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WASHINGTON April | May

volume 48

ETV_18

SPRINGTIME?

WE’LL RAISE A GLASS TO THAT.

The fourth annual Pink! Rosé Festival is back for another year of incredible wines and even better company. Join us for a fun-filled day of rosé tasting just west of Portland, and enjoy 25 of Tualatin Valley’s celebrated wineries, who will be pouring their latest (limited) rosé releases. Find tickets and learn more at SPRING-SIPS.COM

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A New Perspective photography by Annie Crawley

Head under the sea with Annie Crawley, professional underwater photographer, filmmaker and ocean advocate. (pg. 60) 2 1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE APRIL | MAY 2025

“When I dive in a kelp forest and the sun shines through the kelp fronds as the seals play hide-and-seek, I feel as if I’ve found heaven underwater,” said Annie Crawley. Bull kelp forests provide crucial habitat for many sea creatures and are home to some of the most biodiverse ecosystems. This photo captures the beautiful kelp forests around the San Juan Islands.

APRIL | MAY 2025

1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE 3

FEATURES APRIL | MAY 2025 • volume 48

44 The Eleven Best Places to Slurp Fresh PNW Oysters We explore the best venues from tumble-side oyster farms to their best restaurant settings for you to choose. written by Ryn Pfeuffer

52 Chinook State For a little more than a year beginning 2001, the Lower Band of Chinook Indians had won federal recognition. Then it was abruptly rescinded.

Read along as one of the Columbia River’s most storied residents continues to fight for federal status. written by Daniel O’Neil

60 An Ocean’s Life Underwater photographer Annie Crawley surfaces with an amazing portfolio of pictures. written by Kerry Newberry 4

1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE APRIL | MAY 2025

Oysters on the half shell at Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar in Olympia. (photo: Nate Burgher/ Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar)

aJAVI’S CHICKEN & CHURROS

Photo by @StephForrer

aLOS HERNANDEZ TAMALES

WHAT’S BETTER THAN A GOOD TACO? EARNING PRIZES FOR EATING THEM! SIGN-UP FOR THE TACO & TAMALE TRAIL PASSPORT

GET YOUR FREE TRAVEL GUIDE AT VISITYAKIMA.COM

DEPARTMENTS APRIL | MAY 2025 • volume 48 Visit Bainbridge Island

LIVE 14 SAY WA?

MoltenWorks Glass Studio, cherry blossoms and Seattle’s music history.

18 FOOD + DRINK

Tom Douglas gets spicy.

22 FARM TO TABLE Magic with morels.

26 HOME + DESIGN

Homes designed for those living with ALS.

32 MIND + BODY

Kat Sweet shares her passion for mountain biking.

78

THINK 36 STARTUP

A yard dating app for pups.

38 MY WORKSPACE

Artist Dani Gray goes outside her comfort zone.

42 GAME CHANGER

Second Harvest, on feeding those who need help.

EXPLORE

22

42 10 Editor’s Letter 11 1889 Online 86 Map of Washington 88 Until Next Time

COVER

photo by Katheryn Moran Drayton Harbor Oyster Company (see “The Eleven Best Places to Slurp Oysters Around Washington,” pg. 44)

6

1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE APRIL | MAY 2025

Brandon Vasquez/Second Harvest

70 TRAVEL SPOTLIGHT

Hierophant Meadery, Whidby Island.

74 ADVENTURE

Kayaking Seatte’s skyline in Elliott Bay.

76 LODGING

Willows Lodge, Woodinville.

78 TRIP PLANNER Bainbridge Island.

84 NW DESTINATION Boise, Idaho.

Discover Nature's Splendor at Mount Rainier National Park CHASE CASCADING WATERFALLS AND WANDER WONDERFUL TRAILS Mount Rainier National Park is a place of transformation, where snowmelt fuels powerful waterfalls, and hiking trails reveal their vibrant beauty. Discover iconic cascades like the 72-foot-high Myrtle Falls, the Narada Falls, and the Christine Falls, with their rushing waters framed by lush greenery and dramatic rock formations. Each trail offers a chance to get close to the action, with the sound of waterfalls creating a backdrop for an unforgettable adventure.

As you hike, look for blooming avalanche lilies along the trails, their bright white petals adding to the breathtaking scenery. The trails are alive with fresh air, stunning views, and the promise of discovery around every corner. Whether you’re chasing waterfalls or enjoying a peaceful walk, join us for an adventure that will leave you inspired and connected to the beauty of Mount Rainier.

DiscoverMountRainier.com Hotel Reservations: (855) 755-2275 PARADISE INN 52807 Paradise Road E

NATIONAL PARK INN 47009 Paradise Road E

Ashford, WA 98304 Visit our website for availability.

Dates and times for our holiday specials are available online.

MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK

125

TH ANNIVERSARY

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CONTRIBUTORS

JACKIE DODD Writer + Photographer Beervana

BILL PURCELL Photographer My Workspace

CORINNE WHITING Writer Farm to Table

BROOKE FITTS Photographer Travel Spotlight

“I may be biased, but the Pacific Northwest has the most outstanding breweries and overall beer scene. No matter how many breweries I visit, there always seems to be a new one somewhere within driving distance that I haven’t tried yet. Maybe it’s the fact that the majority of the hops grown on this continent come from the Yakima Valley region, maybe it’s our superior water supply, or possibly the farmto-fermenter mentality of our brewers, but there is no greater place than here to be a craft beer fan.” (pg. 18)

“Having an opportunity to photograph artists working in their chosen mediums is always an enriching experience. It is particularly fun with somebody like Dani Gray who has such a fun spirit. Photography is often about documenting the world around us, so it was exciting to witness Dani’s process of creation and how she interacts and portrays the world around her.” (pg. 38)

“I never tire of interviewing passionate people about the unique talents and hobbies that make them tick, and PNW foragers certainly are no exception. It’s always fun to learn more about local delicacies like morels, as well as the folks who are a treasure trove of knowledge on the topic. These conversations merely fuel my desire to head back to enchanting spots like Whidbey Island as soon as possible!” (pg. 22)

“As a lover of all things beverage, I was excited to take a day trip to Whidbey Island and learn all about the mead-making process from Hierophant Meadery’s owners, Jeremy and Michelle. I’d never tried mead before and was fascinated by how it’s made. I’d definitely recommend adding this stop to your summer destination list!” (pg. 70)

Jackie Dodd is a writer, photographer and cookbook author serving up beer-infused recipes in Seattle.

Bill Purcell is a freelance commercial and editorial photographer specializing in environmental portraits and architectural photography.

He lives in Olympia and has a propensity for getting lost.

8 1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE APRIL | MAY 2025

Corinne Whiting is a freelance travel and lifestyle writer with a master’s in cultural studies from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. She’s spent extensive amounts of time in both Washingtons—the city and the state—and she loves to trot around the country and globe whenever opportunities arise, too.

Brooke Fitts is a Seattle-based food and lifestyle photographer.

When she’s not taking photographs, you can find her in her veggie garden, planning her next adventure or happily cooking and eating something delicious.

EDITOR

Kevin Max

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Allison Bye

WEB MANAGER SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Aaron Opsahl Joni Kabana

OFFICE MANAGER

Cindy Miskowiec

DIRECTOR OF SALES

Jenny Kamprath

BEERVANA COLUMNIST

Jackie Dodd

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Cathy Carroll, Melissa Dalton, Rachel Gallaher, Joni Kabana, Lauren Kramer, Kerry Newberry, Daniel O’Neil, Ryn Pfeuffer, Ben Salmon, Corinne Whiting

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jackie Dodd, Brooke Fitts, JiaYing Grygiel, Patrick Martinez, Katheryn Moran, Bill Purcell, Amiran White

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

Ni Ma, Vincent Morrelli

Mail

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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.

APRIL | MAY 2025

1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE 9

FROM THE

EDITOR

AS SPRING sprinkles in, some of Washington’s best attributes emerge from sea and soil. In this issue, we go to a briny place dear to me in the state’s oyster beds and the best places to experience Washington oysters. Whether you like Kumamoto or Shigoku and eaten in an urban oyster bar or served up al fresco on an oyster farm, we explore the best of the best on page 44.

Staying submerged for a moment, turn to the amazing work of underwater photographer Annie Crawley in Gallery on page 60. Here you’ll experience an alien world that will also feel familiar. Hear her speak at Edmonds Community Center on April 22.

If you surface from that visual feast, take in the land-bound delicacy of the morel. Found mostly in the spring and under certain recently wet conditions, the morel is the fancy friend who we get to see only once a year as she blows through town. The ensuing recipes will drive you, first to seek morels from a local purveyor or a trusted forager, then back to your kitchen to recreate

10 1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE APRIL | MAY 2025

one of these savory recipes. Turn to Farm to Table on page 22.

If life is too much with you right now, as it is with me, hop the ferry to Bainbridge Island (pg. 78), where you can walk and cycle into a nearby world apart. Take in stunning views of the Puget Sound of Mount Rainier and the Olympic Mountains as you find a quiet tavern for a separate peace in a pint or relax with a glass of wine at one of its many wineries. Find your zen at Bloedel Reserve, a 150-acre forested sanctuary, and appreciate the land beneath your feet.

The Lower Band of Chinook Indians are still looking to do the same after thousands of years of residence along the Columbia River. They won federal recognition in 2001, but that was incredibly short-lived. If you want to learn more about what resilience looks like from a different lens, turn to page 52 and read our story on the plight of the Lower Band of Chinook Indians.

We could all learn more about taking the long view and a few deep breaths from their struggle.

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 Christina Barnsley Dawn over Seattle and Mount Rainier.

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Sign up for our Adventure Mail newsletter and get access to the latest Northwest getaways, giveaways and more. www.1889mag.com/1889-newsletter

Edmonds Underwater Park

Salish Sea

Annie Crawley

SCAN TO WATCH

MORE ONLINE After reading “An Ocean’s Life” on page 60, dive into the Salish Sea and Edmonds Underwater Park with underwater photographer and filmmaker Annie Crawley, whose videos explore the incredible landscapes and curious critters that inhabit our local waters.

NEVER MISS AN ISSUE Read 1889 Washington’s Magazine and 1859 Oregon’s Magazine anywhere, on any device, with our digital edition.

Follow us today on Issuu.com. www.bit.ly/statehoodmediadigital

APRIL | MAY 2025

1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE

11

SAY WA? 14 FOOD + DRINK 18 FARM TO TABLE 22 HOME + DESIGN 26

pg. 24 Morel season is upon us—get inspired with recipes from local chefs.

Town & Country Markets

MIND + BODY 32

ROAM

Cruise the 135+ Mile Olympic Discovery Trail or Go Explore Dozens of Mountain Bikng Trails, Cycling Routes & City Routes Framed by one of the largest Framed by one of the largest National Parks, find bold National Parks, find bold nature connected with nature connected with small town vibes. small town vibes.

Get a Free Bike Map! Get a free travel guide!

Tidbits + To-dos

Alyssa Zimmerman

MoltenWorks Glass Studio

written by Lauren Kramer

ca mar le k yo nd ur ar

say wa?

Vancouver Cherry Blossoms

Unleash your creativity at MoltenWorks Glass Studio in Woodinville, where participants enroll in two-hour craft sessions and create a piece of fused glass art. During the class, guests learn to cut and splice glass, choosing from a wide range of colors, shapes and textures to build an ornamental, personalized dish, bowl or candle holder. The classes are a fun learning experience and a great option for a date night or special occasion.

April and May are cherry blossom season, and one of the best places to see these exquisite trees in bloom is Vancouver. Some of the most magnificent displays of pink and white blooms are at Clark College’s campus, Officers Row and Fort Vancouver, Fisher’s Landing and the flower-covered streets running between 164th and 192nd south of Mill Plain. Plan a picnic, pack your camera and marvel at the beauty of these delicate blossoms as they reach their peak.

www.moltenworksglass.com

www.visitvancouverwa.com

Dave Creek, courtesy of Pacific Bonsai Museum

MoltenWorks Glass Studio

m

calark you end r ar

Building Wonder: Bonsai Tree Houses

by Dave Creek Seattle Southside is honoring the work of late artist Dave Creek in a yearlong exhibition of his miniature tree houses nestled in deceased bonsai. Titled Building Wonder: Bonsai Tree Houses by Dave Creek, this is the public’s first opportunity to see Creek’s tree house sculptures, and the exhibition is free of charge (but donations are gladly accepted). On display are six tree houses, photographs documenting Creek’s life and creative journey, quotes highlighting his creativity and passion, and a representation of the mobile “van life” studio Creek created to work on his craft daily, even in remote locations. The exhibit is open Tuesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and runs through December 21. www.seattlesouthside.com/events/buildingwonder-bonsai-treehouses-by-dave-creek

14 1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE APRIL | MAY 2025

say wa?

Long Beach Razor Clam Festival

Casi Gerig

The annual Long Beach Razor Clam Festival, a two-day celebration of the Pacific Northwest’s coastal bounty, will be held in Long Beach on April 26-27. The event, which includes live music, local artisan booths and cooking demos, is perfect for seafood lovers and families.

Fyre Sauna

r ou AR y k D ar m EN

CA

L

Visit Tri-Cities

Fyre Sauna

CA ma LE rk y ND our AR

www.longbeachrazorclam festival.com

Royal Family Fairy Tale Ball

Norwegians have long touted the benefits of a cold plunge, but here in North America, we’re just starting to catch on. Fyre Sauna, located on a hazelnut and truffle farm in Woodinville, offers a wood-fired dry sauna steps away from four plunge pools with temperatures between 35 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Guests toast their bodies in the sauna before each plunge, emerging energized, calm and revitalized.

The Royal Family Fairy Tale Ball in Kennewick on April 19 is a child-centric event where kids can enjoy a princess experience. Dashing princes escort guests to their tables where they receive a buffet meal, meet characters for autographs and watch a performance on the dance floor.

Proceeds from the event help provide a foster child with a weeklong vacation aimed to inspire hope, joy and a sense of self-worth.

www.fyresauna.com

www.fairytale2025.bpt.me

APRIL | MAY 2025

1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE

15

say wa?

Musician

Brittany Danielle released her debut album in 2022.

Finding Her Voice After years of playing music in various corners of the state, Brittany Danielle is telling her own story through her own songs

Brandon Ove

written by Ben Salmon

16

1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE APRIL | MAY 2025

BRITTANY DANIELLE is evidenced by her debut album, originally from Bellingham, and Hindsight, released in the middle she went to college at Washington of 2022. At ten tracks long, it’s State University in Pullman, where a smooth and swaggering blend she earned a degree in piano of funk, neo-soul and modern performance with a minor in jazz. pop that lands somewhere near She spent several years immersed the midpoint between Adele and in Seattle’s vaunted music scene Erykah Badu, not far from, say, before moving to Tacoma, where Natasha Bedingfield. she currently lives.

“My background is very much In other words, she has made the music I listened to growing up, music all over the which was a lot of state of WashingThree Dog Night Listen on Spotify ton—performing and Elton John—a in nightclubs, aclot of stuff from companying singthe ’70s,” Danielle ing groups, playsaid. “Music has ing church gigs. always just been But it wasn’t until a big part of she was forced to my life.” stay home that she After getting found her songher debut out writing voice. into the world, She had written Danielle was riffs and pieces before, but never excited to do put them together into a full song. it again. So she did. At the very Like most folks, however, she end of 2024, she released her needed something to do. sophomore effort, Drive, a six“During (the COVID-19 pansong collection that delivers more demic), I was like, ‘I have some of Danielle’s upbeat, funky pop. ideas (for songs). I’ll develop them Thematically, though, there is a little bit more than then put a noticeable shift between the them in front of a couple other projects—a shift enabled in part by people,” she said. “I thought, ‘Well, the cathartic benefits of songwritlet’s just make an album.’ I didn’t ing, Danielle said. really think I would do anything “The first album is very much with it, necessarily. It just seemed a processing of old things and old like that was the thing that helped wounds,” she said. “On the second me not go insane.” one, we’re past that. There’s a love Turns out, songwriting was song. There’s a song about my more than just a coping mechafriends. It’s just less about pronism or a way to pass the time for cessing the past and more about Danielle. She’s darn good at it, as experiencing the present.”

courtesy of Eva Walker and Jake Uitti

say wa?

Hendrix Uitti and her parents, co-authors Eva Walker and Jake Uitti.

Bibliophile

Sounds That Shaped Seattle A deep-dive guide to the Emerald City’s musical DNA and ultimate playlist interview by Cathy Carroll

WHAT HAPPENS when a Seattle-born-and-raised musician joins forces with her music-journalist husband? You get The Sound of Seattle: 101 Songs That Shaped a City, in which authors Eva Walker and Jake Uitti explore the songs and artists instrumental to developing the “Seattle sound.”

Locals grow up learning the city’s music history as others do with sports heroes, writes Uitti. “Kurt, Jimi, Quincy, the Heart sisters—these are our founding figures.”

The book is a love letter to the city, written by the couple who met at the Tractor Tavern (he was invited to write about the music; she was onstage with The Black Tones).

Organized by the last eight decades, the guide profiles seminal songs, from jazz, rock, punk and riot grrrl to pop, rap, grunge, indie and emo, with design elements evocative of zines and concert posters.

