. I’m deeply saddened on a personal level by the staggering declines in bird numbers. While researching this story gave me cause for hope, I’m also fearful for the future and for how humancaused climate change and environmental degradation will continue to hurt our avian friends.” (pg. 66)

“Nothing quite grounds you into the present moment like fresh cold air and sounds of water. I’ve always lived near the ocean—the Atlantic into my mid-twenties and now the Pacific into my forties. Being out on the water documenting the mussel-harvesting operations of Penn Cove Shellfish felt both new and familiar to me. Witty banter among the crew, the smell of saltwater I could almost taste and dozens of seagulls overhead—I was home. I’m so grateful to showcase the coastal life and hardworking women and men here in the Pacific Northwest.” (pg. 28)

Jen Sotolongo is the founder of the adventure dog blog Long Haul Trekkers, a freelance writer and a book author. She is a PNW native and lives in Portland with her dog, Sitka.

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Lauren Kramer is a South African-born writer who loves writing about nature, wildlife, travel and food. She bird-watches from Bellingham, where she lives with her husband and children.

DECEMBER | JANUARY 2022

James Harnois is a freelance photographer and videographer with a passion for telling real and honest visual stories. When not wielding a camera, he enjoys exploring the natural world, drumming and playing with his two kittens at home in Seattle.

GABI GONZALEZYOXTHEIMER Illustrator Musician “Much of my work expresses childlike wonder through the lens of my Mexican American heritage. I believe our experiences are an accumulation of our past, and that story is worth sharing.” (pg. 20) Gabi Gonzalez-Yoxtheimer is a graphic designer and illustrator based in Seattle.

EDITOR

Kevin Max

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Allison Bye

WEB MANAGER SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER OFFICE MANAGER DIRECTOR OF SALES BEERVANA COLUMNIST

Aaron Opsahl Joni Kabana Cindy Miskowiec Jenny Kamprath Jackie Dodd

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Cathy Carroll, Melissa Dalton, Rachel Gallaher, Ellen Hiatt, Joni Kabana, Lauren Kramer, Kerry Newberry, Daniel O’Neil, Dameon Pesanti, Ryn Pfeuffer, Lauren Purdy, Ben Salmon, Jen Sotolongo, Cara Strickland, Corinne Whiting

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Don Detrick, Jackie Dodd, William Frohne, Alex Garland, James Harnois, Joni Kabana, Jack McDermott, Jim Meyers

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

Gabi Gonzalez-Yoxtheimer

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All rights reserved. No part of this publiCation may be reproduCed or transmitted in any form or by any means, eleCtroniCally or meChaniCally, inCluding photoCopy, reCording or any information storage and retrieval system, without the express written permission of Statehood Media. ArtiCles and photographs appearing in 1889 Washington’s Magazine may not be reproduCed in whole or in part without the express written Consent of the publisher. 1889 Washington’s Magazine and Statehood Media are not responsible for the return of unsoliCited materials. The views and opinions expressed in these artiCles are not neCessarily those of 1889 Washington’s Magazine, Statehood Media or its employees, staff or management.

DECEMBER | JANUARY 2022

1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE 13

FROM THE

EDITOR

NOW IS THE time for all good people to cozy up to the side of a fire. Of course, you can find our suggestions for remote cabins to do just that by turning to Adventure on page 80. From the woods of Mt. Adams to the rolling huts of the North Cascades, you’ll find your cozy cabin and peace of mind in these pages.

A leading culinary element of the Cozy Movement is shellfish. Penn Cove mussels are chief among them. In Farm to Table (pg. 28), we head out to Whidbey Island where Penn Cove Shellfish is one of the country’s oldest and largest mussel farms, in operation since 1975.

Bring home a couple of pounds of mussels and make the Penn Cove mussel and bean ragout (Recipes, pg. 34).

Go inside the aquatic life of shellfish as one small nonprofit organization, Puget Sound Restoration Fund, endeavors to restore marine habitat and native species to the Puget Sound.

In Gallery on page 72, see submarine scenes of their passionate work.

Our Trip Planner (pg. 88) brings us back to the mainland and Woodinville, where, during Seattle’s wet blanket of winter, this makes the perfect weekend getaway. Woodinville’s many wineries and distilleries are the reason for this seasonal outing. Get a room at the romantic Willows Lodge and make your itinerary a memorable one that includes travel to Washington’s top wine regions through sipping its wines in Woodinville tasting rooms.

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DECEMBER | JANUARY 2022

If you want to combine winter sunshine with a wine weekend, head for Oregon’s Applegate Valley near Jacksonville. There you can hit a trifecta of fantastic wines, cozy accommodations in historic Jacksonville and sunshine.

Turn to Northwest Destination on page 92 to make plans.

Writer Lauren Kramer turns our attention to an important topic for all of us. In a piece that reminds us that we have and continue to lose a staggering amount of our bird population in the Pacific Northwest, and indeed North America, we see many storylines converge.

From development and the loss of habitat, to loss of life from farming chemicals and rat control, the losses have quietly mounted over the years. In Washington, at least, conservation groups have presented the legislature with an unprecedented budget proposal to meet this unprecedented environmental disaster. Turn to page 66 to learn more.

We’d be remiss in not acknowledging the topic on the cover, the Best Places to Kiss in Washington. After much research and many kisses, we’ve narrowed the list down to ten.

Some you’ll recognize from their natural beauty; others you’ll be pulled in a different direction. All of them are worthy of a road trip to collect moments of passion and a photo to go with it as you ease into the new year with a kiss.

Happy New Year from all of us at 1889 Washington’s Magazine!

1889 ONLINE More ways to connect with your favorite Washington content www.1889mag.com | #1889washington | @1889washington

WASHINGTON: IN FOCUS Have a photo that captures your Washington experience?

Share it with us by filling out the Washington: In Focus form on our website. If chosen, you’ll be published here. www.1889mag.com/in-focus photo by Jeff Liska Fall colors on a hike in the North Cascades of Washington.

GIFT WASHINGTON 1889 Washington’s Magazine celebrates all things Washington, from its incredible destinations and colorful personalities to its rich history and local food and drink. Gift a subscription to family and friends this holiday season, and share the state you love! www.1889mag.com/gift

DECEMBER | JANUARY 2022

TURE N E V AD AIL M SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER More PNW, delivered to your inbox! Sign up for our Adventure Mail newsletter and get access to the latest Northwest getaways, giveaways, dining and more. www.1859oregonmagazine. com/live/subscribe-tooregon-adventure-mail

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SAY WA? 18 FOOD + DRINK 24 FARM TO TABLE 28 HOME + DESIGN 36

pg. 28 Go inside Washington’s oldest and largest mussel farm at Penn Cove Shellfish, on Whidbey Island.

James Harnois

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE 44

Discover yourself here.

Close to everything but away from it all, Discovery West is conveniently located in the heart of Bend’s west side. New custom homes are intermingled with nature, trails and bike paths—and close to schools, parks, shops and restaurants. Coming soon, a vibrant community plaza, specialty retail and even more amenities will continue to differentiate this unique neighborhood.

Discover your best Central Oregon lifestyle by learning more at discoverywestbend.com or visiting our Discovery Pod at the corner of Skyline Ranch Road and Celilo Lane.

say wa?

Tidbits + To-dos written by Lauren Purdy

m

CALark you END r AR Flight Wine and Chocolate Nestled in the heart of Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, Flight Wine and Chocolate allows patrons the chance to experience Washington’s best vineyards in tandem with savory dark chocolates without having to leave the city limits. A collaboration between wine industry alum David Wildman and chocolatier Kevin Morton, the pair sought to combine their passion for wine with the craft of chocolate making. Classical musician turned chef, Morton crafts Flight’s opulent truffles fresh weekly with bright flavors ranging from hibiscus pink peppercorn to creme de cassis. Flight is open for both wine and chocolate flights Thursday through Sunday by reservation or walk-in.

CA mark LE yo ND ur AR

Stormking Photography

www.flightwineandchocolate.com

Mount Rainier Railroad

Lake Chelan Winterfest

18

If you’re seeking a picturesque winter escape, look no further than Lake Chelan’s Winterfest January 13-21. Set in the snowcapped hilltops and glacier-fed waters, the scenic communities of Chelan and Manson embrace the winter season by hosting an annual winterfest in partnership with Chelan’s Chamber of Commerce and local purveyors. Visitors can wander through the snow lined streets to peruse the intricate ice sculptures as well as view two spectacular firework shows across the lake. For vinophiles, the many wineries along the shores of Lake Chelan offer tastings as part of the week-long festivities.

Scenic and historical, the Mount Rainier Railroad is back on track after a two-year service hiatus. A ride on this classic steam engine through Mount Rainier’s rich landscape is a delight for train enthusiasts and those looking for a new way to explore Washington’s largest peak in the Cascades. Riders board the Mt. Rainier Railroad in the small town of Elbe about one hour South East of Olympia to embark on the 18-mile ride into the countryside replete with breathtaking views of Mount Rainier’s snow capped peak. In addition to resuming the regular service line, the railroad will also re-launch events such as The Polar Express Train Ride throughout the winter season and the popular Rails to Ales excursion where riders explore the many breweries within historic logging town of Camp 6.

www.lakechelan.com/winterfest

www.visitrainier.com

1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE

DECEMBER | JANUARY 2022

Kati Nicole Photo

say wa?

Lakedale Escape to the whimsical forests of Friday Harbor in one of Lakedale resort’s rustic yurts. Wedged on the southside of the evergreen lined landscape adjacent to Fish Hook Lake, each custom-built yurt comfortably accommodates up to four guests. Guests can snuggle up in crisp flannel sheets and stay warm in each yurt’s private hot tub overlooking the surrounding trees. Sip on your morning coffee while looking over the rolling fog spread across the Puget Sound through large French doors. Take note, December through January Lakeside is offering a cozy package that includes a s’mores kit, a bundle of fresh firewood, artisan breakfast basket and a boat rental for all yurts stays designed for Pacific Northwest adventurers. Reservations available online.

Flourish Meditation

www.lakedale.com

www.flourishmeditation.com

For those looking for some quiet this holiday season, drop in to one of Flourish Meditation’s in-person and virtual offerings. Founded by the inspiration to bring people together through meditation, Flourish’s teachers seek to authentically teach the art of meditation to anyone willing to give it a try. For those looking to take a deeper dive, Flourish is partnering with the Seattle Yoga Studio MindBodyHum to offer several in-person workshops and trainings this winter, such as a twenty-hour Restorative Yoga Immersion, forty-hours Meditation Training and beyond. Class details available online.

Finnriver Cidery Crisp and delicious with a conscious, Finnriver Cidery delivers both an elevated selection of hard ciders while honoring the heritage ̕ ə ̕ m̕) and the Chemakum (Aqokúlo or of the S’Klallam (Nəxʷsƛáy ̓ m) lands where they reside. Founded in 2008 by partners Čə́ məqə Eric Jorgensen and Keith and Crystie Kisler, Finnriver sources organic apples from across Washington state in addition to cultivating their own organic orchard of more than 6,500 trees, with more than twenty varieties of heirloom and traditional cider apple varieties. Swing by the Cidery Tasting Room December through January for a Cider Barn tour to sample their estate grown Orchard series, including fan favorites such as the barrel aged semi-dry Fire Barrel Cider and more contemporary selections ranging from black currant to habanero infused varieties. Reservations are available online. www.finnriver.com

DECEMBER | JANUARY 2022

1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE

19

22 BEST

High Pulp Pursuit of Ends

Washington Albums of 2022 written by Ben Salmon illustration by Gabi Gonzalez-Yoxtheimer

FROM TACOMA to Spokane and from Bellingham to Seattle’s world-class music scene, musicians across Washington created some incredible sounds in 2022. Here are the twenty-two best albums released by Washington-based artists this year.

20 1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE

High Pulp is a seven-piece band that grew out of some weekly jam sessions at Seattle’s historic Royal Room in 2017. On their second album, Pursuit of Ends, they blast off to explore the far reaches of space, riding a groove of funk, hip-hop, breakbeats and, above all, psychedelic jazz that feels both old school and forwardthinking at the same time. These days, music is all about the vibes, man. And High Pulp’s got the viiiiiiiiibes.

Lydia Ramsey Like A Dream As Brandi Carlile continues to ascend from Seattle’s Americana sweetheart to worlddominating pop star, here comes Lydia

DECEMBER | JANUARY 2022

Ramsey to give local lovers of roots music a new queen. On her third album, the skilled singer-songwriter nestles into the space between folk music and country and unfurls ten songs built from strummed acoustic guitar, twangy pedal steel, emotionally rich stories and the kind of easygoing ambience you just can’t teach.

Death Cab for Cutie Asphalt Meadows Benjamin Gibbard and company have been one of the Northwest’s biggest bands for so long, it might be easy to take them for granted. Asphalt Meadows is an excellent reminder of why they got so big in the first place. Their tenth full-length album, it spills over with the band’s reliable brand of melancholy indie-pop,

say wa?

to hear Bellingham songwriter Cumulus singing songs like “What A Beautiful Thing” and “Better Kind of Love (Silver Lining)” on Something Brighter. Sonically, her style of indie-pop is lush, dreamy and beautiful, befitting the album’s (mostly) positive outlook on life.

roughed up here and there with noisy distortion, spoken word and other unexpected sounds. The result is the best Death Cab album in years.

Eugenie Jones Players Timeless. That’s the word that comes to mind when you listen to Players, the new album from Seattle’s Eugenie Jones, a bright star within the city’s fertile jazz scene.

Don’t misunderstand: Timeless does not mean old-fashioned, and Jones has a particular talent for taking the classic sound of jazz and soul and invigorating it with her own contemporary sense of style, whether she’s covering George Gershwin and Irving Berlin or doing one of her own vibrant originals.

tle’s Helms Alee might just be the most interesting of them all. The long-running trio has always taken an unconventional approach to muscular music, but their fifth album, Keep This Be The Way, finds them incorporating all of their interests—pulverizing sludge-metal, craggy noise-rock, unsettling drones, dreamy guitar-pop and beyond—into one hulking whole that highlights its seams rather than trying to hide them.

