1889 Washington's Magazine + Special Insert: Ski Northwest | October/November 2021

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PNW’s WWII Stories Revealed

TRIP PLANNER: MOUNT RAINIER PG. 80

Mod + Luxe Remodels

Pumpkin Recipes Reimagined

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PNW GIFTS + GETAWAYS

FOR THE HOLIDAYS

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October | November

volume 27


ALCOHOL BEVERAGE LAWS VARY BY STATE. PLEASE BE GUIDED ACCORDINGLY. © 2020 ELYSIAN BREWING COMPANY, SEATTLE, WA


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NOTT T HIS T HIS


TIMBERLINE VODKA

Timberline Vodka is created by and for the outer class in a little part of the world called Hood River, where there’s a lot more outside than inside. We distill our enthusiasm into this gem from a unique blend of Pacific Northwest apples, grain, and glacier-fed spring water from Mt. Hood. Here’s to whatever opens your door.

Proudly distilled and bottled by Hood River Distillers, Inc., Hood River, Oregon USA © 2021 Timberline® Vodka, 40% Alc./Vol., Gluten Free.www.timberlinevodkas.com Stay in Control®.


Pumped for Pumpkins photography by Richard Darbonne BRIGHT, PLUMP pumpkins herald the height of fall and a legacy farming family details the counterintuitive factor of rain in growing these fun fruits, which are decorative and delicious. Plus, recipes for surprising, savory soups and scrumptious pies. (pg. 26)

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Robby Rutledge stands amid the stalks of sweet corn on the land his family has farmed since before Washington statehood in 1889.

OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2021

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FEATURES OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2021 • volume 27

53 The PNW Holiday Gift Guide Infuse your holidays with Pacific Northwest flavor, from chill-yet-toasty hot-tub boating on Lake Union to whiskey and salted-caramel s’mores around a fire and the best new gear for winter fun.

Float Lake Union in style in Seattle’s Hot Tub Boats.

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62

The People’s Market Prevails

Final Flights

Glimpse the unrelenting community spirit that saved Pike Place Market from demolition fifty years ago and endures today.

Hidden deep within the Northwest’s vast rainforests, submerged in lakes and bays and entombed in glaciers on high volcanic peaks lie the wreckage of lost aircraft and remnants of the men who flew them. Here are their stories. written by Sig Unander

OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2021

Cameron Zegers

written by 1889 Washington’s Magazine staff


e perfect getaway! and plenty of outdoor recreation. www.WinthropWashington.com


DEPARTMENTS OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2021 • volume 27

LIVE 16 SAY WA?

A cornerstone of Seattle’s roots-music scene turns songwriter. A tree-farming author maps two centuries of people’s interactions with the land. PNW picks for style, flavor and fun.

22 FOOD + DRINK

Quaff a London gin-infused tea with Magic Sea Salt Foam. Inside the pub that’s endured a century. The quarterback who doubled back to wine making in Walla Walla. Smooth and creamy Thai mousse, steamed in a pint-size pumpkin. In Spokane, a pop-up prevails with eclectic cuisine—and a killer crunchwrap.

26 FARM TO TABLE

A multi-generational farming family counterintuits the factor of rain in growing these fun fruits, decorative and delicious. Recipes for using it in surprising, savory soups and scrumptious pies.

32 HOME + DESIGN Bronwen Houck

An architect discovers a secret, well-heeled past to a 1971 home in Spokane, during a remodel that reveals its flows and thoughtful design. A 1963 ranch in Olympia regains its mid-century vibe and fun. DIY: Six tips for picking a couch. Top picks for mid-century flair.

47

38 MIND + BODY

A second-generation Soma Structural Integration practitioner and teacher in Langley on why the modality is gaining attention locally and nationally for conditions ranging from knee and back pain to asthma and fibromyalgia.

40 ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

After a Hollywood actor bought a mask from this Makah nation carver, his artistry gained attention, but it’s the wood that ultimately demands each piece’s direction.

THINK 44 STARTUP Mark Downey/Washington Tourism Alliance

The motto “Less Fear, More Falafel” drives a nonprofit empowering former refugee and immigrant chefs in Spokane.

46 WHAT’S GOING UP

Historic, mod and boutique properties bump up the overnight experience in three cities.

47 WHAT I’M WORKING ON

A leading force behind one of Seattle’s largest regional theaters discusses re-emerging, with new play development, paid apprenticeships and a robust season.

48 MY WORKSPACE

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30 12 13 86 88

Editor’s Letter 1889 Online Map of Washington Until Next Time

In launching Portmanteau Home, this entrepreneur strives for mixed-race kids like her own to see themselves represented.

50 GAME CHANGER

The move to preserve democracy through ranked-choice voting could be a Pacific Northwest ballot initiative in 2022.

EXPLORE 74 TRAVEL SPOTLIGHT

Feasting on oysters and fresh whole Dungeness crab is just one reason to do the Olympic Culinary Loop on the peninsula this season. Helping the multi-generational fishing and shellfish-farming families battle the effects of climate change is another reason.

76 ADVENTURE

High-elevation exploring, dramatic scenery and a mellow side of snowmobiling.

78 LODGING

Staying snuggly in the autumn forest gets an assist from a GoCamp van.

COVER

80 TRIP PLANNER

photo by Joni Kabana (see Farm to Table, pg. 26)

Go bounty hiking at Mount Rainier with this itinerary and snacking guide.

84 NW DESTINATION

Craving culture, creativity and comfort? A big city’s little sister in BC provides.

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You don’t have to pedal the world to be a discoverer. Or be the first international female sports star, like Annie Londonderry, a mother from Boston who cycled around the world in 1895. You just have to explore Discovery West. Nestled in Bend’s Westside, this new community is at the heart of beauty, nature, and lifestyle that makes Bend, well, Bend. Visit discoverywestbend.com to learn about the neighborhood, Annie herself – and how you could even find your new home on Londonderry Place. Or head on over to our Discovery Pod at the corner of Skyline Ranch Road and Celilo Lane and do your own exploring.


CONTRIBUTORS

TOBY NOLAN Photographer The PNW Holiday Gift Guide

SIG UNANDER Writer Final Flights

CORINNE WHITING Writer Farm to Table

RICHARD DARBONNE Photographer Farm to Table

“Photographing products, especially groups of products, always presents a fun technical challenge. Working in the studio with artificial light allows the time required to refine compositions and of course the all-important lighting. All products deserve equal representation regardless of their individual attributes. This means the design and layout process is critical to ensure each item stands out on its own while still working cohesively with the group.” (pg. 53)

“A historian and hiker, I’d been intrigued by accounts of lost World War II aircraft in remote areas of Washington. My research on that forgotten history became an intriguing chase through time when I connected with the son of the copilot of a Navy bomber that crashed on Mount St. Helens and the daughter of the sole survivor. Putting together interviews, period newspaper coverage and archival documents clarified the lingering mystery of what happened to this plane and crew.” (pg. 62)

“While I’m never thrilled to bid adieu to summer, I always look forward to the arrival of autumn—and all the hyggefilled perks that mark the Northwest’s crisper, golden-lit days. On that note, it was a true joy talking all things pumpkin with some of Washington’s hardworking farmers and chefs who’ve fallen in love with the product, whether it’s growing in their patches, appearing on their plates, even pepping up their pints.” (pg. 26)

“Robby, the general manager of Rutledge corn maze, told me stories of people going into the maze, getting lost and calling 911 to get them out. We both laughed at that, but when I asked him if he had the maze memorized he said he didn’t because a crop designer plans out a new pattern for a completely different maze every year. For a second I wondered if we’d get lost as well. This was my first time in a corn maze. We made it out ok.” (pg. 26)

Corinne Whiting is a freelance travel and lifestyle writer with a master’s in cultural studies from the University of Edinburgh. She lives in Portland’s Fremont neighborhood and spends time near the water as often as possible.

Richard Darbonne is an editorial photographer and lives in Portland with his wife, daughter, cat, and dog. He really likes traveling and eating tacos.

Toby Nolan is a freelance commercial, travel and adventure photographer. Originally from Dubin, Ireland, he is now based in Central Oregon and enjoys working around the world.

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Sig Unander is a civic leader and communications professional who has worked as a journalist in New Mexico, Minnesota and Atlanta. He is a native of Portland, where he currently lives.

OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2021


EDITOR-AT-LARGE Kevin Max

MANAGING EDITOR Cathy Carroll CREATIVE DIRECTOR Allison Bye

WEB MANAGER

OFFICE MANAGER

DIRECTOR OF SALES

BEERVANA COLUMNIST

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Aaron Opsahl Cindy Miskowiec Jenny Kamprath Jackie Dodd Molly Allen, Amy Bowden, Caitlin Carvin, Melissa Dalton, Jacques Derning, Jackie Dodd, John Lane, Gordie Lowe, Ben Salmon, Cara Strickland, Sig Unander, Mary Grace Ward, Corinne Whiting Richard Darbonne, Jackie Dodd, Joni Kabana, Toby Nolan

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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.

OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2021

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FROM THE

EDITOR-AT-LARGE THE GREATEST GIFT of any season is the one you gave. So make this holiday season a great one by thinking about those most in need and extend great generosity to them. For those closest to you, we’ve again brought together some of the Pacific Northwest’s best local goods and experiences to help your dollars create a bigger impact for small businesses right here. Turn to our Gift Guide on pg. 53 and begin your shopping for impact. History and remembrances of things past hit us hardest over the holidays. Pike Place Market celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, and we cherish it with striking historic photos of the market that survived calls for its extinction (Gallery pg. 68). We also honor the American soldiers who gave their lives to fight the armies of fascist dictators in World War II. On pg. 62, writer Sig Unander shares with us the story of an ill-fated flight aboard a Ventura Bomber from Whidbey Island Naval Air Station as a reminder of how precious life is and that war casualties happened right here in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest.

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To leave the world behind and escape to a beautiful place where fall hikes can come in long or short form, turn to pg. 80 for an itinerary that includes a backpack of local bounty, great Mount Rainier hikes, quaint lodging and, perhaps, a hot tub for an evening soak. If you want to keep closer to home during the holidays, we have some suggestions on how to make it memorable. The first thing to do is to ogle Harper’s pumpkin pie from chef Kaleena Bliss in Recipes (pg. 30) and try our own hand at making it. Naturally, the missing food group here is wine. For that, you may want to go straight to the top shelf where Drew Bledsoe, under his Doubleback and Bledsoe Family wineries (and with winemaker Josh McDaniels), is working to create America’s best cabernet sauvignon. Already with tasting rooms in Walla Walla and Bend, Bledsoe teamed up with Gramercy Cellars to open Four Eleven Wine Lounge, a new tasting room in Pioneer Square at 411 1st Avenue S. Be kind to yourself these holidays and swirl and sip one of these wines. Cheers!


1889 ONLINE More ways to connect with your favorite Washington content www.1889mag.com | #1889washington | @1889washington

SHOP LOCAL Stop by Local, our curated online shop of cool goods made by businesses in the Pacific Northwest. Find home décor, jewelry, specialty foods and more. Or show your state pride with 1889 T-shirts, hats and other gear. Buy local. Feel good. www.1859oregonmagazine.com/shop

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 Annette Archuleta A beautiful fall day in Spokane’s Corbin Park.

1889 ADVENTURE MAIL More Washington, delivered to your inbox! Sign up for 1889’s Adventure Mail newsletter and get access to the latest trip ideas, giveaways, recipes and more. www.1889mag.com/1889-newsletter

OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2021

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SAY WA? 16 FOOD + DRINK 22 FARM TO TABLE 26 HOME + DESIGN 32 MIND + BODY 38

pg. 22 Inside the pub that survived prohibition, the Great Depression, fires, the Spanish flu and Covid.

Jackie Dodd

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE 40


Mount Baker Theatre

Stay Awhile. Attend. Schooner Zodiac

Savor.

Adventure.

Get Inspired! See explorations by a famous world traveler at:

Bellewood Acres

Taste.

bellingham.org/ Rick Steves @BellinghamExperience T H E S TAT E O F W A S H I N G T O N


say wa?

Tidbits + To-dos

Arvin Goods

The farmer’s market experience lands on your doorstep with Acme Farms & Kitchen’s meal kits, composed of locally-sourced ingredients and recipes. The family-founded, Bellingham-based farm is conscientious about waste, ordering only what’s needed from producers, using minimal packaging and reusing the boxes and ice packs. From the family classics box with meatloaf sandwiches, white lasagna with spinach and mushrooms or roasted poblano and potato soup to vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, surf, turf and kids’ favorites, it’s what’s for dinner.