Interviews with Seattle legends such as Heart’s Nancy Wilson are interspersed with must-see spots such as Sub Pop Records and Kurt Cobain haunts. What is the connective tissue between Ray Charles, Quincy Jones and Kenny G? Between Melvins, Sleater-Kinney and Foo Fighters?

What about between Sir Mix-a-Lot, Macklemore and Travis Thompson? You’ll find out in this book.

What was the most surprising discovery in researching this book?

For both of us, it was discovering the history of country music here in the Pacific Northwest. Not only did Willie Nelson write and record some of his first songs in Washington, but Loretta Lynn did, too.

You won’t find a more country duo than them, and they were both here in the Seattle area. It’s kind of incredible. Add to that the presence of people like Bing Crosby and Ray Charles, and you realize just how lush local music history is.

Of course, grunge and all that is amazing, but it’s far from all we have in the region to appreciate. Those are the roots of what we make in the area today, and that’s pretty amazing.

In what ways might the book change how a reader views Seattle?

When people think of Seattle, it’s always the 1990s. Sports teams like the Mariners and SuperSonics were doing great. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Sir Mixa-Lot, Riot Grrrl—music from the city was critically acclaimed and at the top of the charts.

But our book begins way before the 1990s and goes to present

APRIL | MAY 2025

day. It highlights people like Tina Bell, Heart, Jimi Hendrix, Deems Tsutakawa, Travis Thompson, Deep Sea Diver and Vitamin D. A single genre does not a city music scene make. It takes so many people.

In fact, we had a hard time trimming the list to 101 people over eighty years. So, we hope readers see how vast our city’s history is and, thus, how significant our future is, too.

What made the two of you uniquely qualified to write this?

Eva is an award-winning DJ personality on one of the most significant radio stations in the world (KEXP-FM, 90.3, a noncommercial radio station in Seattle, specializing in indie music programmed by its disc jockeys). She’s also the frontwoman for one of the most important rock bands in the city today (with her twin brother, Cedric Walker).

But in her personal life, she’s a music historian. I have been writing about Seattle music for nearly twenty years, and in my career as a journalist, I’ve written for outlets like American Songwriter, Vice and The Guardian. With our powers combined (and our marriage on the line), we felt like we could do a pretty good job!

1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE

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food + drink

Beervana

Burke-Gilman Brewing Company in Seattle’s Laurelhurst neighborhood is a passion project with award-winning beers.

The Heart and Hops of Burke-Gilman Brewing written and photographed by Jackie Dodd WITH A SOCIAL MEDIA bio of “We just started a brewery to meet more dogs” and several Great American Beer Festival medals under their belts, Burke-Gilman Brewing Company should be at the top of any Washingtonian’s list of breweries to visit.

Nestled in Seattle’s Laurelhurst neighborhood, Burke-Gilman Brewing stands as a testament to community spirit and exceptional craft brewing. Perched along the busy Burke-Gilman Trail, it’s a welcoming stop for cyclists, dog lovers and a devoted local crowd, all drawn in by top-tier beer and a laid-back vibe. The brewery’s prime location makes it an ideal pit stop for those traversing the nearly 20-mile trail. The brewery’s mantra, “Kidfriendly, dog-friendly, also we are quite friendly,” offers a glimpse into the heart and humor that anchor the business.

Since its opening in 2018, Burke-Gilman Brewing has racked up an impressive amount of hardware from local and national competitions. Notably, in 2020, the brewery clinched a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival for its Imperial Hazy IPA, a historically crowded category making the win that much more impressive. That same year, they secured the prestigious Alpha King award, solidifying their reputation for producing top-tier hoppy beers—though they make much more than just high-IBU ales. From a barleywine aged in a Willett bourbon 18 1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE APRIL | MAY 2025

barrel to a foray into British dark milds, Burke-Gilman runs the spectrum when it comes to beer production.

Like many brewers, head brewer Julia Astrid Davis has brewed her way across the globe like the proper beer gypsy she is. From the famed Siebel Institute to Denmark, Chicago and now Seattle, her BURKE-GILMAN knowledge and expertise BREWING COMPANY are evident in the beer 3626 NE 45TH ST., SUITE 102 SEATTLE she makes. www.burkegilmanbrewing.com Beyond brewing exceptional beer, Burke-GilWhat to Know: • Open daily man is deeply committed • Kid- and dog-friendly to fostering community.

• Outdoor patio They host events like Trivia Tuesdays and “Smarty Pints” nights devoted to science experts. Their “Pints for Parents” program began when they recognized their proximity to Seattle Children’s Hospital. The program allows patrons to buy a beer for parents whose children are receiving treatment. This thoughtful gesture provides a moment of respite for families during difficult times and underscores the brewery’s dedication to giving back.

Despite their accolades and community presence, BurkeGilman Brewing remains a passion project. Owners Kenneth Trease, Corey Ovendale, Ty Ovendale, Eric Lundquist and Bridget Lundquist have been friends since childhood, before they could legally enjoy the beer they now craft. They still maintain their day jobs while pouring their hearts into the brewery, striving to break even while delivering quality brews and cultivating a strong sense of community.

Burke-Gilman Brewing is an effortless place to hang out, an easy business to root for and a perfect spot to support—all while enjoying well-crafted beer that gives back as much as it can. For those who still see craft beer as a community, no one embodies that ethos more than the team at Burke-Gilman.

Burke-Gilman Brewing co-owner Kenneth Trease at the taproom in Seattle.

food + drink

Cocktail Card recipe courtesy of Abby Alegria and Weiss Beauchamp, The Mule Cocktail Bar / ELLENSBURG

Cold-Brew Martini • 1 ounce vodka • 2 ounces Kahlúa • 2 ounces cold-brew coffee (such as Trader Joe’s cold brew)

Kaitlyn Stober

Combine vodka, Kahlúa and cold-brew coffee. Shake with ice, and serve in a martini glass.

Note: The cold brew should create a foamy top—if not, shake harder.

APRIL | MAY 2025

1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE

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Rub With Love

food + drink

CRAVINGS SKYR YOGURT Lynden’s Steensma Creamery is making strides with its skyr yogurt, a thick, high-protein, Icelandic-style yogurt that launched in 2021. Available in plain, maple, raspberry and mango flavors, it’s great in smoothies, waffle batter, soups and salad dressings. Find it at local co-ops, PCC stores and select farmers markets. www.steensmacreamery.com

PIZZA Vivi Pizzeria in Woodinville takes pizza to new heights of deliciousness with its “Pere.”

Combining sliced pears poached in port with mozzarella, gorgonzola, walnuts and caramelized onions, this wood-fired pizza is nothing short of divine.

Famed restaurateur Tom Douglas adds yet more spice to his career with Rub With Love, custom blends of spices for various meats and fish.

Gastronomy

Spice Rubs by Tom Douglas written by Lauren Kramer IF THERE’S one way to invite Seattle restaurateur Tom Douglas into your kitchen, it’s to “rub with love.” The Seattle restaurateur has a range of twelve to fifteen spice rubs that bring his delicious culinary infusions to salmon, pork, chicken and vegetables.

He’s still too hard at work in the business to think much about his legacy, but if there’s one rub that’s become his signature, it’s the salmon rub.

The first in his Rub With Love retail range, Douglas developed it in the mid-1990s after judging the Jack Daniels Barbecue in Tennessee. He saw each competitor rub their hogs and briskets with their own unique spice blend and determined it was time to rub his salmon back home, too. Using a mixture of home-smoked paprika, thyme, brown sugar and other ingredients, he created a golden rub for salmon, using it at his then-new restaurant Etta’s Seafood. Rubs for pork and steak followed, and as customers repeatedly requested the recipe, he realized the rubs were a business all of their own. The retail brand Rub With Love was born.

Hand-blended in Ballard, the rubs are designed for versatility in the kitchen and can be used in a number of dishes. The range now includes pizza pie spice, Chinese halfspice rub, African peri-peri rub, Bengal masala rub, three sauces and a toasted shallot mustard, but that first salmon rub remains the top seller. “I’ve seen it at Harrods in London, Takashimaya in Tokyo and in seafood shops all over Canada and the U.S.,” he said with pride. “We sell 30,000 jars a month.” www.tomdouglas.com

20 1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE APRIL | MAY 2025

14505 148TH AVE. NE WOODINVILLE www.vivipizzeria.com

CIDER The spiced cranberry cider by Drive Row Cider is a seasonal specialty that combines apples, cranberries and spices in a sweet, tasty libation. The cider line, which is owned by Goose Ridge, includes spiced apple pecan, huckleberry and rosé, all made from Yakimagrown apples. www.gooseridge.com

SALSA Elevate your dips with salsa from San Juan Salsa Co., a small, Arlington-based business making big strides in its selection of super-tasty salsas.

With a range of flavors from mild to “afterburner,” verde and pineapple mango, San Juan’s salsas are gluten-free, trans fat-free and made with nonGMO ingredients. www.sanjuansalsa.com

BEST PLACES FOR

SWEET TREATS If you love smoothies, make a beeline for Blue Carrot Pilates + Smoothie Bar in Kennewick, where an all-organic menu features twenty smoothies packed with healthy ingredients. Bee pollen, hemp and flax seeds, cashew butter and coconut yogurt are just a few of the superfoods that will power your day, with lots of vegan and GF choices.

4827 W. CLEARWATER AVE., SUITE 130 KENNEWICK www.bluecarrotco.com

FAT ROLLS WALLA WALLA Fat Rolls Walla Walla’s cinnamon rolls, made with fluffy dough and smothered in cream cheese, are the star of the show at the Walla Walla farmers markets, where they’re sold on Saturdays and sell out within a couple of hours. Available in regular size or a nine-pack of mini-rolls, they are made with flour grown and ground in Walla Walla.

LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS WALLA WALLA www.instagram.com/fatrollswallawalla

TARTE BY HERITAGE Tarte by Heritage is a from-scratch bakery in Woodinville where a mouthwatering array of pastries will leave you—and your pet—spellbound. For humans, the Triple Apple Berry Galette or Tarte Granola are truly memorable breakfast choices. If you’re canine, yelp for the doggie treats, made from oats, peanut butter and sourdough starter.

14450 REDMOND-WOODINVILLE ROAD NE, SUITE 103 WOODINVILLE www.tartewoodinville.com

WHIDBEY ISLAND SEAFOOD CO. Whidbey Island Seafood Co.’s smoked Alaskan sockeye candy is a decadent but healthy snack to keep in the fridge. Sold in 8-ounce portions, the salmon is cured for eighteen hours and then alder smoked for another six with brown sugar, salt and spices. Available at many grocery stores and co-ops, as well as online. www.whidbeyseafoods.com.

Photos: DeLille Cellars

BLUE CARROT PILATES + SMOOTHIE BAR

The Restaurant at DeLille Cellars in Woodinville is known for fabulous wines and staples such as steak frites and mushroom toast.

Dining

The Restaurant at DeLille Cellars written by Lauren Kramer THE RESTAURANT at DeLille Cellars opened in 2021 in Woodinville, and judging by the turnout on a chilly Saturday night in February, this eatery has nailed the formula for success. The 160-seat restaurant was bustling with well-heeled diners, but despite being at 85 percent capacity, service was personable, food arrived without a prolonged delay and tableside conversations were easily audible.

We sipped on DeLille’s Chaleur Blanc, which, our server confided, was one of Michelle Obama’s favorite wines, as we marveled at the wine list. The selection of more than 150 wines is mind boggling, especially considering the quality of DeLille’s own exceptional portfolio. We stuck with DeLille as others ordered flights that contrasted flavors from different regions.

The food at DeLille Cellars’ restaurant changes often according to season and availability with just a few staples like mushroom toast and New York steak frites that endure year-round. One bite of the mushroom toast and it’s clear why that one’s a staple! The creamy richness of the cremini, shiitake and brown beech mushrooms is accentuated by a layer of rich mascarpone and beautifully contrasted with the crunch of house-made, whole-grain bread.

Add a dusting of peppery arugula, and you have an unforgettable appetizer in your hands. We ordered delicata squash fries prepared tempura-style, a fun variation on French fries and a good accompaniment to the light, fresh Washington salad, with bing cherries, candied pecans and organic greens.

The two-page menu had lots of safe options like steelhead trout (my choice), pasta and pan-seared chicken breast. For diners wanting to explore foods a tad less traditional, choices included fried rabbit cassoulet and torched Spanish octopus. Everything that emerged from executive chef Michael C. Toni’s kitchen was skillfully prepared and beautifully presented, testament to a restaurant team that can work under pressure and still deliver elevated cuisine in a warm, friendly and classy environment.

14300 NE 145TH ST. WOODINVILLE www.therestaurantatdelille.com

APRIL | MAY 2025

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farm to table

One of the chef specialties of the Pacific Northwest is locally foraged morels, as well as other wild mushrooms.

Farm to Table

Making Culinary Magic With Morels A wild mushroom continues to delight local chefs and fungi fanatics written by Corinne Whiting

WASHINGTON’S UNIQUE flora and topography make this state a prime spot for wild mushroom hunting. And morels—a type of mushroom with an earthy, nutty flavor and which varies greatly in size and appearance—are coveted among many Northwest chefs and outdoor enthusiasts. Only grown in the wild, they have a meaty texture that enhances dishes prepared by local cooks and savored by in-the-know diners.

Expert Travis Furlanic, who grew up on Whidbey Island and has explored many places between here and Santa Cruz, California, in search of fungi, has run Whidbey Wild Mushroom Tours for more than seven years (often throwing in pun-fueled fun along the way). He loves sharing his wealth of knowledge, such as the estimate that roughly eighty species of morels exist worldwide.

Furlanic was “born to be wild,” he said—always outdoors in the forest, up a tree or in the ocean. His mushroom infatuation began on a Whidbey forest walk at age 17. “I got to this low point on the trail where it dipped, and suddenly I was surrounded with so many vibrantly colored mushrooms. Red, purple and yellow mushrooms all around me!” he said. “From that spot in the woods, I immediately walked to the Langley library and picked up my very first field guide.” He’s been reading ever since.

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Early on, he’d attend every event possible, from ecotours to fungus fairs, always toting along questions to be answered by the pros. Now considered a trusted source by many, Furlanic has been studying mycology for fifteen-plus years and has helped teach and identify mushrooms across many platforms and forum groups since 2016.

Chef Jeramy Moulder, who’s worked at Alderbrook Resort & Spa for more than a decade, is a fan of foraging wild mushrooms, too. He explained that morels, best found in early to late spring when rain is heavy, like to grow near creek beds or swamps, under cottonwood, alder and elm trees. “These mushrooms are particularly fond of areas where a fire had burned the previous season,” he said. “Besides morels and chanterelles, you can find oyster, lobster, cauliflower, yellowfoot and porcini mushrooms as well as truffles from late spring to early winter.”

Having grown up near Washington’s coast in Aberdeen, Moulder dreamed of becoming a chef from a young age. As a child, he learned to bake desserts and prep dinners alongside his father, who also inspired his interest in foraging. This passion was further piqued by friend and mentor Adam Hagen once he started cooking at Alderbrook.

Moulder said Western Washington proves a unique area for foraging, since there are many distinctive and tasty culinary treats found here at different times of the year. Alderbrook, he added, is nestled in a “foragers’ dream area.”

“Because the resort sits right on Hood Canal with trails that extend for miles back into an old-growth Douglas fir stand, there are many opportunities for foraging delicacies, some of which can only be found in the Pacific Northwest,” he said.

Alderbrook’s “Trail to Table” program allows guests to be led by chefs along the property’s many old-growth trails. “The chef actively forages fresh ingredients along the way and explains all the edible items that can be found in the woods,” he said. “Afterwards, the group walks back down to the chef ’s garden and takes part in a cooking demonstration based on what items have been foraged along with other seasonal items.”

Moulder instructs up-and-coming foragers to keep an eye on the weather. “After the sun has had a chance to thaw the ground and all the green plants are growing, watch for the rain to come,” he said. “Wait one or two weeks after a good, hard rain to start looking for forageables.”

Furlanic mentioned, however, that many mushroom species do fruit outside of their typical season, so those interested shouldn’t necessarily sit around and wait for one particular season.

When foraging for any mushrooms, you must be 100 percent certain you’re harvesting the edible mushrooms you’re seeking. “Make sure to check the identity of the mushroom against a foragers guide,” Moulder said. “For the safest result, check the spore print of the mushroom as well. There are many toxic mushroom varieties and look-alike mushrooms out there, so it is important to be mindful and aware of what you are consuming.”

When it comes to educating oneself, Furlanic said, “do it all.

Read every book you can, go to every event you can, join a mycological society, come on a tour with me, get on every online platform you can such as Facebook groups and iNaturalist. Just turn over every metaphorical rock you can think of.”

He also advised starting with easy options (morels, chanterelles, hedgehogs, porcini, lobster) as you gain confidence and familiarize yourself with each major genus. Important note: Always cook morels thoroughly, as they have a toxin that needs to be cooked out. “Undercooking or eating raw morels will likely cause gastrointestinal distress,” Furlanic warned.

Moulder shared other foraging suggestions like making sure to wear thick boots, packing a light backpack stocked with essentials, checking your phone’s compass before heading into the woods and paying attention to what time the sun will set.

For beginners without a proper foraging knife, a pocket knife and paintbrush (for cleaning delicate wild mushrooms) work great. Place freshly foraged mushrooms in a basket or paper bag for the best results. “The most important thing about foraging is that you stay safe and have a good time,” Moulder said.