BaLonely Thank You, I’m Sorry After releasing its first two albums in short order, the Spokane indie rock band BaLonely started recording its third, Thank You, I’m Sorry, in the spring of 2020.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world and gave BaLonely time to write and think and tinker and let their new songs grow into unexpected places. With blues, ballads and disco flavor sprinkled in among the Strokes-style post-punk and Wilco-ish roots-pop, Thank You is the best BaLonely album yet.

Enumclaw Save The Baby As it always has, Seattle teems with excellent, upand-coming indie/alt-rock acts. But Washington’s best current band of that ilk might just reside a few dozen miles down the road in Tacoma, where Enumclaw has made its mark by making woozy, jangling guitar-rock that falls directly from the Dinosaur Jr family tree.

Frontman Aramis Johnson grounds Enumclaw’s sound with vulnerable lyrics and distinctively deadpan vocals that grow naturally in the Northwest’s soil.

Pigeon Pit Feather River Canyon Blues Olympia has long been known as one of America’s most powerful little outposts of independent music, and few bands embody the city’s spirit like Pigeon Pit, a folk-punk band fronted by singer-songwriter Lomes Oleander. With her heart planted firmly on her sleeve, Oleander’s songs explore themes of gender, trauma, queer survival, activism, anarchy and aspiration while a gang of buskers churn out homemade twang. Pigeon Pit is DIY or die, long live Pigeon Pit.

AJ Suede and Televangel Metatron’s Cube AJ Suede is one of the most prolific artists in Washington, responsible for a deluge of top-shelf hiphop over the past few years, including four full-length projects out in 2022 alone. The best of the bunch is this collaboration with Bay Area producer Televangel, whose murky, melodic production provides a suitable backdrop for Suede’s seemingly endless supply of sharp, abstract rhymes. Together, their sound is smooth like … well, you know.

Cumulus Something Brighter After the past couple of years, you can understand why many artists’ new music is kind of a downer, whether they’re writing about isolation, climate change or an old standby: heartbreak. So it’s refreshing

Norm Chambers Mirage Colony For two decades, Norm Chambers made some of the world’s best synthesizer music, working from his home base in Seattle and putting out incredible records under his own name, as well as the names Panabrite and Jürgen Müller. His work was consistently inventive and oddly soothing, often radiating a subaquatic feel via effervescent synth tones and steady, spellbinding rhythms. Chambers died in October after a battle with cancer, capping one of the best recorded catalogs in the Northwest. May his music find new ears for many years to come.

Helms Alee Keep This Be The Way In a city with its share of good heavy bands, Seat-

11 MORE ALBUMS WORTH HEARING Judy Collins | Spellbound

King Youngblood | Big Thank

Lavender Country | Blackberry Rose

C.Ray | Space Coast

Lori Goldston | High and Low

Dmitri Matheny | Cascadia

Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio | Cold As Weiss

The Lowest Pair and Small Town Therapy | Horse Camp

Sea Lemon | Close Up

Fluung | The Vine

DECEMBER | JANUARY 2022

Idol Ko Si | Idol Ko Si 5

1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE 21

Liza Birnbaum

say wa?

Novelist Andrew Palmer’s writing has appeared in The Times Literary Supplement and McSweeney’s and online at Slate, The Paris Review and The New Yorker.

Bibliophile

Love, Poetry and the Remote Control A Seattle author gains acclaim for his tale of obsession, fame, art and reality TV interview by Cathy Carroll

ANDREW PALMER’S talent is gaining significant attention with his debut novel, The Bachelor. The Seattle-based author has his protagonist, a self-doubting novelist reeling from a breakup, return to his hometown in Iowa to house-sit for a friend. There, he delves into two incongruous obsessions: the reality show The Bachelor and the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet John Berryman. In the process, Palmer’s coming-of-age story takes a wry and witty look at love, celebrity and the blurring of reality and entertainment in an always-on world. We caught up with Palmer to ask about it.

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How did you arrive at the idea that your protagonist would have the dual obsessions of the reality show The Bachelor and the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet John Berryman?

I’d been an off-and-on viewer of The Bachelor since it debuted in the early 2000s. I started getting back into it at the beginning of 2012, and after a long time away from the show, its rituals, codes and aesthetic suddenly struck me as fascinating and deeply weird. I also felt myself, to my surprise, being drawn into the show emotionally, even as another part of me was sort of revolted by it.

Many of the characters were earnest and likable, and they seemed trapped in the show’s dehumanizing structures.

Around the same time, I was reading a lot of poetry by John Berryman, and I happened upon a biography of him in a used bookstore. As I read, I found myself absorbed in a way that felt somehow similar to how I was absorbed in The Bachelor. Berryman’s life story was riveting. I sympathized with him even as I was a little repulsed by him, and the biographer seemed to have trapped him in borrowed structures in a way that felt untruthful and even unjust. Also, like the star of The Bachelor, he was a hapless romantic who bumbled his way through countless romantic relationships while maintaining a lofty vision of romantic love as a worthy ideal. I sensed a connection between Berryman and The Bachelor that was so unlikely and ridiculous I couldn’t help but pursue it. Writing the

book was largely a matter of teasing that connection out and inventing a story that brought the two subjects into contact with each other.

The novel, from start to publication, took ten years.

How did you stay motivated throughout that time?

The short answer: I didn’t! I experienced periods of relatively high motivation along with periods of low motivation or no motivation at all. Fortunately there was something in the material that kept drawing me back in.

Completing the novel was a matter of waiting out the low periods and riding the waves of inspiration and interest. Feedback and encouragement from my partner and a select group of friends proved invaluable during this up-and-down process—which, by the way, I think a lot of authors experience.

How are you and the novel’s hero, a blocked novelist, the same? How are you different?

We both grew up in Des Moines, we’re both big Chicago Bulls fans, and we both spend a lot of our time reading, writing and talking about reading and writing. I also drew on a lot of my childhood memories when I was writing about my protagonist’s memories. But the central plot of the novel is my protagonist’s story, not mine. Also, until The Bachelor was published, I hadn’t published a novel, but the protagonist of The Bachelor has. So now he and I are even on that front.

A WINTRY GETAWAY

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Remlinger Farms in Carnation recently opened an on-site brewery. Head brewer Neil Comeau drinks his popular Kolsch at the brewery. Future plans include growing ingredients for their beers at Remlinger.

Beervana

Remlinger (Brew) Farms written and photographed by Jackie Dodd FOR MORE THAN a half century, Remlinger Farms has been the host for our childhood memories of pumpkin patches, strawberry picking and pony rides. You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone with a Western Washington childhood who doesn’t have a fond memory of the 200-acre farm. Now you have a reason to come back as an adult, with or without the kids. On Mother’s Day of 2022, this heritage family farm tapped the kegs and poured the first pint of beer brewed on the premises. Amidst the handmade pies, fresh picked fruit, and bustling little market, Nathan Sherfey, current GM and the grandson of Gary Remlinger, decided to add “brewery” to the repertoire of services the family farm offers.

Photo: Charity Burggraaf

Cocktail Card recipe courtesy of Fairmont Olympic Hotel / SEATTLE

Harpie & Shrew

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• • • •

The events and patrons he was hosting in the expansive space required a massive amount of beer to keep the attendees happy.

Sherfey saw an opportunity for an offering that was more in line with the farm-fresh vibe of the place, so why not open a brewery?

Although the farm is well known for its kid-friendly fun park with more than twenty-five rides and attractions, it didn’t have many attractions for adults, Sherfey said. The idea behind the brewery was to provide more for the people who brought their kids, and even attract those without kids, to come back to the place they enjoyed when they were young.

The beer, I’m happy to reREMLINGER FARMS port, is off to an outstanding 32610 NE 32nd St., start. Head brewer Neil CoCarnation meau is brewing an consumwww.remlingerfarms.com mately drinkable Kolsch, and What to Know: a beautiful pilsner that both • Kid- and dog-friendly pair perfectly with a long day • Patio seating • Full kitchen on the farm. The Saison is delightfully balanced, and Sherfey even has a barrel program currently underway. Although this year’s offerings aren’t made with ingredients grown on-site, the plan is to move in that direction. The sound strategy behind this decision was to get the brewery up and running, producing beautiful and balanced beers, focusing on quality as well as the logistics of starting a brewery from scratch, and then moving into farming the ingredients from there. An endeavor that deserves a solid amount of attention and care, giving us something to look forward to in the coming years.

“When you consider that we hire about 200 kids every year to help us on the farm, and how long we’ve been doing that, it adds up to a lot of people who have been a part of this family over the years—myself included,” said Sherfey. “Growing up on the farm, taking orders from the staff, he hasn’t lost reverence for the position he is in as general manager of his family’s business. His roots run deep here, and he’s grateful that so many others do as well. His ideas continue to grow, and his offerings are always made with the patrons who pass through the doors in mind. So raise a pint to Remlinger, and cheer them on as they continue to bring new generations a crop of beautiful childhood memories.

11/2 ounces Absolut Elyx 3/4 ounce lemon juice 3/4 ounce Cointreau 1/4 ounce Chareau Aloe liqueur • 2 dashes Scrappy’s lavender bitters • Soda water

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Shake all ingredients, except soda water, in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain over fresh ice and top with soda water.

Garnish with a dried lavender sprig.

Quillisascut Farm

food + drink

CRAVINGS SPARKLING WINE This German family-owned sparkling wine house was founded in 2010 with the goal of putting Washington sparkling wine on the map using age-old traditional techniques to create bubbles worthy of anything from a once in a lifetime occasion to a festive Thursday night. You can visit the tasting room to try the full range (and enjoy light bites, sparkling wine cocktails, and summer premium tours), or pick up a bottle at your favorite local wine store.

71 GANGL ROAD WAPATO www.trevericellars.com

ARTISANAL MIXERS (ADD ALCOHOL, OR DON’T)

Gastronomy

Summer workshops for farming, cooking and bread-making at Quillisascut Farms School of the Domestic Arts in Rice, Washington.

Quillisascut Farm School of the Domestic Arts written by Cara Strickland QUILLISASCUT BEGAN as a bare piece of land, brimming with possibility, at least for Rick and Lora Lea Misterly, who have been living and farming there for a handful of decades, with little sign of slowing down. Besides growing a garden and a small orchard, the farm was the home base for a thriving goat cheese business, and is now the place where chefs, home cooks, and other farm-curious people congregate in summer workshop settings to learn about farming, cooking, and the treasures of the region. Check the website for offerings ranging from an afternoon to several days on the farm—choose from classes with topics like home cheesemaking, nocino-making (walnut liqueur or nonalcoholic syrup), tamales, lefse, Farm Culinary 101 and even a custom option. Check the website for the latest availability and application information. Whatever workshop you choose, you’ll be well-fed and totally immersed in farm life, a rare, delightful experience worth savoring.

208 ENCHANTED FOREST ROAD, SUITE A EASTSOUND www.girlmeetsdirt.com

PANCAKES It’s already completely cool to have breakfast inside a vintage train car (manufactured as a President’s Car in 1906), it’s even better when that breakfast is delicious, and Frank’s always delivers. One such standout entree is the Original 1886 Hot Cakes, which are served in an adorable silver dollar size. If the time and season are right, you might even be able to add huckleberries to yours. Head north a few miles and you’ll find a replica of the original, with the same menu and charm.

1516 W. 2ND AVE. 10929 N. NEWPORT HIGHWAY SPOKANE www.franksdiners.com

APPETIZERS FOR DINNER Saffron is a must-stop when in Walla Walla, but my favorite way to eat there is to consume as much of the appetizer menu as possible with my libation(s) of choice. It’s perfect for small plates for sharing, and while I’ve always enjoyed the food at Saffron, this section of the menu feels like the heart and passion of the restaurant. Never miss the lamb.

330 W. MAIN ST. WALLA WALLA www.saffronmediterraneankitchen.com

2409 PLEASANT VALLEY ROAD RICE www.quillisascut.com

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You might know Girl Meets Dirt for their preserves, made with Orcas Island fruits, but did you know that they also use the bounty of the harvest for shrubs—tart, vinegar based mixers that play well with an ounce or two of liquor or stirred into sparkling water—as well as several bitters?

Choose from flavors including the ruby spiced apple or bitter lemon and lavender shrubs, and peach or plum tree bitters. If you’re feeling especially excited, join the shrub club for bottles shipped right to you.

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BEST PLACES FOR

GRILLED CHEESE THE BRAEBURN I caught sight of the 3-Digit Grilled Cheese sandwich at a nearby table, and I knew I had to have one. This doubledecker sandwich is made of three pieces of cinnamon raisin bread with sharp white cheddar cheese and bacon inside. It smells almost as good as it tastes and is big enough that you could probably share, but you won’t want to.

Photos: The Black Cypress

food + drink

197 2ND ST. LANGLEY www.braeburnlangley.com

BEECHER’S HANDMADE CHEESE It’s no surprise that Beecher’s makes all kinds of lists for best grilled cheeses—its delightful dairy is the toast of the state, if not the country. You can order a classic grilled cheese at one of their cafes (I never eat anywhere else when I’m in the SEA-TAC), or get creative and make your own with the Flagship, or one of the other cheeses.

Other ingredients, such as figs or veggies optional.

1600 PIKE PLACE SEATTLE OTHER CAFE LOCATIONS IN SEA-TAC AIRPORT, BELLEVUE, AND PAINE FIELD IN EVERETT www.beechershandmadecheese.com

WINGMAN BIRDZ+BREWZ While you can certainly order the 2nd Runner Up Grilled Cheese as is with pepper jack, smoked gouda, Tillamook cheddar and garlic mayo on sourdough bread, you might also want to level it up a notch with Cougar Gold cheese from Washington State University for a truly ultimate grilled cheese (it might not even be a runner up at all anymore).

230 E. MAIN ST. WALLA WALLA www.wingmanbirdz.com

Dining

In the home of Washington State University, Pullman, you’ll find The Black Cypress and all of its culinary treasures.

The Black Cypress written by Cara Strickland

If you grew up in Yakima Valley, Bron Yr Aur’s Octoberspring favorite sandwich might taste like pure childhood to you. In the late 1950s, one of the school districts ended up with lots of cheese for school lunches, they needed some recipes fast. The Cheese Zombie was born—a buttery, soft bread roll filled with cheese and baked, they are a perennial kid favorite and also pair nicely with a beer.