Who knew the average pair of socks takes 50-plus gallons of fresh water to create and 85 percent of used textiles end up in landfills? Seattle-based Arvin Goods did. You can be eco-conscious and fashion forward with basic tees and retro crew socks from this maker, which uses organic and discarded apparel scraps to create soft socks in a process requiring almost zero water, and no harmful chemicals or dyes.

www.theacmebox.com

www.arvingoods.com

Acme Farms & Kitchen Boxes

ca mark le yo nd ur ar 50th Anniversary of Saving Pike Place Market Fifty years ago, Pike Place Market was almost lost to urban-renewal-by-demolition supported by property developers and city officials. In 1964, local citizens established the Friends of the Market and worked for seven years, educating the public and advocating for preserving it and ultimately saving it. Events marking the anniversary include the Let’s Keep the Market STRONG 50th Celebration and screening of the documentary Pike Place Market: A Love Story. For historic Pike Place photos and more information on the anniversary, see “The People’s Market Prevails” on pg. 68. www.pikeplacemarket.org

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say wa?

The Modern Dane We all know that getting good sleep is good for us, so it stands to reason that it can only get better with sustainable, luxury linen bedding inspired by serene Scandinavian design. The Modern Dane’s products are crafted to last ten times longer than cheap, disposable ones that end up in a landfill. We want to drift off to sleep dreaming of being a part of the solution and sharing the belief that good design should enrich our lives. www.moderndane.com

Rudy’s Although Rudy’s Barbershop is linked to Seattle grunge, your hair doesn’t have to be. The 1, 2, 3 Bundle — shampoo, conditioner and body wash, lets you (and those around you) know it’s not 1993 anymore. Rudy’s has always been driven by a desire to have a place where all of their friends could hang out and leave feeling better than when they arrived. Now you might be able to say the same for your bathroom. www.rudysbarbershop.com

SeaBear Smokehouse Craving crab rolls but can’t get to the seaside? You can get all the ingredients for a SeaBear Crab Roll delivered to your door. The kit includes more than a half-pound of Dungeness and Alaskan King Crab Dip, with chunks of king crab, eight potato slider rolls and garlic and sea salt butter from Golden Glen Creamery in Bow. www.seabear.com

OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2021

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say wa?

Musician

Songwriter-Ready

Known for collaborating with legends, Eli West takes on songwriting.

Seattle’s Eli West makes the personal feel universal on Tapered Point of Stone written by Ben Salmon

Jenny-Jimenez

Listen on Spotify

WHEN ELI WEST was a kid, he learned to play violin using the famous Suzuki method, a curriculum and teaching philosophy developed by Japanese violinist Shinichi Suzuki in the mid-twentieth century. By sixth grade, however, West wanted to ditch the violin for guitar. His mom approved—with conditions. “She said, ‘You can switch, but you have to learn to read music and treat it like (you’re treating the violin),’” West said. “I was picturing having a Telecaster and shredding, and I ended up learning how to play classical guitar. In the end, it totally made me who I am.” These days, West is a top-shelf multi-instrumentalist, a sublime singer, a cornerstone of Seattle’s roots-music scene and, with the release of his new album Tapered Point of Stone, a songwriter. To be clear, Tapered is not West’s first solo album, but it is the first that’s filled with West’s compositions. (His 2016 album The Both featured arrangements of traditional songs, and wellknown guest players including Bill Frisell and Dori Freeman.) West has always written songs, he said. He just had never shared them before. “I went to college with all these songwriters and just never felt like I needed to throw my shit on top of the heap,” West said. “It was a confidence thing, but also, I felt like I needed to have a little more life experience in order to have something to say. Even now, I identify as a musician first and a writer second.” After college, West spent much of his time playing in bands, most notably his duo with Cahalen Morrisson, with whom he released three excellent albums of lithe, melodic bluegrass and 18

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folk music in the early 2010s. His gathering of life experience accelerated in September of 2018, when West’s father passed away. That loss and the emotional journey that followed is threaded into the fabric of Tapered Point of Stone, which was recorded with mandolinist Andrew Marlin and bassist Clint Mullican of the band Mandolin Orange, as well fiddler Christian Sedelmeyer, who plays with legendary guitarist Jerry Douglas. “I’ve always been reticent to try and scale up any kind of intimate conversation (into a song),” West said. “When I think of songwriting, I think of sincerity as a parallel to accessibility. How can you make something that’s really honest and also universal? That’s really hard. Grieving your dad is so personal and intimate, but then to frame it in a way that other people can hang their hat on it, too—that’s kind of a tension that I feel.” West balances those two forces with grace on Tapered, a collection of thirteen songs that exemplify the music he has always made: catchy and charming, a bit sheepish, rooted in traditional sounds but played with style and agility that feels undeniably modern. The songs mean a lot to West, but he has carefully crafted them so they’ll mean something different to each listener, too. “It’s easy to grab a metaphor and run with it,” he said. “But what feels more honest to me is to spend the energy describing the environment, and then someone else can come in and do the work and extract the meaning for themselves, and I think that leads to a more meaningful experience.”


PACIFIC NORTHWEST WINERY OF THE YEAR Clearwater Canyon Cellars, 2020

IDAHO WINERY OF THE YEAR

Vine 46, 2021 Colter’s Creek, 2020 Clearwater Canyon Cellars, 2015

COME FOR THE WINE, STAY FOR THE

e r u t n e v ad

Escape the crowds and taste the Northwest's best kept wine secret — Lewis-Clark Valley AVA wines in the unique canyons of the Clearwater and Snake Rivers. Explore Hells Canyon, North America’s deepest river gorge aboard a custom built jet boat or whitewater rafting excursion. Experience our region full of award-winning wine, eclectic dining experiences, outdoor recreation, historic downtowns, culture and history. We think you’ll find more than a few adventures, and wines, to fall in love with.

LEWISTON, ID • CLARKSTON, WA www.visitlcvalley.com | (509) 758-7489 Photos ©Brad Stinson, Northwest Media


Bibliophile

Ann Stinson adds a landowner’s voice to conversations about the human tendency to demand more of the land than it can sustain.

Family Trees A tree-farmer’s daughter artfully reveals rings of forest history, science and cultures in new memoir interview by Cathy Carroll

ANN STINSON GREW UP on her family’s tree farm just outside of Toledo, in southwest Washington, on a ridge above the Cowlitz River. After working in public policy and as a teacher in New York and Portland, she returned home at age 50, when her brother’s death from cancer left her manager and co-owner of three hundred acres planted in Douglas fir, western red cedar and ponderosa pine. The Ground at My Feet: Sustaining a Family and a Forest is a memoir about loss and grief as well as a portrait of a family, a region and an industry. Stinson weaves essays, poems, history and science into a rich, layered account of life in a Pacific Northwest family forest. She also follows her family’s logs as they become lumber for fences and suburban homes, traveling with her father to visit mills in Japan. She divides her time between Portland, where she lives with her husband, Tom Barbara, and in Toledo, where she manages the family farm. 20

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In researching two centuries of interactions between the region’s land and the Cowlitz peoples, homesteaders and generations of logging families, what discoveries were the most enlightening? I started with the oral history passed down to my parents from the previous owners, Elmer and Dorothy Boone, then used deed documents to go further into the past. I discovered that the first person to receive a U.S. government deed to the land was a Civil War veteran, Edgar R. Willoughby. His story is compelling and thanks to the Washington Civil War Association, well documented. He had been wounded in the war, received an Invalid Pension, died young, and his wife successfully petitioned to receive the pension. I was able to use these details to imagine their brief years on the land. Our tree farm is in the center of the traditional Cowlitz tribal lands. In the nineteenth century, their understanding of land use did not depend on deeds or individual ownership. So my query of ‘who owned our land’ soon shifted from names found in ledgers to questions about a whole culture. With the help of two tribal members, Roy Wilson and Michael Hubbs, I discovered the story of Thas-e-muth, the daughter of the Cowlitz Chief Scanewa. She married the first white man to paddle

up the Cowlitz River, Simon Plamondon, and lived in Hudson’s Bay Company forts with him. She did not leave any written words, so we cannot know her thoughts, but I’ve tried to bring her to life. How did your personal view of the Pacific Northwest’s timber and forestry influence the book? I am a huge fan of the author Richard Powers, and when The Overstory, his book about trees and forests in America came out, I couldn’t wait to read it. It’s masterful, but I wished that he had included a character who owned and managed a forest. Tree farmers love the land and their trees. Living with trees gives land owners a different sense of time, “tree time.” It is slower and allows—rather demands— that we see a larger picture, long-term gain rather than short-term profit. How does your work as president of the Family Forest Foundation relate to the book? The stated goal of the Family Forest Foundation is ‘to promote the conservation and sustainable management of family forests.’ In the book, I try to portray a family working towards this goal. As we harvest, plant and nurture trees in the forest, the trees give back. They provide us our livelihood, give shelter to wildlife, clean the air and water, and soothe our souls.



food + drink

Beervana

Cocktail Card recipe courtesy of TIDAL+ / Alex Ulises

Tea For Three •  2 ounces London Gin Infusion •  ½ ounce lemon juice •  ½ ounce simple syrup •  ½ ounce Magic Sea Salt Foam FOR LONDON GIN INFUSION •  1 liter of gin •  1 ounce piloncillo sugar •  1 ounce star anise pods •  1 ounce dried, whole cloves •  3 to 5 tea bags (Earl Grey, chamomile or tangerine or another of your choice) Mix gin with piloncillo sugar, star anise pods and dried whole cloves. Add tea bags (in our infusion we use Imperial). Let rest for 3 to 5 days and strain. FOR MAGIC SEA SALT FOAM •  ¼ teaspoon Versawhip modified soy protein powder •  3.4 ounces water •  1 pinch of salt Add Versawhip powder and salt to water and blend until frothy. Pour gin infusion, lemon juice, simple syrup and magic foam into a mug over ice, and garnish with a seasonal edible flower and a sprig of thyme or other herb of your choice.

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FROM LEFT The Brick is somewhere between historic landmark and friendly neighborhood dive bar. The bartender pulls the business license off the wall, pointing to its issuance number: 1.

Washington’s Oldest Pub It survived prohibition, the Great Depression, wildfires and the Spanish flu—and so far, Covid written and photographed by Jackie Dodd THE BARTENDER OF The Brick Saloon in Roslyn, patted the cold, cinder block wall in the back of the dimly lit basement below the bar. “This is where it was,” he said, standing behind an aged iron door, which still looks to be a century newer than the surrounding bricks. “This is where the tunnels were during Prohibition,” he said. “They used them to get liquor in and probably to ship it out. No one really knows for sure.” What remains of the activities that transpired in the depths of this storied bar during Prohibition has turned into folklore, and the tunnels have been sealed tight as a bootlegger’s secrets. During the dry time, 1920 to 1933, this humble watering hole was a “soda fountain” and café, after more than three decades of being firmly cemented as a local favorite. Although it opened the year Washington gained statehood (1889), prohibition meant adapting, and if the tunnels that ran under the adjacent streets are any indication, the adaptation was far more than just pouring kid-friendly concoctions and slinging burgers, a choice that is likely the reason The Brick still stands. When asked what they think about other bars claiming to be older, trying to grab the crown of “Washington’s Oldest Bar,” the bartender just pulls the business license off the wall, “See? The license number is 1, we weren’t just the first bar in Washington, but the first business license ever issued in the state. We’re the oldest, they’re just not.” Although the debate rages on, some Pacific OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2021

Northwesterners award the title to The Bluebird Inn in Bickleton, which opened about a year and a half earlier than The Brick. The Bluebird, however, has not been in continuous operation and has changed hands many times, with different business licenses. If the qualification for “oldest” must go to the longest continuous running bar in the state, The Brick seems to be the winner. Landing somewhere between a historic landmark and a friendly neighborhood dive bar, The Brick is exactly what you want it to be, and worth the drive. The taps pour craft beer from Roslyn Brewing, Icicle, Iron Horse and many other local favorites. The food will get the job done. The walls have heard much and almost seem to speak. Some of the history is well documented, making its Hollywood debut in the Dick Van Dyke movie The Runner Stumbles and shots of the exterior popping up again in the 1990s television show Northern Exposure. It’s the history that’ll never be told, though, that seems to drift through the space like a ghost. Remnants of its past lives clinging to all the surfaces, spanning the decades to remind us that it’s not going anywhere—pandemic be damned. “It’s the ‘Three Little Pigs’ idea—it’s made of brick, it’ll survive anything,” said the bartender, pouring a beer and reminding us that this place will outlive us all. 100 W. PENNSYLVANIA AVE. ROSLYN www.bricksaloon.com


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Doubleback Winery/Bledsoe Family Winery

food + drink

CRAVINGS FRIED CHICKEN Casper Fry, a staple of Spokane’s hip South Perry District, is known for its Cajun-inspired dishes and strong cocktails. Ask any local and they’ll tell you this is the fried chicken to beat. You can choose Nashville hot, but the original, complete with proprietary seasoning, is infinitely craveable. 928 SOUTH PERRY STREET SPOKANE www.casperfry.com

PUB FARE For inventive microbrews with a side of local history, you won’t want to miss Paradise Creek Brewery in the heart of Pullman. The building, a former post office, offers creative renditions of burgers, their signature Cougar Gold mac n cheese, and specials such as chicken cacciatore and fettucini with a gorgonzola cream sauce, apples, red onions and spiced walnuts. and has retained its teller windows and original flooring.

