A day trip to the Samish River valley of northwest Skagit County with a finish on Chuckanut Drive can be a foodie’s delight. And in early autumn, the roads are beautiful.
Harley Soltes, owner of Bow Hill Blueberries, calls the area a food trail. No matter which you drive, you can meet many producers of organic local food and eat in the restaurants that depend on that food.
To get to this mecca, get off northbound I-5 at Highway 20 and head west. Turn north at the perfectly named Farm-to-Market Road. Enjoy the view of Samish Bay as you descend into the valley.
Make the Breadfarm bakery (766 Cains Court, 360-766-4065) your first stop. Along with a loaf of potato bread, be sure to buy some shortbread cookies to take home. Tasty, satisfying and crunchy, you can’t go wrong with any of the flavors.
Many people credit the Breadfarm with the establishment of Edison as a hip destination. However, Edison was a pretty cool little burg even before Scott Mangold and Renee Bourgault started their wonderful bakery back in 2003. The farmers ate breakfast at the Edison Cafe (5797 Main St.) and the Edison and Longhorn taverns brought in the party crowd on Friday and Saturday nights. But as Bourgault says, a bakery can build a community, and Edison certainly has become a charming destination.
Edison has been a hub for the surrounding farming and fishing communities for a long time. In the late 1890s, it also was the short-lived headquarters for a utopian society called the Equality Colony. The parents of famed broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow were attracted to this valley as well. Murrow graduated from Edison High School, where he was on the winning debate team and basketball team.
Evidence of Murrow’s presence can be found around town, especially in Jessica Bonin’s mural along the side of the Lucky Dumpster shop (corner of Main and Gilkey, 360-766-4049). The mural depicts the young Murrow in his basketball uniform along with a quote, “anyone who isn’t confused doesn’t really understand the situation.” The quote is a good one for quirky Edison, which hosts the annual Chicken Parade in February.
Other places to eat in Edison include Old Edison Inn (5829 Cains Court, 360-766-6266), Tweets Cafe and Mariposa Taqueria (at the juncture of Gilmore and Cains Court, 360-820-9912) and Slough Food (5766 Cains Court, 360-766-4458).
Be sure to stop at the Smith and Vallee Art Gallery (5742 Gilkey Ave., 360-766-6230). It’s one of the best in the region.
Head northeast out of town. Cross Chuckanut Drive and continue on Bow Hill Road until you reach Bow Hill Blueberries (360-399-1006). This was one of the first big blueberry farms in the state. Right now the farm shop sells sweet pickled blueberries, preserves, syrup, juice and blueberry ice cream. On the way back to Chuckanut, stop at Samish Bay Cheese (15115 Bow Hill Road, 360-766-6707). The certified organic farm has a mixed dairy herd, mostly shorthorns, that provide the milk for cheese, yogurt and kefir. Pick up some ladysmith cheese with chives.
At the intersection with Chuckanut Drive, dining options include The Rhody (5521 Chuckanut Drive, 360-766-6667) and BowEdison Fine Food &Drink (5545 Chuckanut Drive). The locals all rave about Chuckanut Manor (3056 Chuckanut Drive, 360-766-6191) a few miles farther up the road.
Taylor Shellfish Farm at Oyster Creek (2182 Chuckanut Drive, 360-766-6002) is a farm that’s been around since the late 1890s, and owned since 1991 by the Taylors. Take the long driveway down to the shore and shop for oysters and other seafood. The staff will put it on ice for you. It’s a good place to picnic, too, complete with table-side grills so you can eat those oysters right away if you want.
In case you are done eating, make a stop at Larrabee State Park (245 Chuckanut Drive) or hike up to Oyster Dome on Blanchard Mountain, just off Chuckanut Drive (www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/oyster-dome).
Chuckanut is beautiful this time of year, with the leaves falling and the views of the shimmering Samish Bay delightful.
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