A good time was had in La Conner this July as the sun was shining, a nice breeze, blue skies, and a glistening channel was experienced.   I was able to walk through town and check out the shops…which doesn’t take too long.

Stay – La Conner Channel Lodge – a very nice stay!  Most rooms in this hotel are located on the Swinomish Channel.  Enjoy your veranda on a summer day.  Read a book or magazine with your favorite beverage.  A nice spread is served for breakfast…cereals, breads with spreads, cheese and ham, fruit, and top it off with coffee or juice.  Complimentary wine tasting takes place on Friday and Saturday afternoons accompanied by a piano.  And now, the Lodge Retreat, spa services!  http://www.laconnerlodging.com/  Great service.

Eat – Seeds Bistro and Bar –  Yum.  The seating options abound…the front deck, at the bar, in the dining room or on the patio out back.  The fare consists of burgers, salads, soup, starters, sandwiches and comfort foods too!   Much of the quality products are purchased from Skagit Valley farms and Northwest growers whenever possible.  I enjoyed the Retro Iceberg Wedge – iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, gorgonzola crumbles, peppered bacon, and served with gorgonzola dressing on the side…and I ask for it to be cut up for me, instead of it being served as a wedge.  Oh, and the homemade bread, my goodness…delicious, soft, and warm.  The Two Beers Brewery Immulsion Amber hit the spot too.  Seeds serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.   http://www.seedsbistro.com/    Note: the pictures located on the site doesn’t do the food justice…check out the pic here instead.  🙂

La Conner Thai Restaurant  –  if you like Thai, you should like this.  The Phad Thai (with Chicken) was satisfying as was the cashew stir fry.

Enjoy – A stop at the Berry Barn is a must…love the Marionberry pie, and on a 4th of July weekend, it makes the meal extra special.  They of course have old-fashioned apple too.  http://www.funattheberrybarn.com/info.php   Although Roozengarde isn’t blooming with tulips, we made a stop and enjoyed visiting the gift shop and walking the grounds.  http://www.tulipfestival.org/   I was not able to make it to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival this year, but was happy to see that the official print for this year was created by local Camano Island artist John Ebner.  Really nice.  http://www.johnebner.com/  Snow Goose Produce Market, always a must-see.  This time, we purchased rustic Northwest bread.  A bit cool this morning for ice cream.  http://snowgooseproducemarket.com/  Stop by Plug Ugly for antique and other maritime and fishing gear – available for purchase!   Hellams Vineyard is the place to go for a great selection of wine and a good time.  A quality experience…a great place to gather with friends and family.  A plate of fine cheese, meat and olives can be purchased.  And if you would like to enjoy the deck with the view of the Channel, purchase a glass of wine (or a bottle) or beer and enjoy the afternoon.  The sun broke through and blue skies were in view.   I had the utmost fortune of meeting up with family friends that I had not seen since I was a child, and it was a perfect meeting spot for this.  Good food, wine, and conversation (with Frank Sinatra heard overhead).  http://www.hellamsvineyard.com/

Rosario Beach – lovely!  A great place for a picnic and for enjoying Northwest beauty.  Volunteers were on hand to teach us about the  rocky shores of Rosario Beach… the plants and animals that live within the tide pools here.  To protect the inhabitants of certain areas, it was suggested that we follow a rope trail and yes, we were still able to see the treasures that abound…hermit crabs, red rock crab, kelp, rockweed, chitons, and more.

See July 2010 post for more on La Conner and Deception Pass area.