Outside of school, you can get these during the season at the brewery on Thursdays from 4-8, or until they sell out.

THE BLACK CYPRESS has all the hallmarks of fine dining—beautiful, delicious food informed by the season and the bounty of the region, a comfortable, elegant environment, and unparalleled service. It’s the sort of place that would be competitive in any major city, but you’ll find it nestled in Pullman, home of WSU. It’s worth the trip from wherever you are to sample the endlessly creative cocktails (the bartenders often travel for new inspiration), and to immerse yourself in a dining experience filled with the best mixture of American, Greek, and Italian cuisine, all served with great care.

If you’re looking for a stellar catering team, they do that as well, at your location, or theirs. Visit for dinner Monday-Saturday, but be sure to make reservations.

12160 U.S. HIGHWAY 12 NACHES www.bronyraurbrewing.com

215 E. MAIN ST. PULLMAN www.theblackcypress.com

BRON YR AUR BREWING CO.

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farm to table

Freshly harvested Penn Cove Shellfish mussels.

Farm to Table

Mussels Mania Enjoying Penn Cove’s finest offerings written by Corinne Whiting photography by James Harnois SINCE 1975, Whidbey Island’s Penn Cove Shellfish has been in business, making it the country’s oldest and largest commercial mussel farm. Operations Manager Tim Jones explains that, although the product was already a delicacy in Europe and Asia at the time, not many folks in the United States were enjoying mussels just yet. Once French chefs in Seattle discovered they could get the product nearby, however, a mussel craze ensued in the Northwest.

The farm now produces 2.5 million pounds of mussels a year, and, according to Jones, demand is increasing. After all, Penn Cove has the highest density of mussels found naturally in all of Puget Sound. To the east, the mouth of the Skagit River brings in nutrient-rich mountain water. To the west, the Olympic Mountains put Penn Cove in a rain shadow that means more days of sunshine than Seattle or Bellingham. This combination of sun and nutrient-dense water promotes algae growth and allows for the production of both Cove and Mediterranean Mussels.

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farm to table

Penn Cove Shellfish crew members aboard the “Moule Mariner” harvest mussels from mussel rafts in Penn Cove.

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farm to table

ABOVE Collection lines—which mussels will adhere to and grow—hang off of a mussel raft in Penn Cove. AT RIGHT Crew members harvest mussels by gathering mussel lines, stripping off the shellfish and inspecting the collected mussels. Penn Cove Shellfish produces about 2.5 million pounds of mussels per year.

The team works five days a week year-round. They get all the seed from mussels on the beach, and fertilization actually takes place out in water. They have only two weeks to put out all of the 20-foot-long collection lines, and they aim to have them in the water by Tax Day so the larvae have something to attach to. This spring, that process involved 30,000 lines that they hang off rafts using zip ties and a half a brick. “It takes a lot of hands,” Jones said. “We have to do it pretty quick.”

Mussels spawn in May, meaning that the crew begins to collect them naturally in the spring. “The secret recipe for density seems to be 150 mussels per foot,” Jones said.

Mussels take a year to grow, and Jones explained that they always have two years of crops in the water—one that’s harvesting, and one that will be harvested the following year.

Jones has been farming mussels for twenty-plus years, and there are many things he appreciates about his role. “We’re working directly with nature,” he said. “We’re just giving them a place to call home.”

“It’s a sustainable resource that produces an annual harvest, a daily harvest,” he said. “They feed a lot of people.” The process has a very small carbon footprint, too. “The forty-two rafts out there, if pushed together, still only take up about one percent of Penn Cove,” Jones said.

During the first full weekend in March each year, Musselfest brings chowder competitions, guest chefs, live music and a beer garden. It’s also the only time that Penn Cove Shellfish gives public tours, which are conducted on whale-watching boats.

Mussels bring mealtime benefits since they contain many vitamins and minerals (vitamin B12, iron, manganese and selenium, for example), and Jones noted that they’re high in amino acids, too. Better yet? “To buy a pound at the local grocery store doesn’t break the bank. It’s a very affordable protein.” He added with a laugh, “Like a bag of hot dogs, but much healthier!”

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farm to table

Operations Manager Tim Jones has been farming mussels for more than twenty years.

Mussels lovers can savor Penn Cove products at various Costco and Whole Foods locations. And in Whidbey Island’s Coupeville, nearly all restaurants serve their mussels, each presented with its own special style. Jones said cooking with mussels is especially fun since the “flavor sponges” take on the taste of their additional ingredients—whether they’re appearing in curries or other creations.

Eric Anderson, chef and owner of Seattle restaurant Samara, personally enjoys the “mild, lightly sweet and savory flavor” of mussels. At his restaurant in Ballard’s Sunset Hill neighborhood, he has made waves for incorporating seasonal, hyper-local ingredients and cooking everything over live fire using a woodfired oven and open hearth.

Anderson uses Mediterranean mussels from Taylor Shellfish, and the venue’s culinary team works with Key City Fish Company in Port Townsend, too. When it comes to advising home chefs working with mussels for the first time, Anderson said, “Make sure you’ve pulled the beards and given them a rinse, then be careful not to overcook!”

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farm to table

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farm to table

Penn Cove Shellfish mussel rafts float in Penn Cove.

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farm to table

Penn Cove Mussel and Bean Ragout

Frasers Gourmet Hideaway / OAK HARBOR, WHIDBEY ISLAND Chef Scott Fraser SERVES 6-8 FOR THE MUSSELS • 1 pound Penn Cove mussels • 1 cup white wine

Chef Eric Anderson’s BBQ Steamed Mussels with Spruce Beer.

Washington Recipes

This Year, Be More Shellfish BBQ Steamed Mussels with Spruce Beer Samara / SEATTLE Chef Eric Anderson

• 2 pounds Mediterranean mussels, beards removed and rinsed in fresh water • 1 sweet onion, julienned • 3 fruity hot peppers, seeded and julienned (aji dulce, floral gem, sarit gat) • 1 thumb of ginger, peeled and julienned • 8 ounces Propolis Brewing Spruce

Mussels with Brown Butter Miso Taku and Kōbo Pizza / SEATTLE Chef Shota Nakajima

FOR THE MUSSELS • ½ pound per serving mussels • 2 cups sake FOR THE MARINADE • 1/3 cup sweet white miso • 2 cloves garlic, grated • ¼ cup mussels/sake liquid • 1 tablespoon lemon juice • 4 tablespoons melted brown butter FOR SERVING • Pickled Red Cabbage

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• 1 lime cut in 6 pieces, save 4 for garnish • 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil • Sea salt to taste • 8 stems cilantro for garnish Combine all the ingredients in pan over a medium/hot offset fire in charcoal grill or big egg, and close lid. Check back in 7 or 8 minutes and give everything a stir. Continue cooking until all the mussels open, then check your seasoning and adjust as desired. Divide into 4 bowls, pour broth over top, and decorate with cilantro stems and lime wedges.

FOR THE MUSSELS Add sake and cleaned, debearded mussels to a pot. Poach mussels lightly in sake until the shells open. Take mussels out of the shells.

FOR THE MARINADE Make the sauce by combining sweet white miso, garlic, mussels/sake liquid, lemon juice and melted brown butter. Marinate mussels in sauce for 20-40 minutes.

TO FINISH AND SERVE Pour sauce and mussels in pot and slowly warm up to medium hot. Watch out not to overcook. Serve mussels with pickled red cabbage.

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FOR THE BEAN RAGOUT • 1 tablespoon clarified butter • 6 ounces hot Italian sausage • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced • ½ cup onion, diced • ½ cup fennel bulb, diced • ½ cup tomato, diced • ¼ cup Pernod • 2 green onions, chopped • ¼ bunch kale, chopped • ½ cup butter, chilled and cubed • 3 cups cannellini beans, cooked • Salt and pepper FOR THE ARUGULA PESTO • 2 cups arugula • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil • 1 teaspoon salt FOR THE MUSSELS Steam mussels with white wine until they fully open. Strain and save liquid. Remove mussels from the shell and reserve.

FOR THE BEAN RAGOUT Cook sausage with clarified butter.

Remove and crumble. Sauté garlic, onion, fennel and kale using fat from cooked sausage. Flambé with Pernod. Add reserved mussel juice, sausage beans, diced tomatoes, green onions and mussels. Bring to a simmer.

Add cold butter to ragout, and stir until dissolved and rich sauce forms. Season with salt and pepper.

FOR ARUGULA PESTO Combine arugula, extra virgin olive oil and salt in a blender and purée.

TO SERVE Serve in bowl topped with arugula pesto and toasted bread on the side.

Getaway

luxury at the edge of the wilderness

Your romantic getaway awaits.

Join us at Sun Mountain Lodge in Winthrop, Washington, for the finest luxury the Pacific Northwest has to offer. Cross-country ski through miles of perfectly groomed trails, unwind at the spa, soak in our outdoor Jacuzzis and treat yourself to a delicious dinner with your loved one.

sunmountainlodge.com

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home + design

Home + Design

Three Bathrooms, One Designer Sparrow Design Company is leveling up homes around Olympia, one bathroom at a time written by Melissa Dalton

FOR DESIGNER Lauren Rodriguez, who opened Sparrow Design Company in Olympia in 2019, home design is all about telling a story. Whether tapping into a client’s personal history, favorite things, or the history of the home’s architecture, Rodriguez’s approach extends to personalizing even the smallest rooms, like the bathroom. “Who the clients are and what they love is a big part of it,” said Rodriguez. The design “has to be right for their home, and the story that their home is telling.” The designer takes us through three recent remodels that do just that.

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Poppi Photography

Every design needs to tell a story, said Sparrow Design Company’s Lauren Rodriguez. This remodeled bathroom is no exception.

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Embrace

Visitlbp.com/stormseason

BOOK YOUR HOLIDAY ON THE HISTORIC HOOD CANAL

Photos: Nate Burgher Photography

home + design

This East Side bathroom brought together a dresser from the ’70s with new hardware and a vessel sink (TOP RIGHT) and a designer select botanical wallpaper (BOTTOM RIGHT).

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East Side: Botanical Guest Bath The overhaul of this “shotgun-style” bathroom in a 1980s-era home started with the client’s love of embroidery and botanical patterns. Also: a vintage dresser from the late-1970s that Rodriguez found at her favorite shop, Courtyard Antiques. The designer opted for a new scheme that nods to that floral fascination, finishing the dresser in a bright green Sherwin Williams hue in a high gloss, then adding new hardware and a vessel sink.

Behind that, the wall is covered with a pink hex tile that runs up to the ceiling and covers the floor. A vintage gilded mirror, simple brass sconces, and a branch and leaf wall sconce from Anthropologie complete the vignette.

The finishing touch is the designer’s select use of wallpaper.

Since it wasn’t in the budget to encase the whole room, Rodriguez installed a bold floral pattern to the interior of drawers and framed sections for the walls as oversized art pieces. The overall effect is an ode to the owner’s passions, as well as a surprise visual treat when the door is opened. “It’s almost like a secret garden,” said Rodriguez.

Photos: Poppi Photography

This remodel in Olympia transformed a dated cabin bathroom into a Japaneseinfluenced zen getaway with a feature wall with room for a plant or flowers (ABOVE), clean and soft colors and gold hardware (RIGHT) and ceramic tiles that have the appearance of wood (BELOW).

Northeast Olympia: Japanese-Inflected Lake House Bath A previous remodel had left this house’s narrative a little confused. “It was definitely a hodgepodge,” said Rodriguez. “A little bit cottage, a little bit rustic cabin, and then just some very dated 1980s elements to it.” The primary en-suite hadn’t fared well either, with a pony wall made of glass bricks that didn’t foster privacy or separation from the adjacent bedroom.

Rodriguez’s first task was to create a new entry to the bathroom, after which she swapped out the finishes for a more soothing scheme that references the owners’ affection for Japanese design. “I chose a couple of strategic elements in the space that would make her think of her time in Japan,” said Rodriguez. Specifically, the shower treatment was inspired by Japanese minimalism, with its walls and floor wrapped in a ceramic tile with a wood effect.

Previously, there was a soffit spanning the length of the room.

“It was really low over the vanity and the mirrors, so I wanted to open it up,” said Rodriguez. Only when the contractor did so, they learned that the soffit concealed a structural beam that couldn’t be removed. In order to turn it into a design feature and stay within budget, Rodriguez had the beam enclosed in fir, which complements the shower tile. Below it, there’s now a custom vanity with soft blue Shaker doors and a quartz counter to sync with the porcelain tile floors, which have a marbleeffect without the high cost.

Rodriguez also fashioned a feature wall with a custom niche above the bathtub, with artful wallpaper and a ledge for resting a candle, or a glass of wine during a relaxing soak.

“That creates some dimension and interest, because it’s really the main wall that you see when you walk in,” said Rodriguez.

This bathroom renovation in Lacey, embraced zellige tiles (ABOVE), a tongue and groove ceiling (RIGHT) and earth tones throughout. A Danish cabinet with a quartz countertop (RIGHT).

Lacey: A Mid-century Primary Suite Updated with Earthtones

The ensuing design balances the home’s striking features with a suite of contemporary finishes that feel appropriately earthy and fit within the mid-century bones.

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Photos: Ben Roosa Photography

When it came time to makeover the bathroom in this 1972 mid-century-style ranch, the owner was very clear about what she didn’t want in the new space: the color white. “She loves earth tones, so she wanted a very organic, natural bathroom,” said Rodriguez. The ensuing design balances the home’s striking features—like the ceiling’s pronounced beams and tongue and groove wood—with a suite of contemporary finishes that feel appropriately earthy and fit within the mid-century bones.

To start, Rodriguez borrowed room from the hall closet to enlarge the existing shower, then installed a muted-toned zellige wall tile in a stacked grid. That pattern references the mid-century era, while weaving in an organic feel thanks to the handglazed finish. A pebble mosaic tile underfoot is equally natural, and since the shower is curbless, Rodriguez extended it to the main area for continuity and to make the room feel bigger.