In the kitchen, Furlanic chops morels horizontally, making cogwheel-like slices that can be dry sautéed and added to dishes. “I like to cook all of my mushrooms separately and then add

courtesy of Travis Furlanic

farm to table

Travis Furlanic, who has led Whidbey Wild Mushroom Tours for more than seven years, poses with a midnight entoloma mushroom.

them afterwards to things like pasta or soup,” he said. “I find cooking them along with other things can mask their flavor.”

Moulder enjoys making a mushroom gratin with morels, or he substitutes them for regular mushrooms in dishes like pizza or meatloaf. “Morels are a special ingredient that only comes around for a short time each year, so it’s fun to utilize them every way you can while they are fresh,” he said. “Morels can also be dried and stored for later use, and make a great ingredient for a prepared soup mix.”

According to Furlanic, the best identifiers and mycologists he knows are self-taught. “Gaining knowledge into mushrooms simply takes an eagerness to learn and an appetite to satisfy one’s curiosities, and I simply had a big appetite,” he said.

“What I love most about mushrooms is their unpredictability and spontaneity,” Furlanic said. “Most of the time I go into the forest, I really don’t know what I’m going to find.” Foragers can walk into the same forest for years and make new finds each time.

“With so many species to learn and acquaint yourself with, there’s really no end to the learning, and I love that!” Furlanic said. “It is said that mushrooms in North America outnumber plants six to one, but I’d wager more. As a collective, we know quite a lot about mushrooms, but I think there’s even more we don’t know, and to me that’s exciting.”

MORE ONLINE

To learn more about Whidbey Wild Mushroom Tours or book a guided foraging outing, visit www.whidbeymushroomtours.com

APRIL | MAY 2025

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farm to table

Washington Recipes

Savory Meals With Mushrooms Wild Mushroom and Smoked Gouda Soup Town & Country Markets / SEATTLE Joya Pettegrew SERVES 4-6 • ½ cup butter or olive oil • 1 cup yellow onion or leek, chopped • ½ pound wild mushrooms (morel, chanterelle, lobster, porcini, king oyster), cleaned and chopped • 1 pound cremini or shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and chopped • 2 garlic cloves, minced (raw or roasted) • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste • 4 cups chicken, mushroom or vegetable stock • 2 cups shredded smoked Gouda cheese • ¼ cup dry white wine, or 2 tablespoons sherry • 1 cup cream • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped • 1 tablespoon chives or Italian parsley, chopped, to garnish Heat butter or oil in a medium stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion, all mushrooms and garlic, and sauté for 7-10 minutes, or until slightly browned. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Add stock, bring to a boil, and then remove from heat. Add cheese and wine or sherry, and stir until melted.

For a smooth soup, carefully pour mixture into a blender and process until smooth; alternatively, use a hand blender to purée. (Use extreme caution when blending hot liquids. Never fill the blender more than ⅔ full, and do not tightly seal the lid. Set the lid loosely over the blender, and cover with a towel.)

Add blended soup back to the pot, and set over medium-low heat. Add cream, thyme and additional salt and pepper to taste. Stir to incorporate.

When warm, ladle into soup bowls, and garnish with chopped chives or parsley. Another great garnish is some fried mushroom slices and a drizzle of the oil or butter they were cooked in.

Optional: Smoked Gouda not your thing? Try using aged white cheddar instead.

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farm to table Town & Country Markets’ Wild Mushroom and Smoked Gouda Soup.

Mushroom Gratin

Alderbrook Resort & Spa / UNION Jeramy Moulder SERVES 4-6 FOR THE MUSHROOM GRATIN • 1 ounce herb butter, whipped with citrus zest and sage • 1 large Walla Walla sweet onion, finely julienned • 1 pound morel mushrooms, roughly chopped • 1 ounce roasted garlic, whole cloves • Salt and white pepper, to taste FOR THE SAUCE • ½ cup white wine (pinot grigio) • 2 cups heavy cream • 4 ounces Parmesan cheese, finely grated • Salt and white pepper, to taste FOR SERVING • 1 French bread loaf, sliced thin on the bias for crostini • 2 ounces olive oil, to toast the bread • Coarse sea salt, to taste for finishing Place the whipped herb butter into a cold French pan or cast iron. Turn on medium-high heat to avoid burning the butter. As the butter begins to melt, and the pan gets hot, add the julienned sweet onion before the butter starts to brown.

Once the onions start to caramelize, add the morel mushrooms,

as well as salt and white pepper to taste, and continue to sauté until the moisture has been cooked out and the onions and mushrooms caramelize.

Add the roasted garlic, and toss to mix. Immediately add the white wine to deglaze the pan. Let the wine cook until it’s ¾ of the way reduced, and then add the heavy cream. Bring the cream to a simmer. Turn down the heat to medium, so the cream can reduce without burning.

While the cream is reducing, slice the French bread thinly on the bias, and drizzle with olive oil and finishing salt to taste. Place the bread in a 400-degree oven to toast into crostini. Remove the bread from the oven, and cool.

When the cream has reduced by half to ¾, depending on how thick you desire your sauce, remove the pan from the heat, and add half of the Parmesan cheese to the mushroom mix.

Stir to incorporate the cheese into the sauce. Taste the sauce, and add more salt and white pepper if desired.

Pour the mushrooms into an oven-safe serving dish, and sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan cheese over the top of the mushrooms.

Place the dish into the oven on broil, and watch until the cheese has melted and begins to brown.

Remove the dish from the oven, and place it on a platter with the bread crostini arranged around it for dipping. Serve immediately.

Alderbrook Resort’s Mushroom Gratin.

APRIL | MAY 2025

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home + design

Home, Calling With community support, a nonprofit builds a home in Spokane for ALS patients to live with autonomy and integrity WHEN RYAN RIDDOCK’S golden retriever, Maverick, has to be let out in the yard, Riddock can open the door for him with a flick of his gaze. If the sun is shining too brightly into his room, he can lower the window coverings doing the same action. Ditto, if he wants to watch a game on television, or turn down the thermostat. As for the typical obstacles that face wheelchair users, of which Riddock is one—think raised door thresholds, too-narrow hallways and sharp corners—those are also all absent in this Spokane home. The first time Riddock wheeled through after living in his last apartment, how was the experience different? “Just being able to move freely throughout the whole long level,” said Riddock. “It’s wide open.”

Riddock was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS, in 2012. It’s a nervous system disease that causes progressive loss of muscle control and eventually destroys a person’s ability to move, speak, eat, swallow and breathe. While some new homes or apartments might conform to accessibility guidelines set forth in the Americans with Disabilities Act, those “are the bare minimum for making something wheelchair accessible, but they’re not ideal,” said Riddock, especially for a person with ALS. That’s where Matthew Wild and Theresa Whitlock-Wild come in.

In 2015, Matt and Theresa had been dating for three months when Matt, a former U.S. Marine, received an ALS diagnosis at 41 years old. “We knew nothing about the disease,” remembered Whitlock-Wild. “But one thing we did know is that because he is a military veteran, and ALS is a service-connected disease— generally speaking, two out of every three people diagnosed are veterans—the Veteran Affairs department was going to be this wonderful resource for us. But our next question was, what about people that don’t have that?”

The couple, who have since married and have three children, soon learned the financial toll that ALS can take on patients and their families. Not just in medical care, but things like the necessary home renovations to make a house wheelchair accessible, which can cost upward of $200,000 depending on what modifications are needed. “There’s a lot of moving parts that happen with a neurodegenerative disease like ALS, and one area that was not being supported was housing and accessibility,” said Whitlock-Wild. Within weeks of his diagnosis, Matt and Theresa established Matt’s Place Foundation, a nonprofit based in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, that provides grant assistance for rents and mortgages, ramps and AT RIGHT Deemed Matt’s Place 2.0, this Spokane house was specifically designed to help people living with ALS to thrive at home.

26 1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE APRIL | MAY 2025

Patrick Martinez

written by Melissa Dalton

home + design

“We knew nothing about the disease. But one thing we did know is that because [Matt] is a military veteran, and ALS is a service-connected disease … the Veteran Affairs department was going to be this wonderful resource for us. But our next question was, what about people that don’t have that?”

— Theresa Whitlock-Wild, Matt’s Place Foundation co-founder

APRIL | MAY 2025

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Photos, clockwise from top left: The Miller Hull Partnership, Patrick Martinez, The Miller Hull Partnership

home + design

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT The living area, like the other spaces, has one uninterrupted floor level to make it easier for wheelchairs. Made with an environmentally friendly CLT kit, this model can be replicated for more people with ALS housing needs. Exposed wood in the CLT-wrapped bedroom provides a warm and bright space.

bathroom modifications for people and families living with ALS, as well as two homes for housing families for free while they navigate the disease.

The Spokane home where Riddock lives is dubbed “Matt’s Place 2.0” and is the second that the organization built. For it, they teamed up with a wide range of local volunteers and businesses, all of whom donated their expertise, services and supplies, from interior design to rooftop solar panels that help the home achieve Net Zero energy status, and the smart home systems that allow environmental control via voice, touch and eye-gaze movements.

While “Matt’s Place 1.0” was a traditional stick-built home, this design utilizes prefabrication and cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels—the latter from a longtime family-run sawmill operation in Colville, called Vaagen Timbers—in order to create a model that could be erected more quickly and in greater number. “The idea was to come up with a kit of parts that could be replicated,” said architect Brian Court of the Seattle firm Miller Hull. “We would design one house as a prototype, and have the basic building blocks already engineered and designed so that it could be deployed at scale.” (Since completing this project in 2022, the group has broken ground for “3.0,” a three-story, nineunit apartment building next door that will create a community for families affected by ALS and similar disorders.)

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The team shaped this 1,561-square-foot house like an L, in order to include a covered carport for weather-protected movement between vehicle and driveway. A flat exterior deck with no step between it and the doors along the east facade connects Riddock to the garden. The main floor suite has an open concept living room and kitchen with big windows to catch natural light, and a bedroom suite with the bathroom fully open and integrated—all the better to make maneuvering with a wheelchair, or for caregivers to work around a patient, that much easier.

The design team engineered the solid wood CLT walls for fully recessed junction boxes and outlets—quite a trick when dealing with prefabricated construction that doesn’t have typical wall cavities—and the result is even greater clearances for wheelchairs of multiple sizes, as a patient may need various versions as ALS progresses.

Upstairs, there’s two bedrooms and a bathroom for Riddock’s family, a separation of zones that keeps everyone from being on top of one another. “I can go about my normal routine,” said Riddock, so he can have privacy when needed, and togetherness when ready. And thanks to the exposed CLT wrapping of many walls and ceilings, there’s an inherent warmth everywhere he looks. “All my medical needs are met here,” said Riddock. “But it feels like a home.”

ART. HISTORY. HERITAGE. FORT OKANOGAN INTERPRETIVE CENTER

New from Mountaineers Books! Available everywhere books are sold and online at mountaineersbooks.org A Rockhound’s Guide to Oregon & Washington produced with support from the Port of Seattle Tourism Marketing Support Program

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CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF THE COLVILLE RESERVATION 14379 Highway 17, Brewster, WA 509.631.2130, or msg 509.634.2635 fortokanogan@communitynet.org

Sunshine for all Seasons!

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visitsunnysequim.com 1-800-737-8462

Open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday to Saturday June 4 through Sept. 27

ATTACH THE SHELVES The bottom two shelves consist of 1x4s equally spaced across the frame, with about a 1/8-inch gap between each board. There will be eight boards per shelf, each cut 24 inches long. Attach these to the frame so that they are flush.

MAKE THE TOP Cut a 2x6 into five pieces, each 36 inches long. Sand them, and lay them out side-by-side so there’s a 1/8-inch gap between each board, for a finished size of 36 inches by 28 inches. Place the last frame atop this so that the counter will clear it by 2 to 3 inches when it’s flipped over. Attach the frame to the boards—if you do this from underneath, the hardware won’t be seen on the countertop for a cleaner look.

DIY

Build a Backyard Grill Cart illustrations by Vincent Morrelli

YOU HAVE the grill, but everything that goes along with it needs a spot, from the tools to the charcoal briquets. This cart keeps all of those supplies together and within easy reach, since it’s on wheels. Bonus: When not using it for a cookout, put it to work as a handy utility cart around the yard.

CHOOSE THE WOOD Avoid treated lumber, as it shouldn’t come into contact with food. Cedar will hold up better to the weather if the cart is left outside, but the lumber can be expensive. We also like the idea of choosing pine and painting it with an outdoor paint or sealant to protect it.

the bottom frame also has a shelf, with wheels attached underneath.

Cut a 1x3 into six lengths measuring 22.5 inches and six lengths of 29 inches. Form three rectangular frames by placing the shorter pieces between the longer pieces and attaching with a butt joint and screws.

START WITH THE FRAMES This cart consists of three frames built from 1x3s with a finished size of 24 inches by 29 inches. The countertop overhangs the top frame, the middle frame supports a shelf, and 30 1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE APRIL | MAY 2025

PREP THE METAL Use 2-inch aluminum angle iron, each 36 inches long, for the four legs, one piece for each corner.

Space the countertop and shelves equally, and mark their location on the iron. Pre-drill four holes per corner (two per face), and then attach the frames. Start with the bottom shelf, followed by the middle shelf and, finally, the countertop. (Note: Paint the metal first for a fun pop of color.) If adding a push handle using steel plumber’s pipe and connectors, prep those by cleaning with denatured alcohol and spray painting them a color of your choice.

FINISH AND ACCESSORIZE Add caster wheels to the bottom frame. If desired, attach the push handle, which can double as a towel bar. Accessorize the apron under the counter with hooks for grill tools and a wall-mountable bottle opener. Seal the exposed wood with a food-safe finish of your choice.

Now feast!

home + design

Colorful Home Goods for Plant Enthusiasts

Leave it to the Portland studio Wildehaus to elevate the typical plant holder, first with their airy, geometric stands, and now with a new line of wall planters. Coming in a range of shapes and colors—we’re partial to the Sunset Circle in royal blue—it’ll make your favorite fern look like a work of art. www.wildehauspdx.com

Here’s a watering can that doubles as a decor piece, thanks to a color-forward glass treatment from the Midwestern plant lovers at Modern Sprout. We like the eclectic color combo of blush and amber, as much as the easy-fill top and narrow spout. www.modernsprout.com

Swap out the mason jar for this wall-mounted propagation vase. It’s cleverly shaped like an arch (made of PLA, or bioplastic) that encases a classic glass tube, thanks to 3D printing technology and a Washington-based maker. www.etsy.com/shop/ hobsonhandbags

“Irregular. Unpretentious. Earthy.” So goes the description of the handmade ceramics pieces at Ruby Farms Pottery in Vancouver, a collaborative creative effort between Courtney Wilson and Nick DeCaro. We’ll take every color of the 3-inch Hand-Dipped Ceramic Plant Pot, from pink to pistachio, all the better to highlight the deep green of our philodendrons. www.rubyfarms.net APRIL | MAY 2025

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Cassie Bergman/courtesy of Kat Sweet

mind + body

Finding Sweetlines Kat Sweet (center) leads a stretching exercise. Sweet founded her mountain bike coaching organization, Sweetlines, in 2011.

All things downhill are the way up for Kat Sweet and her mountain biker campers written by Lauren Kramer

KAT SWEET is a downhill skier who competed nationally and internationally in freeskiing and ski cross in her 20s.

When she burned out from ski competitions and was direly in need of a break, she headed out on her mountain bike, learning to tackle steep vertical trails. Those experiences bred such a love of biking that she quickly moved to a professional level, spending three years as a pro downhill mountain bike racer. Today, at 55, she continues to compete in category 1 mountain bike races, but she’s also teaching thousands of people in Greater Seattle and beyond to ride in her bike camps.

As they’ve navigated drops, jumps and obstacles, she firmly believes they’ve also learned crucial life lessons.

“Mountain biking pushes you mentally and physically. It’s not easy—sometimes you’re going to fall down, and it will hurt. But it builds your confidence,” she reflected. “You’ll encounter an obstacle on a trail, and in order to get beyond it, there’s work you need to do. As students progress, mountain biking teaches them that they can do so much more with their minds and bodies than they thought they could. Sometimes our belief that something is too difficult is the biggest obstacle holding us back.”

Sweet received her first bike, a 21-inch Rockhopper, at 17, as a high school graduation gift. “I just had the best time on it and fell 32

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in love with the sport,” she recalled. “There is something about the mixture of being out in the woods and at one with nature, but also the element of risk, that brings gravity and adrenaline to the experience and makes it so much fun.”

In 2011, while studying at the University of Washington, it dawned on her that all her college projects were about biking.

Her light bulb moment arrived—she was ready to commit to a career as a coach, and pass her love of mountain biking on to kids.

She founded her company, Sweetlines, the same year, and over the past decade has taught mountain biking to approximately 650 kids a year. Students have come from California, Illinois and

mind + body

“Mountain biking builds grit and teaches perseverance, learning from mistakes and the importance of continuing to move forward,” she said. “You don’t always have a perfect run, and part of the sport is accepting mistakes, learning and letting them go. I find that girls and women especially have a tendency to secondguess themselves and overthink things. So learning how to trust ourselves and our skills, and to push ourselves and our abilities, is a really powerful life lesson.”