Drew Bledsoe, right, is on a mission to grow and create one of America’s best cabernet sauvignons.

Gastronomy

Doubleback Winery and Bledsoe Family Winery written by Cara Strickland IN 2007, ONE OF Walla Walla’s hometown boys doubled back to the place he grew up, hoping to make some amazing wine. That local boy is retired NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe, whose home turf had given rise to some of the region’s exciting wineries. Bledsoe teamed up with Josh McDaniels, another Walla Walla native with just the right kind of experience—his mentor is Chris Figgins of Leonetti Cellars and Figgins Family Wine Estates. The goal was to craft America’s best cabernet sauvignon, and it seems the team is well on their way—the first vintage made Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list. They’ve added to the mix Bledsoe Family Winery, a label that makes premium whites, rosés and reds at a more affordable price point. Both tasting rooms are worth the trip.

PASTRIES While there are many tempting aromas at Walla Walla Bread Company, chances are you’ll be drawn to the freshly baked croissants and other beautiful pastries. You wouldn’t be the only one—owner and lead baker Michele Pompei might be familiar from a stint on the Food Network’s Best Baker in America. Originally from Italy, his laminated dough is legendary. 201 EAST MAIN STREET WALLA WALLA www.w2breadco.com

SEAFOOD The menu at this relaxed island restaurant changes with the seasons, but what doesn’t change is the care they take with the local bounty from the sea. Simple accompaniments let the natural flavors shine. 50 DUCK SOUP LANE FRIDAY HARBOR www.ducksoupsanjuans.squarespace.com

WALLA WALLA www.doubleback.com www.bledsoefamilywinery.com

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245 SOUTHEAST PARADISE STREET PULLMAN www.paradisecreekbrewery.com

OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2021


BEST PLACES FOR

PASTA SPINASSE

Photos: Tony Brown

food + drink

This Seattle staple opened in 2008, inspired by the Piedmont region of northern Italy. Word about their handmade pasta soon spread, making the spot one of the city’s top choices for Italian cuisine. Though some of the faces have changed, they continue making everything for their seasonal dishes in-house. 1531 14TH AVENUE SEATTLE www.spinasse.com

LARCH This newcomer to downtown Leavenworth boasts of their house-made pasta and handcrafted cocktails—and rightfully so. Pasta perfection includes dishes such as squid-ink linguine with littleneck clams, lemon herb brodo and crispy capers or pork shoulder agnolotti. Their happy hour lives up to its name. 214 8TH STREET LEAVENWORTH www.larchleavenworth.com

ZESTA CUCINA With a sultry vibe and mood lighting, this is a popular date destination in the Yakima Valley. Dishes marry a variety of pastas with seasonal sauces in entrees ranging from chicken Marsala to Parmesan halibut. 5110 WEST TIETON DRIVE #210 YAKIMA www.zestacucina.com

ITALIA TRATTORIA There’s always a house pasta on the menu at this lively spot in Spokane’s historic Browne’s Addition. If you’re lucky, there’s gnocchi, hand-rolled and cut by co-owner Anna Vogel, a former James Beard award semifinalist for best chef in the Northwest, who brings her talents to Spokane from her home in Switzerland, with a few stops along the way in some of the world’s best cities for dining. 1444 SOUTH CANNON STREET SPOKANE www.italiatrattoriaspokane.com

A key lime and strawberry tart; a salad course of compressed watermelon, goat cheese, pickled green strawberries and miner’s lettuce; and the crunchwrap, an example of fast food made with quality ingredients.

Dining

Ruins, Stella’s and McRuins written by Cara Strickland IT ALL STARTED with Stella’s—an unassuming sandwich shop near the Spokane County Courthouse named for the owners’ daughter and granddaughter. Soon, steady lines formed for the simple, delicious sandwiches and fresh baked goods. Next came Ruins, which let Tony Brown follow his vision of creating a menu that would change every few weeks according to his interests accompanied by craft cocktails and an eclectic vibe. Each menu is a take on a different geographic region, often interpreted through a Northwest lens. McRuins started as a one-night-a-week special—fast food made with high-quality ingredients. Now it has a place of its own, where you can grab a crunchwrap or dirty fries when your cravings call for it. Brown’s higher-end concept, Eyvind, was a pandemic casualty, but he’s still running limited supper clubs on the weekends at Stella’s. With this track record, whatever comes next is bound to be delicious. SPOKANE www.ruinsspokane.com

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farm to table Pumpkins at Olympia’s Rutledge Corn Maze, where irrigation and soil composition are key to great-looking pumpkins.

Farm to Table

Pumped Up Farmers, chefs make the most of Washington’s pumpkin harvest written by Corinne Whiting | photography by Richard Darbonne

THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES of North America were growing pumpkins long before Europeans arrived on this land. These days, the distinctive spheres (which are actually fruit) continue to herald the fall season—appearing on doorsteps and windowsills as well as in hearty soups and scrumptious pies. Pumpkins also are a good source of fiber and vitamin A and are high in the antioxidant beta-carotene. “We are so lucky here in Seattle, because there are so many local farms that carry a variety of different pumpkins all around us,” said Kaleena Bliss, chef of Conversation, the restaurant at the Thompson Seattle hotel. A few growers came to mind: Stocker Farms in Snohomish, Carpinito Brothers in Kent and Fox Hollow Farm in Issaquah. “In the fall, you can usually find all sorts of local pumpkins, squashes and gourds to pick from in all different shapes, colors and sizes,” she said. 26     1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE

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The family of Robby Rutledge, general manager of Olympia’s Rutledge Corn Maze, has been farming in Washington since before statehood in 1889. Although their main crop is sweet corn, this year the farm also has green beans, carrots, cucumbers, beets, zucchini and of course, pumpkins. Conditions for cultivation vary throughout the state. “Our farm is perfect for growing pumpkins, because we don’t get a lot of rain during our growing season,


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farm to table

which sounds bad but is actually good,” Rutledge said. Although pumpkins like water—and are about 90 percent water—they are highly susceptible to a potentially lethal fungus called powdery mildew. “We use a special irrigation system that only waters the roots to prevent any injury to the plant,” Rutledge explained. “The other awesome part about our farm is the soil here holds water for days. So we don’t need to water every day to get great-looking pumpkins.” Pumpkins need an average of eighty to 100 days to grow. Rutledge and team start planting in late May or early June to have them ready by October. “You have to know your area well because if you plant too late, you may get a frost which will stop your growing process by killing your plant,” he said. “Pumpkins need a lot of space to grow, so they need to be planted just the right distance from each other.” They also require weeding at least twice during the growing season. “When they start to turn orange (or the appropriate color for that variety),” Rutledge said, “it’s time to pick them.” Finding the perfect pumpkin depends on its intended use. For a Jack-o’-lantern, Rutledge suggests finding one with a flat bottom so that it sits upright. If baking is the goal, however, sugar pumpkins are the answer. This variety is smaller than squash. Bliss usually picks ones that weigh four to six pounds. “They have a lot more meat for baking and they are sweeter,” Rutledge said. “Store them in a cool, dry place, around 50 to 60 degrees. If you keep them cool, and avoid the ones with damage to the skin, they should keep for several months.” Rutledge’s favorite way to use pumpkins in the kitchen? While there’s always the classic pumpkin pie, he’s also drawn to cookies, breads and pumpkin cheesecake. “Pumpkins are awesome because there is so much you can do with them,” he said. “I think the biggest thing I can say is use them when they are fresh.” Chef and Senior Product Manager Andrew Clarke of Acme Farms & Kitchen, noted that many Bellingham-area farms grow pumpkins, too. They are often one of the last fresh

products available at the end of the growing season. “Pumpkins are generally ready for harvest in late September, but their sturdiness and storage capacity means they are available well into the winter,” he said. When it comes to selection, Clarke advises finding ones that are firm and heavy for their size. Some blemishes on the skin aren’t a problem, but it’s best to avoid any with soft spots. “Use a large, heavy knife when cutting pumpkins and other squash,” he said. “For especially large and hard winter squash, like the Hubbard, I’ve found the best way to get into it is to take it outside, hold it over your head, then smash it on the driveway!” For things such as pies, breads, cakes and soups, Clarke loves to halve and clean the pumpkins, then roast them until very soft. “You can then scoop the flesh out to make a puree, which you can either use right away or store in the freezer.” Bliss prefers to roast pumpkin with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. “I really enjoy a pumpkin soup in the fall, which I make using the roasted flesh and coconut milk,” she said. “Toasting the seeds with a little sea salt is also a really great garnish.”

Finding the perfect pumpkin depends on its intended use. For a Jack-o’-lantern, Rutledge suggests finding one with a flat bottom so that it sits upright. If baking is the goal, however, sugar pumpkins are the answer.

ABOVE, FROM LEFT A chicken roams at Rutledge Corn Maze near Olympia. Fall festivities at the Rutledge farm happen amid fields punctuated with the seasonal icon, pumpkins. AT RIGHT Rutledge Corn Maze general manager Robby Rutledge.

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farm to table

Pumpkin and Wild Rice Salad with Apples and Pecans

BELLINGHAM / Acme Farms & Kitchen Andrew Clarke SERVES 4 FOR THE SALAD • 1 cup wild rice • 1 small sugar pumpkin, cut into ¾ inch wedges • 1 tablespoon olive oil • Salt and pepper to taste • ½ cup pecans • ¼ cup maple syrup FOR THE VINAIGRETTE • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar • 2 tablespoons maple syrup • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard • 1½ teaspoons shallot, minced • ⅓ cup olive oil • Salt and pepper to taste FOR SERVING • 13 pound baby greens • ½ cup dried cranberries • 1 apple, sliced into thin wedges • 4 scallions, sliced Pumpkin and wild rice salad with apples and pecans imparts delightful seasonal flavors and textures.

Washington Recipes

Luscious Autumn Alchemy Thai Pumpkin Mousse

SEATTLE / Ti22 Modern Thai and Japanese Fusion Cuisine Thiraphan Suttabusya SERVES 6 • • • • • •

1 small pumpkin 4 eggs ¾ cup coconut milk ½ cup palm sugar ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Wash pumpkin thoroughly. Use a glass or small bowl to trace the circle on its top, and cut it out using a very sharp knife. Scoop out all the inside seeds and fibers, and rinse to ensure it’s clean and smooth inside.

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In a saucepan over medium heat, stir palm sugar, coconut milk, salt and vanilla extract until the palm sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, and cool to room temperature. Add eggs to the coconut milk mixture, and mix well to form a custard. Pour the custard into the bottom of the hollowed-out pumpkin. Place in a steamer and let steam for 45 minutes untouched. Remove from steamer and let it cool a bit. Slice into individual pieces and serve.

OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2021

Place the wild rice in a small saucepan, and cover with a few inches of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until tender, about 35 minutes, adding more water if necessary. When the rice is done, drain and lay out on a plate to cool. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut the pumpkin in half, and scoop out seeds. Cut into ¾-inch wedges (leave the skin on), and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on one of the parchment-lined baking sheets, and roast in the oven until fork-tender, about 20 minutes. Next, make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons maple syrup and 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard. While whisking, add the minced shallots, and drizzle in the olive oil, then add salt and pepper to taste. Set the dressing aside. Toss the pecans with the maple syrup and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Spread on the second baking sheet, and place in oven. Watching carefully, roast the nuts until fragrant, about 4 to 5 minutes, then remove from the oven and let cool. In a large bowl, add the cooked wild rice, greens, apples, scallions, maple glazed pecans and dried cranberries and stir. Toss with the vinaigrette, then divide the salad among the plates, top with the roasted pumpkin and serve.


farm to table Harper’s pumpkin pie achieves fall-dessert bliss with molasses, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.

