BOTHELL — If you grew up in south Snohomish County, you probably remember the welcome sign periodically vandalized by kids.

“Welcome to Bothell, for a day or a lifetime” became “Welcome to …hell, for a day or a lifetime.”

Far from hellish, Bothell is a great place to be a local tourist.

The city straddles two counties, part historic downtown and part suburb.

If you live on the Snohomish County side, you might want to start your visit with a trip to the funky Country Village at 23718 Bothell- Everett Highway.

This former chicken farm also has a colorful history as a prohibition-era distillery.

In the late 1970s a developer bought the place with the intention of turning it into a quaint shopping center. By the early 1980s, an antique store opened there, followed by dozens of other small shops and attractions that continue to draw families 35 years later.

Speaking of children, Country Village is home to the Village Bean, where on rainy days parents can grab an espresso, order up a plate of finger food, pay a small fee for their kids and enter the adjacent play area. Moms sit, drink coffee and visit while the kids get busy with a variety of educational toys and activities.

Other businesses that appeal to kids are a toy shop, a children’s theater, several make-your-own art studios, pony and train rides and a spa just for girls.

From personal experience, most kids just want to play on the pirate ship and watch all the ducks, geese and chickens that hang out around the grounds. It’s fun, but don’t let the little ones step in the droppings.

Country Village also has plenty of boutiques, home furnishing shops, restaurants and the Elizabeth and Alexander’s Tea Room for the adult set. In the summer, the Friday afternoon farmers market offers a good variety of produce.

From there, ride south on the highway to downtown Bothell. Find a place to park and get ready to walk.

If your visit is in the morning, grab a big breakfast at Alexa’s Cafe, 10115 Main St. If it’s lunchtime or you’re there for supper, the family-owned Pen Thai restaurant, at 10107 Main St., has some of the best Thai food around.

The Dutch and German treats at the old Hillcrest Bakery, 10010 Main St., are worth the stop, too, and it won’t be long before McMenamins’ new resort, with a brewpub and hotel, opens in the old Anderson school building.

If you need a brew in the meantime, stop in at The Hop and Hound, just off Main, to fill your growler.

While you are walking along Main Street, check out the historical marker in front of the Paul Richards clothing store, 10127 Main. The clothing store stood in for a shop in Hyannis Port when actress Jaclyn Smith filmed a scene there for the TV movie “Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy.”

Also at that spot, you’ll see three chairs chained up along the sidewalk. In Bothell, people claim space for their Fourth of July parade way in advance. Evidently, much sooner than July 3.

You also find entertainment at the Northshore Performing Arts Center, 18125 92nd Ave. NE, which brings in top professional acts. Call 425-984-2471 for ticket information.

Like most older cities in the region, Bothell was once a logging town and the Sammamish River (read slough) was a working waterway on which the logs were moved.

The Park at Bothell Landing, 9919 NE 180th St., includes several historical buildings where on Sunday afternoons you can learn more about the history of this burg — the hometown of Sen. Patty Murray.

Like that “mom in tennis shoes,” you need comfortable shoes to walk along the Sammamish River Trail, which connects with the lengthy Burke-Gilman Trail.

If you want to bicycle the trail instead, you can rent one at Bothell Ski and Bike, 8020 NE Bothell Way. Consider taking a swing east into wine and beer country in Woodinville. Or put in your canoe and paddle to Lake Sammamish or Lake Washington.

A nice walk starts at Bothell Landing and heads east along the river to the North Creek Trail, where you head north to the University of Washington Bothell campus.

Climb up the hill and walk west on NE 180th Street to the beautiful old Pioneer Cemetery at 108th Avenue.

At this point you’re just a short distance to Main Street, with time to explore more of the city.

As the old motto says, Bothell is a welcoming place.

Tourist in Your Own Town

In each of our local cities, we have tourist attractions often overlooked by the people who live in this region. Have you taken the time to be a Tourist in Your Own Town? This the 14th in a continuing series of monthly explorations of our hometowns. For more Tourist in Your Own Town stories and for links to more information about each town we’ve covered, go to www.heraldnet.com/tourist.

Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @galefiege.