Today, she’s nowhere close to slowing down, and she plans to keep racing downhill and continuing to train kids and bring new coaches to the sport. “Mountain biking gives people community and purpose, pushing them in ways that help them throughout their lives,” she said. “I love racing, and it pushes me to be a better rider, but I get much more gratification from coaching and mentoring.”

Patrick Zeust/courtesy of Kat Sweet

even Zimbabwe. “For me, the bike is a tool to make change in the world,” she said. “My goal at Sweetlines is to foster the next generation of mountain biker rippers, riders and coaches.”

Her camps cater to all ages and skill levels, from beginners up to advanced bikers, and many of her campers have become coaches themselves and are helping lead Sweetlines today.

Mountain biking has become a way of life for Sweet, who relishes her time on a trail. “Being a mountain biker has helped me persevere in hard times. It’s gotten me out moving when the weather is terrible and I’m not feeling great, but as soon as I get out there, my soul feels refreshed. It pushes you and builds courage and confidence,” she said.

While the sport remains male-dominated, Sweet encourages girls and women to get involved. She believes they have the most to gain from the skills biking teaches.

Kat Sweet

Mountain Bike Coach and Former Professional Downhill Mountain Bike Racer and Ski Competitor Age: 55 Born: San Francisco Lives: Seattle

INSPIRATION “My dad taught skiing for seventeen years. As a big road biker who is still enjoying cycling at age 88, he taught me a love of bikes and skis.”

Kat Sweet raced professionally for three years.

WORKOUT

“Being a mountain biker has helped me persevere in hard times. It’s gotten me out moving when the weather is terrible and I’m not feeling great, but as soon as I get out there, my soul feels refreshed. It pushes you and builds courage and confidence.”

“I’m out riding my bike four days a week in the winter and up to six days a week in the summer. I do sprints once or twice a week with the kids on the team, and an online gym workout to keep my body balanced.”

NUTRITION “I avoid processed foods and alcohol.”

— Kat Sweet

APRIL | MAY 2025

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STARTUP 36 MY WORKSPACE 38

pg. 38 For painter Dani Gray, curiosity and moody landscapes help drive her artistic exploration.

Bill Purcell

GAME CHANGER 42

ADVERTISEMENT

Sustainable and Regenerative Travel on

Whidbey Island

written by Gwyneth and Amiana Manser Photo: Gwyneth and Amiana Manser

WHIDBEY AND CAMANO ISLANDS promote regenerative travel, but what does that mean in practice? We, Gwyn and Ami, a Spokane-based couple passionate about sustainable travel, visited Whidbey Island to explore this concept. With backgrounds in agricultural sustainability and ecological restoration, we spent three days on the island during the shoulder season (late winter), focusing on two key aspects of regenerative tourism: supporting local food systems and exploring responsibly.

Exploring the island’s trails, and leaving no trace

Supporting Local Food Systems

• Dorothy Cleveland Trail – A peaceful forest hike with ocean

From farmers and fishers to bakers and makers, Whidbey Island has a thriving local food system! During our three wonderful days exploring the island, one of our goals was to eat locally produced foods during our trip. Supporting regional food systems is a great way to experience a ‘taste of place’ while supporting small scale, independent producers within the food system.

Since our rental, Keystone Cottage, had a full kitchen, we preordered local goods from Whidbey Island Grown Cooperative before arriving. The Cooperative is a food hub that sources products from small businesses, ensuring a sustainable, community-driven food system. Orders can be placed online and picked up from various island locations. Unlike traditional Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs, this system offers flexibility—visitors can order as needed without a subscription.

Our meals featured local delights: coffee from Foxglove Farm, eggs and microgreens from Whidbey Island Mushroom, and fresh bread from Little Red Hen. We also enjoyed a salad and pasta dish with ingredients from Chef in the Black Bandana and indulged in a marionberry pie from Whidbey Pies.

When dining out, we prioritized restaurants that use local ingredients. Greenbank Pantry and Deli serves excellent sandwiches, while Goldie’s and The Roost offer artisanal pizzas and vegetable-forward dishes. The Flower House Café is a standout for coffee, pastries, and locally sourced meals.

whidbeycamanoislands.com

Whidbey Island is home to an abundance of public lands and numerous recreational areas for hiking, biking, and wildlife viewing.

To reduce impact on popular sites like Deception Pass, we sought out lesser-known trails using the Whidbey and Camano Islands 24 Trails field guide. The Whidbey Camano Land Trust is another great resource for finding quiet, scenic hikes.

Some of our favorite off-the-beaten-path trails included:

views and abundant birdlife.

• Price Sculpture Forest – A unique walk featuring nature-inspired sculptures suspended among the trees.

• Strawberry Point Preserve Trail – A beautiful route through a forest and meadow, where we spotted early spring wildflowers.

• Wilbert Trail – A winding path through an ancient forest, featuring a 500-year-old cedar and educational ecology signs.

• Trustlands Trail – A serene, relatively flat trail system with an ADA-accessible Serenity Trail.

Wherever we hiked, we followed Leave No Trace principles to preserve the island’s natural beauty.

Whether enjoying locally sourced meals or exploring scenic trails, practicing regenerative tourism on Whidbey Island is easy! For more travel inspiration, check out gwynandami.com for the 11 best hikes on Whidbey Island!

Pick up a free trails guide at any island visitor center.

startup

Rome app co-founders Ana Malhotra and Sahil Naikwadi with their dog Rome.

Rome

dog park, but he started developing dog reactivity.

“His reactivity was bad enough that even taking him to the dog run for just potty breaks was difficult because we’d run into other dogs.”

Desperate to give Rome the space he needed to let out his energy, Malhotra and Naikwadi started getting creative with potential play spaces.

“We took him to tennis courts and baseball fields and places where he wasn’t allowed,” Malhotra explained. “We’d let him run off leash and do his thing, but it wasn’t working consistently. We even tried to go to dog parks around midnight, but other people having the same problem would already be there.”

“We were feeling really guilty that we brought this dog into an environment he wasn’t thriving in” said Naikwadi.

During this time, Malhotra and Naikwadi were working on an idea for developing a dating app.

“One day, we turned to each other and asked, ‘Why are we working on this dating app?’” Malhotra recalled. “We decided to solve our own problem.”

That solution came in the form of Rome, named, of course, after the couple’s pup. Launched in April 2024, Rome is a yard-sharing app that allows dog owners to book time in private yards near them.

The company has also partnered with several dogcentric businesses like Downtown Dog Lounge and Dog Yard Bar that offer use of their underutilized locations through the app.

Since its debut, the app has had more than 700 users sign up, with more than 125 wanting to host (homeowners set their hourly prices) and 550-plus bookings. So far, Ballard, Queen Anne and Greenwood have proven to be popular use areas, but the app’s map-first technology works to find the yards closest to a user’s location, with the goal of a quick and easy walk to a nearby yard.

“Movement is a core physiological need for dogs,” Malhotra said. “They need to get their steps in just like humans. Access to space is a huge pain point, and apartment and pet ownership is only going up.”

After a successful first year in Seattle, the Rome founders are setting their sights on expanding to other cities with high rates of dog ownership including Austin, Los Angeles, Portland and New York. They are currently working on integrating AI into the app so it can give owners recommendations on the best yards for their dog based on size, age, breed and desired activity level.

Last year, Malhotra and Naikwadi added another member to their pack: a second husky puppy named Mateo. He and Rome are close buddies who enjoy playing together in nearby yards.

“Unfortunately, in an ideal world, the company outlives Rome,” Malhotra said. “We want this to be his legacy. He’s our inspiration and reminds us every day why we’re working so hard.”

Startup

A Perfect Match for Pups

When a Seattle couple’s dog developed reactivity to other canines, they solved the problem by developing a yard-sharing app written by Rachel Gallaher NEARLY SIX years ago, two Seattle tech workers, Ana Malhotra and Sahil Naikwadi, brought home a small, white husky puppy and named him Rome. The dog joined the couple, who first met in college, in their high-rise apartment on First Hill. Everything was going great—the trio took walks around the neighborhood and spent time at a nearby dog park—but then, Rome started getting sick.

“He kept getting giardia,” Malhotra said, “and as first-time dog parents, we didn’t know why. The vet suggested that the particular dog park we were taking him to was causing him to get giardia over and over again.”

The couple stopped visiting the aforementioned park, which immediately solved the giardia problem—but then another issue arose. “He was a young, high-energy dog, and we lived in an apartment,” Malhotra said. “It had a dog run, but it was barely enough room for him to do his business.” They tried taking Rome to a new 36 1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE APRIL | MAY 2025

MORE ONLINE

Learn more at www.theromeapp.com, or download the Rome: Yard-Sharing for Dogs app on iOS or Android to sign up.

A Month-Long Culinary and Vinous Celebration Savor the flavors of the Pacific Northwest this May at the Sunriver Resort Food & Wine Festival sponsored by Sunriver Realty. This annual celebration highlights the region’s rich farming heritage and vibrant culinary scene. Events will take place among Sunriver Resort’s four Signature Restaurants, where each chef will showcase their unique vision, crafting dishes inspired

by Central Oregon’s natural bounty and the finest local ingredients.

F E ST I VA L H I G H L I G H TS

TASTING EVENTS • COOKING CLASSES • LIVE MUSIC • WINE & CUISINE STROLL MOTHERS’ DAY BRUNCH • BACKYARD PIG ROAST • ROCO WINE DINNER Sweeten the deal when you book our Dine & Unwind lodging offer which includes a $100 resort credit for each night of your stay and access to resort amenities.

SEE MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE SUNRIVER RESORT FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL AND PLAN YOUR VISIT AT SUNRIVERRESORT.COM

my workspace

Living Outside the Comfort Zone Artist Dani Gray finds growth and self-expression through constant challenge written by Joni Kabana photography by Bill Purcell

As someone who believes “nothing grows in a comfort zone,” Dani Gray does not shy away from exploring new territories when it comes to art. Working in acrylic, watercolors and oils, Gray invites challenges to her explorations of these mediums. She finds inspiration in ominous gray days more so than sunny days, which is reflected in her moody paintings.

Dani Gray in her art studio in Bremerton.

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Artwork: Dani Gray

Gray follows her curiosity and most often creates paintings in a series. “Not all of the paintings I finish actually make the finish line,” she said. “They get painted over or lead me down another path. This is how I evolve as an artist.” Gray believes everyone can be an artist, even if the creation does not speak to everyone. “That is why art is powerful and wonderful. I wholeheartedly believe that art is there within all of us—we just have to find a way to connect. As you keep going and sharing what you are doing, you will find your audience. And there is no such thing as wasting art supplies … unless you simply aren’t using them.”

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my workspace

Gray works in Workforce and Economic Development at Olympic College in Bremerton and spends her spare time concocting new ways to expand her artistic expressions. She also loves textiles and would like to learn how to develop skills to alter and construct her own clothing. “I feel like dressing authentically to myself and my taste is a small act of self-care,” she said. “It’s showing up for my true self.”

Gray is passionate about making art accessible to all. In 2023, she created a project called “60 under $60” where she engineered a collection of paintings that would allow for any budget to afford a piece of original art. In this collection, even the substrate was customized. She bought a sheet of the highest-grade plywood and cut it down into small panels. She spent limited time on each painting (with the exception of personal growth or exploration of new ideas and techniques). The works ranged from $30 to $60, depending on the size. The show quickly sold out. “I firmly believe that art has the ability to change hearts and save lives,” she said. Gray doesn’t seem to simply create art—she seems to live in it.

FROM TOP Dani Gray mixes paints in her studio. Gray shows off a mixed-media project.

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MORE ONLINE

See more of Dani Gray’s work at www.grayskiespainting.com and @GraySkies on Cara or @grayskiespainting on BlueSky.

game changer

Brandon Vasquez/Second Harvest

Second Harvest’s pop-up Mobile Markets help distribute food to families facing food insecurity.

Spreading the Bounty Eastern Washington’s Second Harvest stocks food banks and more written by Daniel O’Neil

EASTERN WASHINGTON is a fertile land, a veritable food basket. But hunger exists here regardless.

According to Feeding America, nearly 12 percent of Washington residents live with food insecurity, meaning they can’t always afford a complete meal.

To help fill that gap on the Eastside, Second Harvest has served as a food bank for food banks since 1971, putting 80,000 meals on tables each day.

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Today the Spokane-based nonprofit employs almost sixty people and otherwise relies on thousands of volunteers each year. With distribution centers in Spokane and Pasco, Second Harvest lies in the heart of Inland Northwest food production and is able to serve around 250 partners across twenty-one counties in Central and Eastern Washington, and another five in North Idaho.

Second Harvest distributes about 35 to 36 million pounds of food each year, the equivalent of more than seventeen semitruck loads a day. Less than 5 percent of this food comes from federal government programs, so local farms, ranches, processors, distribution centers and grocery stores help tackle the issue of hunger in the Inland Northwest instead, donating 90 percent of the food that Second Harvest helps distribute.

“We are really fortunate to be in an area that is bountiful,” said Eric Williams, a team member at Second Harvest. “The agriculture is bountiful, and the people in the region are extremely

game changer

“We are really fortunate to be in an area that is bountiful.

The agriculture is bountiful, and the people in the region are extremely generous.

We survive on generosity, whether it’s the generosity of volunteers or donors—that’s what makes it all possible.”

Brandon Vasquez/Second Harvest

effort. People enrolled at The Kitchen learn how to stretch their food dollars, and, importantly, how to cook with what they have in their pantry. Instructors at The Kitchen prepare classes based on the foods Second Harvest is distributing at the moment.

Mario Gonzalez, warehouse and logistics manager for Opportunities Industrialization Center in Yakima, has firsthand experience with how Second Harvest’s work supports OIC’s efforts to feed those in need. He credits Second Harvest’s network and advocacy efforts for bringing attention to food insecurity issues at both the local and state levels.

“Second Harvest’s support goes beyond just providing food,” Gonzalez said. “They help ensure that the food we distribute is nutritious and diverse, including fresh produce, dairy and protein options that are often harder for families to access. Their supply chain, logistics and large-scale food rescue efforts allow us to serve more people efficiently, especially as demand continues to grow.”

Despite its size, or because of it, Second Harvest is able to partner with smaller food banks like OIC to respond quickly — Eric Williams, Second Harvest during times of crisis. “Whether it’s economic downturns, unexpected job losses or natural disasters, Second Harvest engenerous. We survive on generosity, whether it’s the generosity sures that food is available when our community needs it most,” Gonzalez said. of volunteers or donors—that’s what makes it all possible.”

As the cost of living rises, more families, seniors Beyond providing essential meals, Second Harvest MORE ONLINE and children in Eastern Washington rely on the daily also works to prevent food waste. “Job number one for To learn more about efforts of Second Harvest to fend off food insecurity. us is getting food to people, but another priority is reSecond Harvest or to get involved, But the benefits of consistent healthy meals don’t end ducing how much goes into the landfill,” Williams said. visit www.2-harvest.org with sustenance and nutrition.

Distributing surplus food, or food that for one rea“When you see somebody struggling to decide if they’re going son or another can’t make it to grocery store shelves, is one way Second Harvest helps save food. The Kitchen at Second Harvest, to buy gas, pay rent or get food, if we can help relieve that, hopea teaching kitchen facility in Spokane, also contributes to the fully that changes the game for them.”

Volunteers sort through produce for Second Harvest.

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The 11 Best Places to Slurp

OYSTERS Around Washington written by Ryn Pfeuffer | illustrations by Ni Ma OYSTERS HAVE A REPUTATION—part indulgence, part aph-

rodisiac and always a conversation starter. While science hasn’t proven they boost libido, their zinc-packed punch can influence dopamine—aka the feel-good hormone.

When Covid hit in early 2020 and solo isolation became my reality, I needed to create experiences that brought me joy within the four walls of my Seattle apartment. Sourdough? A lost cause—I’m a terrible baker. Knitting? Not my thing. Zoom events? They got old fast.

But oysters? Their briny, sweet, umami-rich complexity never failed to lift my spirits—especially when shared with others.

But when pandemic dining restrictions took hold, one of my favorite pastimes vanished overnight.

Then I discovered a game changer: Hama Hama offered a screaming deal—three dozen oysters, including shipping, for Washington residents, all for $49. For months, I placed a standing Friday order, justifying it as part of my stay-healthy strategy (oysters, after all, are the richest natural food source of zinc).

Every Friday, I’d set aside a dozen and drop them—along with a bottle of cheap bubbly—at the doorstep of whichever neighbor was having the worst week. Some people mastered sourdough; I became proficient in oyster shucking—and so did many of my neighbors.

Shucking isn’t something you can rush. It demands patience and precision, a careful dance with the ridged shell. You have to find the oyster’s one weak spot, slip the knife into the seam and gently twist. Learning to navigate that fine line between resistance and surrender became a meditative practice for me.

Even now, after countless dozens, the process remains a fullsensory experience—from the sight of a plump oyster bathed in its liquor to the briny burst of that first slurp.

Here are eleven top spots to slurp oysters in the PNW, from tucked-away oyster bars to waterfront seafood havens.

Whether you crave briny Pacifics, buttery Olympias or a caviar pairing, these restaurants serve the freshest local bivalves—no shucking required.