Harper’s Pumpkin Pie

SEATTLE / Conversation, Thompson Seattle Hotel Chef Kaleena Bliss SERVES 8 TO 10 FOR THE CRUST • 1½ cups all-purpose flour • 2 tablespoons white satin sugar • 1 teaspoon salt • 10 tablespoons butter, cut in small cubes and chilled • ⅓ cup ice water FOR THE FILLING • 1¾ cups pumpkin puree • 1¼ tablespoons molasses • 1¼ cups packed brown sugar • 1 teaspoon cinnamon • ½ teaspoon salt • ½ teaspoon ground ginger • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg • ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves • 2 large eggs • ¾ cup heavy cream • ¾ cup whole milk FOR THE CRUST (if possible, make a day ahead and chill or make the same day and chill for at least 3 hours before rolling it.) Combine flour, salt and sugar in a food processor. Pulse so the dried ingredients are well combined. Add butter, and pulse until butter becomes small, pea-sized chunks in the flour mixture, being careful not to pulse too much. Add the ice water, and pulse a few more times until the dough starts to come together. Remove the dough from the processor and quickly roll into a ball with your hands. It will feel a little dry, but try to incorporate any of the flour that may fall from the dough until it is hydrated. Wrap the dough in Saran

OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2021

Wrap, and let chill for at least 3 hours. Remove the dough from the fridge, and allow it to come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, constantly rotating so that the dough rolls out to a circle. The thickness should be about a quarter inch. Using a 10-inch pie pan, lay the dough evenly over the top, and carefully fit the dough into the pan, leaving about an inch overlapping on the edges. Crimp the edges. Pre-bake the crust before adding the filling. To do this, gently lay tin foil over the center of the crust, leave the edges unwrapped. Add pie weights or dried beans on top of the foil, covering the center of the crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and gently remove the weights and foil. Let cool for 15 minutes. FOR THE FILLING Combine eggs, heavy cream, whole milk and molasses in a mixing bowl. Whisk until combined, and then whisk in puree. Add salt, spices and sugar, and mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Carefully add filling to the pre-baked pie crust. Transfer to oven and bake at 400 degrees, low fan. Bake for about 45 minutes and check pie for doneness. The filling should be mostly set, although the center may still be jiggly, and it will continue to set as it cools. Let the pie cool completely before cutting.

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Photos: Ben Rasmussen

farm to table

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home + design

Still Mad for Mid-century Two Washington designers take us through their mid-century makeovers written by Melissa Dalton

Spokane: An architect unknowingly remodels a design by one of his local heroes

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP This 1971 home in Spokane’s South Hill neighborhood is enveloped by the landscape and generous front yard. The galley kitchen was opened up and equipped with a spacious island and espresso-toned cabinetry. Floor-to-ceiling glass is scaled to the pitch of the roofline. A gabled roofline with an eave over a walkway creates a footbridge effect.

AS JOSH HISSONG remembers it, there was just something about this house. It started with a coworker’s email that was to the point: Go buy this. Hissong, a designer and co-founder of the Spokane firm HDG Architecture, clicked on the listing and liked what he saw, enough to call his real estate agent even though it was the Fourth of July holiday. “We pulled up and I immediately knew there was something special about it,” said Hissong. Built in 1971 in the South Hill neighborhood, the architect liked the mid-century vibe, and the way it was “sunk down into the landscape” with a generous front yard. “I grew up with neighbors in yards hollering across the street to one another,” said Hissong, who had been looking to relocate with his wife and toddler son from a downtown loft. Even though the garage splits the frontage, this was not your typical “snout house,” with a protruding garage dominating the look, and a few clues indicated a more thoughtful design. The garage sits beneath a gabled roofline, with an elongated eave protecting an airy walkway leading to the front door “almost like a foot bridge,” said Hissong. Inside, floor-to-ceiling glass scaled to the pitch of the roofline. More proof of its provenance? “There were windows in all the right places,” said Hissong. Unfortunately, the interior finishes didn’t measure up, with a ’90s-style kitchen, dirty lava rock fireplace, and faded green shag carpeting. Hissong’s remodel intervened as little as possible to let the home’s form shine. The galley kitchen was opened up and outfitted with handsome, espresso-toned cabinetry and a substantial island. He removed dropped ceilings in the bedrooms to expose the vaulted ceilings underneath, and installed lofted reading nooks. The walls and ceiling were painted white, and the lava rock fireplace plastered over to remove the smell. Perhaps the biggest transformation was the yard. Hissong worked with Blend Outdoor Design to thin out 28 encroaching pine trees, add 2,500 square feet of decking and make the outdoor spaces flow with the interior, whether it’s sunny or snowy. “With that giant wall of glass, anytime there’s a change in weather, it changes the way the room feels,” said Hissong. “The landscape is the artwork that we would put on the wall.” Still, Hissong couldn’t shake the feeling that the house had history, despite an initial search through city records that turned up nothing. Call it a designer’s intuition. After all, a nationally reputed group of modernists worked in Spokane throughout the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. Sure enough, five months into the remodel, a neighbor stopped by OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2021

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home + design

“We took any opportunity we found to bring in design elements from this era of home and the Northwest regional style.”

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT This 1963 ranch in Olympia flows well after a hulking fireplace column and dropped ceilings were removed. A mid-century screen cordons off the entry and defines the space. Beige gives way to a turquoise front door and fun tile picks for the bathroom.

— Katherine McBride, owner and interior designer with a tip, and Hissong learned that celebrated local architect Moritz Kundig had been the home’s original designer. Hissong soon met up with Kundig to share the changes and celebrate the enduring charm of the elder architect’s work. “I was just elated,” said Hissong. “I mean, I went in and put in landscaping. I painted the house and changed the flooring in the kitchen. It’s the approachability and the sensibility to the design that Moritz created that makes this home so special.”

“The whole house was a beige bomb,” said owner and interior designer Katherine McBride of her mid-century ranch when she first bought it in 2017. “It was all very Home Depot, circa 2000, which as a designer, is one of the most off-putting things you can find in a home.” Growing up, McBride’s grandparents ran a flea market booth and shared their love of all things mid-century. After graduating from college in Olympia, McBride had a shop there selling mid-century furniture, before moving to Seattle to study interior design. When she and her husband decided to return to Olympia, they serendipitously found this home in their old neighborhood. “It was two doors down from the house that we lived in when we got married,” said McBride. The kismet continued when McBride reached out to the firm Artisans Group, with offices in Seattle and Olympia, about taking on the remodel. They suggested something better: since McBride was wrapping up school, she would intern directly with their firm, teaming up with architects Tessa Bradley and Roussa Cassel, and making her house her first project. “I was like, ‘This sounds like the best thing I’ve ever heard in my life,’” said McBride, who’s now lead interior designer at the firm. The ensuing remodel sought to get the 1963 ranch its pedigree back, as it had originally been designed by local firm Bennett & Johnson. The main culprit blocking the flow upstairs was a hulking fireplace column at the center of the plan. “When they told me we could remove that, it was game on,” said McBride, who wanted to create a more cohesive 34     1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE

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Photos: Poppi Photography

Olympia: An interior designer’s first renovation is the mid-century home of her dreams

great-room experience. To that end, the team removed the column and ditched the dropped ceilings, so that the living room windows overlooking a lovely greenspace can be enjoyed from many points, including the couch, dining table and stove. “We took any opportunity we found to bring in design elements from this era of home and the Northwest regional style,” said McBride. Now, the newly vaulted ceiling is lined with tongue-and-groove hemlock, which extends from the


interior to the exterior, and is visible through new clerestory windows on the kitchen wall. A period-appropriate decorative screen cordons off the slate-tile entry, defining the space. McBride designed a new fireplace wall with a chimney clad in vertically stacked Heath Ceramics tile. In the kitchen, more of that company’s tile, in a mosaic of custom greens, covers the backsplash, while gorgeous, custom walnut cabinetry fashioned by local outfit Beech Tree Woodworks anchors the room. A rejiggering of space eked out one more bedroom

upstairs and created an uber-functional downstairs with a guest suite, family room, home office and gym. Yet for all this work, it might be hard for visitors to discern exactly what’s old and what’s new, which was essentially the point–besides replacing all the beige with playful accents such as a turquoise front door and fun tile picks in the bathrooms. “We didn’t want it to be the standout house in the neighborhood,” said McBride. “We wanted it to look like it had always been here, but that it had a little bit of pizazz.” OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2021

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home + design

Poppi Photography

Living room windows look out on greenspace to be enjoyed from the couch, dining table and stove.

DIY: Tips to Pick a Couch PLACE IT Typically, living rooms are oriented around a television, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Both of these midcentury homes are blessed with great windows in the living room, so their couches are positioned to enjoy the view. The fireplace can also be an excellent focal point, with the television placed above it, or to the side, as in Katherine McBride’s mid-century ranch in Olympia. SIZE, SHAPE AND SCALE Now that you know where the couch will go, decide on the configuration: a standard three-seater, or sectional? Consider the rest of the room’s dimensions—such as ceiling and windowsill heights, existing furniture and wall placement. In an open plan, an oversized sectional creates a lovely sense of enclosure that defines the living room, said McBride. This can also be created by flanking a three-seater with chairs. It’s essential to make sure that the sofa fits your body comfortably, so try it out by sitting on it. TAKE MEASURE When measuring, leave plenty of open walkway, making sure that there’s about 36 inches for circulation paths, 36     1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE

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and about 18 inches between the couch and a coffee table. When you’ve identified a potential model, tape it out on the floor with painter’s tape to ensure the right fit and surrounding space. CONSIDER LINES AND COLOR McBride, an interior designer, opted for a sectional with a distinct mid-century style, with rounded curves, which are better in high-traffic paths. In Josh Hissong’s Spokane home, a coral-colored sofa contrasts with the black-andwhite scheme. CONSTRUCTION MATTERS Look for U.S.-made, eco-friendly options, such as Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified hardwood frames, non-toxic wood glue, foam certified by CertiPur, and fabrics that meet the Oeko-Tex Standard 100, which means it’s been tested for harmful substances. ZHUZH Now for the fun part: float small tables for a drink or book to rest on, add standalone seats with contrasting shapes for visual interest, and enlist glowy lighting, such as the arcing floor lamp in McBride’s living room.


home + design

Modern Products with a Mid-century Flair Bold and colorful is one way to describe Michael Grace’s artwork, or as the Seattle-based artist deems them: those “creative, nerdy pursuits.” We love the Mechanics of Color art print for its cavalcade of shapes and rainbow hues, available in a range of sizes and printed on heavyweight, archival paper.

The Alto Rod pendant is Cedar & Moss’s take on iconic mid-century lighting—kick it up a notch by adding a glass shade hand blown by Portland’s Esque Studio. The color selection for the globes, from aubergine to apricot to mint, feels both refreshingly new and a little bit old school, in the best possible way.

www.michaelgraceco.com

The Waterfall Stereo Cabinet from the Tacomabased, custom furniture studio Birdloft, has room for all your greatest hits. The reclaimed fir cabinet box, complete with lovely mitered corners and a “brassy” sliding door, stores vinyl and supports the record player. Decorative steel rods with three floating shelves create additional display space up top.

www.esque-studio.com

www.birdloft.com

In 2015, Sarah Steininger Leroux founded Saltstone Ceramics in a Seattle garage. Now, it’s a working ceramic and pottery studio, gallery, and classroom in Wallingford that supports local artists. There’s something for everyone, from delightful color-blocked mugs from Eshelman Pottery, to the elegant grey and olive glazes on the petite Forest Bowls by Natasha Alphonse. www.saltstoneceramics.com

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mind + body Jesse Guerrero, a second-generation Soma practitioner and teacher, treats conditions ranging from knee and back pain to asthma and fibromyalgia.