The custom walnut vanity evokes a mid-century Danish modern furniture piece and is topped in a creamy quartz that has no white veining, while the zellige tile backsplash doubles as a ledge to increase the available counterspace. Above that, custom arched mirrors with three Schoolhouse pendants sit against a lovely wash of green paint on the walls, a color which serves many purposes: it recalls a mid-century palette; highlights the natural tones in the wood, stone, and tile; and best of all, is one of the owner’s favorite shades.

home + design

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The HexArt Collection from Tile Bar is the best of two worlds: It has the look and pattern of an encaustic variety without the maintenance, since it’s actually made of porcelain with a matte finish. The Deco Rose is just one of eight colors and three different designs. There’s a solid version, as well as one with an asymmetrical “pop” pattern, so you can go monochromatic, or mix and match to your heart’s content.

The Kenridge Collection, also from Tile Bar, may look like it has the natural grain of wood, but it too is a more hardy and durable porcelain. The Ribbon Maple, as seen in the Lake House shower, comes in an oversized format—24”x 48”—for easier installation, and there’s even a light cross-grain texture added for an extra dose of naturalism.

www.tilebar.com

www.tilebar.com

Sparrow Design’s Savvy Tile Picks

Photos, clockwise from top: Nate Burgher, Poppi Photography, Ben Roosa

From zen spa tones to biophilic and the sublime, try these tile options to add interest to any space

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Regular spa visits are what dreams are made of, so why not recreate the vibe at home with this pebble mosaic floor tile from the Nature Collection at Tile Bar? It’s composed of small irregular stones in a medley of neutral shades, and has been given a tumbled matte finish so it feels lovely underfoot.

Moroccan zellige tiles have been called “perfectly imperfect,” largely for how they’re made: entirely by hand, in a traditional olive-pit fired kiln that heats unevenly, making each piece truly one-of-akind. The 4”x 4” square zellige in the Glazed Earth colorway from Zia Tile adds the perfect amount of depth and variety to the walls in the Lacey shower.

www.tilebar.com

www.ziatile.com

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home + design

What can we learn from DRIFT Yoga Studio’s space designed by Olson Kundig for our own meditation space?

DIY: Meditation Room IN 2020, AWARD-WINNING Seattle firm Olson Kundig completed the design of DRIFT Yoga Studio, located in the South Lake Union neighborhood. The key to the project was balance, both in form and function. The studio needed to be a place for communal gathering and quiet meditation, so the material palette encourages both.

In the public-facing areas, lighter materials, like terrazzo and maple, are welcoming. As visitors progress inside and ready for their practice, the palette changes, utilizing deeper woods and charcoal paint. “A darker material palette here further underscores the transition to a more reflective space,” said the firm.

Inside the main studio, a simplified scheme and diffuse lighting are an ideal backdrop to concentrate. “Considered design decisions within the yoga studio minimize distractions and allow students to focus on their practice,” said the firm. Here are our tips for creating a meditation room at home, inspired by the design of DRIFT:

CHOOSE QUIET Since the goal is to focus with minimal interruptions, pick a spot that is quiet. If that’s not feasible, 42

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consider using white noise tools or instrumental music to dampen intrusive sounds.

SOOTHING LIGHT Olson Kundig used LED strip lighting around the room to foster a warm glow. Set up beside a window that gets good natural light, if that’s what you need, or install soft window coverings to block unwanted views and diffuse harsh sun.

CALM VIEWS Minimize clutter, which might encourage unwanted thoughts to spring up. Surround yourself with views that promote

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calm, such as an exterior window to the garden, a group of houseplants, a favorite paint color, or piece of art.

TOUCHABLE MATERIALS The DRIFT studio is wrapped in a warm wood, so as not to be too stark. Pick materials, like a rug, meditation cushion, or blankets, that feel good to the touch and soothes.

ADD TOOLS Bring in tools that aid concentration and signal engagement with the activity at hand, such as candles, statues, or a Tibetan singing bowl. Add scent via incense or a room diffuser.

Photos: Aaron Leitz/Olson Kundig

A CAVEAT The thing about creating a personal meditation room in your house, is that the project can be as simple, or complicated, as you’d like it to be.

That’s because it’s a space that only needs to work for you.

Ask yourself what colors and materials elicit focus and grounding, and start from there. If dark colors don’t make you feel good—don’t use them. Evaluate how the room will affect many of the senses, not just sight.

Find Romance Here

Bellingham, WA | 360.756.1005 www.thechrysalisinnandspabellingham.curiocollection.com

artist in residence

From Garrett Grove’s Errors of Possession.

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Photos: Garrett Grove

artist in residence

Photographer Garrett Grove.

Errors of Possession Photographer Garrett Grove takes photography into the literary realm written by Ellen Hiatt

“Not those who have lived here and gone but what they have left: a worn-out broom, coat hangers, the legs of a doll, errors of possession to remind us of ourselves.”

— Jim Harrison, 1937-2016 AUTHOR AND POET Jim Harrison was a man of voracious appetites—food, drink, women. But his first love was nature, likening birds to gods, communing with memories of his family farm and drinking ladles of warm milk freshly squeezed from the cow—his writing always about the play of man’s great tragedies, of lust and gluttony set against the underlying simplicity of life. It’s that interplay of man with nature, of what we leave behind on this earth, what we take from it, and how we pay homage to it, that fascinates photographer Garrett Grove.

The Pacific Northwest photographer named his photo book Errors of Possession, a nod to the late, great poet, and his unvarnished sentimentality.

“The whole book deals with man’s interaction with the landscape within the industrial and also with man as a laborer. The dynamic deals with possession,” Grove said from his Port Angeles home.

As in Harrison’s poem, what people left behind, “errors of possession to remind us of ourselves,” is explored in Grove’s art book. A motel room with cheap wood-paneled walls, tiled DECEMBER | JANUARY 2022

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ceiling, and a gaudy, faded print of a sunflower bouquet, hanging askew next to the window, giving way to another world, the farmland flowing toward the yawning hills of the Palouse.

Grove explored the visual evidence of native and invasive species, the concept of a fading population of native salmon, part of the culture and landscape of the Pacific Northwest for eons, next to the introduction of farm-raised fish. Looking to photograph the salmon, he donned a wetsuit and searched for the perfect shot from every angle. It ironically appeared to him, finally, from shore, when he captured the spawning coho in the Tumwater Canyon, just outside of Leavenworth. The dry brush of the canyon hovers over the rocky shore, where salmon swim as though streaks of watercolor paint on cotton paper, the water’s surface obscured by reflected clouds in a dreamy state.

Kenneth Dickerman reviewed Errors of Possession for The Washington Post.

“I believe that photography can be literary,” Dickerson wrote, “functioning in the same realm as novels, short stories and poems. Errors of Possession strikes me as doing this. Grove’s work in this book can be oblique but poetic. We are given glances, feelings, atmosphere and ambiguity but are not beaten over the 46 1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE

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head by literal description. The totality of the work gives an impression of the tensions, anxieties and uncertainties that seem to be so amplified in our world these days.”

The everlasting hope of man is captured in an image of a couple behind the fogged up windows of their burnt-orange pickup truck, parked with a load of firewood in its bed, the couple peering through foggy windows to catch a glimpse of the setting sun.

The scene is set in what is perhaps the region’s wettest place on earth, La Push, which can get more than 109 inches of rain a year. But when the clouds give way to the blue, the final drop of the sun behind the ocean’s horizon creates a vivid and colorful scene. The setting sun never made an appearance for the photographer or the hopeful couple.

“It was January, my camera sensor got clogged up … the whole scene was so wet. I was wet, the camera was wet. I feel like it transferred into the image itself.”

Grove has lived and photographed across the Pacific Northwest hired by magazines and adventure travel companies such as Patagonia. A photographer by trade, he rock climbs, skis, and ventures into the woods and mountains. The extensive commercial work made him yearn for the creative, and he completed an MFA in photography and a residency with the University

Photos: Garrett Grove

Photos from Garrett Grove’s Errors of Possession.

of Hartford. He took two years to travel across the state, from the Palouse Empire to Forks.

For the past four years or so he has been photographing in clearcuts and forests. The juxtaposition between the two, man’s dependence on the land as well as his impact, all captured there.

He explores the social and political issues around man and the landscape, the labor industry “overworked and underpaid,” as “mascots” of the human damage to the earth, blamed for events beyond their control.

“They do really care” about the land, he said, “But they only have the tools that they are given and can only work within the opportunities that they have.”

Next up: Grove is producing another book looking at human comedy and drama with a common thread—every image includes a view of the ocean, from Southern California to British Columbia.

“In every single picture I’m trying to capture what’s between me and the ocean,” he said. The book is sequenced from the south to the north, and “makes slow progress through industrial landscapes, growth, lifestyle, but with the picture that we are all sharing this together. The ocean has endless metaphors in the history of time. For me, it always ends up being my sign of hope.”

“The whole book deals with man’s interaction with the landscape within the industrial and also with man as a laborer. The dynamic deals with possession.”

— Garrett Grove, photographer, on his book Errors of Possession

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STARTUP 50 WHAT I’M WORKING ON 51 MY WORKSPACE 52

pg. 52 Wine meets vinyl at Sleight of Hand Cellars in Walla Walla.

Trey Busch

GAME CHANGER 54

Photos by Shannon Mahre

WASHINGTON

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Photos: Center for Bicycle Repair

startup

Social Justice Cycler A Seattle criminal investigator is using his side gig—a bike repair shop—to create community

A bicycle repair workshop at Center for Bicycle Repair in Seattle.

BELOW Cory Potts opened his bike workshop as a pay-what-youcan model in Seattle.

written by Rachel Gallaher

CORY POTTS started getting into cycling during college. A student at the University of Washington, Potts lived in a rented house with a handful of other guys just a few blocks off campus.

“We were dumpster diving and living like a bunch of feral animals,” he said with a laugh. “A bicycle lends itself to that lifestyle.

It’s an inexpensive form of transportation. Once you start going down that path, it’s easy to get farther and farther out of the bounds of what’s expected by society.”

More than a decade later, Potts might not be dumpster diving anymore, but he is still cycling and now shares his enthusiasm for it with the masses. An investigator at the King County Department of Public Defense by day (and a fierce advocate for the decriminalization of homelessness), Potts runs the Center for Bicycle Repair out of a small storefront on South Jackson Street in the Little Saigon neighborhood.

With a strong belief in education, Potts (a licensed bicycle mechanic) offers pay-what-you-can classes, in which he or another mechanic leads cyclists through hands-on workshops or repair sessions. As the center’s website states, its core business is helping cyclists understand how bicycles work and how to work on them.

Potts has always found ways to weave together his passions for cycling and social justice. While at the University of Washington, he interned at the King County Department of Public Defense, which was in the process of challenging the policing practice of administratively banning people (mostly those experiencing homelessness) from parks and bus stops through the distribution of tickets. To better understand what was happening between law enforcement and the ticket recipients, Potts started following the bicycle police around on his bike to observe the interactions.

After graduating from the University of Washington in 2010, Potts spent time in Europe—first teaching English in Paris, then studying at the University of Brussels. In Paris, he had a gig as a bicycle messenger, zipping between arrondissements to deliver 50

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packages, fashion week invitations and tapes for the French national public television network. “I had a hard time making friends until I became a bicycle messenger,” Potts recalls of his time in France. “Once I started that, I had a community. A bike isn’t threatening; it can break down barriers.”

The move to Belgium, where Potts earned a master’s degree in criminology on a Fulbright scholarship, opened new doors.

While in Brussels, he worked at a bike repair shop that operated on a pay-what-you-want, pay-what-you-can model, and instead of just fixing people’s bikes behind the scenes, mechanics worked with customers, teaching them how to make repairs. From this experience in Brussels, he got the blueprint for his shop in Seattle.

Potts moved back to Seattle in 2016 and two years later opened the first iteration of the Center for Bicycle Repair, which was located in Kent. In September 2020, he secured a low-cost lease at the current Little Saigon location. “The pandemic was in full swing, but cycling was taking off,” Potts said. “It was one of the few ways people could get out and socialize. That provided an interesting bit of tailwind for me to move to Seattle.”

Aside from leading classes and offering apprenticeships, Potts builds bikes out of secondhand parts and sells them, organizes races, and recently, hosted a panel about Vision Zero—Seattle’s pledged that by 2030, there would be no injuries to non-drivers caused by collisions on city streets. Potts admits he isn’t breaking even yet, but his biggest priority is offering the community a space for connection and learning.

“I always go back to teaching,” he said. “Every time I have to make a hard decision or answer a business question, I always ask, ‘How can this be turned into a teaching opportunity?’ I like building people up and giving them skills that can help them move forward.”

what i’m working on

Photo (center): Henry Moore, Jr./Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine

What makes grizzlies stand out as survivors among America’s other wildlife?

We believe that grizzlies evolved to be the most advanced of all hibernating animals. They don’t actually sleep through the entire five-month hibernation period. They periodically get up and walk around in the den and females give birth during hibernation. They never eat during that time yet their bodies continue to experience their crucial daily rhythms without detrimental effects.

Lessons of the Grizzly

Heiko T. Jansen believes bears may hold the secret to combating human disease written by Dameon Paesanti

HEIKO T. JANSEN, Ph. D, has spent fifteen years seeking to understand the nature of North America’s largest predator. Today, his research seeks to uncover the secrets of the grizzly bear in hopes to help humans fight some of our most prevalent chronic health and aging conditions. As a professor at Washington State University, Jansen spends much of his year studying eleven grizzlies at the Bear Research, Education, and Conservation Center, about 80 miles south of Spokane. Jansen’s lab studies how grizzlies protect themselves from diabetes, obesity, muscle atrophy and bone density loss, despite their extreme lifestyles.

How does studying grizzly bears help relate to human health?

We all experience a rhythm to life—sleeping, eating and activity—and bears are no different. The evidence says those life rhythms are linked to the body’s metabolic processes. The evidence also suggests that disrupting those rhythms, be it through disruptions in sleep habits or extreme changes in diet, can have lasting negative effects on human health.