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A perfect spread at Taylor Shellfish Farms’ Samish Oyster Bar and Shellfish Market. (photo: Feed It Creative)

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ORCAS ISLAND

Buck Bay Shellfish Farm Set on a grassy lawn overlooking Buck Bay, this seasonal gem offers fresh oysters and seafood just steps from the water where they grow their shellfish. Dine at a picnic table under mature willow trees with cozy blankets to keep you warm. Menu highlights include whole Dungeness crab, halibut fish and chips and decadent crab mac and cheese. Opens May 2025—though the property is for sale, we hope its legacy continues. (www.buckbayshellfishfarm.com)

Know Your PNW Oysters The Pacific Northwest is a bivalve paradise, home to some of the finest oysters in the world. Here are a few standout varieties you’ll find on local menus: HAMA HAMA: Grown in tumbling river currents, these oysters are clean, sweet and refreshingly briny.

KUMAMOTO: Small, deepcupped and ultra-creamy with a hint of melon. It is a favorite for beginners and connoisseurs alike.

OLYMPIA: The PNW’s only native oyster is tiny but mighty, delivering a bold, coppery punch.

PACIFIC: The most common West Coast oyster, Pacifics vary widely but often boast a sweet, fruity flavor with a touch of minerality.

SHIGOKU: Tumbled in the tide for a firm texture, these oysters are crisp and briny with a cucumber finish.

Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar in Olympia serves hyperlocal oysters as well as regional favorites. (photo: Poppi Photography/Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar)

OLYMPIA

Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar The oysters at Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar in Olympia are as fresh as the tide.

Its signature Chelsea Gem, tumbled in Eld Inlet, is a must-try, along with native Olympia oysters and a rotating selection of West Coast beauties.

Settle into the nautical-chic dining room for happy hour briny bites, or go all in with a PNW seafood platter or caviar-oysters-bubbles pairing. From crab linguini to geoduck ceviche, the menu celebrates the region’s bounty— best enjoyed with a flute of cava. (www. chelseafarms.net)

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SEATTLE

Half Shell Seattle’s Half Shell, just past Pike Place Market, is the kind of spot that makes you want to linger.

Oysters arrive perfectly chilled, sea-sweet and straight from Fanny Bay, while a butter-poached Dungeness crab roll and crisp shrimp cake sliders round out the menu. Even the burger and twice-fried fries deserve a mention.

And if you time it right, you might catch Tom Douglas himself shucking behind the bar. (www. halfshellseattle.com)

“Oysters’ briny, sweet, umami-rich complexity never failed to lift my spirits—especially when shared with others.”

Drayton Harbor Oyster Company in Blaine is a northern Washington favorite. (photo: Katheryn Moran)

BLAINE

Drayton Harbor Oyster Company

Half Shell near Pike Place in Seattle with one of its stellar offerings. (photo: Half Shell)

Founded in 1980, this oyster farm quickly grew, supplying fresh oysters to Seattle restaurants before opening its oyster bar. Set by the Salish Sea, it offers a variety of oysters and seafood dishes, including grilled oysters, oyster stew, po’boys, tacos and fried cod. Enjoy chilled rosé on the sidewalk in summer. (www.draytonharboroysters.com) APRIL | MAY 2025

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SEATTLE, BOW & SHELTON

Taylor Shellfish Farms At Melrose Market in Seattle, Taylor Shellfish’s Happy Hour is the perfect time to savor fresh oysters, geoduck and clams. Pair them with a crisp white wine while enjoying the lively atmosphere. For a more relaxed experience, head to Samish Oyster Bar and Shellfish Market in Bow, where you can sit outside and enjoy oysters right on the farm. (www.taylorshell fishfarms.com)

LANGLEY

Saltwater Fish House & Oyster Bar

Taylor Shellfish Farms on Melrose Avenue in Seattle is a hip place to slurp back fresh oysters. (photo: Feed It Creative)

BELLINGHAM

Rock and Rye Oyster House

In the heart of Langley—“The Village by the Sea”—this welcoming seafood spot is a bivalve lover’s dream. Happy Hour brings discounted oysters, beautifully shucked and served with fresh horseradish and a perfect mignonette. Follow with crispy crab cakes, or dive into rotating specials like Pacific Northwest cioppino. Not a seafood fan?

The wedge salad won’t disappoint.

With a view of Saratoga Passage, it’s a must-visit on Whidbey Island. (www.saltwaterlangley.com)

Rock and Rye, tucked inside Bellingham’s historic Herald Building, nails the balance between upscale and unfussy. If Judd Cove oysters from Orcas Island are on the menu, don’t think about it—just order. Or go for the Oysters Cascadia, broiled with Pernod, capers and a rich mushroom blend.

The beef carpaccio is another standout, best paired with a spritz on tap.

Swing by for Happy Hour (4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and all day Sunday) and stay awhile. (www.rockrye.com)

“Rock and Rye, tucked inside Bellingham’s historic Herald Building, nails the balance between upscale and unfussy. If Judd Cove oysters from Orcas Island are on the menu, don’t think about it—just order.”

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Check out the chalkboard at Saltwater Fish House & Oyster Bar for the day’s oyster selections. (photo: @saltwaterlangley)

Hama Hama Oyster Company on Hood Canal is the center of the oyster experience. (photo: Jackie Dodd)

How to Shuck Oysters Like a Pro

By Bobby Palmquist, executive chef of Sea Creatures

Fresh oysters are a treat, but shucking them can feel intimidating. Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered. Follow these steps, and you’ll be cracking open shells like a seasoned pro in no time.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED • 2 kitchen towels • A sturdy oyster knife (like the blue-handled Deglon—it’s a workhorse!)

• Fresh oysters (try Hama Hama Blue Pools if you’re a beginner)

STEP-BY-STEP SHUCKING

LILLIWAUP

Hama Hama Oyster Company Nestled at the mouth of the Hamma Hamma River, Hama Hama Oyster Company is a sixth-generation, family-run farm offering a unique oyster experience.

Visitors can shuck their own oysters at the Oyster Saloon, learn at oyster-tasting classes or join seasonal Farm Days. Enjoy crisp Hama Hama oysters or the rich Blue Pool, and don’t forget to check out their A-frame shelters. (www. hamahamaoysters.com)

SET UP YOUR WORKSPACE Lay a folded kitchen towel on a stable surface. Place the oyster on top, with the hinge facing right (for righthanders). The hinge is the pointy end, not the rounded front.

GRIP & INSERT THE KNIFE Cover the oyster with your second towel, holding it firmly. Insert the tip of your oyster knife into the hinge, wiggling it in about 1/8 to 1/4 inch until it’s stuck.

POP THE SHELL OPEN Twist the knife to break the seal. If the hinge breaks off, go a little deeper and try again.

The top shell should lift slightly, but it’s still attached at the front by the adductor muscle.

2025

CUT THE TOP FREE Slide your knife along the inside of the top shell to slice through the adductor muscle.

Remove the top shell completely.

FREE THE OYSTER Turn the oyster around and slide your knife under it to cut the adductor muscle from the bottom shell. The oyster should now rest freely in its own briny liquor.

FINAL CHECK & SERVE Remove any shell fragments with your finger. Then, enjoy your oyster straight up, with a squeeze of lemon, or topped with shallot mignonette and fresh horseradish.

Now, grab a glass of something crisp and enjoy the fruits of your labor—cheers!

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BALLARD

The Walrus & the Carpenter The Walrus and the Carpenter is Seattle’s most iconic oyster bar, tucked inside a historic Ballard brick building. Nine to twelve varieties—sourced from Hood Canal to Hammersley Inlet—are beautifully displayed on ice. First-timers should try the cornmeal-fried oysters.

No reservations, so arrive at 4 p.m. or wait it out next door at Barnacle Bar. (www.thewalrusbar.com)

The lively Walrus and the Carpenter in Ballard epitomizes the buzz around fresh seafood. (photo: Eric Tra/Sea Creatures)

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Easy Champagne & Shallot Mignonette Here’s a quick and easy recipe for a tasty mignonette, from Bobby Palmquist, executive chef of Sea Creatures:

For those visiting San Juan Island, stop by Westcott Bay Shellfish Company. (photo: Westcott Bay Shellfish Company)

SAN JUAN ISLAND

Westcott Bay Shellfish Company On the shores of Westcott Bay, this family-owned shellfish farm delivers oysters as fresh as it gets. Tie up at the dinghy dock, grab a bag of High Beach Sweets to-go or settle in at the Tide Tables for raw, baked or grilled oysters. Founded by Erik and Andrea Anderson, the farm is rooted in sustainability, stewardship and seriously good shellfish—rain or shine. (www.westcottbayshellfish.com)

• 1 medium shallot • 1 cup champagne vinegar • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper Peel and finely mince the shallot.

Mix the minced shallot with the champagne vinegar and black pepper.

NOTE: To make it a bit easier, blend the shallot with the vinegar in a blender, and then add the black pepper.

PIKE PLACE MARKET

Emmett Watson’s Oyster Bar Seattle’s oldest oyster bar, opened in 1979 by newspaperman Emmett Watson, serves up no-frills oysters on the half shell or broiled with parmesan, bacon and butter. The menu is written on paper bags, and the décor is casual—perfect for those who want great oysters without the fuss or high prices. Also, try the fish and chips. (www.emmettwatsons.com)

“Seattle’s oldest oyster bar, opened in 1979 by newspaperman Emmett Watson, serves up no-frills oysters on the half shell or broiled with parmesan, bacon and butter.”

Emmett Watson’s Oyster Bar at Pike Place Market. (photo: Pike Place Market PDA)

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Isik Cushman-WhiteEyes, 4, follows the beat as other community members sing and drum. Chinook people have songs for almost every occasion— whether for ceremony, paddling or a simple lullaby—and these songs are considered a vital part of their wealth.

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Chinook State

I

Why is one of Washington’s most iconic tribes still unrecognized by the United States?

written by Daniel O’Neil photography by Amiran White

n early January 2001, a celebration was held in Washington, D.C., on the occasion of federal recognition for the Lower Band of Chinook Indians in Southwest Washington. There was cake. Tributes and congratulations were shared for a success several decades—several centuries, really—in the making. The Notice of Final Determination was published in the Federal Register, and descendants of the first people to live along the northern side of the mouth of the Columbia River reveled in the bliss of the moment.

A year and a half later, President George W. Bush held a dinner in the nation’s capital for tribal nations that had helped the Lewis and Clark expedition. Now a federally recognized tribe, the Chinook were proudly in attendance—the explorers had overwintered on Clatsop-Chinookan land. Then, two days later, the Bureau of Indian Affairs announced a reversal of federal recognition for the Chinook, a decision that stands today.

Despite having inhabited both shores of the Columbia,

historically from the Pacific Coast to the Cascade Range, for more than 10,000 years, the Chinook are still not considered a sovereign tribe by the United States government.

As a result, they go without funding for essential services like health care and education. They lack resources for the preservation of their culture. And they have no say in land-use decisions on their traditional homelands. Essentially, the Chinook are still condemned to the past and its injustices.

Despite a strong sense of community and morale among the Chinook today, only federal recognition can restore the Chinook as a great nation.

“Chinook has a very hard time saying that we are not federally recognized,” said Tony Johnson, chairman of the Chinook Indian Nation, which today seeks federal recognition for descendants of the Lower Columbia bands of Chinook. “We have all the issues of Indian Country and none of the means of fixing it.”

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“Welcome to Unceded Chinook Territory” is written on a sign posted along Highway 101 near the AstoriaMegler Bridge in Washington, marking the land that has been home to the Chinook people for generations.

From the end of the last Ice Age to the early 1800s, the Chinook controlled a trade empire from territories just north and south of the mouth of the Columbia and upriver to the great fishing sites near present-day The Dalles. Their earliest interactions with Euro-Americans were “Chinook has a very recorded by figures like Robert Gray, hard time saying that who claimed the Columbia River for the we are not federally United States in 1792; George Vancouver; Lewis and Clark; the Astor expedirecognized. We have tion; and photographer Edward Curtis. all the issues The Chinookan claim for federal recogof Indian Country nition as a tribe begins here. and none of the In the 1850s, United States treaties means of fixing it.” with different bands of the Chinook from the mouth of the Columbia—the — Tony Johnson, Chinook Lower Chinook, Willapa and WahkiaIndian Nation chairman kum in Washington, and the Clatsop and Kathlamet in Oregon—demanded displacement from their ancestral lands. But the Chinook refused to go, so the treaties were never signed nor ratified by the Senate.

“It’s not coincidental that Chinook is not recognized,” Johnson said. “The truth is, in some ways, it’s our decision making because our decision was that 54 1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE APRIL | MAY 2025

we would not leave our place. We said very clearly in those treaty negotiations, we were staying with the bones of our ancestors, and we were going to be buried alongside them.”

By the time of the treaties, epidemics had reduced Chinookan populations so severely, up to 90 percent, that Chinook from both sides of the Columbia River either relocated to live with relatives on nearby reservations like at Quinault, or they stayed home and formed part of the new community.

In the early twentieth century, various groups of Chinook pursued some form of recognition. Land claims settlements were awarded, for example, and some Chinook were granted individual Indian money accounts and Indian “blue card” permits for hunting and fishing. Then, in the 1950s, the federal government terminated the recognition of tribes in Western Washington and Western Oregon, which included any dealings with the Chinook.

“To this day, the Bureau of Indian Affairs manages Indian money market accounts and probates the estates of Chinook Indians, even though they’re not recognized as the member of a tribe, which is mind-boggling,” said Stephen Dow Beckham, professor emeritus of history at Lewis & Clark College in Portland.

Beckham spent twenty years helping research, write and submit the Chinook petition for federal recognition that was approved in 2001. During that time, Beckham witnessed firsthand what he called the “duplicity” and “incompetence” of the federal-recognition process. Today, Beckham has no doubts about the legitimacy of the petition he wrote, but he has had no involvement with the Chinook since 2001.

Just before federal recognition was granted in 2001, opponents of the pending decision seized on the tumultuous post-contact history of the Chinook to discredit them. Foremost among these was the Quinault Indian Nation, which spent several hundred thousand dollars to legally challenge the federal recognition of the neighboring Chinook and Cowlitz tribes, on the grounds that neither had maintained a politicocultural presence on the landscape. The Cowlitz prevailed, but the Chinook did not.

The explanation for Quinault opposition lies especially in the ownership of valuable allotments on the Quinault Reservation. In 1932, the Chinook, Cowlitz and Chehalis Indians who resided on the Quinault Reservation won a Supreme Court case that awarded them the right to 80-acre land allotments there. Although not enrolled in the Quinault Indian Nation,

these three tribes did vote to create a confederation of tribes, but the Quinault refused to comply. With 55 percent of the allotments still in Chinookan hands, the Quinault fear that a federally recognized Chinook Nation would have influence over Quinault affairs.

“These issues are volatile,” Beckham said. “They were extremely volatile twenty-five years ago, and they definitely clouded or affected the reversal of the decision on the Chinook petition.”

For Jon Daehnke, associate professor of anthropology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and author of Chinook Resilience: Heritage and Cultural Revitalization on the Lower Columbia River, such pitfalls are vestiges of colonialism. “In a lot of ways, it worked better for the federal government to get these communities fighting with each other,” he said. “These hostilities or disagreements are always centered on trying to take resources from people.”

Besides what he calls a lingering “anti-Indian” sentiment, Daehnke believes the federal government is concerned about what must be given, and about what would be lost in such a strategic and resource-rich area as the mouth of the Columbia River. He also considers the concerns of neighboring recognized tribes in Washington and Oregon and what toeholds they APRIL | MAY 2025

ABOVE Chairman Tony Johnson holds up the First Salmon during the Salmon Ceremony at Fort Columbia State Park.

Chinook members gather annually on both sides of the Columbia River to honor the first salmon, fulfilling ancient obligations set by Coyote to ensure the salmon’s return. The ceremony celebrates this vital resource with traditions and gratitude, emphasizing the community’s deep connection to the river and its lifesustaining gifts.

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BELOW The Chinook are proud of their unbroken canoe culture, with both the Nation and individual families owning canoes used for ceremony, travel and work. The Chinook Indian Nation preserves this vibrant culture, using inherited knowledge to build and use canoes for travel, fishing, hunting and ceremonies, sustaining their deep ancestral ties to the water.

AT FAR RIGHT, FROM TOP Members of the Chinook Nation gather at the plank house, built in partnership with the Park Service and volunteers, in the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge during the annual Winter Gathering. This tradition connects the Chinook to their ancestral teachings and winter lifeways. Each January, the Chinook host the gathering to honor these traditions, inviting neighboring tribes to share in songs, dances and stories, reinforcing cultural and community bonds.

might lose if the Chinook are federally recognized.

“There are no tribal communities elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest that are saying these people aren’t Chinook,” he said.

Apart from unresolved issues with some of its neighboring tribes, and indifference on the federal level, recognition for the Chinook Indian Nation faces challenges due to the breadth of its claim. While the petition Beckham helped prepare only applied to the Lower Band of Chinook in Washington’s Pacific County, today’s push for recognition includes five bands of Chinook, on both sides of the Columbia River. Further, the two Oregon bands were officially terminated in 1954 and are prohibited from reapplying for recognition.

Historically, the various bands of Chinook shared cultural and familial ties, but they were never organized as a single tribe or nation. In ancestral Chinookan territory, as along the entire West Coast, autonomous villages formed the political unit, each with its own leader. Treaty negotiations in the 1850s therefore had to deal with the different bands of Chinook individually. Historians and anthropologists still consider Chinookan a linguistic term, not a geopolitical one.