Hands-on Learning Why structural integration is gaining attention locally and nationally written by Cathy Carroll

IN THE late ’80s, Jesse Guerrero grew up watching his aunt develop an institute for teaching a relatively new kind of bodywork called structural integration. By the time Guerrero was 12 years old, he’d already had the manual therapy sessions at the offices on her farm property in Buckley. That’s when he saw her treat a boy walked using crutches clamped around his arms and metal braces on his legs. Guerrero’s aunt, Karen Bolesky, performed Soma Neuromuscular Integration’s eleven sessions, designed to systematically re-balance the body’s web of fascia, the thin sheath of fibrous tissue around muscles and organs. The series’ goal is to allow freedom of movement and development of new movement patterns. It was so effective, the boy was able to walk without crutches and braces. 38

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mind + body

“For me, that was something that really clicked,” said Guer- all planes of the body, so by simply freeing up space and allowrero. What was particularly striking was that the boy also had a ing a really easeful inhale and exhale and allowing yourself to mental disability, and wasn’t able to engage in the cognitive as- maybe gain 1 percent capacity in your lungs, that makes a huge pect of the treatment involving body awareness and discover- difference. We gain roughly 70 percent of our energy from oxing new options for movement. “It wasn’t making his posture ygen. Of course a lot comes from the food we eat, but we need better and ‘Now I feel better.’ It wasn’t all in his head. It was oxygen to be energized and so just a little elevation in that like, wow, something actually physically changed here, and capacity creates a huge difference in our ability to function.” now he has the ability to walk.” Guerrero explained: connective tissue, in a way similar Even though Soma had helped Guerrero overcome severe to scar tissue, braces and holds parts of the body, and when asthma, a crucial moment in his decision to follow his aunt’s you have a broken arm, you first must immobilize it until it’s path was that boy’s recovery. Guerrero also credits Soma healed and then you need to mobilize it. “The fascinating thing as integral to rehabilitating his own multiple sport injuries about connective tissue is it goes down to an intracellular levand traumas. el—there’s connective tissue inside your cells that you could After becoming certified in Soma, he taught healthcare pro- even say creates the layers of connective tissue that surrounds fessionals and aspiring structural integrators in Slovenia and the organs, and it’s both very strong and very flexible,” he said. Croatia as well as Oregon and “But it can get a little sticky, litWashington. After his aunt reerally, so organs can stick to each tired, Guerrero opened the Soma other, and you can free those up Institute of Structural Integration from against each other, and then in downtown Langley, on Whidthey can glide and move and perbey Island, in August. form their functions better.” It’s an exciting time in the field, International Association of Guerrero said, because research Structural Integrators President on connective tissue and fascia Manny Aragon noted Guerrero’s in the last two years is bearing lifelong connection to the pracout the theoretical and subjective tice and that his institute, “like all information. Structural integraIASI-recognized structural intetion is gaining attention among gration programs, consistently professionals, from physical produces high-quality structural therapists to somatic psycholointegration practitioners.” gists concerned with the mindStructural integration was debody interface. Last year, a 2020 veloped by biochemist Ida Rolf, National Institutes of Health who in the 1920s worked in cheworkshop convened clinicians motherapy research and studied — Jesse Guerrero, founder, Soma Institute and researchers from multiple atomic physics. In seeking better of Structural Integration in Langley disciplines to examine myofashealthcare solutions, she studied cial pain syndrome, noting that modalities including osteopathy, research on musculoskeletal pain has focused mostly on struc- chiropractic, yoga and homeopathy. According to the IASI, tures such as joints and intervertebral discs and much less on she remained grounded in the scientific point of view while myofascial tissues. acknowledging the value of solutions which surface intuitively. At Guerrero’s institute, four instructors train practitioners Her methods became known as rolfing after her 1977 book, in manual manipulation, how to help clients become aware of Rolfing: Reestablishing the Natural Alignment and Structural habitual ways they hold and move their bodies and in finding Integration of the Human Body for Vitality and Well-Being. easier, more natural ways of doing so. Movement education Sometimes Guerrero hears patients tell him that he’s their may address habits of standing posture, breathing, walking, last resort. He doesn’t claim to offer the best method. “There’s sitting or specialized movements you might perform in your applications for all the modalities, but sometimes I think daily life. we’re just one that can bring people to another level, or really For instance, Guerrero said, someone who may be experi- address something that’s going on that other modalities are encing neck pain may be able to discover how it is related to not,” said the 44-year-old who’d spent the morning fly fishing knee surgery or chronic knee pain. “We help people relate to on the Sound. He’s studied many forms of dance, and purhow their whole structure is working,” he said. sues climbing, hiking, biking and snowboarding. “All of those He’s also had success in treating systemic issues such as things, for me, have been an amazing study in terms of being asthma or fibromyalgia. “The lungs are designed to expand and in my own body and also being present in the greater world contract three dimensionally, and the ribs move and expand in around me,” he said.

“There’s applications for all the modalities, but sometimes I think we’re just one that can bring people to another level, or really address something that’s going on that other modalities are not.”

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FROM LEFT Wild man transformation mask by Makah carver Sallawish Ozette. Ozette carves a totem pole at his outdoor studio on Lummi Island. Ozette’s Raven Shaman transformation mask, displayed at The Legacy Ltd. gallery in Bellevue.

Carving Out a Life in Art Sallawish Ozette brings the Makah nation experience to his work, from wooden masks to metal sculpture written by Amy Bowden WOODCARVER SALLAWISH OZETTE describes his workshop as something akin to a mad scientist’s laboratory. “I’m a juggler,” he says. “I can show you ten different projects I have going right now.” Indeed, one day in late summer, Ozette moved at a rapid-fire pace around his outdoor studio, pulling out one elaborate piece after another as well as multiple handmade tools and devices that he’s invented to take his art to the next level. He began woodcarving when he was a boy, growing up to become a professional mask carver, and also makes intricate silver jewelry, totem poles and canoes. He documents the process with video and graphics which he posts on social media. His work resides in real time, at The Legacy Ltd. gallery in Bellevue, where owners Paul Nicholson and Helen Carson focus on exhibiting contemporary Northwest Coast Native American and First Nations art. Ozette is a member of the Makah nation, which is of significance to Nicholson and Carson, because they worked at the famous Ozette archaeological dig site alongside Ozette’s mother. Nicholson’s gallery has sold the artist’s drums, paddles, rattles and other works. “Many artists would have thought of ways to carve less to show off the wood more, but Micah was excited to discover that the wood was so fine grained and strong, that he could carve it so finely, that the wood became translucent. Micah spends many hours just working with the wood in his hands,” Nicholson said. Ozette, a member of the Makah Tribe, grew up on the reservation in Neah Bay, where he first developed his carving skills, 40

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starting at age nine. “My stepdad was a carver. He had this little studio,” Ozette says. “He didn’t care if I played with his tools.” Ozette started by carving little sailboats and moved on to a raven mask, which he gave to his mother for Christmas. “It’s hard to think of a design when you’re first starting out. That’s the hardest part, the actual art of it, the drawing of it. If you can draw it, you can carve it,” he said. As a teenager, Ozette apprenticed to master carver Greg Colfax. He started like an apprentice in many trades—by doing manual labor. Just as a concrete worker must mix concrete or a carpenter pounds nails, so must a woodcarver “dig out” a mask, or rough out the general shape of it. At that time, he was known by the name Micah Vogel. “Part of my culture is when a child is born you don’t give them an adult name right away, you give them a nickname,” Ozette said. When he was 16, his mother had a potlatch, a traditional name-giving ceremony that includes wearing transformation masks, and gave him the name Sallawish. A year later, the artist formerly known as Vogel had his first taste of fame. He sold his first mask to the Makah Museum in Neah Bay. It was a piece known as a friendship mask used in welcoming important people to a potlatch ceremony. Soon after, a teacher from the Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts in Idyllwild, California (now the Idyllwild Arts Academy) saw Ozette’s work and was impressed. “They told him that I was 16 years old, and that I made that mask, and that it was my first professional piece,” he says, remembering. “And he bought it up to put it in a permanent collection.” The actor Christopher Lloyd, (Dr. Emmett “Doc” Brown in Back to the Future) a friend of the teacher, also was taken with Ozette’s work. “So Christopher Lloyd has my first professional mask,” said Ozette, chuckling. “Then I was the new young, cool carver. The kid sensation.” After some regional media attention, Ozette continued to carve masks, but also expanded to include smaller items such as combs, as a way to support himself while pursuing his artwork.

Photos, from left: The Legacy Ltd., Sallawish Ozette, The Legacy Ltd.

artist in residence


artist in residence

“It’s hard to think of a design when you’re first starting out. That’s the hardest part, the actual art of it, the drawing of it. If you can draw it, you can carve it.” — Sallawish Ozette For instance, a large mask would take Ozette up to 1,000 hours to complete, but he could make ten combs in a day, he says, an experience that “gave me my bones and set the foundation” to finetune his skills. Since then, Ozette has specialized in a form of mask called a “transformation mask,” complex masks designed to convey the duality of mythological creatures. Transformation masks have two faces. The outer face often depicts an animal exterior and opens to reveal a second face, usually human. “I spent years working on my transformation mask style,” he said. “(They) are a crazy amount of work.” Ozette’s work is displayed in galleries ranging from those in the San Juan Islands Museum of Art to the Smithsonian in Washington, DC.

In 1998, Ozette added silver engraving to his repertoire, which he describes as similar to woodcarving. He’s been working on a thunder moth engraving, the wings of which will be inlaid with green and blue abalone. Living on Lummi Island, the artist has been experimenting with lost-wax casting, in which a metal sculpture is cast from an original sculpture to create intricate works. “Sometimes, something happens to change the design naturally,” he says. “Like the piece of wood splits in an unpredicted way and changes my direction, or something else, like the piece of wood has a few knots or cracks right in the way, and I have to alter the design and the overall project changes fundamentally because of it. When things happen that are out of my control, I say the creator helped out a little in the sculpting.”

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STARTUP 44 WHAT’S GOING UP 46 WHAT I’M WORKING ON 47 MY WORKSPACE 48 GAME CHANGER 50

pg. 48 Inside the workspace of a home-decor store with a mixed-race focus.



startup

More Feast, Less Fear

Feast World Kitchen empowers immigrant chefs to break through cultural barriers written by Jacques Derning IN A WAY, Ross Carper was at the perfect professional nexus to help launch Feast World Kitchen in Spokane in 2019. That year, and together with co-founder Dan Todd, who has since left in a move to Arizona, Carper and Todd fed their passion for helping immigrant and refugee communities through a nonprofit hybrid: cultural cuisine pop-up restaurant and professional food services program. Under the motto, “Less Fear, More Falafel,” Feast World Kitchen empowers former refugee and immigrant chefs to share their food and culture with Spokane while learning skills integral to the food industry, small businesses operations and career-building. With a bricks-and-mortar restaurant in downtown Spokane, Feast posts its weekly cuisine lineup every Monday for its Wednesday-through-Sunday rotation of chefs and international cuisine made by its immigrant and refugee members. On a week in September, for example, Sudanese, Indian, Senegalese, Syrian and Pakistani cuisines were queued on consecutive days from chefs from those homelands. Under Feast’s model, the chefs pay a nominal kitchen rental fee, buy their own ingredients and take over the restaurant for that day and walk away with the day’s proceeds. “They can make thousands of dollars in a day of takeout at Feast, but it’s a lot of work,” Carper said. In a national climate that could be characterized as antagonistic toward refugees and immigrants, Feast is a beacon of strength and hope in this nation of immigrants. Its mission cuts right to it: We will be satisfied only when all former refugees and immigrants living in the Spokane area have experienced 44     1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE

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welcome and inclusion and are flourishing, as full, active community members. The success of startups can often be traced to a founder’s orientation to its own mission. Carper works with Spokane’s historic First Presbyterian Church in community and mission engagement. “One of the best things that I’ve gotten to lead is an effort to partner with World Relief, which is a humanitarian organization that helps resettle former refugees in Spokane,” he said. Carper is also a food entrepreneur, having launched Compass Breakfast Wagon, a food truck in the Lower South Hill neighborhood. Like most startups, Feast has its own set of challenges. “Our model has built-in chaos because we’re not a restaurant that serves the same menu every day.” Imagine starting a new pop-up restaurant five days a week where immigrant and refugee families plan the menu, shop for the ingredients, do all of the prep, all of the cooking and serve the community of customers, then clean up at the end of the day to usher in a new chef and family. In all of this chaos, Carper finds one truth. “I love experiencing different cross-cultural friendships, and that’s why I love to travel,” he said. “What I’ve learned in the last decade is that you can travel right in your own city, if you’re willing to just open your mind to friendships with folks who have a completely different experience from you.” The restaurant building at 1321 W. 3rd in downtown Spokane is being transformed into Feast World Kitchen, a new nonprofit space for former refugee and immigrant families to build small businesses that share food and culture from around the world.