But, during hyperphagia, when grizzlies have an insatiable appetite, they gain up to 10 pounds per day, they then spend five months fasting during hibernation and emerge much thinner, but still quite healthy. We

think that’s because, unlike us, the bears have figured out how to turn on and off the genes that are associated with obesity and diabetes. That trait allows them to avoid the downsides of their extreme behavioral changes in eating and activity. And, unlike humans, they don’t suffer bone density loss or muscle atrophy as they age. We want to understand how they do it.

What would understanding a grizzly’s metabolism mean for people?

If we can figure out how to control our metabolic rhythms the same way grizzlies do, it could have many benefits for people. It could lead to breakthroughs in the medical field that enable us to control some of our most troublesome metabolic diseases, like obesity and diabetes.

I also think it has implications for the future of some of our greatest ambitions.

One of the biggest obstacles to prolonged space flights, such as a trip to Mars, is figuring out how to keep people alive and fed during the journey.

Suppressing the human metabolism like bears do would make those trips much more feasible. That’s still in the realm of science fiction, but I think we’re getting closer.

“We all experience a rhythm to life —sleeping, eating and activity —and bears are no different.”

— Heiko T. Jansen, professor at Washington State University

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my workspace

Passions Intertwined Indulge your wine and music passions in a place where both have a good mouthfeel written by Joni Kabana

Walk into Sleight of Hand Cellars wine tasting room in Walla Walla, and you’ll instantly know that music is a great passion for co-owner Trey Busch. The room is filled with more than 3,000 LPs (ahh, those large artwork covers!) and a turntable that endlessly spins. If you’re lucky, he’ll ask you to hold up one of your favorite album covers and he’ll snap a photo of you to go into his collection.

His favorite band? “The most impossible question ever, but I love Pearl Jam, that is no secret,” he confessed. “I’ve seen them in concert eighty-five times now. I love Tyler Ramsey from Band of Horses and almost all of the music from the ’60s and ’70s. Otis Redding.

Heartless Bastards. Beck, who wrote Sea Change, one of my top five albums ever. But if you ask me the same question in six months, I will surely have discovered something new!”

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Photos: Trey Busch

my workspace

After his friend, owner of his favorite record store in Seattle, moved to Walla Walla in the late ’90s, Busch visited often and was inspired to move his family there to begin learning about the wine business. Today, Sleight of Hand Cellars produces and sells world class wines, but their focus is more about having fun while discovering new wines rather than capturing titles and awards (which they do). They eschew anything stuffy or pretentious and don’t mind if you walk in without any knowledge of vines, temperature or taste. Music and wine are so intertwined, they might even sell you an LP in one of the adjoining record shops.

From left, Sleight of Hand Cellars’ Keith Johnson, Jerry Solomon and Trey Busch.

Living in beautiful surroundings, Busch also is an avid self-trained photographer who captures scenes from eastern Washington and beyond.

After buying his first digital camera in 2015, he set his mind to learning all he could about the equipment and lighting. “It was a quick learning curve for me to know how to capture light, which is really all photography is. …

It’s capturing that instant moment, and my job is to make sure the lighting works for the job.”

Busch’s goals for the winery are to stick to producing 10,000 cases annually and to grow wine its club membership. Perhaps best of all, Busch gets to be the record buyer for the Seattle and Walla Walla tasting rooms. “We like to take credit for the comeback of vinyl. In 2007, the year my partner and I started the winery, vinyl sales were less than one million units annually. In 2021, it was 41.7 million. Coincidence? I don’t think so!”

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game changer

Gwyn Howat, whose family founded Mount Baker Ski Area 70 years ago, welcomes the cross-cultural aspect of XNF. “The mountain is a beautiful place to establish connections and reXwlemi’ Nation Family brings Lummi connections within our community,” she said. “We’ve seen how and Nooksack youth to Mount Baker Ski powerful that can be even in the relatively short time of this program, the partnerships and the friendships that have come Area for empowerment and connection even in the onset. We’re translating that into life at Baker, but we’re also setting an example to put throughout our commuwritten by Daniel O’Neil nity and throughout the mountain community.”

Last year, Howat invited Lummi and Nooksack representaRISING TO 10,778 FEET, Mount Baker dominates the Bellingham area. Such a prominent feature, a stratovolcano rich in tives to the ski area’s employee initiation, to include them and to tectonic energy, naturally attracts people with its bounty, in- discuss cultural awareness and sensitivity with staff. “One purcluding steep slopes and deep fresh snow. Like all mountains, pose is getting people up there and enjoying themselves,” she said. “Another is creating the relationships so it can Baker is a communal space, a gathering place, and MORE ONLINE go in perpetuity beyond a business relationship.” now it is helping to empower its longest-term resiWant to contribute? Head Already, lasting friendships have formed bedents, the Lummi and Nooksack nations, by unitto www.lhaqtemish.org/ sharingourgifts and direct tween Howat, Lewis, and other key players ining them with the stoke of the Baker ski and snowyour gift to XNF. cluding professional skier Zack Giffin and Lummi board community.

Co-founded by the Lummi Nation and by Gwyn Howat, CEO tribal members Free Vorsey and Sadie Olsen, who snowboard of Mount Baker Ski Area, the Xwlemi’ Nation Family program and help lead XNF today. “Gwyn has been really supportive, brings indigenous youth from the Bellingham area up to Mount making us feel valued,” Olsen said. “She doesn’t want this to Baker in winter. The boys and girls, ages 7 to 17, learn to ski be a one-time thing. It’s not tokenism. We actually care about or snowboard, but, more importantly, the experience connects the connections we have, and we want to make it a long-term, them with nature and forges relationships between Native and long-standing relationship.”

They and dozens of other supporters, including Mount Baker non-Native cultures.

XNF began as a Lummi Nation school program a decade ski and snowboard instructors and other mountain staff, comago as a way to reintroduce Lummi youth to the power of the bine their cultures’ resources to make XNF possible today and mountains and incentivize academic success. After several in- into the future. Everyone involved would like to see XNF provide carnations, the program is now a nonprofit of the Lummi Na- year-round outdoor activities and job training, reintegrate with tion’s Lhaq’temish Foundation. Lummi tribal council member Lummi Nation schools and continue to offer indigenous youth Nickolaus Lewis, who helps guide XNF, recognizes the many a link to neighboring communities in the Bellingham area. XNF benefits that arise from reconnecting with the mountain they would also like to send an athlete to the Winter Olympics one day.

The collaboration between XNF and Mount Baker Ski Area call Kwelshan.

“Getting our youth there improves their outlook, their men- grows each season. Ultimately, the goal is to build a cross-cultal health, their passion and drive,” Lewis said. “It gets us back tural bridge of skiing and snowboarding that will remain strong to our history and to who we once were.” XNF also opens kids’ generations from now. “We want to make sure the future geneyes, Lewis added. “It helps them realize there’s a lot more to erations have this connection with the environment and comjust living here on the reservation. They want to get new expe- munity,” Olsen said. “It’s also a good way to push ourselves, to find out what our limits are and grow.” riences and connections.”

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Photos, from left: XNF, Kerry Hermann, XNF

Returning to Kwelshan

The components for a great romantic weekend are all here–mountain views, quiet serenity, time to reflect.

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No matter the season, Snoqualmie Falls is one of the top scenic places to plant one on. (photo: Don Detrick)

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From Port Angeles to a fireside lounge, these spots bring charm to that special kiss written by Ryn Pfeuffer A WELL-KNOWN classic jazz song claims, “A kiss is

just a kiss,” suggesting that a kiss may not hold much significance. A new study published in Sexual and Relationship Therapy begs to differ, providing evidence that kissing frequency is a strong indicator of sexual and relationship satisfaction.

There are so many benefits of kissing. For one, it’s fun.

It connects us to whomever we’re smooching. Also, our lips have numerous nerve endings, so kissing can feel euphoric when done well.

Kissing causes a chemical reaction in your brain, releasing a party of feel-good hormones that dance together to give you a natural high, including oxytocin, the so-called love hormone, and dopamine, a hormone associated with happiness and attraction. According to the authors of the research, more frequent kissing was associated with higher levels of sexual and relationship satisfaction.

Luckily, there’s no shortage of picture-perfect places to lock lips in Washington. From boat decks and gondolas to mountain tops and Japanese gardens, here are ten of our favorite places to take a moment for a special kiss.

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The quiet greenery of traditional Japanese Kubota Garden is a placid spot for a smooch. (photos: Kubota Garden Foundation)

#1 | SEATTLE

Kubota Garden There are so many places to slip away and kiss at this semi-secret garden in south Seattle’s Rainier Beach neighborhood. Founded in 1927, Fujitaro Kubota, a selftaught gardener, mapped the then 5-acre plot to mimic a traditional Japanese garden using native plants of the Pacific Northwest. It’s since expanded to 20 acres of pure serenity. Around every corner is a beautiful bench, bridge or spot to steal a moment with your sweetie.

Kubota Garden is 20 acres of pure serenity. Around every corner is a beautiful bench, bridge or spot to steal a moment with your sweetie.

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The remote and gorgeous Cape Flattery is a special place for a special kiss in the northwestern-most point of the continental United States. (photo: Lynnette Braillard/Visit Port Angeles)

#2 | NEAH BAY

Cape Flattery It doesn’t get more romantic than this bluff overlooking where the Strait of Juan de Fuca meets the Pacific Ocean. Stroll a moderate, sometimes muddy 0.75mile trail to the northwesternmost point of the lower forty-eight states. From here, expect spectacular views and a color wheel of water hues, depending upon the weather. Keep an eye out for gray whales off the cape and sea lions on Snake Rock, just east of Tatoosh Island (marked by a lighthouse that began operating in 1857).

If you can make it to the observation deck on a clear day at sunset, the technicolor reflections cast on the water are beyond magic. Reminder: A Makah Recreation Pass is required to park at the trailhead.

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#3 | ORCAS ISLAND

Mount Constitution It takes some effort to get to Orcas Island, the 57.3-square-mile island in the San Juan Islands. Moran State Park, a 5,000-acre span of wild land, is home to Mount Constitution, the second-highest mountain on a sea island in the contiguous states. (You can drive, hike, or mountain bike to the summit.) Climb the stone steps to the top of the stone medieval-like tower, designed by architect Ellsworth Storey and built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1936, to breathe in 360-degree views of the snow-capped Cascade Range, nearby islands and Canada from the summit. If you seek more privacy, add a short side wander along the Summit to Cascade Lake Trail.

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Climb the stone steps to the top of Mount Constitution for an elevated experience. (photo: Carina Skrobecki Swain/State of Washington Tourism) For a titanic kiss, take to the bow of the Bainbridge Ferry for a sea breeze smooch. (photo: Whatcom County Tourism)

#4 | PUGET SOUND

Washington State Ferry to Bainbridge Island Take the ferry from Pier 52 in Seattle to Bainbridge Island for picturesque views of Washington’s waterways. Whether you drive or walk on as a foot passenger, head straight to the upper deck for the short 35-minute ride. There, travelers are treated to outstanding views of Seattle’s skyline while breathing in the sea air and the wind in their hair. Be sure to bring an extra layer—it can get chilly. Still, the beauty of the Puget Sound unfolding before you is 100 percent worth it, especially if you travel near sunset.

Warm up with a fireside kiss at Hotel Sorrento’s Fireside Room. (photo: Hotel Sorrento)

#5 | SEATTLE

Fireside Room at Hotel Sorrento The handsome Fireside Room is tucked inside the heart of the historic Sorrento Hotel. Established in 1909, the hotel’s Fireside Room offers an intimate setting for a cozy date and relaxed conversation. Plush couches, rich wood paneling, and a tinkly piano add to the romantic ambiance. Kick back with a glass of wine or bourbon on the rocks by the fireplace. There’s no better place to kiss on a dreary, rainy Seattle night.

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The gorgeous surroundings at Lake Chelan are the backdrop for a bisou. (photo: Stehekin Valley Ranch)

#6 | CHELAN

Book a ride on the Lady of the Lake for a romantic outing on the water. (photo: Lady of the Lake)

Lake Chelan Take a day and escape to this mountain town that boasts more than 300 days of sunshine per year. Then, book a ferry ride on the Lady of the Lake—National Geographic Magazine rated this a “must-do trip.” The journey travels between Lake Chelan and Stehekin, where you can stay for a ninety-minute layover (just long enough to grab lunch or a quick hike) or overnight. Then, sit on the boat’s top to make out-worthy views of untouched beauty and wilderness.

#7 | SNOQUALMIE

Snoqualmie Falls

Just a hop from Seattle, Snoqualmie Falls is one of the state’s top kissing posts. (photo: Don Detrick)

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Whether you snap a selfie or swap a kiss, a visit to one of Washington state’s most popular scenic attractions will be memorable. Located just thirty minutes from downtown Seattle and thirty-five minutes from Snoqualmie Pass, couples can gaze at the powerful whitewater that plunges 286 feet into the deep pool below. If the waterfall doesn’t get your heart thumping, a kiss on the romantic observation deck most certainly will. The falls are always breathtaking, especially during the rainy season when there’s an abundance of water falling.

#8 | SEATTLE

The Wishing Tree There’s a tree in Capitol Hill that brims with hopes, wishes, and words of gratitude. It grows on the corner of 21st Ave. E. and Galer Street, and its branches are full of thousands of wishes. Since 2014, owner Jane Hamel has created the sweetest wishing tree for passersby to enjoy, complete with tree stump seats and a small round table to write down your dreams. Take a card and marker from the container, write down your wish and place it back in the jar. Hamel then laminates the wishes to keep them safe from Seattle’s rainy weather and attaches them to the tree. So, go on!

Make an afternoon of it if you want—Volunteer Park is a short walk away.

If wishes were kisses, this would be the most loved tree. Capitol Hill’s Wishing Tree is another place to make that kiss come true. (photos: Alex Garland)

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In a pristine place called Tongue Point, what else comes to mind? (photo: Nate Wyeth/Visit Port Angeles)

#10 | PORT ANGELES

Tongue Point

Your own gondola up Crystal Mountain in the winter is a fantastic place to pull your sweetie in tight. (photo: Crystal Mountain)

#9 | ENUMCLAW

Crystal Mountain Crystal Mountain isn’t just a destination for skiers.