Chairman Johnson disagrees. He views the Columbia River as an arbitrary border. Both he and his wife, like many of the 3,300 enrolled members of the Chinook Indian Nation, draw their ancestry from various

Sam Robinson, vice-chairman of the Chinook Indian Nation, speaks with visitors about the history of the Chinook people and the ongoing struggles for federal recognition. “Our name is everywhere. Our language is everywhere.

We’ve existed always,” he shares, emphasizing the deep roots and enduring presence of the Chinook Nation.

Members of the Chinook Indian Nation Culture Committee discuss issues during their monthly meeting at the tribal office in Bay Center. The office, an old house at the front of Bush Park, was donated by a tribal member and renovated by volunteers to serve as a hub for the community.

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bands of Chinook and from neighboring tribes in Oregon and Washington due to centuries of intermarriage, including with Euro-Americans. For Johnson and the Chinook Indian Nation, regardless of the written historical record, today’s Chinookan descendants are one.

“We are the people from this place,” Johnson said.

“The paths that we’re on are political. We operate as, and have a full expectation of being treated as, a sovereign nation at the mouth of the river. We have that expectation in terms of how people treat us, and most organizations, entities and governments do treat us that way.”

I

n the most important ways, the Chinook are already living as a recognized tribe. They are a tight community, always helping one another. They participate in Tribal Journeys, a multi-tribe canoe excursion, paddling cedar canoes they have hewn in the same fashion as their ancestors. They celebrate a First Salmon ceremony each spring and are reviving their language and art forms. “Everyday Chinook,” they call it—living Chinook all day, every day of their lives.

Still, federal recognition provides benefits and status of significant proportions. “When you don’t have federal status and you’re amongst other federally recognized tribes, sometimes you’re looked down on,

you’re not equal, and that hurts,” said vice-chairman Sam Robinson, who has been on the entirely volunteer-presided Chinook Tribal Council since 2002, and who served four years in the U.S. Army. “To go back to when we were all equal, before there was federal status, when we’re all tribes and we’re equal, would be really good.”

Federal recognition would restore Chinookan rights to hunt and fish and to be consulted on archeological and cultural resource projects in their traditional territory. It would include them in the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. Most importantly, recognition would benefit the Chinook in key areas like health care and education. “As a tribal leader, it’s been very difficult not being able to provide for our people,” Robinson said. “The more we can provide for ourselves, the better off we are, and the more we’ll be able to provide for others as well.”

Mental health has an added dimension in Indigenous communities, the Chinook included. From the 1880s through the 1920s, Indian boarding schools took children from their homes to be raised according to traditional American values. The trauma of such separation from family, community and culture, and the terrible experiences lived at boarding school, have left emotional scars that are passed down through generations.

“One of my great frustrations, and one of the reasons why Chinook has to be recognized, is because we were Native enough to drag us off and cause all that harm in the community,” Johnson said. “Well, then we sure as hell better be Native enough to get the recognition that will allow us access to resources to heal from it, to move forward like the rest of the communities are trying to do.”

T

he Chinook are thankful to have allies near home who embrace them as a tribal nation.

These include recognized tribes like the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe in Washington and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde in Oregon, where many Chinook descendants have lived for generations. Other important relationships are emerging with non-tribal institutions.

In November 2024, the Chinook Indian Nation signed a memorandum of understanding with Columbia Land Trust, a conservationist landowner in traditional Chinook territory that formally supports federal recognition for the Chinook. Their partnership seeks to protect, co-manage and provide access to areas deemed important by the Chinook, and to help them in the process of recovering some of their ancestral lands.

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“In speaking about Chinook restoration over the years, I talk about the importance of having a federally recognized tribe in your backyard, and how important it is to Mother Earth because we’d be able to help take care of her with that status,” Robinson said.

Recognition would provide the Chinook with resources to acquire land and hire staff. It would also give them a seat at the table for local land management. Columbia Land Trust Conservation Director Cathy Kellon is well aware of the invaluable contribution that the Chinook can give to the land. “There is a knowledge and understanding of a place that comes with being the original stewards, and there’s no substitute for that,” she said.

In Astoria, the Columbia River Maritime Museum overlooks the river’s bay-like mouth, where ships come and go constantly, and where Chinookan canoes once did the same for millennia. Five years ago, the museum began working with the Chinook to include their story. The newly opened Chinook exhibit, which includes Chinookan canoes when they’re not in use, serves as a welcome to the Chinookan homelands and to another exhibit, Cedar and Sea, that presents the Indigenous maritime cultures of the Pacific Northwest Coast.

Bruce Jones, the museum’s executive director, said he made a commitment to the Chinook that they would always have a presence there. The museum would be incomplete without a Chinook exhibit, he said, which helps expand awareness to tourists and locals alike.

“When people hear the live voices in the exhibit’s videos, it’s just a reinforcement of the fact that this is not a historical exhibit,” Jones said. “These are people living and breathing today in our community that are members of the Chinook Indian Nation. They’re talking to us in 2025 about what the culture means today.”

“I can’t tell you how proud it makes me to come up the highway and see this giant billboard for the exhibit saying, ‘This is Our Place,’ with a picture of a Chinook canoe on it, marking our territory and letting people know that we’re still here, still doing the ways of our ancestors,” Robinson said.

The awareness created through exhibits and partnerships generates momentum in society, both locally and beyond. One direction for this momentum is political—putting pressure on the federal government to recognize the Chinook. As Daehnke noted, “When people hear more and more about this story, they more and more ask, ‘What the hell? We know these people, they’re our neighbors, and they’re important people in our community, and we know this landscape. Why is this not happening?’”

T

he Chinookan push for federal recognition dates back nearly 200 years. Progress seems limited, but the Chinook see signs of promise. For instance, in February 2024 the BIA released nearly $700,000 to the Chinook Indian Nation that had been held by the government since 1970. These funds, originally totaling $48,000, were won in a land claims settlement but were never distributed because there was no federally recognized tribe to “As a tribal leader, receive them. it’s been very Ultimately, federal recognition of sovereign status is a question of diplo- difficult not being macy. Several ways forward exist, each able to provide with its own political or bureaucratic for our people. complications: Congress could pass The more we a bill, the Office of Federal Acknowledgement could approve the petition, can provide for or presidential executive order could ourselves, the better be given. off we are, and Today, the Chinook have political the more we’ll be allies in Washington State, Oregon able to provide for and Washington, D.C. Ever since the reversal of recognition in 2002, con- others as well.” gresspeople in Washington State have — Sam Robinson, Chinook Indian Nation vice-chairman proposed legislation and endorsed recognition for the Chinook. Following reelection in 2024, U.S. Representative from Southwest Washington Marie Gluesenkamp Perez has made the push for Chinook recognition part of her agenda and is currently working on a new bill for Congressional approval.

“Federal recognition would grant the tribe a government-to-government relationship with the UnitAT FAR LEFT Members of the ed States and begin to right the wrongs the Chinook Chinook Indian people have endured for generations,” she said in a Nation, including council member statement. “We are continuing to build buy-in and Rachel Cushman consensus from local stakeholders and tribes to be and her son Kanim, 7, rally for able to get recognition legislation across the finish federal recognition line—that way the Chinook Indian Nation can access outside the federal long-awaited resources and opportunities.” courthouse in Seattle. They listen The Chinook see recognition as a benefit not just as Tribal Chairman to the tribe but to all of Southwest Washington. With Tony Johnson declares, “We exist, a centralized government, complete with robust and we will continue. tribal agencies and any potential business ventures, It is an obligation to our ancestors, the Chinook would become a major employer in the the hell they went region. The economic opportunities and benefits through to get us would extend well into non-tribal communities. here, and to our children.” Each year “We want to be good neighbors,” Robinson said. “I that the Nation’s like to remind people that in 1889, it wasn’t the Everright to exist is denied, more elders green State, it was the Chinook State. We could step who have dedicated up and help out again. We’re here, you know. We’re their lives to seeking recognition are lost. not going away.”

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AN OCEAN’S LIFE written by Kerry Newberry | photography by Annie Crawley AS A PROFESSIONAL underwater photographer and filmmaker, Annie Crawley spends more time with fins on her feet in the ocean than on land. Originally from Chicago, she experienced a life-altering course after college when she learned to dive. It was love at first dip. “Scuba diving changed my life,” she said. “I found home in the ocean.”

Since that first plunge, she’s spent the last thirty years living and working around the waters of the world from the Galapagos to Papua New Guinea. “There’s nothing like the feeling of diving,” she said. “Swaying with a kelp forest as seals and sea lions play hide-and-seek, discovering new animal behaviors like moon snails hunting clams, or swimming with hundreds of silky sharks.”

Trading palm trees for pine trees, she now lives in Edmonds. She’s especially drawn to the Salish Sea with dozens of local dive sites up and down the Northwest coast.

“Diving allows me to explore the other 70 percent of our planet,” she said. “Every dive is different. I love capturing my visions of the sea and sharing them.”

In 2006, she founded Dive Into Your Imagination, creating a series centered on ocean literacy ranging from books to lesson plans for schools. “I founded my company to change the way the next generation views the ocean and themselves,” she said. “The ocean is often underrepresented in the education system and misrepresented by the media.”

Crawley’s ultimate goal is to create inspiring stories about her ocean home that lead to education and advocacy. “The ocean is what gives our planet life. Every breath we take connects us to the sea. It produces 70 percent of the oxygen we need and feeds our world. Without a healthy ocean, we are not healthy.”

You can meet Crawley on April 22 at the Edmonds Community Center, where she is the keynote speaker for Our Voice, Our Power, Our Planet. Learn more about her photography and offerings at www.anniecrawley.com.

“Melibi nudibranchs have a unique way of feeding,” said Annie Crawley. “Instead of a rasping tongue, they take their hood and expand it, feeding on phytoplankton in the water column.

This is a mating aggregation filmed in the shallows of the healthy eelgrass bed in Edmonds Underwater Park. Eelgrass provides food, shelter and nursery grounds for many marine species. It’s something I highlight and raise awareness for because eelgrass meadows are experiencing a decline globally.”

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT The magnificent giant Pacific octopus is found in the waters of the Pacific Northwest, including Puget Sound. “With three hearts, blue blood and nine brains, they use their suckers to taste, smell and feel their way around their world. It’s every diver’s dream to see one,” said Crawley. She captured this GPO scouting for shellfish at Sunrise Beach in Gig Harbor.

Crawley at Edmonds Underwater Park, a marine conservation area and bird sanctuary. “After learning to dive, I sold my car to purchase my first underwater camera systems. From the very beginning, I trained in both photo and video. When

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shooting photos, I’m capturing a magical moment in time. Behaviors are best captured with video, and I find they have the power to really wow an audience,” said Crawley. As an ocean-inspired storyteller, she aims to convey how important it is to speak up for the ocean. “Without us, the ocean has no voice.”

The red sea urchin is the largest of the sea urchins and can live to be 200 years old. “In this picture, you can see its tube feet on its underside as it crawls over the bottom using its spines as stilts,” said Crawley. “The tubed feet have suction cup suckers and use a hydraulic system to move and feed.”

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT “When the tide is out, the table is set! That iconic phrase of living here in the Pacific Northwest not only pertains to people, but to all the marine birds that rely on the sea for protein,” said Crawley. “Overfishing is one of the biggest threats facing our world’s oceans. We must do everything in our power to protect our environment.”

“The Salish Sea is also known as the Emerald Sea because there’s often a green hue underwater due to the massive quantities of phytoplankton,” said Crawley. “Sometimes when divers look in the distance, we can see what appears to be floating clouds. As you approach closer, you see plumose sea anemones with their feeding tentacles extended to catch anything edible passing by. Secured to the bottom of rocky reefs, they can grow a few inches or extend up to a meter or more. Diving in the Salish Sea is like entering another world.”

Crawley’s dive team on the Bruce Higgins Trails at Edmonds Underwater Park. This 27-acre marine preserve is located at Brackett’s Landing North. “It’s a no-take and no-boat zone, making it the most popular of the ten underwater parks in

Washington state,” said Crawley. One way Crawley aims to connect more people to the ocean is with scuba classes.

“People are often surprised that you can dive starting at age 10.”

“The farther north we travel, the more colorful the reefs become,” Crawley said. “Diving in the San Juan Islands is like the Fiji of the Pacific Northwest. The walls explode with a rainbow of oranges, reds, yellows, pinks and purples.

Translated into sea speak, these are burrowing sea cucumbers, strawberry anemones, encrusting algae, sponges and tunicates.” Also pictured here is a bat star, found from Sitka, Alaska, all the way down to Baja Mexico.

“In the Pacific Northwest, we can dive year-round—yet like seasons on land, there are seasons in the sea,” said Crawley.

“During the winter, male whitespotted greenlings protect eggs laid by the female. The male chooses the nesting site, in this case on an algae bed in the middle of an eelgrass field.

After he entices the female to lay her eggs, she swims off and leaves the male working to guard the eggs until they hatch. The gold mass in the foreground are the eggs.”

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“Diving with Steller sea lions is an unforgettable adventure. They are like the puppy dogs of the sea—playful and curious,” said Crawley. The acrobatic creatures are the largest sea lions in the world. Adult males can be up to 11 feet long and weigh up to 2,500 pounds, while adult females can be up to 9.5 feet long and weigh up to 800 pounds. “They will swim right up into your face and look into your eyes before swooshing off to play with someone their own size,” said Crawley.

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TRAVEL SPOTLIGHT 70 ADVENTURE 74 LODGING 76 TRIP PLANNER 78

pg. 70 Sample buzzworthy, botanically infused honey wines at Hierophant Meadery on Whidbey Island.

Brooke Fitts

NORTHWEST DESTINATION 84

Leave Winter behind. . . for Spring sunsets!

Call 360-756-1005 and ask for the weekday Trifecta Package: • Overnight stay in a Bay View Room • $50 spa credit • $20 restaurant credit Plan 2-4 weeks ahead for best spa availability.

Some restrictions may apply.

Bellingham, WA

travel spotlight

Sacred Honey Hierophant Meadery in Freeland brings the buzz to bee-forward beverages written by Joni Kabana | photography by Brooke Fitts

Hierophant Meadery owners Jeremy Kyncl and Michelle Scandalis in the Hierophant tasting room in Freeland.

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BEES HAVE BEEN in the news lately and with good reason. U.S. bee populations have steadily declined in recent years due to parasites, disease, pesticides, loss of habitat and many other factors. The effects of this decline results in a destabilization of our ecosystem, as bees play a major part in keeping things buzzing.

Michelle Scandalis and Jeremy Kyncl, owners of Hierophant Meadery on South Whidbey Island in Freeland, are fully aware of the importance of bees and herald them as sacred entities.

YOUR NW TRADITION Escape to the glacier-carved shores of Hood Canal.

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550 Winslow Way East, Bainbridge Island, WA OPEN DAILY & FREE ADMISSION | BIARTMUSEUM.ORG

travel spotlight

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Jeremy Kyncl adds cardamon and ginger root to a bubbling pear purée at Hierophant Meadery’s production facility. The Hierophant Meadery tasting room. A few of Hierophant’s offerings.

When you visit their website, you’ll quickly see their reverence for bees when they describe how they arrived at naming their mead-making business: “The Hierophant is generally described as one who reveals or shows what is sacred or holy. We believe that the honey bee should be revered as such, as the declining population of honey bees and wild pollinators most certainly reveal to us that change is needed in the way things are done in our food system.”

Hierophant Meadery specializes in metheglin-style, botanically infused honey wines. This process uses Pacific Northwest wildflower honey and plants to create a unique flavor profile, one that surprises those who usually don’t like the taste of mead. Stop by the tasting room to learn about the variants they 72 1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE APRIL | MAY 2025

produce, and take a walk in their herb garden to see the variety of plants and the honey bees in action. Hierophant Meadery also sources plants from local small growers.

Don’t want to drink alcohol? Hierophant Meadery also offers “switchels,” which are made with nettle beer, apple cider and other palatable ingredients. Many visitors like to take their selected beverage and meander along the pathways they refer to as a “pollinator refuge” or sip in the park near Double Bluff Beach.

You can also take home growlers and other apothecary items.

Hierophant Meadery is located at the corner of State Highway 525 and Double Bluff Road in Freeland, just a short ferry ride from Seattle. For more information and a list of upcoming events, see www.hierophantmeadery.com.

Hierophant Meadery incorporates Pacific Northwest wildflower honey and plants into its beverages.

adventure Sunset on Elliott Bay is best experienced on the water as part of a kayak tour.

Seattle Skyline to Saltwater Playground Embrace urban pulse and natural serenity on a kayak tour through Elliott Bay

Alki Kayak Tours

written by Cathy Carroll

LOOKING OUT over Elliott Bay from downtown Seattle, the clock on the three-story-tall, red neon Public Market Center sign marks time above the historic heart of Pike Place, bustling since 1907. It’s easy to imagine the boom of prospectors boarding steamships, on their way to the Yukon to strike it rich mining gold. Before that relatively recent history, the Coast Salish tribes fished these waters for time immemorial.

This is the view from the rooftop terrace and many rooms of The State Hotel, an eight-story, 1904 building, once the centerpiece of the new downtown Seattle landscape. Along with every modern amenity, compelling contemporary artistic decor and a neighborhood packed with urban pleasures, from music venues to the Seattle Art Museum, its Sound views and proximity to the water issue a siren call that can’t be ignored.

