Things To Do
River Walk Concert Series
Thursday evening 6-8 pm: Riverwalk Summer concert series. Bring your lawn chair to Downtown Mount Vernon along the Skagit riverfront.
July 12, 13: 9-5 pm Highland Games & Celtic Festival Day
July 12th and 13th from 12: 9-5 pm Highland Games & Celtic Festival Annual festival. Two Entrances: North Gate - 1410 Virginia St. Mount Vernon OR South Gate - 501 Taylor St. Mount Vernon The Skagit Valley Highland Games is part of an annual circuit of Scottish competitions held in the Pacific Northwest and Lower Mainland of British Columbia. Solo bagpiping and drumming competitions, bagpipe bands, fiddling, traditional Scottish athletics (the “heavy” events) and Scottish Highland dancing.
National Estuarine Research reserve
Near Bayview State Park on Padilla Bay there is a lovely museum about estuaries called National Estuarine Research reserve and another called Breazeale Interpretive center and aquarium. Both are Open Wednesday through Saturday and are on the same property. There’s a good walk close by also called Shore trail.
Tommy Thompson Trail (Bike or Walk)
Tommy Thompson trail is good to walk or bike if you want to be guaranteed to see blue herons. It crosses Padilla Bay.
Town of La Conner
LaConner: Great small business stores, stores with local art; Skagit County Museum with a wide view from a balcony features of the area. Quilt museum is interesting if you sew or like fabric art. Raven’s cup coffee offers about any kind of tea you’ve ever heard of and many you have never heard of as well as coffee drinks. There’s a Calico cupboard for lunch or pastries and coffee also.
Town of Anacortes
Anacortes: Nice downtown shops. Lots of historical displays around town that are good if you like learning about development of the river, and port and train. Anacortes Museum is famous. Good places to eat and have coffee as this is a retirement community. I love restaurants Rockfish grill, and Gere-a-deli. But there are other good places where you can pick up good seafood as well. If you want to dine with an ocean view go out to Anthony’s.
La Catrina Tacos & Tequila
Taco Tuesdays!
Temperate Habits Brewing Company
Their brussel sprouts are tasty, as well as their garlic fries, sweet potato fries, burgers, buffalo cauliflower...its hard to go wrong.
Mt. Vernon Calico Cupboard Café & Bakery
3 types of cinnamon rolls. Cozy. Always busy.
Chuckanut Manor Seafood & Grill
Great dinners, actually great breakfast lunch, brunch or dinner Chuckanut Manor seafood and grill. They post their menus and prices on their website. They have happy hours and brunch menus. They are located right on the ocean so book a spot outside or by a window since you will be paying for the view whether or not you get to enjoy it.
cob + cork
Great spot in the middle of farmland. Lovely brunches and dinners.
Hike up Little Mountain Park
Little mountain Park has easy and hard hikes. All the trails are wide and pretty smooth under forest. There are 2 great lookouts with views to the West and North at the top. You can drive up or stop and walk along trails from halfway up, or walk all the way up from several different trailheads depending on whether you need exercise or just have an hour for a relaxing walk. Its well marked.
Swim or walk around Lake Padden
Lake Padden is a small Lake near Bellingham where no motorized boats are allowed. Its my favorite local spot to be lazy and enjoy the sun and swimming. You can walk or bike all the way around the lake. It is a wide easy to walk trail/road about 3 miles long
Hike or picnic at Washington Park
Washington Park near Anacortes has a lovely 3 mile road that you can drive, walk or bike on a point out at the ocean. Its called Washington Park Loop Road. Our favorite picnic spot there is Green point. (It comes up on google maps).
Deception Pass
Then out at Deception Pass there are so many great walks and hikes. Duck Rock is a bit of a climb but the view at the end is totally worth it. If you go to Rosario Beach on the north side of the bridge, there is a gorgeous 1 mile walk along the coast to Bowman’s bay. Also at Deception Pass, at Rosario beach during low tide its great fun to walk the tide pools. There are biologists out there who have marked the best spots, and can help you find the animals that are there today. Wear good shoes, Its rocky and hard to walk.
Bike Centennial Trail
Bicycling: We have long beautiful bike trails converted from railroad tracks. Cascade trail goes from Sedro Woolley to Concrete. Centennial trail starts on HWY 9 (10 miles from Elisa's place and goes 30 miles. But you can just bike part way and go back home.
Hike up Oyster Dome Trailhead
Oyster Dome up along Chuckanut Bay with views over the islands. You can hike up from Chuckanut drive, a major undertaking, or drive most of the way from the backside of the mountain. Type in Oyster Dome on Google maps. There is an overlook closeby used by base jumpers (parachuters).
Hike Sauk Mountain Trailhead
Sauk mountain. 1000 feet, 26 switchbacks, 2.1 miles. Trailhead is 1.5 hours out (7 miles of forest road). There are increasingly amazing views from points at the end of the switchbacks as you climb. At the end you can find the site of an old fire lookout with a spectacular 360 degree view.