Located two hours south of Seattle, it’s equally popular with foot passengers wanting to see fantastic views from the state’s only gondola. Climb more than 2,400 vertical feet during the ten-minute ride to the top. There, you can soak in panoramic views of Mount Rainier and the Cascade Range from the open viewing platform of the Summit House Restaurant. (Hello, hot cocoa or a cocktail!) Be sure to dress accordingly—it’s very exposed at the summit, and you’ll be walking through snow during winter. Also, always check road conditions before leaving.

The only access to Crystal Mountain in winter is along Highway 410 East from Enumclaw, and you might need tire chains during certain weather conditions.

Crystal Mountain isn’t just a destination for skiers. Located two hours south of Seattle, it’s equally popular with foot passengers wanting to see fantastic views from the state’s only gondola.

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Salt Creek Recreation Area, located 12 miles west of Port Angeles, often gets overlooked in the travel mix with so many well-known pristine natural areas on the Olympic Peninsula. Yet, during low tide, you can take a short walk down to the peninsula and explore tide pools at this quarter-mile-long rock outcropping that juts out like a tongue. Aptly named Tongue Point, this gorgeous spot at the northwest corner of the park is a great place to catch the last glimpse of the day’s light on the western horizon—and a kiss. Campers can fall asleep to the dreamy sound of the water just a few feet away. Clear views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca allow for sightings of orcas, minkes, and sometimes, even humpback whales.

Explore Tongue Point’s tide pools during low tide. (photo: Lynnette Braillard/Visit Port Angeles)

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THE LAST

CANARY IN LIFE’S MINE THE MASSIVE DIE-OFF OF BIRDS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST SHOULD SEND A MESSAGE, BUT NO ONE’S LISTENING written by Lauren Kramer

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Ferruginous Hawk (photo: Timothy Shore/Audubon Photography Awards)

E

ARLY MORNING RISERS like to say they’re up with the birds, but it’s a phrase becoming increasingly irrelevant given the noticeable decline in morning birdsong. Look around for our avian friends and you may sense there are fewer of them than there once were. The release of the State of the Birds USA Report in October 2022 confirms steep declines in bird numbers across every habitat except wetlands, where decades of investment have resulted in some gains.

The bird loss numbers are staggering. The journal Science noted in 2019 that the United States and Canada have lost three billion breeding birds since 1940. That’s one in every four birds. Arid land birds are down 26 percent, sea ducks are down 30 percent, shorebirds are down 33 percent and grassland birds are down 34 percent. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service lists a whopping 269 bird species that will fall under the Endangered Species Act unless additional conservation measures are taken. And scientists with the Road to Recovery Initiative have identified an additional seventy species they deem at “tipping point.”

Tipping point species have lost two-thirds of their populations in the past fifty years. They’re projected to lose another 50 percent in the next five decades— which means they’re highly vulnerable to extinction— unless immediate conservation actions are taken.

Have you recently seen a golden eagle, a burrowing owl, a tufted puffin or a sandhill crane? What about the ferruginous hawk, the marbled murrelet, the common loon or the white-headed woodpecker? These are just a few of the thirty-three birds in Washington State listed as endangered, threatened or species of concern.

If you’ve not seen them, it’s because there aren’t many of them left, and their future is looking bleak.

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T

here’s no one reason for the decline in birds—rather, many reasons that together are depleting the populations of these species and many others.

Loss of habitat is a big factor, as habitat conversion, tree and shrub encroachment on grasslands and pesticide use wipes out bird numbers. For shorebirds, the draining of shallow wetlands and loss of stopover habitat on coastal beaches and estuaries are a big problem, as is unregulated hunting in Latin America. For arid land birds, the threats to their habitat come from fire, drought, invasive plants, development, unsustainable grazing and energy extraction like mining and logging.

Seabirds are being threatened by overfishing of their prey fish, fisheries bycatch, where they are caught and drowned in fishing nets, climate change that’s resulting in warming and rising ocean waters impacting their nesting habitat, and human-induced problems like marine debris pollution. For urban birds in our cities and neighborhoods, the two biggest causes of mortality are predation by cats and collision with glass. We lose 2.4 billion birds annually to predation by domestic cats according to the American Bird Conservancy, and glass collisions kill another billion birds a year.

“If we want to preserve birds for the future, we have to address multiple things simultaneously,” says Joshua Morris, urban conservation manager for Seattle Audubon. “We have to address climate change, because if we can’t get that under control there will be widespread ecological catastrophe, and not just for birds. But we also need to reduce other stressors to keep common birds common.”

The Audubon Society works to educate the public on why cats need to be kept indoors. Morris advocates for Seattle to adopt the kind of bird-safe building regulations that Vancouver and Portland already have in place, to prevent bird collisions with buildings.

“Basically, it involves reducing the amount of glass used in a building, or where there is glass ensuring it has patterning that makes it visible to birds,” he explains. “There’s also design options architects can use to minimize the risk, such as sunscreens or external shades intentionally designed to reduce bird collision.”

Chances are you’ve seen bait boxes commonly used to trap rats. They contain a pesticide with an anticoagulant that thins the blood of rodents who consume it, causing hemorrhaging and a long, cruel death. They’re also dangerous for the hawks and owls that eat sick and poisoned rodents, Morris noted. “We’re saturating our neighborhoods with these toxic rat poisons, and as a result, most hawks and owls in the Puget Sound are testing positive for this poison. Even sublethal amounts can affect their ability to mate, find food and fight disease.”

With alternatives on the market that reduce male rodent fertility and have had marked success in a pilot project in the Queen Anne neighborhood, Morris hopes it marks the end of the anticoagulants. “There isn’t a lab in the country that would allow you to kill a rat with a poison like this, yet these bait boxes are everywhere on our streets,” he said. “Where are the animal ethics?”

Birds are canaries of our ecosystem, he observed, and the dramatic fall in their global numbers is a message we need to heed. “Birds are extremely sensitive to environmental change, and their decreases are indicative of widespread ecological loss,” he insists. “But addressing threats to birds also addresses threats to a wide variety of other species. Bird conservation is not just about the birds—it’s also about people who rely on healthy habitats.”

Away from the city and out at sea, Scott Pearson, senior research scientist for the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, has been monitoring the numbers

ACCORDING TO THE JOURNAL SCIENCE IN 2019, THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA HAVE LOST THREE BILLION BREEDING BIRDS SINCE 1940, OR

1 IN EVERY 4 BIRDS ARID LAND BIRDS ARE DOWN

26 %

SEA DUCKS ARE DOWN

30%

SHOREBIRDS ARE DOWN

33 %

GRASSLAND BIRDS ARE DOWN

34 %

Source: Science Journal

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Common Loon (photo: Derrick Jackson/ Audubon Photography Awards)

of tufted puffins and marbled murrelets for the past twenty-two years. “Declines have been precipitous for the puffins, and we’ve gone from tens of thousands of them, to just over 1,000 birds,” he said. “The murrelet numbers have also declined significantly on the outer coast and the Salish Sea.” Both are extremely sensitive to terrestrial and marine factors. The murrelet’s breeding grounds on the branches of old trees have been depleted by logging, while on land their habitat has been eroded as a result of the introduction of European hares. Red foxes have preyed on the puffin population in the San Juan islands, while out at sea they face a number of threats, including scarcer availability of forage fish as a result of marine heat waves that are becoming more numerous and more intense. “In years when conditions are really poor, these birds are starving to death,” Pearson said.

While you might not care much for murrelets or puffins, two species most Washingtonians haven’t seen and aren’t likely to encounter on an average day out,

they’re indicator species, Pearson noted. “They’re providing insight into the health of our oceans, which are vitally important to us as a species. And they’re telling us that we need to do whatever we can to slow down and stop human-caused climate change, because it’s really clear that it’s happening.”

Pearson said long-term monitoring of species is crucial in that it provides significant data and insight.

“Without it we don’t know how things are doing in the natural world,” he explained. “Monitoring helps us identify what locations are important to specific species, so we know how to protect them. And it helps us figure out why things are happening in a specific place so we can get insight into the causes of the declines and hopefully, do something about it.”

W

hile the number of bird losses are staggering, it’s important to retain perspective, offered Dr. John Marzluff, professor of

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environmental and forest sciences at the University of Washington. “To say that globally all birds are going to hell in a handbasket is not really a useful statement.

It’s better to identify the areas and birds that are most sensitive to our activities,” he said.

Where conservation work has been done, the results have been good. “Raptor population numbers have increased since the insecticide Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) was banned in the United States in 1972. We now see more peregrine falcons, ospreys, red tailed hawks and cooper’s hawks,” he said. But other arid land and sagebrush steppe birds continue to suffer from the use of lethal neonicotinoids, an insecticide applied to crop seeds.

It’s the pinyon jay that keeps Marzluff up at night.

It was a common bird when he studied this species in graduate school in the 1980s, but today it’s proposed to be listed as an endangered species. “When I hear about species like that, I worry a lot that a species once so common and resilient, able to use feeders in and around small towns, would succumb to the challenges of drought, diseases and habitat clearing,” he said.

In his own neighborhood, he’s witnessing the phenomenon of invasive species depleting native bird species in the fight for territory between native northern spotted owls, and invasive barred owls. “Barred owls came across from the Eastern Seaboard and now they’re all over parts of the West Coast,” he said. “I see one in my backyard in Seattle.”

Barred owls are bigger and more aggressive than the native northern spotted owls, and they’re usurping the territory and food source of their native relatives. Spotted owls have been listed as near threatened under the Endangered Species Act since 1990, and their numbers are now close to extinction. “In some areas, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services was shooting the barred owls on federal and private forest land, and what they saw is that if you take out the barred owls, the spotted owls return,” he said.

In Washington State, fire destruction and the logging of old growth forests has caused a massive decline in the spotted owl population. An analysis done last year concluded that only by preserving the best remaining habitat, managing forests to avoid the most serious wildfires and controlling the barred owl population, can the northern spotted owl be saved.

The question is, will we act in time to save this and other threatened bird populations?

Dr. Trina Bayard, director of bird conservation for Audubon Washington, is optimistic. “There’s a lot of incredible work underway focused on protecting and conserving birds and biodiversity, like the Puget Sound Biodiversity Partnership, which brings stakeholders together to work on shared goals,” she said. “In 2020, our state legislature approved $2.35 million in funding to create a strategy for conservation projects like fire resilience. That’s being focused on the sagebrush steppe, in the eastern part of our state, where habitat loss and degradation has been accelerated by severe and large fires.”

“Washington state does a great job of bringing people together to leverage each other’s strength and resources for our shared values of conservation,” she noted. “That’s an area where we’re strong and that gives me hope for our ability to protect birds in the state.”

This year’s legislature budget request from The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is $47.6 million and by far exceeds its requests from previous years. “It’s a really big ask, and it’s hard to say if they will get it,” said Bayard. “We have a lot of work to do to convince our legislators and the governor that this is a priority for Washington State and that the people really want this.”

I

n his 2020 book In Search of Meadowlarks, Marzluff argues that what humankind has failed at is sharing the land with wildlife generally and birds specifically. “We’ve spared some of it by creating reserves, which are okay and necessary

“IF WE WANT TO PRESERVE BIRDS FOR THE FUTURE, WE HAVE TO ADDRESS MULTIPLE THINGS SIMULTANEOUSLY. WE HAVE TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE, BECAUSE IF WE CAN’T GET THAT UNDER CONTROL THERE WILL BE WIDESPREAD ECOLOGICAL CATASTROPHE, AND NOT JUST FOR BIRDS. BUT WE ALSO NEED TO REDUCE OTHER STRESSORS TO KEEP COMMON BIRDS COMMON.” — JOSHUA MORRIS, URBAN CONSERVATION MANAGER FOR SEATTLE AUDUBON 70

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Tufted Puffin (photo: Tom Ingram/ Audubon Photography Awards)

for some species, but it’s not enough in today’s world, where more active management is necessary,” he said.

Just in his lifetime, he noted that we’ve already lost up to twenty-five species to extinction. “I think we’ll lose more,” he lamented. “There are many things that need to happen, and I don’t see change happening quickly—or at least, fast enough. It’s an uphill battle because society doesn’t understand or value the need for change as much as those of us who work with birds. Still, if people do simple things, they can have a big effect.”

Those actions include keeping cats indoors, marking windows that are dangerous in terms of bird collisions, banning insecticides and herbicides from agricultural settings, and doing land conversion in agricultural areas, Marzluff said.

“We need some bird habitat interspersed between our farms, which is something that’s done in Europe but not in the U.S., where we farm fence row to fence row and plough it all,” he observed. “The work of big multinational corporations in agriculture makes this hard to regulate, but we need to incentivize farmers to be able to afford to do the right thing.”

Still, he has reason for hope. “Many of today’s young people are returning to the land to farm, using wildlife-friendly approaches including avoiding chemicals, resting land, not tilling and setting aside some land for wildlife,” he said. Customers at farmer’s markets or larger grocery stores are supporting these efforts in increasing—though still small—numbers.

I’m hopeful because small things done by many people do add up.”

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FROM LEFT Forage fish swim through a kelp forest. As one of the most productive carbon fixers on the planet, these kelp forests transform carbon dioxide into food and habitat in the marine ecosystem, and support various species all the way up through iconic favorites such as salmon and orcas. In Puget Sound, these underwater marine powerhouses are in decline. (photo: Florian Graner) A diver peers at a kelp crab through a screen of bull kelp growing at PSRF’s experimental enhancement site. Outplanting bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) cultivated at their conservation hatchery, PSRF is developing restoration practices to recover the natural recruitment of bull kelp on a landscape scale in areas where bull kelp forests were found historically.

Enhancement trials involve seed transfers and other manipulations to learn what works and what doesn’t to facilitate the recovery of bull kelp forests. (photo: Katherine Burnham/PSRF)

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M A K ING WAV E S A WA S H IN G T O N N O N P R O F I T TA K E S A C T I O N T O R E S T O R E M A R IN E RESOURCES AND OUR CONNEC TIONS TO THEM

PUGET SOUND Restoration Fund (PSRF) is a small, but growing, nonprofit group that works to restore essential marine habitat, and iconic native species in Puget Sound through on-the-ground science-based projects. They design, test, and spearhead in-water actions to revitalize marine resources that have long supported human populations.