Answer it with a kayak, easily accessible, even for urban adventurers with no paddling experience. Head to Pier 50, about an eighteen-minute walk from the hotel, and get your first dose of salty air on a ten-minute ride across the bay aboard a King County Water Taxi as the downtown skyline, Mount Rainier 74 1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE APRIL | MAY 2025

and the Olympic Range come into view. Hop off in West Seattle, where Alki Kayak Tours, a family-run business since 2005, is steps from the dock.

Paddling south along the shoreline and following Gill McLynne—general manager, lead tour guide and instructor for Alki Kayak Tours—the iconic sounds of seabirds take over as urban and natural landscapes collide. That juxtaposition is evident along the shore at Jack Block Park. After an environmental cleanup of the former shipbuilding facility and wood treatment plant, which was contaminated with creosote and designated a Superfund site by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the park beach opened to the public in 2011.

“I love paddling down there, because you really get to see these old pilings, this old railway that goes right into the water that’s being retaken by nature,” said McLynne. Harbor seals, great blue herons and a resident bald eagle’s nest evidence nature’s resurgence. Instead of city pedestrians, sea lions, harbor porpoises and migratory and residential waterfowl—swan-necked western grebes and pigeon guillemots—abound.

adventure

Alki Kayak Tours

Look out for marine visitors during outings with Alki Kayak Tours off the shores of West Seattle.

and owner of the building’s original restaurant. Grab a libation and circle back to the rooftop terrace for a seagull’s view of the path paddled, illuminated by the 175-foot-tall Great Wheel.

En route, custom wall coverings from Portland artist Kate Blairstone offer another feast—a flamboyant design mix of Pike Place Market seafood, produce, flowers and souvenirs: a visual treasure hunt composed of hundreds of hand-drawn illustrations. Land-based once again, from your guestroom window, bid the bay goodnight.

Ready to get out on the water? Learn more or book a kayak tour at www.kayakalki.com. For more Seattle-area adventure, rent a kayak from Northwest Outdoor Center on Lake Union (www.nwoc.com) and paddle up to Gasworks Brewing. Plus: Third and fourth rental hours are free on weekdays!

LEARN MORE

The State Hotel

Guides are mindful about giving wildlife their space, but the etiquette is often unreciprocated. “They will pop up almost right next to your kayak, just to kind of check you out,” said McLynne.

“I’ve had them pop up right next to my kayak and scare the bejeebers out of me … a sea lion that’s almost as big as your kayak … out of nowhere. We’ve had little pups pop up and follow us, cruising with the boats for more than a half a mile.”

By now, you’ve turned your back on the city, navigationally speaking, and might forget it’s there. Olympic peaks and Blake, Bainbridge and Vashon islands lie before you. The occasional sailboat regatta and ferries cross in the distance.

Kayaking the bay is a year-round affair, with sunset and fullmoon tours in full swing April through September. Time seems to slow, watching the sun setting over the Olympic Range and the moon rising over Mount Rainier, lighting up the bay.

This odd-numbered year brings a summer sea spectacle through September, with the pink salmon run every other year.

“You have salmon practically jumping into your boat, not an overstatement … six or ten fish jumping every couple seconds,” said McLynne.

Four million fish return through Elliott Bay, swimming north from the Duwamish River. “It’s really a sight to see water boiling with them,” he said. Sea lions, harbor seals and even rare whale sightings escalate with the abundance of food.

That inspires a retreat afterward to The State Hotel’s Ben Paris restaurant and bar, where the dishes celebrate local ingredients, many straight from Pike Place Market and the bay. The dining room mural, by Seattle illustrator and tattoo artist Kyler Martz, reflects that bounty as well as Paris, a sportsman, conservationist

The rooftop terrace at The State Hotel, where you can have your cocktail with views of Seattle’s Elliott Bay.

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lodging

Lodging

Willows Lodge written by Lauren Kramer IF THERE’S one lodge that’s truly nailed the luxury Pacific Northwest experience, it’s the Willows Lodge in Woodinville. Walk inside and you’re greeted by a massive fireplace in a honey-toned lobby with 30-foot ceilings and warm wood accents. Indigenous art adorns the walls, and a feeling of calm and serenity hangs sweetly over the lodge, echoed in its beautiful, manicured grounds. The lodge pays tribute to history in many places, but one of the most conspicuous is the cedar snag in the entry drive. This snag of a cedar tree, estimated to be some 1,500 years old, came here from the Olympic Peninsula.

Its presence is a tangible reminder of the forests that flourished in Woodinville before they were logged over a century ago.

14580 NE 145TH ST. WOODINVILLE www.willowslodge.com

The Willows Lodge in Woodinville combines beauty with biophilia. AT RIGHT, FROM TOP The rooms are modern and comfortable. Visit the spa and its hydrotherapy pool. The lodge’s restaurant, Barking Frog, is art on a plate. The lodge is decorated throughout with remarkable art.

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Travis Knoop/Willows Lodge

lodging

ACCOMMODATIONS You wouldn’t expect an eighty-four room property to feel intimate, but Willows Lodge has maintained its boutique ambience, which is a big part of its charm. Rooms are spacious and thoughtfully laid out, all featuring decadently comfy beds, gas fireplaces with rock surrounds, flat-screen televisions and tea and coffee-making facilities. The deep soaker tubs and walk-in showers—with high-tech digital controls—sport Molton Brown bathing products, and plush robes and slippers are at the ready.

Willows Lodge

Willows Lodge

FOOD The Barking Frog is the culinary hub of the lodge, a sixtyeight-seat dining room with an elevated, well-rounded menu. Here, each dish is art-on-a-plate, a meticulous assembly of color, texture, flavor and design. Expect dinner courses interspersed with amuse-bouches and palate-cleansing sorbets, and an impressive wine list curated by sommelier Torrey Lewis. The Frog serves breakfast and lunch weekdays and brunch on weekends and is known for its beignets—light, donut-like treats served with huckleberry- or orange-flavored cream cheese. Dinner is served daily, and the Fireside Lounge, a vibey bar venue adjacent to the lobby, serves small plates and hosts local musicians five nights a week.

SPA The Spa at Willows Lodge offers a large assortment of skin treatments, massages and body wraps, as well as an outdoor, secluded hydrotherapy pool and dry sauna. The hydrating facial, a sixty-minute exercise in hydration and replenishment, is highly recommended.

Sammy Todd Dyess/Willows Lodge

Willows Lodge

ART The lodge’s walls and gardens are a gallery-like tribute to Northwest Coast Native American art, with some exquisite pieces by Canadian artist Bill Reid, Coast Salish artist Susan Point, sculptor Joseph Kinnebrew and Lummi glass artist Dan Friday. An interpretive pamphlet guides visitors through the property, highlighting each individual piece. Together they form an impressive collection that honors indigenous artists’ skill and their ability to reflect the spiritual, animal and human worlds in their work.

AMENITIES The lodge has bikes and helmets for guests who want to pedal the Sammamish River Trail, accessible directly from the Willows. In the lobby, find complimentary tea, coffee and snacks in the mornings, hot cider or fruitinfused water and fruit in the afternoons, and complimentary glasses of bubbly for guests at check-in. A small fitness room is equipped with everything you need for a workout, EV and Tesla chargers are available for drivers of electric cars, and for guests who need a ride around Woodinville, the lodge offers a complimentary shuttle.

Weekend Sherpa/State of Washington Tourism

trip planner

Close to Seattle, but a world away at Grand Forest on Bainbridge Island.

Bainbridge Island

Re-explore the quiet retreat of Bainbridge Island and tap back into a sense of peace written by Ryn Pfeuffer

WHEN CITY LIFE gets too loud, but I’m not up for a big trip (or a battle with I-5 traffic), Bainbridge Island is my go-to escape. Sure, it’s a classic day trip for out-of-town guests, but it offers so much more than the usual tourist checklist.

Just thirty-five minutes by ferry from downtown Seattle, this little slice of the Puget Sound feels like a world away. Hop aboard (boats run roughly every forty-five minutes), and you’ll trade skyscrapers for small-town charm and brine-scented air. Whether you bring your car or bike or explore on foot, there’s plenty to fill a day—from cozy cafés to forested trails (many of which are great mushroom-foraging spots, especially in the fall). And if you’re lucky, you might even spot an orca along the way.

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Holiday Hustle

C at c h o u r I s l a n d M a g i c

Flavors, Fresh Catch, Cra fts & Pours From world-class cuisine to tide-to-table oysters, Bainbridge Island is a feast for the senses. Sip your way through local wineries, toast with a craft brew, or savor small-batch spirits from an island distillery. Whether it’s a chef-driven meal after a gallery walk or a waterfront picnic, every bite, sight, and sip tells a story. What’s your Bainbridge Island?

visitbainbridgeisland.org WASHINGTON

Keith Brofskey/Visit Bainbridge Island

trip planner

Day The ferry ride from Seattle to Bainbridge Island is more than just transportation—it’s a classic Pacific Northwest experience.

As you propel across Puget Sound, the Seattle skyline retreats, making way for panoramic views of Mount Rainier and the Olympic Mountains. You’re welcomed into Winslow, Bainbridge’s delightful downtown, when you step off the ferry.

Ease into the day at Blackbird Bakery, a beloved local institution since 1999, known for its Vanilla Downtowners—croissantdough rolls dipped in vanilla sugar—and the Helen’s French Roll, a minimalist take on the classic coffee cake. There’s usually a line out the door, but it moves quickly.

After fueling up, stroll through Winslow’s charming boutiques and galleries. Pop into Eagle Harbor Book Co., a cozy indie bookstore that’s been a local favorite since 1970. Need outdoor gear? Wildernest has you covered with a top-notch selection. For children, Calico Toy Shoppe is a wonderland of puzzles, crafts and board games. Then, swing by the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, where contemporary art and craft from the Puget Sound region take center stage—especially works by local and Indigenous artists like Alison Bremner, Corwin Clairmont and Danielle Morsette. Best of all? Thanks to generous donors and members, admission is free so you can soak up the creativity without spending a dime.

For lunch, head to Bruciato. The pizzeria adheres to the Neapolitan school of pizza-making, using “00” flour, San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, hand-stretched dough and a woodfired oven imported from Naples. Seating is first come, first served, but if you spot an open seat at the fifteen-seat bar, grab it—you’ll get a front-row view of the pizzaiolos in action.

Afterward, indulge in a leisurely self-guided wine-tasting tour of Bainbridge Island’s boutique wineries. Start with Eagle 80 1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE APRIL | MAY 2025

Visit Bainbridge Island

SHOPS • BITES • WINE TASTING

Harbor Wine Co., celebrated for its deep, rich reds. Then, make your way to Rolling Bay Winery, where they source grapes from Snipes Mountain—one of Washington’s oldest vineyards, with plantings dating back to 1979.

As evening approaches, check in to one of the twelve suites at The Inn at Pleasant Beach (which is pet-friendly) or a waterfront Airbnb.

For dinner, head to The Harbour Public House for laid-back tavern vibes and seriously good eats. Think Belgian-style mussels steamed in beer, crispy Alaskan sockeye salmon with chips and a classic New England chowder loaded with Pacific Northwest goodness—Salish blue clams, Hood Canal mussels, Goose Point Pacific oysters or pub-smoked Pacific salmon.

Afterward, wind down at Highside Distilling with a dram of their house-made whiskey. The founders took inspiration from Scotland’s Highlands and Speyside regions but put a distinct Pacific Northwest spin on it, blending old-school fermentation, distillation and aging with the flavors of the region.

Seratonin Creative/Visit Bainbridge Island Heyday Farm

CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT The Bainbridge ferry lands on the edge of downtown. Bloedel Reserve is a 150-acre sanctuary.

At the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, explore the work of local artists. Book a farm dinner yearround at Heyday Farm.

Day OUTDOOR ADVENTURE • FARM-TO-TABLE DINNERS Begin your day with breakfast at Streamliner Diner, a Bainbridge Island institution for over three decades. Known for its hearty scrambles and biscuits and gravy, the diner oozes retro flair with its bold tablecloths, vintage Fiestaware and a classic buzzing counter. Arrive early to find a spot before the crowd pours in.

Then, reconnect with nature at Bloedel Reserve, a 150-acre garden and forest sanctuary with Japanese-inspired landscapes. Plan to spend at least two hours to fully appreciate the 2-mile loop trail; mornings are typically quieter, offering a more meditative experience. Timed tickets are required for entry, so it’s best to book in advance on their official website.

For a different perspective of the island, rent kayaks or paddleboards from Exotic Aquatics Scuba & Kayaking, and enjoy a calm paddle about Eagle Harbor and the estuary. Alternatively, rent

bikes and take a leisurely ride around the island’s scenic country roads, maybe stopping at Lynwood Center for a snack at The Marketplace.

Spend the afternoon exploring Bainbridge’s lesser-known finds. Head to Hall’s Hill Lookout and Labyrinth, a peaceful spot where artist Jeffrey Bale’s stone circle invites quiet reflection. Or head to Fay Bainbridge Park for a quiet beach escape, where tide pools brim with life and Mount Rainier looms in the distance. The park also offers camping and cozy cabins for an overnight stay by the water.

Heyday Farm serves up a true farm-to-table experience for dinner, with a seasonally inspired menu that changes weekly. Its Community Dinners, held year-round on Thursday and Friday nights, are a local favorite (kids 7 and up are welcome!). Chef Tad Mitsui keeps things fresh with fish cakes and pickled veggies, caraway-crusted duck breast, and char siu portobello with edamame fried rice. Grab a spot at www.heydayfarm.com.

APRIL | MAY 2025

1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE 81

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, WASHINGTON

trip planner

EAT Blackbird Bakery www.blackbirdbakery.com Bruciato www.pizzeriabruciato.com Eagle Harbor Wine Co. www.eagleharbor.wine The Harbour Public House www.harbourpub.com Heyday Farm www.heydayfarm.com Highside Distilling www.highsidedistilling.com Hi Life www.hi-life-bainbridge.square.site Rolling Bay Winery www.rollingbaywinery.com Streamliner Diner www.streamlinerdinerbi.com

STAY The Inn at Pleasant Beach www.pleasantbeachvillage.com/ the-inn

PLAY Bainbridge Island Museum of Art www.biartmuseum.org Bloedel Reserve www.bloedelreserve.org Calico Toy Shoppe www.calicotoyshoppe.com Eagle Harbor Book Co. www.eagleharborbooks.com Exotic Aquatics Scuba & Kayaking www.exoticaquaticsscuba.com/ kayaking/rentals

Visit Bainbridge Island

Bainbridge Gardens www.bainbridgegardens.com

Day

Fay Bainbridge Park www.biparks.org/fay-bainbridgepark-campground

LOCAL HISTORY • GREENERY

Hall’s Hill Lookout and Labyrinth www.biparksfoundation.org/ halls-hill

On your final day, take a deep dive into Bainbridge’s rich history and culture. Start at the Japanese American Exclusion Memorial, a powerful tribute to the first group of Japanese Americans forcibly removed during World War II. Then, if you’re craving fresh air, wander the mossy trails of the Grand Forest, where towering firs create a peaceful escape— perfect for a quiet walk or a morning trail run.

Before heading out, stop by Bainbridge Gardens, a hidden haven for plant lovers and

Japanese American Exclusion Memorial www.bijaema.org Wildernest www.wildernestoutdoorstore.com

On your final day, take a deep dive into Bainbridge’s rich history and culture. home to the historic Sawan Japanese Garden, a serene nod to the island’s deep-rooted Japanese heritage.

As your trip winds down, take one last stroll through Winslow. Maybe grab poke or a bento box (and a canned Toki Highball to-go) from Hi Life before hopping on the ferry back to Seattle.

ABOVE The Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial is a moving tribute to the first group of Japanese Americans forcibly removed from their community during World War II.

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1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE APRIL | MAY 2025

Visit Idaho

northwest destination

Boise is a perfect escape for those who like to mix urban with outdoors.

Boise

Where art, food and fun find equal measures written by Ryn Pfeuffer

BOISE, IDAHO, isn’t just another buttoned-up capital city—it’s where effortlessly cool urban vibes meet the beauty of the great outdoors. (It’s “Boysee,” by the way.) Foodie, art buff or adventurer?

Boise is your playground.

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Start your journey by checking into The SPARROW, a boutique hotel in downtown Boise. Spacious rooms with kitschy decor inspired by local outdoor adventures set the tone for a relaxing stay. Plus, with a charming courtyard featuring a cozy fireplace and an inviting coffee and wine bar, it’s easy to feel right at home. And if you’re traveling with your furry friend, you’ll love the dog-friendly vibe and complimentary bike rentals—plus, the Crisp food truck and Form & Function Coffee are just outside the front door.

Once settled, dive into Boise’s rich arts and culture scene. The Boise Art Museum is a must-visit, especially on the first Thursday of every month when admission is “pay what you can.” On Family Art Saturdays, you can even create alongside local artists. During your visit between March and July 2025, don’t miss the

1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE APRIL | MAY 2025

Here We Have Idaho: Material Matters exhibit featuring stunning large-scale paintings by S. A. (Sharon) Jones and innovative sculptures

by Astri Snodgrass.

Just a short walk away, the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights houses the Idaho Anne Frank Memorial—a thoughtful educational park designed to spark conversation about human rights, with guided tours available for groups.