Kirkland Awaits! Come and Unwind, Come and Experience, Come and Explore. Just 12 miles east of Seattle!

Kirkland Visitor Center 400 Urban Plaza, Suite 135 Kirkland, Washington 98033 425-822-7066 | tourism@kirklandwa.gov


what’s going up?

The boutique experience gets bumped up a notch or three at Archer Hotel Redmond, with curated local finds, art and relaxed-chic decor.

New Hotels Come Through the Pandemic From historic to modern luxe and magical, cool properties for Bellingham, Redmond and Tacoma written by Jacques Derning

Archer Hotel Redmond

WHILE THE PANDEMIC WAS in full swing and hotels were vacant, the industry was still racing to meet growing demand among travelers. In Washington, that trend played out across the state including with these three charming properties. Hotel Leo, a modern makeover of the historic Leopold Hotel (1883) in downtown Bellingham, is a sophisticated addition to the Bellingham lodging portfolio, with Amendment 21 Bar and Fare offering salads made local produce, soups and creative renditions of burgers, sliders and sandwiches. Archer Hotel Redmond has a cool luxury vibe near the open-air Redmond Town Center. Rooms have a chic and calming palette, down duvets and turn-down treats at night. In April of 2019, McMenamins finished restoring the 1916 Elks Club and created its latest magical property—McMenamins Elks Temple in Tacoma. The original building was designed by É. Frère Champney, a graduate of the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. This McMenamins property is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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Jonas Seaman Photography

what i’m working on

Kaytlin McIntyre oversees workshops of new plays and casting for Seattle Rep’s mainstage.

From Page to Stage

Inside Seattle Rep’s play development as a robust season re-emerges written by Caitlin Carvin

PROFESSIONAL THEATER and all of the people professionally associated with it have weathered a challenging time in the era of Covid and social distancing. Seattle Rep, one of Seattle’s largest regional theaters, produces plays that are staged at Bagley Wright Theatre, which was remodeled during the absence of live audiences over the past two years. In July, The Rep announced its live stage season beginning in December with an adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale. The theater’s Professional Arts Training Program is also returning after a hiatus due to the pandemic. The program offers aspiring arts-industry professionals paid opportunities to strengthen their skills and talents with real-world training from professionals in the theater and performing arts. We caught up with Kaytlin McIntyre, a Kansas City native, who began as an intern at The Rep, as the regional theater prepares for its first live stage season since the beginning of the pandemic.

What does a typical day look like for you? The best part about being the director of casting and new play development at Seattle Rep is that there’s never a ‘typical day’ on the job. I oversee the casting for our mainstage seasons as well as the monthly workshops in our new play development lab, The Other Season. You would think that would mean being in hours and hours of auditions, but I actually spend more time preparing for those auditions by seeing shows, meeting with actors, and scouting out the most exciting talent for our projects. We cast actors locally in Seattle and across the country, so in pre-pandemic times I spent many days on the road attending auditions, seeing shows, attending college showcases and going to new play festivals. Tell us from your perspective how plays come to be. My new play development work often starts in conversation. I’ll meet with a playwright and ask, ‘What are you working on? What do you want to be working on? What do you need to make that happen?’ Much

of the work after this moment is about logistics– contracts, space, budgets, etcetera. My goal is to always handle the logistics so artists can focus on their jobs–making art. Are there other aspects of your job that are not as visible? I also oversee our commissioning programs and serve as the lead producer and curator of The Other Season, a new play development lab that crafts workshops, readings, and residencies tailored to the needs of the playwright. Unlike other writers, playwrights cannot lock themselves in a room and turn out a masterpiece— they need actors and directors to bring the work to life and show them what works and what doesn’t. The workshops are where that happens. In the chaos of your work, what keeps you grounded? Most days are very busy, but I’m always stealing time for my favorite part of work—reading plays. It helps me keep an eye on the future.

“I’ll meet with a playwright and ask, ‘What are you working on? What do you want to be working on? What do you need to make that happen?’” — Kaytlin McIntyre, Seattle Rep director of casting and new play development

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my workspace

Worldly Wise

Portmanteau Home brings the mixed-race mindset to interior decor written by Mary Grace Ward

Portmanteau Home is a Seattle-based online home store that sources textiles from around the world and strives to exemplify people of mixed races. Founder Sunny Hong said that Portmanteau is a place where mixed-race people, such as her own Korean and white children, can see themselves represented. Her most recent job was a mom to two “too-smart-for-your-own-good” kids. Before that, she worked as a hospitality designer for high-end hotels and resorts.

“Just as the word portmanteau means two words that are created from combining the sounds and meanings of two words, our mission is to create visual and metaphorical portmanteaus made from blending two cultures to create a new representation of mixed culture. Portmanteau is a perfect answer to people who are constantly having to describe themselves as ‘half this’ and ‘half that.’”

“As I started to prepare for our debut collection, I knew that I had to start with something that is closest to my heart. The vibrant saekdong fabric has always held a special place in my heart, and it seemed like a perfect place to start. With that in mind, I decided to narrow my focus to Asia on my first collection with plans to include different regions of the world for each new collection.”

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my workspace

“I ended up choosing a type of fabric called banarasi silk because it’s most often used in making wedding saris, and I wanted to bring that sense of celebration to our first collection.”

“I hoped to travel to different parts of the world to source the textiles, but with the unexpected outbreak of Covid, my options were drastically limited to what I was able to find online and through personal networks.”

“As for the Japanese seigaiha pattern fabric, I wanted a more subtle fabric to balance out the bright and bold colors of the other two cultures.”

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game changer

Electing to Change

A move to preserve democracy through ranked-choice voting, starting with the PNW written by Kevin Max ONE OF MANY moments of political awakening for Kristin Eberhard, Portland-based director of climate and democracy at Sightline Institute, came during the presidential election in 2000, when the U.S. Supreme Court stepped in on the side of the George W. Bush campaign in Florida, and hanging chads were tossed. This move effectively certified Bush, not Al Gore, as the winner of the Florida count by little more than 500 votes while Gore won the popular national vote by more than half a million votes. “For many people, the Bush-Gore election was an eye opener at the time,” said Eberhard. “That election raised serious questions— How does this work? How is this happening?” For the fourth time in United States presidential election history, the Electoral College enshrined the candidate with fewer votes. The fifth came in 2016, when candidate Donald Trump lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by a whopping 2.9 million votes yet was able to claim electoral victory and the presidency. Eberhard, who graduated from Stanford University before crossing the country for a law degree at Duke University, had spent her career teaching and advocating for policy on climate change. Spurred by the politics of the day, she was inspired to take a detour. In 2020, she published one of the outcomes of that detour: Becoming a Democracy: How We Can Fix the Electoral College, Gerrymandering, and Our Elections. It didn’t take her long to identify critical barriers to democracy in America. The structural problems with single-winner districts, she noted, limit voter representation in democracies in a way that ranked-choice voting does not. “In many races up and down the ballot, you may have three candidates,” Eberhard said. “Because of that, it’s possible that the winner in single-winner districts will win less than half of the votes.” The result is that this process often leaves a majority of voters who did not vote for the elected candidate. This process eliminates the political will of the majority while diminishing the accountability for those elected.

Kristin Eberhard’s work could put new voting practices up for referendum next year.

Ranked-choice voting allows voters to rank their top candidates without hurting the chance of success for their top candidate. If upon tally no candidate receives a clear majority, the candidate who received the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated. When that happens, each voter ballot that had that eliminated candidate as its first choice, transfers to their second choice. This process continues until there is a candidate with the popular vote. “It is also clear that because of our wide use of single-winner districts, it promotes the kind gerrymandering we see today,” she said. Gerrymandering is the redrawing of voting precincts to change the outcome in winner-take-all elections. “These lines matter so much that you could have 10,000 voters in a district, and because you extended the district line to include just one neighborhood that votes uniformly democrat or republican, you can flip that complete district to blue or red.” Eberhard is now channeling her experience into advocacy on the local level focused on the Portland Charter Review Commission, which every decade revisits, among other things, the procedures behind Portland elections. “My theory of change is that legislation at the national level is difficult to pass, and you have to have good examples of how it works on a local level. “There is a window right now in Portland to advocate for proportional voting in electing our city council members.” The twenty-person commission was appointed last year and is now soliciting public testimony. The commission will begin making decisions in January 2022. “My dream outcome is if they put proportional voting on the ballot, and voters pass it and we have citizens who are represented on city council through rankedchoice voting.”

“My theory of change is that legislation at the national level is difficult to pass, and you have to have good examples of how it works on a local level.” — Kristin Eberhard, Sightline Institute director of climate and democracy 50

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winery · restaurant · inn & spa · event center

Wishing You a Sweet Holiday At select Washington retailers and always online at wildwoodchocolate.com


Take a road trip To Yakima Valley wine country! Savor new wine releases and enjoy live music, food and more under sunny, fall skies.

CHECK OUT OUR ROAD TRIPS FOR YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE

visityakima.com/yakima-road-trips


The PNW

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE written by 1889 Washington’s Magazine staff photography by Toby Nolan The Pacific Northwest seems as if it was made for winter holidays and, when done right, vice versa. They go together like goose down and jackets, whiskey and salted caramel s’mores and the warmth of a fire kindled with handcrafted pineconecinnamon-rosemary and rose-petal soy starters. And once you’ve celebrated friends, family and the season, grab some functional gear from under the tree, open up that gift of a PNW getaway you gave yourself, and strike out on a dreamy, new-year renewal adventure, from truffle hunting and bubbly wine tastings to mineral-springs soaks and chill-yet-toasty ways to explore waterways. Merry, indeed.

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1  Malicious Women Candle Co. All-Natural Soy Fire Starters/Bug Repellent, four pack www.malicious women.com $12 2 Ruffwear Pacific Ring Toy www.ruffwear.com $24.95

3  Ruffwear Grip Trex Dog Boots www.ruffwear.com $37.50

8  REI Co-op Pack-Away Adjustable Cube www.rei.com $49.95

4  Oregon Statehood 1859 Beanie www.1859oregon magazine.com $24.95

9  KAVU Rope Bag and Rope Sling www.kavu.com $55

5  650 Down Jacket 2.0 www.rei.com $99.95 6  REI Co-op Trailsmith Glove www.rei.com $39.95 7  REI Co-op Pack-Away Bin www.rei.com $99.95

OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2021

10  1927 S’mores Company Whiskey Salted Caramel S’mores Kit www.1927smores.com $27 11  Hydro Flask Coffee Mug and Cooler Cup www.hydroflask.com $24.95

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1  Sudara Anju Full Punjammies Lounge Pants www.sudara.org $64 2  Wild Currant Candle Company Lux Line Candle and Matches www.wildcurrant candle.com $28

3  House Dogge Customizable Merino Wool Dog Toy www.housedogge.com $26-$32 4  Looptworks Upcycled Voyager Lunch Bag www.looptworks.com $25 5  Wild Currant Candle Company White Reed Diffuser www.wildcurrant candle.com $36

6  Broken Top Candle Co. Coastal Rainfall Soy Candle www.brokentop candleco.com $26 7  Thread & Whisk Dahlia Round Culinary Tote www.threadandwhisk.com $149

9  How to Be a Wildflower: A Field Guide by Katie Daisy www.katiedaisy.com $19.95 10  Wild Carrot Herbals Solid Facial Cleansers www.wildcarrot herbals.com $12.99 each

8  Workshop Worklight www.getworkshop goods.com $158

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1  San Juan Island Sea Salt Fun Flavors Set www.sanjuanisland seasalt.com $54 2  Portland Syrups Rose Cordial Syrup www.portlandsyrups.com $14 3  Bow Hill Organic Pickled Heirloom Blueberries www.bowhill blueberries.com $12 4  Jacobsen Salt Co. Salty Chocolate Caramels www.jacobsensalt.com $13

5  Columbia Gorge Confections Chocolate Bars www.columbiagorge confections.com $8

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6  Arrowhead Chocolates Medium Handcrafted Wooden Box www.arrowhead chocolates.com $80 7  Hood River Distillers Timberline Vodka www.hrdspirits.com $25.99 8  Clear Creek Distillery Pear Brandy www.clearcreek distillery.com $87

9 Meadowland Simple Syrup www.meadowland syrup.com $26 four, 1-ounce bottles $17 per 8-ounce bottle

10  Kachka: A Return to Russian Cooking by Bonnie Frumkin Morales and Deena Prichep www.kachkapdx.com $40

11  Dumplings Equal Love: Delicious Recipes from Around the World by Liz Crain www.sasquatchbooks.com $22.95 12  Thread & Whisk Grace Apron with Linen Flounce www.threadandwhisk.com $148

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13  Smith Teamaker Holiday Assortment www.smithtea.com $32.99 14  Wine from Oregon and Washington www.oregonwine.org www.washingtonwine.org

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gift a Local

EXPERIENCE

Lithia Springs Resort’s Wine & Wellness

Yacht Tubs and Hot Tub Boats Float into 2022 on the waters of the Pacific Northwest in just a bathing suit—with nary a chill. This is no New Year’s Day polar plunge. In Portland, rent an 18-foot Yacht Tub, a boat with an integrated 104-degree soaking tub for six, and soak in the Willamette River scenery. Take in the city skyline and its bridges and turn up the yacht rock on the Bluetooth as the vessel’s blue lights illuminate the surroundings.