Core restoration programs include re-establishing native Olympia oyster beds to provide filtration and habitat, raising and outplanting hatchery-reared pinto abalone to recover this vanishing species and reviving bull kelp forests to help power the marine food web. These foundational species help create living marine architecture that supports salmon and other fish populations.

At the heart of these rebuilding efforts is a conservation hatchery that PSRF operates through a cooperative research and development agreement with NOAA. Other core programs are designed to spur clean water efforts, develop mitigation strategies for ocean acidification and bridge local communities to healthy marine resources.

From operating a volunteer-supported community shellfish farm on Bainbridge Island to offering seasonal events and educational opportunities, PMCSF creates meaningful ways to deeply connect people to the marine resources in Puget Sound. For more information visit www.restorationfund.org.

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A diver gently holds a juvenile pinto abalone being released onto rocky reef habitat, alongside a transport tube full of abalone produced at PSRF’s conservation hatchery. This native species has cultural and ecological significance, grazing rock surfaces and maintaining the health of rocky reef habitat and kelp beds. Population declines have been precipitous; the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife documented an approximate 98 percent decline from 1992 to 2017, leading them to formally list pinto abalone as a state endangered species in 2019. (photo: Katie Sowul/WDFW)

Oyster shells are blasted off a barge into a designated oyster bed habitat area to rebuild Olympia oysters in a historic area. These shell enhancements provide the structure necessary for Olympia oyster larvae to naturally set and grow on. PSRF also produces and outplants Olympia oyster seed in priority areas in order to re-establish breeding populations. (photo: Kent Colony)

A volunteer admires a freshly shucked Pacific oyster, harvested from PSRF’s Port Madison Community Shellfish Farm. PSRF operates the farm to help maintain healthy shellfish growing areas, spur cleanup efforts and provide community access to shellfish resources. (photo: Cameron Karsten/PSRF)

Low tide and a stunning sunrise give volunteers the special experience of working an early morning tide. The community shellfish farm connects people to Puget Sound’s marine resources, and highlights the value of a healthy, productive shoreline. (photo: Cameron Karsten/PSRF)

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TRAVEL SPOTLIGHT 78 ADVENTURE 80 LODGING 86 TRIP PLANNER 88

pg. 80 Find our cozy and remote cabins that will bring joy and zen to your new year.

James Harnois

NORTHWEST DESTINATION 92

travel spotlight

Come As You Are, Leave Inspired

Kurt Cobain spent his early life-changing moments in Aberdeen before becoming the grunge icon.

The hometown of Kurt Cobain, Aberdeen, remains an inspiring place for grunge fans written and photographed by Joni Kabana ROUNDING THE CORNER into Aberdeen, the first impression the town of 17,000 gives is a feeling of restlessness, as though something happened here and the town is worn from the effects. Shuttered businesses, buildings in disrepair and gray skies could make a visitor drive right on through this location known as the “Gateway to the Olympic Peninsula.” But don’t. If you take time for a deeper look, delightful surprises appear all throughout its nooks and crannies.

Named after a Scottish salmon cannery and incorporated in 1900, Aberdeen was once filled with saloons, brothels and gambling establishments, and subsequently being labeled as “The Hellhole of the Pacific” and “The Port of Missing Men.” Raucous behavior, high murder rates and the prevalence of taking the law into one’s own hands were the attributes that built this town.

One resident, Billy “The Ghoul” Gohl, is rumored to have killed 140 men, disposing of their bodies into the nearby Wishkah River.

Given the nature of this town’s early beginnings, it is not a stretch to see how the angst-filled music of Kurt Cobain was influenced by his upbringing in this renegade location. After enjoying a tasty meal at the historic Billy’s Bar & Grill (once a brothel, and if you look closely, you might see a girly ghost peering from the second floor window), head toward the banks of the Wishkah River and find the place under a bridge where Cobain spent a lot of time after realizing he did not have enough credits to graduate high school and left his splintered family. Here, he wrote several songs, most notably “Something In the Way.” The small park near Cobain’s favorite spot is composed of several celebratory structures that honors this prolific musician, but more interestingly, the love notes and anguished statements of loss depict the level of profound impact his life had on so many.

The site is raw and unfiltered, just the way one can surmise that Cobain was himself. Just a few streets away stands the home where he lived before he threw a few clothes in a box and turned his path toward music.

Aberdeen is a fishing village at its heart, so make some time to stop at one of the fish shops for some exquisite seafood such as at the Breakwater Seafood & Chowder House. Enjoy a lunch on the riverbank deck or be sent off with ice-packed delectables to savor as you make your way into the Olympic Peninsula or for your return home. As you leave town, reflect upon the remarkable effects that Aberdeen had on a beloved singer, and perhaps, upon yourself. Aberdeen, with its wild and wooly attributes, stirs and inspires.

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IN NEED OF A

date night?

VISIT MOSES LAKE FOR YOUR NEXT WEEKEND GE TAWAY.

S H OP , S T AY & P L A Y !

tourmoseslake.com

|

Visitor Center: 401 S. Balsam Street, Moses Lake, Washington

|

509-764-3820

adventure

Jerald McDermott

Get away to one of Washington’s remote cabins this winter, such as Alpine Lakes High Camp.

Five Cozy Cabins for Winter Retreat These remote cabins are how to do winter right written by Jen Sotolongo

AS BELOVED AS summer and fall recreation is in the Cascade Range, winter gives the high season a run for its money. Snow recreators have their pick of cozy cabins, where winter adventure beckons right from the doorstep. From secluded backcountry cabins reachable only by snowcat or human-powered means to hut-to-hut cross country ski experiences, winter may soon become your new favorite season to explore the outdoors.

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WINTER GETAWAY AWAITS

Call 888.431.3080, Scan the QR Code, or visit OkanoganCountry.com to start planning your adventure today!

Project is funded totally or in part, as applicable, by the Okanogan County Hotel/Motel Lodging Tax Fund

adventure

Warm up post-adventure in Alpine Lake High Camp’s wood-fired sauna.

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Brock Wood/Trout Lake Cozy Cabins

Photos: Jerald McDermott

Trout Lake Cozy Cabins offer a peaceful winter escape.

Trout Lake Cozy Cabins

Alpine Lakes High Camp Sitting at 5,000 feet above sea level, just 15 miles east of Stevens Pass, Alpine Lakes High Camp offers a truly special outdoor winter experience in one of the most beautiful regions in the state. The result of decades of dedication and intentional management, Alpine Lakes High Camp consists of nine fully equipped backcountry cabins that can sleep up to ten people. Even getting to the cabins involves an adventure with a track SUV or snowcat ride from the main parking lot. Winter recreation activities include backcountry skiing, nordic skiing, snowshoeing, and fat biking, all straight from your cabin door. Guests can enjoy exchanging stories with new friends at the main lodge or relax in the wood-fired sauna.

U.S. Forest Service

Alpine Lakes High Camp consists of nine fully equipped backcountry cabins.

The Trout Lake Cozy Cabins are not too far away from civilization, but just far enough that you’ll forget that a major metropolis is just over an hour away. Five pet-friendly cabins offer a peaceful respite from the grind of city life, nestled among the woods in the shadow of Mt. Adams.

Each cabin includes a BBQ, satellite television, wifi, and rustic propane fireplaces for the colder months and air conditioning in the summer. Opportunities abound for adventure seekers, including hiking, horseback riding, snowmobiling, nordic skiing, mountain biking and more.

ABOVE, FROM LEFT The one-room Snow Peak Cabin sits at an elevation of 6,400 feet. Find rustic kitchen amenities perfect for a backcountry meal.

Snow Peak Cabin

ABOVE, FROM LEFT In winter, the cabins are accessible by a track SUV or snowcat ride. Enjoy backcountry skiing opportunities nearby.

If you want to work for your secluded winter experience, Snow Peak Cabin in Republic is for you. The one-room cabin sits at an elevation of 6,400 feet and is located along the 30.2-mile Kettle Crest Trail in north Eastern Washington, just under six hours from Seattle. Managed by the Forest Service, the cabin, which took three years to build in the early 1990s, is reachable by a five-mile ski or snowshoe tour and comes equipped with a propane cook stove, basic kitchen amenities, a table, wood stove for heat, solarpowered lighting, and an outhouse. Firewood is flown into the cabin by helicopter every two to three years and guests should be prepared to split their own wood with the provided ax. Water and bedding are not included.

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adventure

Mount Tahoma Huts

Photos: Gene Glasnow/Mount Tahoma Trails Association

The entirely volunteer-run Mount Tahoma Trails Association (MTTA) depends on 50-70 volunteers contributing 8,000 hours of time each year to patrolling and grooming the trails and maintaining the huts. Another unique characteristic of the hut system is the affordability.

The self-designated “largest nofee hut-to-hut trail system in North America,” overnight rates start at just $15. The four huts can accommodate a total of 42 people, ranging between six and 14 occupants per cabin. All huts are equipped with solar lighting, propane fireplaces and stoves, full kitchen amenities and sleeping mats. Guests must melt snow and filter it for water.

The 25 miles of trails follow mostly forest service roads on Department of Natural Resources (DNR) land, just seven miles from Mt. Rainier National Park, which means that dogs are allowed on some trails, but not the huts.

Your best best for scoring a reservation is by attending the Reservation Gala held in the fall at the Seattle REI where guests make donations to be entered into a reservation lottery. Any remaining spaces are made available online a few days after the gala.

FROM TOP High Hut is one of four cabins maintained in the area by the Mount Tahoma Trails Association. In winter, the huts are accessible by snowshoe or cross-country ski.

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT The Rendezvous Huts are a must-try winter experience. The huts are located along the Rendezvous Trail System. Each cabin comes equipped with a full kitchen. An extensive cross-country trail system provides access.

Photos: James Harnois

Rendezvous Huts Intermediate and expert Nordic skiers must book a visit to the Rendezvous Huts—a hut-to-hut experience in Winthrop— at least once in their lives. With its 120-mile network of trails the Methow Valley has the most extensive cross country trail system in North America.

The simple cabins sleep up to eight people and come equipped with a full kitchen, a wood stove, outhouse, and sleeping pads.

Guests should bring food and sleeping gear. Dogs are welcome at three of the five huts. Winter visits book out well in advance, so plan your winter excursion the year prior.

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Photos: The Royal Block

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT In tiny Waitsburg north of Walla Walla, a 1888 hotel finds a new life of glamour.

The design skews Finnish and simple such as with this bathroom. The building harkens back to turn-of-thecentury charm. The wine bar offers local wines and beers.

Lodging

The Royal Block written by Cara Strickland WAITSBURG MIGHT NOT ring a bell just yet, but it’s a brisk half hour north of Walla Walla, and the site of several treasures, including this freshly minted boutique hotel. Owners Tiina Jaatinen and Joe Roberts visited in January of 2020, ready for a change from their home on Whidbey Island. They fell in love with the space, which has lived through many phases, but began life as a hotel in 1888, also called The Royal Block. As the pandemic spread, Tiina and Joe began the renovation project of a lifetime, finding owls upstairs and raccoons in the basement. When you walk into the light, bright, space now, you won’t find a whisper of that challenging beginning, but you will discover plenty of nods to the history of the building and an aesthetic that blends Jaatinen’s Finnish roots with Roberts’ American ones—they call it American bones with Nordic skin—you will want to call it your new hideaway in wine country.

222 MAIN ST. WAITSBURG www.theroyalblock.com

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ACCOMMODATIONS With just a handful of rooms on offer, it shows subtle differences between each space. Though they share the same thoughtful minimalist style, locally made toiletries and high caliber art, the rooms are a mix where some have bathtubs and showers, and some with just spacious showers. All the rooms have dedicated hot water, which means that you can bathe to your heart’s content without sacrificing temperature. If you’re feeling peckish, you can pop next door to the coffee shop for breakfast and local brew, walk to a small but mighty choice of restaurants, or take the short drive to Walla Walla.

WINE BAR Along with the beautiful rooms, downstairs in the lobby you’ll find a windowed wine bar, open Thursday-Saturday in the afternoon and evening hours. Enjoy wines and beer from the local region, or buy a glass or a bottle to take up to your room. The lobby and wine bar space also double as a small event area.

Your magical getaway in Ashland awaits.

LOCAL TASTE. STYLISH COMFORT

/ NEUMANHOTELGROUP.COM

Bayernmore Cellars

trip planner

Woodinville

Day

Where wine, whiskey and elevated experiences take the chill off winter written by Ryn Pfeuffer

WHEN YOU THINK of winter getaways, Woodinville Wine Country may not be top of mind. It should be.

A quick thirty-minute drive from downtown Seattle, Woodinville is a fantastic destination for wine-, food- and whiskey-lovers. When much of the country is socked in with snow, this region averages 50-degree daily highs, gray skies, and yes, plenty of drizzle and light rain. As long as you have comfortable shoes and a raincoat handy, you’ll be prepared for anything. Besides, there’s always a brewery or winery close by to get warm, have a snack and escape the rain. Less crowds, dreamy weather, lots of wine and whiskey—what’s not to love?

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COZY UP • NINE-COURSE DINING • PINBALL If you’re looking for a swank, romantic place to stay, look no further than Willows Lodge. The eighty-four-room property has been recognized by Condé Nast Traveler and Travel & Leisure as one of the best hotels in the country.

Flanked by lush woods and greenery, the upscale retreat offers guests patios, fireplaces and whirlpool tubs. Feel free to bring along your four-legged friend—Willows Lodge offers dog-friendly rooms, as well as dog sitters and a dedicated dog room service menu (for a fee). Some rooms have views of Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery. The oldest winery in Washington state is an easy ten-minute walk away.

Once settled, meander to the majestic Fireside Lounge for happy hour every day from 3 p.m. to 5:30 pm. Find piquillo cheddar dip with crudites and crackers or salmon poke with sticky rice cakes and pineapple ponzu under ABOVE Woodinville’s wine country is home to more than 120 wineries and tasting rooms.

soaring ceilings, and wood and stone details. The honey Limoncello martini with limoncello, lemon, and honey simple syrup is a sweet spin on the classic.