Take a fifteen-minute stroll to Freak Alley Gallery, the northwest’s largest open-air, multiartist mural gallery. This cool alley between 8th and 9th Street and Bannock and Idaho is a dynamic canvas where new art appears every year, all free for you to enjoy. While exploring, swing by The Reef for gigantic tiki punch bowl drinks and pupu platters on a rooftop deck, perfect for those late-night bites.

BOISE, IDAHO

Photos: Visit Idaho

northwest destination

EAT Barbarian Brewing www.barbariandowntown.com Boise Farmers Market www.theboisefarmersmarket.com Fork Restaurant www.boisefork.com The Reef www.thereefidaho.com Slow by Slow www.slowbyslow.com The STIL www.ilovethestil.com Westside Drive In www.westsidedrivein.com

STAY The SPARROW www.sparrowboise.com CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Freak Alley Gallery, an open-air mural gallery. Fork Restaurant offers a sumptuous brunch with ambience. Just outside of Boise, visit the World Center for Birds of Prey and its conservation programs.

No Boise adventure is complete without indulging in some local flavors. Head over to Westside Drive In to sample Idaho’s signature finger steaks—bite-sized, battered and deepfried beef delights. And don’t skip Westside’s Famous Ice Cream Potato; it may look like a loaded baked potato, but it’s actually a banana split reimagined with vanilla ice cream, cocoa powder, Oreo cookie crumbles, whipped cream and peanuts.

To taste local market life, visit the Boise Farmers Market on Saturdays (April to October, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.). Here, you can grab everything from a caramelized sugar croissant at Acme Bakeshop to a fried zucchini blossom quesadilla from Roots of Mexico or even “The Lomojito” (mint) lemonade from Leialoha’s Lemonade. For brunch, Fork Restaurant offers a lively brick-and-wood atmosphere in the Boise City National Bank building. The housemade cinnamon roll drizzled with warm salted caramel is pillowy, gooey and good, and the Bloody Marys are legendary.

History enthusiasts will appreciate the Old Idaho Penitentiary site. Built in 1870, this former prison offers guided tours (for just a couple of bucks) that bring Boise’s Wild West past to life. Nearby, Table Rock—a 3.7mile loop trail perched on a 1,100-foot rock

PLAY Boise Art Museum www.boiseartmuseum.org

formation—rewards you with breathtaking city views after a steep yet satisfying climb.

If you prefer a more leisurely outing, rent an e-bike or scooter and cruise along the Boise River Greenbelt, a 25-mile scenic pathway that winds alongside the river and through several parks.

After your adventures, cool down at Barbarian Brewing for locally crafted beers (no minors, though), and sample some delicious street tacos from Calle 75. For a sweet treat, The STIL in downtown Boise serves up boozeinfused ice cream made with Idaho dairy— perfect for warm days. (There are plenty of vegan options, too.) If you have time, stop

by The Record Exchange. It isn’t just a music store—it’s also a coffee shop and fun novelty shop. Locals know it as The Edge, thanks to its early ’80s claim as downtown’s first espresso bar. (For coffee purists, Slow by Slow in the Theater District serves meticulously made pour-over coffee.)

Just outside Boise, the World Center for Birds of Prey offers up-close encounters with live raptors—California condors included— plus engaging conservation programs. For a farewell dose of retro fun, check out the Idaho Pinball Museum with its vintage machines and Thursday night tournaments.

Boise River Greenbelt www.cityofboise.org/ departments/parks-andrecreation/parks/boise-greenbelt

APRIL | MAY 2025

1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE 85

Float the Boise www.floattheboise.org Freak Alley Gallery www.freakalleyboise.com Idaho Pinball Museum www.idahopinballmuseum.com Old Idaho Penitentiary www.history.idaho.gov/oldpen The Record Exchange www.therecordexchange.com Table Rock www.alltrails.com/trail/us/idaho/ table-rock-trail Wassmuth Center for Human Rights www.wassmuthcenter.org World Center for Birds of Prey www.peregrinefund.org/visit

1889 MAPPED

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

Oroville

Bellingham

San Juan Islands

Friday Harbor

North Cascades National Park

Mount Vernon

Port Port Angeles Townsend Sequim

Forks

Shelton Aberdeen

Newport

Marysville Everett Chelan

Seattle Bellevue

Port Orchard Tacoma

Colville Okanogan

Whidbey Island

Olympic National Park

Republic

Winthrop

Leavenworth

Renton Kent Federal Way

Wilbur

Waterville

Spokane Davenport

Wenatchee Ephrata Ritzville

Montesano Olympia

Mount Rainier N.P.

Ellensburg Colfax

Chehalis

South Bend

Pullman Yakima Pomeroy

Long Beach Kelso

Cathlamet

Longview

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

Prosser

White Salmon Vancouver

86

Richland

Mount Adams

Pasco

Dayton

Walla Kennewick Walla

Goldendale

Stevenson

Live

Think

Explore

14 Long Beach Razor Clam Festival

36 Rome app

70

Hierophant Meadery

19 The Mule Cocktail Bar

38 Gray Skies Painting

74

Alki Kayak Tours

22 Whidbey Wild Mushroom Tours

42 Second Harvest

76

Willows Lodge

26 Matt’s Place 2.0

78

Bloedel Reserve

31 Ruby Farms Pottery

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Boise, Idaho

1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE APRIL | MAY 2025

Asotin

ART. HISTORY. HERITAGE. Join our Adventure Mail newsletter and get access to all things Washington and Oregon, including getaways, giveaways, dining and more!

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COLVILLE TRIBAL MUSEUM HISTORY/ARCHAEOLOGY PROGRAM

CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF THE COLVILLE RESERVATION 512 Mead Way, Coulee Dam, WA 509.633.0751 ctmuseum@colvilletribes.com

Open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday to Saturday June 4 through Sept. 27

Until Next Time Joseph and Paul Grygiel run along a path through the RoozenGaarde tulip fields in Mount Vernon. RoozenGaarde features more than 50 acres of tulips and daffodils each spring, along with a 7-acre display garden. The annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival takes place in April and is the largest tulip festival in the country. photo by JiaYing Grygiel

Enjoy the best of PBS and more.

Anytime, anywhere!

FREE DOWNLOAD: CASCADEPBS.ORG/APPS

The “Nick on the Rocks” name is a registered trademark of and is used with permission of Central Washington University.

seaside is for Sandcastle season

Here’s a little unsolicited advice. Take your kids on vacations when they’re young.

Doesn’t have to be for a long time. Could even be a surprise beach weekend somewhere within easy reach, somewhere like Seaside. Because when they get older they aren’t going to remember routines and regular days. They are going to remember the way going on adventures with you made them feel.

@visitseasideOR

seasideOR.com

Continue for Special Insert

FROM THE GREEN

ZEN & THE ART OF

WALKING THE COURSE G

OLF IS a complex game of strategy with intersecting narratives based on perceived ability, course conditions, weather conditions and your own psychological state before, during and after every shot. Why rush it?

Instead, make 2025 a year of zen mastery by ditching the cart, walking the course and killing two birdies with the same stone—improving your game and personal fitness. The average golf course in the United States is 6,600 yards, or 3.75 miles. That is a straight line measurement. Only the best golfers can keep their shots along that line. Most of us will hook or slice our way to at least another quarter mile over eighteen holes.

It wasn’t too long ago that we all walked the course. In fact, it wasn’t until the mid-1950s that golf carts became widely adopted and used. True, some clubs today have mandatory rules about golfing with carts in order to speed the rate of play. Consider what’s right for you over the long haul, not what’s best for the club.

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DESTINATION GOLF NORTHWEST 2025

FROM THE GREEN BELOW: Kalispel Golf and Country Club (photo: Kalispel Golf and Country Club)

A publication of Statehood Media www.1859oregonmagazine.com www.1889mag.com Cover: Running Y Resort photo: Running Y Resort

2025 DESTINATION GOLF NORTHWEST 3

FROM THE GREEN

BE THE PUTTER, NOT THE DRIVER What happens in your body when you walk a golf course?

According to Golf.com, walking eighteen holes of 4 miles with hills, while carrying your bag, burns 1,400 to 2,000 calories, quoting an experiment conducted by the Director of the Center for Health and Sport Science and reported on by The New York Times. Fear not—those walking with a pushcart will burn almost the same amount of calories, according to the study.

Now, you’re doing what you love and getting the health benefit from its implied exercise value, too. For measure, a martini is no more than 190 calories.

“IF YOU DRINK, DON’T DRIVE. DON’T EVEN PUTT.” — Dean Martin

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DESTINATION GOLF NORTHWEST 2025

Bigstock

Whether you carry your bag or use a pushcart, walking an eighteen-hole course can be a calorie burner.

On the edge of the forest, near the heart of the city...

Just 7 minutes from The Old Mill District and 20 minutes from Mt. Bachelor, our stunning resort boasts an award-winning David McLay Kidd-designed golf course, 50-room boutique hotel, heated pool, three restaurants, fitness facility, vacation rental homes, and event pavilion.

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BEND, OR | TETHEROW.COM | 877.298.2582

FROM THE GREEN

THE ROLLING CALORIE BAR

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DESTINATION GOLF NORTHWEST 2025

Bigstock

By walking the course and ditching the cart, there are more potential health benefits.

Let’s face it—golf carts often become rolling tailgaters with snacks, sodas and alcohol.

With the rolling snack dispenser, you can easily gain unhealthy weight while golfing, making each round rounder. Further, the logistics of the course’s ubiquitous beer cart become absurd while walking the course.

Water, yes. Wimpy beers, no.

ELEVATE

Your Game Unforgettable Golf Experiences.

Sweeping Mountain Views.

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1522 Cline Falls Road, Redmond, OR 97756 - 541-923-2453 - Eagle-crest.com

FROM THE GREEN

“IN ALL CASES, THE WALKERS HAD BETTER FOCUS AND SHOT LOWER SCORES THAN THEIR CART-DRIVING COUNTERPARTS.”

THE ZENEFIT OF BETTER PSYCHOLOGY You’ve hit from the tee; your ball flies out but sails left and may set you back a shot. Your stress inches up—next-shot anxiety trickles in. You’re in a foul mood, and it’s only the second tee.

The key benefits of walking are also the key characteristics for better rounds of golf. According to a study from Mayo Clinic (and countless others), walking helps reduce stress and anxiety and improves your mood. The psychological benefits that accrue to a walked round of golf are proven to have a positive effect on the scorecard, too.

In a 2022 watershed report from World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, the researchers identified a group of ten golfers with an average age of 64 and an average handicap of 10.8 for nine holes.

The golfers were split into three groups, with each wearing technology that measured their oxygen consumption, calories burned and heart rate. One group used a golf cart, the second a pushcart and the third a motorized pushcart. In all cases, the walkers had better focus and shot lower scores than their cart-driving counterparts.

Bigstock

KEEPING UP WITH JONES

8 DESTINATION GOLF NORTHWEST 2025

A walked round of golf can have psychological benefits, too.

If this all seems like a giant leap in life stepping down from the cart, let’s end with a condensed biography of English golfer Ernest Jones, who, by age 18 in 1905, had become the assistant golf professional at Chislehurst Golf Club just outside of London. He came back to golf after serving his country during World War I, but missing half of his right leg from a grenade explosion. Golf was his first love, and so he returned to it in his altered state. Jones took crutches and clubs and walked courses until he could learn to shoot from one leg.

So compelling was his game, story and swing, he would go on to teach golf to aspiring pros in New York City, giving nearly 3,000 lessons per year from the A.G. Spalding & Bros. store in Manhattan.

Every stay at Soul Community Planet comes with

sport, scenery, and serenity

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Discover the best of Eastern Oregon Quail Ridge Golf Course Baker City

When you come to visit, you'll see why we love it here

Brian Oar | Visit Central Oregon

WHERE TO PLAY

WHERE TO PLAY

Crosswater at Sunriver Resort (photo: Visit Central Oregon/ Steve Heinrichs)

OREGON ALPINE MEADOWS www.golfalpinemeadows.com Enterprise, Oregon Length from back tees: 6,072 $20-$47

CHEHALEM GLENN www.chehalemglenn.com Newberg, Oregon Length from back tees: 7,062 $29-$40

EAGLE CREST RESORT www.eagle-crest.com Redmond, Oregon Length from back tees: varies by course

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GLAZE MEADOW AT BLACK BUTTE RANCH www.blackbutteranch.com/golf Sisters, Oregon Length from back tees: 7,007 $47-$82

INDIAN CREEK GOLF COURSE www.indiancreekgolf.com Hood River, Oregon Length from back tees: 6,261 $35-$59

OAK KNOLL GOLF COURSE www.oakknollgolf.org Ashland, Oregon Length from back tees: 6,047 $20-$24

DESTINATION GOLF NORTHWEST 2025

OLD MACDONALD www.bandondunesgolf.com Bandon, Oregon Length from back tees: 6,944 $50-$335

RUNNING Y RESORT www.runningy.com Klamath Falls, Oregon Length from back tees: 7,138 $55-$95

SALISHAN GOLF LINKS www.salishan.com Gleneden Beach, Oregon Length from back tees: 6,470 $39-$99

SILVIES VALLEY RANCH www.silvies.us Seneca, Oregon Length from back tees: 7,170 $75-$175

SUNRIVER RESORT www.sunriverresort.com Sunriver, Oregon Length from back tees: varies by course

TETHEROW www.tetherow.com Bend, Oregon Length from back tees: 7,293 $50-$190

*Note: Course lengths are given in yards

Experience the Exceptional 50 Miles East of Portland

The club’s name comes from one of the meandering creeks that pose interesting challenges on many of the holes. Even at 6,223 yards, the course places a premium on accurate shot making and requires some creativity. Eleven of the holes have water in play and provide sanctuary to a variety of wildlife.

The greens are some of the best in Oregon. Once you have reached them, another challenge awaits!

3605 BROOKSIDE DRIVE, HOOD RIVER, OR 97031 W W W .INDIA N C R EEK G O L F. C O M | 5 4 1 - 3 8 6 - 7 7 7 0

WHERE TO PLAY

WASHINGTON APPLE TREE RESORT

Palouse Ridge Golf Club (photo: Rob Perry)

www.appletreeresort.com Yakima, Washington Length from back tees: 6,961 $52-$79 Salish Cliffs Golf Club (photo: Brian Oar/ Salish Cliffs Golf Club)

STAY & PLAY CASINOS KALISPEL GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB NORTHERN QUEST RESORT & CASINO www.kalispelgolf.com Spokane, Washington Length from back tees: 6,663 Packages start at $149 (overnight plus one round of golf for two)

SALISH CLIFFS GOLF CLUB LITTLE CREEK CASINO RESORT www.little-creek.com Shelton, Washington Length from back tees: 7,269 Stay & Play prices vary; golf only $75-$139

SWINOMISH GOLF LINKS SWINOMISH CASINO & LODGE www.swinomishcasinoandlodge.com Anacortes, Washington Length from back tees: 6,177 Stay & Play prices vary; golf only $21-$38

BEAR MOUNTAIN RANCH www.bearmtgolf.com Chelan, Washington Length from back tees: 7,231 $50-$100

GAMBLE SANDS www.gamblesands.com Brewster, Washington Length from back tees: 7,169 $60-$95

THE GOLF CLUB AT NEWCASTLE www.newcastlegolf.com Newcastle, Washington (Bellevue) Length from back tees: 7,024 $80-$165

THE HOME COURSE www.thehomecourse.com DuPont, Washington Length from back tees: 7,424 $24-$49

INDIAN CANYON GOLF COURSE www.my.spokanecity.org/ golf/indian-canyon Spokane, Washington Length from back tees: 6,255 $20-$49

PALOUSE RIDGE GOLF CLUB

THE RESORT AT PORT LUDLOW

www.palouseridge.com Pullman, Washington Length from back tees: 7,308 $61-$109

www.portludlowresort.com Port Ludlow, Washington Length from back tees: 6,861 $30-$55

PROSPECTOR GOLF COURSE AT SUNCADIA

WINE VALLEY GOLF CLUB

www.destinationhotels.com/ suncadia-resort Cle Elum, Washington Length from back tees: 7,100 $64-$139

www.winevalleygolfclub.com Walla Walla, Washington Length from back tees: 7,600 $80-$155

WILDHORSE RESORT GOLF COURSE WILDHORSE RESORT & CASINO www.wildhorseresort.com/ resort/golf Pendleton, Oregon Length from back tees: 7,112 Stay & Play prices vary; golf only $45-$55

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DESTINATION GOLF NORTHWEST 2025

IDAHO THE COEUR D’ALENE RESORT GOLF COURSE www.cdaresort.com/play/golf Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Length from back tees: 7,189 $79-$99

PRIEST LAKE GOLF COURSE www.plgolfcourse.com Priest Lake, Idaho Length from back tees: 6,200 $22-$56

TRAIL CREEK GOLF COURSE www.sunvalley.com Sun Valley, Idaho Length from back tees: 6,968 $85-$179 *Note: Course lengths are given in yards

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Swing into Spring Enjoy unlimited golf on the best courses in the West and 30% off lodging this spring with Stay & Play packages at Sunriver Resort. Play the award-winning Meadows and Woodlands courses with our Sunriver Golf Club package, or play all 63 holes with our Crosswater Golf package, including the iconic course hailed as one of “America’s Greatest.”

Plan your next golf adventure at SunriverResort.com