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Navigate as you would play Atari—with a joystick. Seattle’s Hot Tub Boats offer virtually the same amenities on Lake Union, aboard boats built by devoted shipwrights dedicated to the Seattle community. Portland’s Yacht Tubs $360 for two hours www.yacht-tubs.com Seattle’s Hot Tub Boats $400 for two hours www.hottubboats.com

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Warm your body and soul in Southern Oregon, where water from local mineral springs flows, heated, into luxurious soaking tubs into your private bungalow or suite made even more cozy with fireplaces. With a Wine Country Escape Package, choose from four sustainable wineries to customize your experience. Savor gourmet breakfast and dine at Larks Home Kitchen Cuisine in downtown Ashland. Executive Chef Franco Console’s cuisine captures the essence of the region with ingredients from local farms, orchards and artisans. Or, kick off a new year with the women’s empowerment and wellness retreat package named for the state motto, “She

flies with her own wings.” Embark on a journey of healing, self-awareness, reflection, renewal and reset in this tranquil resort set on four acres of gardens punctuated with fountains, a koi pond, gazebo, tree canopies—perfect for meditation. With two, hour-long, private “discover sessions” with an expert life coach, consider it an investment in your future self as you sustain yourself with gourmet breakfasts, afternoon tea with fresh baked goods and fruits. Wine Country Escape Package overnights start at $284 She Flies with Her Own Wings two-night retreats starts at $498 www.lithiaspringsresort.com


Truffle Hunting Tours

Photos, from left: Yacht Tubs, John Valls/Lithia Springs Resort, Marielle Dezurick, Brooks Winery

Give yourself or others time to roam Oregon’s wilderness in search of coveted, elusive truffles, just as the season kicks off in January, or book one for spring. Explore the forest with Stefan Czanecki, owner of the Willamette Valley wine touring company Black Tie Tours, and his trained truffle-sniffing dog, Ella. (Czanecki’s family moved to the valley in 1997 to drink wine, hunt mushrooms and open the acclaimed restaurant, The Joel Palmer House in Dayton, and has been introducing others to the region’s bounty ever since). You’ll be comfortably transported to fertile foraging grounds, where you’ll learn truffle hunting tips and etiquette, as well as how to use these little world-famous treasures in dishes at home. A mix of patience and instant gratification, the tours culminate with a truffle-themed picnic lunch. If that isn’t heady enough, heighten the experience by requesting the tour company arrange for a guest winemaker to join you for the tour and pour wine for a private tasting during lunch. $250 per person Optional wine experience: $125 for up to six people www.blacktietours.com

Beyond Brooks’ Tastings at Home Want to savor carefully curated, local foods and wine with their artisan makers— and even friends and family near and far—without having to leave your home? Each month, Brooks Winery in Amity offers a tasting webinar based around premium wine and a culinary theme ranging from chocolate and charcuterie to breads and barbecue. For example, in January, discover Camas Country Mill with its founders, Tom and Sue Hunton, and their stone-milled sustainable grains from the Willamette Valley as you sip a 2016 Brooks Sparkling Riesling

and a surprise new release. In February, Portland’s Woodblock Chocolate creators Jessica and Charley Wheelock chat about the history and philosophy of cacao, their journeys to farms from Hawaii to Peru and how they developed chocolate crafted from just two ingredients: cacao and pure cane sugar. As with all Brooks purchases, part of the tastings’ proceeds benefit environmental nonprofits 1% For The Planet and Kiss the Ground. $99 + shipping www.brookswine.com

OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2021

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Final Flights As American airmen fought overseas, a nearly forgotten war unfolded in the Northwest

I

T HAD BEEN less than three months since World War II officially ended in September, 1945. Millions of far-flung

servicemen were coming home, anxious to resume lives put on hold by history’s biggest, bloodiest conflict. Among them were two

written by Sig Unander

young Navy pilots and a flight engineer assigned to ferry a war-weary Lockheed Ventura bomber from Whidbey Island Naval Air Station to an aircraft boneyard in Clinton, Oklahoma.

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A U.S. Navy Lockheed PV-1 Ventura similar to No. 49459. (photo: Lockheed Aircraft Co.)

The Ventura was a fast, hard-hitting ship first deployed in the Aleutian Islands to strike enemy military bases far out in the Kurile Islands in Russia’s Far East and later in the South Pacific. Secret radar equipment enabled the agile, twin-tailed predator to hunt enemy subs at night and find airmen lost at sea. But now that Japan had surrendered, these high-tech aircraft were obsolete. This plane, number 49459, had flown long range combat missions from Attu Island in the summer of 1944, and then redeployed with a ferry squadron. Still in Navy grey and blue camouflage, it displayed the sleek, thoroughbred lines of an antecedent, the 1930’s Electra airliner which Amelia Earhart had flown. A shame, perhaps, to turn this warhorse out to be rendered by a scrapper’s crane. Her new crew: pilot Lt. J.N. Johnston, copilot Lt. Carl “Ed” Norberg, a likable flight instructor from Eatonville, Washington, and flight engineer Robert Knoy, a native Arkansan. They had picked up two passengers: Army Lt. Warren Lawson of Mangum, Oklahoma, who’d flown combat missions over Europe and was heading home, intent on pursuing a long-distance romance with a girl he’d met in Paris, and nineteen-year-old sailor Coleman Ashkins, eager to see his family back in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Norberg had a special reason to get home. His wife had recently given birth to their first child. The crew and passengers had cleared Whidbey the day after Thanksgiving but winter storms had kept them grounded at Portland Army Air Base. Now, tired of cooling their heels, they clambered aboard. Weather reports were sketchy: unstable polar air moving in from the Cascades with broken clouds and showers. There would probably be icing. Still, Johnston, a veteran ferry pilot with 1,800 logged hours, felt confident enough to get clearance for takeoff. In the cockpit, Johnson gripped the twin throttle levers and smoothly pushed them forward. The two 2,000-horsepower engines roared, propellers blasting a whirling maelstrom as the ship rocked and shuddered. He released the brakes. The plane lurched forward and quickly gained momentum. When the airspeed indicator needle hit flying speed, Johnston eased the control wheel back and Norberg retracted the landing gear. At 12:10 p.m. on November 29, 1945, Navy 49459 lifted gracefully off the earth. The routine flight, seemingly insignificant, would turn out to be anything but. It would become part of an important but nearly forgotten aspect of World War II that played out in Washington and across the Pacific Northwest.

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The Northwest at War After the Japanese air attack on Pearl Harbor in December, 1941, military and civil authorities believed the West Coast would be hit next. Air raid drills and blackouts were held in Northwest cities. Boeing covered its Seattle aircraft plants with camouflage. Private aviation was banned. Almost every airport of any size was converted to military use and existing bases quickly expanded. Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, McChord Field near Tacoma and Seattle’s Paine Field supported sea searches for enemy submarines and aircraft carriers. Airfields in Moses Lake, Ephrata, Pasco, Walla Walla and Spokane became sprawling facilities with lengthened runways from which thousands of newly minted pilots and crewmen flew fighter and bomber combat training missions. Some pilots and crews never made it to war theaters. The combination of volatile weather, high mountains, marginal radio communications, tight schedules, inexperienced crews, lack of instrument training and hastily built planes often proved fatal. So did carelessness. Fighter pilots frequently buzzed cars, boats and livestock at high speed. “I almost

ABOVE 23-year-old Lt. Carl “Ed” Norberg, copilot of the Navy bomber that crashed on Mount St. Helens. (photo: Richard Norberg)

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ended my career by slow-rolling at 100 feet over my girlfriend’s house,” recalled Gen. Edward B. Giller, a P-38 pilot who later saw combat over Europe. Military aircraft crashed with astonishing regularity—21,583 planes were lost due to accidents in the United States during the war years, more than the number of aircraft in all U.S. military branches combined today. Quick action by pilots during in-flight emergencies saved the lives of a number of crewmen, often at the expense of their own. Such actions, if taken in combat, might have merited posthumous decorations. These stories landed on the front page of newspapers, yet seventy-five years after the war’s end, 2,390 service personnel—mostly airmen—remained unaccounted for in the continental United States. Army Air Force and Navy planes that fell in the desert and wheat country of central and eastern Washington were soon located, the wreckage and crew remains recovered. Others simply vanished in the endless sea of tall timber and rugged terrain of the North Cascades and Blue Mountains. Despite intensive air searches, many were not found. Searches were abandoned in the exigency of the war effort and the airmen presumed dead, their families receiving condolences, but not closure. The military attempted few postwar searches. Records were filed away in government archives, the incidents forgotten. Wreckage of lost aircraft and remnants of their crews remained hidden deep within the Northwest’s vast rainforests, submerged in lakes and bays or entombed in glaciers on high volcanic peaks. As the climate warmed, snowfields melted and glaciers receded, aircraft and remains came to light. Some lost planes were found several decades after they went missing, when hikers, hunters or surveyors stumbled on them. A hiker from Bellingham exploring Mount Baker in 1994 came across a debris field at 7,500 feet on Thunder Glacier. Melting ice revealed the glacier’s long-held secret: the scattered detritus of a Navy bomber that disappeared with Lt. Commander Ralph Beacham and his five-man crew in 1943 on an instrument training flight from Whidbey Island. A few years later, two hikers discovered the wreckage of an Army Air Force P-38 fighter that went down in the Pasayten Wilderness, stretching across the border with Canada, en route to Everett’s Paine Field in November, 1942. The pilot’s remains were


Walla Walla Army Air Base in 1943. (photo: Boeing Aircraft Co., author collection)

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BELOW, FROM LEFT Crash site of PV-1 Ventura No. 49459 on the southeast side of Mount St. Helens. Melting snow reveals an outer wing panel of the Navy Ventura, still displaying its wartime national insignia. (photos: Unander)

eventually identified by a military forensics team as those of twenty-four-year-old Lt. Kenneth Ambrose, who had shot down two enemy planes in the Aleutians a few months before he disappeared. Other aircraft have never been found. A Navy torpedo bomber vanished with its three-man crew on a night training mission near Whidbey Island in July, 1943. An Army P-40 fighter went missing in December, 1942 on a flight from McChord Field. A Navy FM-2 fighter left Quillayute Naval Air Station in June, 1945 and never returned. More missing war planes and crew remains will likely be discovered as remote areas become explored and searches by civilian aircraft archaeologists, working with old records and new technologies, locate missing planes and offer closure for families of lost airmen. As Navy Ventura 49459 climbed south out of Portland with pilots Johnston and Norberg at the controls, it was quickly swallowed up in a grey overcast. In the darkened cockpit, both kept their eyes on the glowing gauges in front of them. At 19,000 feet, they broke out into brilliant sunshine, suspended above