To make your stay truly memorable, make a reservation at the Herbfarm. This AAA 5-Diamond restaurant sits in its own cottage on the grounds of Willows Lodge. It serves up a nine-course wine and food dining experience from Thursdays through Sundays ($305 per person, including beverage pairings). A new menu theme is introduced every two weeks; menus are finalized daily. Reservations are available four calendar months in advance, so plan ahead.

For something less luxurious but equally unique, McMenamins Anderson School is set in a restored 1930s school just two miles away. Order drinks in the Principal’s Office, play pinball in the Woodshop, or take a dip in the saltwater swimming pool, which is kept at a warm 88-90 degrees. It’s better than recess—for both kids and adults.

Willows Lodge

trip planner

Day

Woodin Creek Village

After a dreamy slumber, grab lunch at The PicNic Table (open Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) The menu changes weekly. Recent starters included smoked salmon deviled eggs and a rustic pork terrine. Try the grilled flank steak salad with arugula, parmesan cheese, and a tangy lemon vinaigrette for something more substantial.

Woodinville Wine Country is home to more than 120 wineries and tasting rooms, so there’s literally a style and varietal for every palate. Fueled up for the day, start your sipping adventures at Wine Alley, a series of seven tasting rooms set in European-inspired alleyways. The experience sends out old-world architecture vibes, making it feel much farther away than a Seattle suburb. Here, you’ll find Ambassador Wines of Washington, Ancestry Cellars, Adams Bench Winery, Baer Winery, Rooted Souls Winery, TruthTeller Winery and Tsillan Cellars. It’s also home to Woodinville Wine Country and Visitor Center.

Most of the wine districts are walkable. Biking is also an option, especially to the Hollywood and West Valley districts. (Willows Lodge offers bikes to its guests.) Lyft and Uber services are also available.

You can always book a tour if you want to leave the planning and logistics to a professional. Bon Vivante Wine Tours curates popular day tours around the group’s tasting preferences. It starts at Chateau Ste. Michelle then stops for lunch before visiting a handful of winemakerowned boutique wineries. Private coaches are also available.

If you’re not a wine drinker, don’t worry—Locust Cider Woodinville has plenty of apple-based

William Muñoz

WINE TASTING • CIDER • WHISKEY

ABOVE, FROM TOP Willows Lodge is a highly acclaimed hotel in Woodinville with a fantastic restaurant of its own. Mediterranean goodness at PicNic Table in Woodinville. Wine Alley brings together the area’s top bounty in a managable walk.

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options, including hot mulled cider. Plus, it has flatbread pizza, retro video games and is family-friendly. Thursdays are flight nights ($10 flight of four; $15 flight of six). Also, check Locust Cider’s Facebook page (www.facebook. com/locustwoodinville/events) for a rotating lineup of food trucks.

Still need something to shake the winter chill? Woodinville Whiskey Co. will keep you warm. Started in 2010 by best friends Orlin Sorensen and Brett Carlile, the craft distillery has garnered quite a worldwide reputation for creating outstanding products from 100 percent locally sourced grains from the Quincy-based Omlin family farm.

In 2020, Forbes declared the company “may just (make) the best craft whiskey in America.” In Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible 2020, published in January, Woodinville’s single farm flagship product, Woodinville Straight Bourbon Whiskey, scored a “Brilliant” rating. The rye was recognized as a “Superstar whiskey that gives us all a reason to live.”

Photography by Carol Hook

trip planner

Day

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Over the Rainbow

Lifted Taco

If you want to feel refreshed after a day of imbibing, ease into a deep tissue massage at The Spa at Willows Lodge.

Arrive early to enjoy the sauna, relaxation room, or outdoor hydrotherapy pool. It doesn’t matter what service you book; the tranquil experience should help purge toxins and heal your headache.

Once you’re totally blissed out (and feeling normal again), grab a quick bite and nitro cold brew tea at Lifted Taco. The fast-casual spot in Woodin Creek Village is a great place to fill up before embarking on an afternoon adventure. There’s a bevy of about twenty-five tacos on the menu, including tasty breakfast versions. If you want to try something new, order the panko orange glazed shrimp or Korean bulgogi taco.

Next, borrow a bike from Willows Lodge and explore a stretch of the Sammamish River/Burke Gilman Trail.

The 26-mile paved trail borders the hotel, extends to Lake Washington and onward to Seattle. You don’t have to do it all whether you walk, run or bike. Any stretch of the trail is scenic.

Or, you can book a private, sunrise, or sunset hot air balloon ride with Over the Rainbow Balloon Flights. (Pro tip: The wind is usually calmer in the morning for folks who may be nervous about heights and flights.) Skimming forested areas is a spectacular way to see sweeping views of Puget Sound, Seattle and the Cascades. Bonus: You may see bald eagles foraging for their breakfast, or the first peeks of sunlight over the Cascade Range. Experiencing the beauty of the Pacific Northwest from 3,000 feet is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Locust Cider

SPA TIME • TACOS • HOT AIR BALLOONS

WOODINVILLE, WASHINGTON

trip planner

EAT Fireside Lounge www.willowslodge.com Lifted Taco www.liftedtaco.com Locust Cider www.locustcider.com/ taprooms/Woodinville The PicNic Table www.picnictablecafe.com Wine Alley www.woodincreek village.com/wine-dine

STAY McMenamins Anderson School www.mcmenamins.com/ anderson-school Willows Lodge www.willowslodge.com

PLAY Bon Vivante Wine Tours www.bonvivanttours. com Over the Rainbow Balloon Flights www.overtherainbow hotairballoonrides.com

Garrett Hanson/Woodinville Whiskey

Sammamish River Trail www.kingcounty.gov

DECEMBER | JANUARY 2022

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Biking and running on the pastoral Sammamish River Trail. One scene from a distiller-led tour at Woodinville Whiskey. Over the Rainbow Hot Air Balloon Rides for those who want to get a better perspective on Woodinville. Locust Cider serves up hard cider by the flight. Woodinville Shroomz tacos, one of twenty-five choices, at Lifted Taco.

1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE 91

northwest destination

Jacksonville and the Applegate River Valley

Wine grapes, hemp and apples grow side by side in this fertile valley.

Oregon’s southern wine region tucked into the Siskiyou Range

Travel Southern Oregon

written by James Sinks

WAGONS WERE STILL rattling west across the Oregon Trail when, in the 1850s, a Swiss immigrant named Peter Britt planted the grapes for what would become the Pacific Northwest’s first winery, in southwest Oregon’s Applegate River Valley.

Lured to the region by a gold rush, Britt— better known now for taking early photographs and for the music festival staged annually on his former property—found enough of the precious stuff to buy swaths of acreage, where he planted fruit tree orchards and grapevines. Valley View Winery outlived its pioneering founder, who died in 1905, yet didn’t make it through Prohibition. But the seeds were planted for a modernday wine destination that’s on the upswing.

For many visitors, a trek to Southern Oregon means following the beaten path to gasp at the azure water at Crater Lake, to spin in jetboats on the Rogue River in Grants Pass, and to 92

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attend world-class theatrical productions at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland. All of those are really good ideas.

Yet only a few miles away, you can follow in the steps of Peter Britt and ditch the crowds in the bucolic Applegate, where clusters of familyowned wineries dot the landscape, agriculture remains king, and—if you like long odds and cold hands—you can still pan for gold on the river near Tunnel Ridge. (You can also hike into the tunnel, which was dug to carry water for mining operations.)

The curving valley is flanked by the rugged Siskiyou Mountains, where Sasquatch sightings were once so commonplace the world’s only Bigfoot Trap was built in 1974 near Applegate Lake. The wooden hut with a metal gate caught bears, but no Bigfeet, and is now managed as a trail-accessed tourist novelty by the U.S. Forest Service.

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Follow in the steps of Peter Britt and ditch the crowds in the bucolic Applegate, where clusters of family-owned wineries dot the landscape.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP The entire downtown of Jacksonville is on the National Register of Historic Places. Good Bean Coffee Co. is a top caffeine destination in the valley. Dancin Vineyards is a lovely respite with a Tuscan flare and oven-fired pizza.

The river makes its way north and west from the California border for roughly 50 miles, past organic farms, lavender and hemp fields, and mining-damaged terrain to where it empties into the Rogue near Grants Pass. The meandering waterway is named for one of the brothers who scouted the Applegate Trail through Southern Oregon in the 1850s, as a detour to the treacherous final stages of the Oregon Trail.

From the east, the gateway to the Applegate River Valley is the former mining town of Jacksonville, where the historic main drag looks like it was plucked out of a spaghetti Western.

Not surprisingly, it has served as a backdrop for several films, and you also can find spaghetti among the local dining options.

Jacksonville is both a perfect jumping-off point and relaxing-in spot, with boutique hotels, day spas, a retail bonanza on California Avenue, the award-winning Dancin Vineyards and several tasting rooms, and the Good Bean Coffee Co., where baristas fill your mug in a circa-1852 pool hall and saloon. On the outskirts of town, a bouquet of giant metal orange poppies—sculptured by local artist Cheryl D. Garcia—poke from a neighboring vineyard.

The only required reading for your adventure is the map of the Applegate River Valley Wine Trail, which includes eighteen flavorful options in its own designated American

Viticulture Area, along quiet country roads and tucked between farm stands like the Instagram-ready Pennington Farms. Enjoy bubbly?

Try John Michael Champagne Cellars. Spanish varietals? Red Lily Vineyards will tempt your tasters with Tempranillo. Want to watch paragliders while you drink? They touch down at Long Sword Winery.

When you’re ready for some starch and flavor, don’t miss Provolt Country Store and Deli, in a building that dates to the 1800s, where they serve up breakfast sandwiches, paninis on sourdough focaccia and rich carrot cake.

The valley is home to the state’s first combination wine and cheese-making operation, Wooldridge Creek Winery & Creamery, where tastings include both. And the best-known winery in the region is Troon Vineyard, which launched the contemporary era of Applegate wineries when it opened in 1972. Under new owners, the business is undergoing a transformation into an organic biodynamic and regenerative farming operation. The wines continue to win rave reviews.

Soaking up the view of the Siskiyou Mountains, a glass of Troon vermentino offers a perfect opportunity to toast the vision of pioneering Peter Britt—he crushed it, you could say—and also your welcome respite from the beaten path.

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JACKSONVILLE + THE APPLEGATE RIVER VALLEY, OREGON

Travel Southern Oregon

Dancin Vineyards

Travel Southern Oregon

northwest destination

EAT Applegate River Restaurant www.applegateriverlodge.com/ restaurant Decant www.decantmedford.com Gogi’s www.gogisrestaurant.com Good Bean Coffee Co. www.goodbean.com Provolt Country Store www.provoltcountrystore anddeli.weebly.com Umi’s Sushi (541) 702-2258

STAY Applegate River Lodge www.applegateriverlodge.com Jacksonville Inn www.jacksonvilleinn.com McCully House Inn www.mccullyhouseinn.com

PLAY Applegate Valley Wine Trail www.applegatevalley.wine Bigfoot trap www.fs.usda.gov Dancin Vineyards www.dancin.com Downtown Jacksonville www.jacksonvilleoregon.org Pennington Farms www.pennington.farm Troon Vineyard www.troonvineyard.com Wooldridge Creek Winery & Creamery www.acv.farm

Red Lily Vineyards in Jacksonville has a charming tasting room for sipping its wine varietals. (photo: Red Lily Vineyards)

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1889 MAPPED

The points of interest below are culled from stories and events in this edition of 1889.

Friday Harbor

Newport

Marysville Everett Chelan

Seattle Bellevue

Port Orchard

Shelton

Tacoma

Colville Okanogan

Whidbey Island

Olympic National Park

Republic

Winthrop

Coupeville

Port Townsend

Aberdeen

North Cascades National Park

Mount Vernon

Port Angeles Forks

Oroville

Bellingham

San Juan Islands

Leavenworth

Renton Kent Federal Way

Wilbur

Waterville

Spokane Davenport

Wenatchee Ephrata Ritzville

Montesano Olympia

Ellensburg

Mount Rainier N.P.

Colfax

Chehalis

South Bend

Pullman Yakima Pomeroy

Long Beach Kelso

Cathlamet

Longview

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

Richland

Mount Adams

Prosser

Pasco

Dayton

Walla Kennewick Walla

Goldendale Vancouver

Stevenson

Live

Think

Explore

18 Lake Chelan Winterfest

50 Center for Bicycle Repair

78

Aberdeen

26 Quillisascut Farm

51

80

Snow Peak Cabin

27 The Black Cypress

52 Sleight of Hand Cellars

86

The Royal Block

28 Penn Cove Shellfish

54 Mount Baker Ski Area

88

Willows Lodge

92

Applegate Valley, Oregon

Washington State University

36 Sparrow Design Company

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Asotin

Your Guide to the best Lodging, Dining, Shopping and Activities near the Nisqually entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park Mt. Rainier Visitor Association 2022

Until Next Time High Rock Lookout offers stunning views of a snow-covered Rainier. photo by William Frohne

FOUR NORTHWEST TASTING ROOMS FEATURING FULL BISTRO MENUS

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2021 Plaanum Awards Leader 95 Career Plaanums

3X WINERY OF THE YEAR & 3X WINEMAKER OF THE YEAR Ma r y h i l l s h o w c a s e s re g i o n a l l y i n s p i re d fo o d a l o n g w i t h a p p ro a c h a b l e , a w a rd - w i n n i n g w i n e s i n G o l d e n d a l e , Sp o k a n e , Va n c o u ve r a n d Wo o d i nv i l l e , Wa s h i n g t o n . Fa m i l y o w n e d s i n c e 1 9 9 9 , Ma r y h i l l i s p ro u d t o s h o w c a s e t h e r i c h a n d d i ve r s e fl avo r s of Wa s h i n g t o n s t a t e w i n e w i t h p a s s i o n , p a a e n c e a n d b a l a n c e . V i s i t o n e of Ma r y h i l l ’s d e s s n a a o n t a s s n g ro o m s a n d e x p e r i e n c e a w a rd - w i n n i n g w i n e s a l o n g w i t h s t u n n i n g l o c a a o n s a n d f u l l Bi s t ro m e n u s t o e n h a n c e yo u r w i n e t a s s n g e x p e r i e n c e .