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a feathery cloudscape. Ahead loomed an unbroken wall of storm clouds towering higher that the plane could climb. Turning back, the pilots let down into the turbulent overcast. As they passed over Portland, the left engine coughed sputtered and lost power. Fighting for control, they feathered the propeller of the dead motor, turning its blades parallel to the slipstream, minimizing drag. The descent steepened, and their course continued north across the Columbia River. Five minutes passed. At 5,500 feet, with no radio contact and zero visibility, copilot Norberg ordered passengers Lawson and Ashkins to put on their parachutes, then yelled,“Get out, get out for Pete sakes! Do you want to die?” Somebody kicked open the side hatch. A roaring blast of cold air filled the fuselage. Out tumbled Ashkins, then Lawson. As Johnston and Norberg fought to keep the crippled bomber steady, Flight Engineer Knoy followed. Free falling, Lawson counted to five and jerked the D-ring on his parachute. Nothing. He reached into the small chest pack and pulled. There was a snap


and the harness jerked him upright. A large canopy blossomed overhead and suddenly he was drifting serenely in the clouds. “As we broke out, it was snowing. I could see trees below and shouted to the others to cross their legs to prevent injury,” Lawson had recalled in a 1945 interview with The Oregonian. Lawson crashed through the treetops and felt his chute snag. He hung there, suspended from a large fir tree. Carefully, he pulled himself up the shroud lines to the trunk, freed the chute and climbed down. He was in a stand of tall timber growing in a jumble of fallen logs hidden under deep snow. Two voices rang out distantly, calling for help. Lawson moved arduously toward the closest. It was the young sailor, dangling precariously from a tree limb, seventy-five feet up. He was scared. Lawson told him what to do but Ashkins had slammed into the trunk and was too weak to climb the lines. There was no choice but for Lawson to walk out and get help. Checking his watch, Lawson noted the time and the direction of the lightest area of the sky and set out on a course he believed was west. Nineteen months of combat had not prepared Lawson for what followed. Nightfall came three hours later and with it howling, subzero winds and more snow. He curled up in a small hollow between two trees, shivering beneath his wet parachute. The following morning, he set out early and found a small stream that ran south. It widened and led to a waterfall that cascaded into a deep chasm. After several unsuccessful attempts to descend the drop off, Lawson negotiated a slow, torturous path down the canyon wall. At the bottom he spent a second night shivering in a hollow. He awoke semiconscious and much weaker. His feet were swollen and his joints hurt. The situation seemed hopeless. It would be easy to stop fighting, to give up and lie there in an endless slumber under a soft blanket of snow. But persistent thoughts of the sailor and the others pricked him. Slowly, he shook himself awake and got up. Following the canyon creek downward, he spotted a decrepit lean-to. Inside its dark, musty interior he found matches, coffee, flour and stale gingersnaps. Boiling water in a tin can over a roaring fire, he made “the best coffee I ever tasted in my whole life,” Lawson recalled in the book Memoirs of a French War

Bride which his wife, Liz Lawson, wrote and selfpublished in 1998. The next day, Lawson followed the creek bed south and came to a cabin. A faded sign read, “Pine Creek Guard Station.” Inside he warmed his pants and frostbitten feet by a stove, then pushed on. Sometime in late afternoon he staggered onto a snowy road. He heard an engine and stood in the middle of the road. An old truck ground to a halt. Its driver stared incredulously. “I was unshaved, unwashed, clothes torn by crawling in the brush. To him I must have seemed an apparition of the ‘abominable snowman’”. By nightfall Lawson was in the hospital. Several days later he accompanied a search party into the area. A four-horse pack train pushed through waistdeep snow and with Lawson guiding, reached the lean-to. But there Lawson had to stop, due to his weakened condition. Bad weather closed in. In danger of being trapped in a blizzard, the party turned back. There would be no joyful reunions for the young sailor or the others.

A Generation Later One summer day in 1963, a Forest Service surveyor hiking through dense timber on the steep southeast slope of Mount St. Helens saw something unexpected. Wedged tightly against the bases of two Douglas firs were the tail section and crumpled wings of a large aircraft. A circular blue insignia with a white star was visible on the weathered grey paint of a wing panel. One side of the fuselage bore faded numerals: 459. A search and rescue team from Whidbey Island Naval Air Station found no human remains but discovered a temporary campsite nearby and downslope from the wreckage, two makeshift snowshoes. The Navy never returned to search for remains of the crew. With no equipment but parachutes and crude snowshoes, the survivors likely succumbed to hypothermia or injuries as they struggled through deep snow drifts and frigid winds on the mountain. The final fates of twenty-three-year-old Norberg and the other crew members of Navy 49459 may never be known. Their remains and those of other airmen who never made it home still lie somewhere among the timbered ridges and sunless canyons in the rugged high country.

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Pike Place Market, the largest continuously operating public market in the U.S., is Seattle’s biggest incubator of small businesses. (photo: Matt Mornick)

THE PEOPLE’S MARKET PREVAILS PIKE PLACE MARKET and its towering neon public sign is as much a Seattle icon as the Space Needle, yet many may not remember that it was poised to be demolished fifty years ago. It was a die-hard, grassroots movement that saved it from property developers and city officials. The market stands today because of the dedication and savvy of three local nonprofits: the Pike Place Market Foundation, Friends of the Market and Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority. To mark the fiftieth anniversary of the community triumph in saving the market, these three organizations are celebrating with events and encouraging the community to join in through their victory day, Nov. 2. At the same time, the market is commemorating its perseverance through the pandemic thanks to the aid and support from the Pike Place Market Foundation. This image gallery offers a glimpse into the spirit and rich history of Pike Place, preserved for the people.

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Shoppers peruse produce at a Pike Place Market vegetable vendor stall in 1925. (photo: Asahel Curtis/Washington State Historical Society, courtesy of Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority)

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Pike Street Wharf, viewed from the waters of Elliott Bay in 1904. Two men stand behind a display of fish and shellfish at Palace Fish Market at the Pike Place Public Market in 1925. Vendors and shoppers on the northwest corner of First Avenue and Pike Street, looking up Pike Place, in 1911. Horse-drawn delivery wagons, covered and uncovered, crowd Western Avenue in front of the Produce Building in 1909. (photos: Asahel Curtis/Washington State Historical Society, courtesy of Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority)

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Streetcars and pedestrians on the northwest corner of First Avenue and Pike Street in 1911. A vendor uses a knife to trim produce from a crate in 1912. Automobiles, wagons and pedestrians at the market in 1912. A large display of chrysanthemums at Liberty Flower Shop at Pike Place Public Market in 1931. (photos: Asahel Curtis/Washington State Historical Society, courtesy of Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority)

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TRAVEL SPOTLIGHT 74 ADVENTURE 76 LODGING 78 TRIP PLANNER 80

pg. 78 Unwinding in a GoCamp van lets you focus on forest tranquility because they’re equipped with cookware, bedding and other amenities.

Ryan Seaward

NORTHWEST DESTINATION 84



travel spotlight

Briny Bounty

It’s the season to savor ocean-to-table goodness —and protect it from the effects of climate change written by Cathy Carroll FEASTING ON OYSTERS and fresh whole Dungeness crab is just one reason to do the Olympic Culinary Loop on the peninsula this season. Once you arrive, you’ll meet the multi-generation fishing and shellfish farming families working to ensure their harvest can endure issues that threaten them. The annual Dungeness Seafood and Crab Festival Oct. 8 through 10 along the Port Angeles waterfront is a way to discover efforts to support coastal seafood success. The crab fest showcases seafood industry locals with their own dedicated crab boats. Hama Hama, a fifth-generation oyster farm known for its clean tide flats, will serve their harvest raw and barbecued. Their store and saloon are an (empty) shell’s-throw from the tideflats, where you can savor Hama Hama oysters in their native habitat. Bring an appetite to their store for clams, house-smoked oysters and salmon, live and cooked crab, fresh salmon, and locally produced ice cream, cheeses, grass-fed beef, chocolate and other local foods. More briny bounty at the festival will come from High Tide Seafood of Port Angeles, which has been serving ocean-to-table goodness since 1980 and Taylor Shellfish Farms in Shelton, growing Northwest oysters since the 1890s. Peninsula purveyors believe the region is well-positioned to avoid national challenges causing seafood to disappear from restaurant menus, including soaring wholesale costs attributed to Covid-related port congestion and a lack of fishermen and women. They are concerned, however, about ocean acidification, increasingly understood by scientists to be an early indicator component to red tide, which is deadly to shellfish, and other climate-related issues affecting coastal waters. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration designated the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary as a sentinel site for the study of ocean acidification and its impacts on Olympic Coast seafood. In recent years, shellfish growers in Washington state have developed monitoring and treatment practices to avoid spawning failures linked to the periodic upwelling of more acidic ocean waters. “In the not-so-distant future, climate change is projected to profoundly impact coastal and marine ecosystems on a global scale, with anticipated effects on water quality, sea level, temperature, storm intensity, and current patterns,” according to the Olympic Culinary Loop. Collaborative partnerships, simple hard work and awareness built through events such as the crab fest, however, help—deliciously.

Julie Qiu

www.olympicculinaryloop.com

Hama Hama Oyster Saloon in Lilliwaup serves oysters from some of the coldest, cleanest waters in the state.

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Enjoy our Fall Garden Bounty When you book your stay at the Old Alcohol Plant Inn

Garden to Table Dining Intimate Hotel Suites Beautiful Bay Views

310 Hadlock Bay Road Port Hadlock WA 98339 www.oldalcoholplant.com 360-390-4017 The only place on the Olympic Peninsula where your stay directly benefits community members most in need!


adventure

Power on the Powder Snowmobiling: adrenaline, family bonding and backcountry serenity written by Molly Allen

THE RUSH, the thrills, the speed—that’s the prevalent image of snowmobiling. While fullthrottle fun is a factor, it can be as much or more about family quality time and taking in high elevation, difficult-to-reach backcountry vistas that few ever see. “There’s just something about seeing untouched snow, and it’s all yours,” said avid snowmobiler Victoria Jahn of Bellevue. “It’s a challenge, and each time you’re out, the snow isn’t the same.”

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Her first time on a snowmobile was at age six, when her father introduced her to it. Since then, she has continued to add to her list of favorite touring areas throughout the state, delving farther into the backcountry. “You get the excitement of being able to explore new places,” she said. “It’s a day of playing in meadows covered in snow, getting that thrill and adrenaline rush along with it.” Snowmobiling was the way her family spent quality time together as she was growing up. A day on “the sled” meant mountains of fun as well as time spent outdoors, enjoying family, friends and the simple pleasures of gathering around a crackling campfire in the dead of winter. Some rides also meant the shift in perspective that comes with reaching a mountain summit and looking down into a real-life snow globe. “It’s so serenely peaceful and quiet to be up where nobody else is. It’s very tranquil,” Jahn said. Jahn and her family are among a growing number of those across the state who have taken up the sport. “Snowmobilers are very much a community,” said Pamela McConkey, Washington State Parks’ winter recreation program manager. “They love to get people introduced to the sport and to be outdoors.” In Washington, the season officially typically lasts through March. With more than eighty managed sno-parks and more than 3,000 miles of groomed trails across the state, there’s no shortage of destinations for snowmobilers to discover while taking in stellar scenery along the way. Groomer operators work to clear trees or heavy snow and create a trail that’s ready for riding again by morning. From the Central Cascades to Mount Spokane to White Pass, the options for riding across Washington’s landscape are seemingly endless. “The higher you go, the more technical riders you’ll run into,” McConkey said. Whether you’re a novice or an expert, you have to take proper precautions, planning out the best experience for your skill level. “Take your time when you’re getting out there. There’s no rush,” said Jahn. “And remember that if you don’t feel comfortable going into a certain area, don’t do it. It’s about getting out there for the experience, and you’ll only get better the more times you do it.”

Washington State Parks

Jason Hummel Photography/Washington Tourism Alliance

adventure

SOUND SNOWMOBILING Plan Your Route: Determine how long you want to be out. Plan your route with a map or invest in a GPS device to stay found. Check the Weather: Washington’s weather is known for its quick turns, and it can be even more dramatic in winter. Check the pass reports, weather reports and avalanche conditions before you go. Be sure you and your vehicle are ready. Share Your Plan: No matter the length of a trip, always tell someone where you’re going and when you plan to return. Safety in Numbers: Ride with a buddy or a group. This could make all the difference if you run into any problems. Gear Up: Research what’s best to wear. A helmet is a must. Keep warm with a head sock to avoid windburn or getting cold. Insulated gloves and requisite snow gear are central to a good experience. Start Easy: If you’re interested in trying snowmobiling, consider a tour outfitter, rental or ride with an experienced friend first. It’s important to get a feel for a snowmobile before heading into the high backcountry. Stay Within Your Skill Level: Washington’s landscape during winter offers challenges. Know the area where you’re riding, and don’t be afraid to turn around if you’re not comfortable. Sources: Washington State Parks and snowmobiler Victoria Jahn of Bellevue

AT LEFT Exploring by snowmobile near Leavenworth rewards with dramatic scenery. ABOVE Snowmobiling fuels access to high-elevation views inaccessible to many.

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lodging

ACCOMMODATIONS Start your GoCamp journey in Seattle, where you’ll have nine van options, from the deluxe Mercedes Metris, to a vintage Volkswagen Vanagon and everything in between. Find something to fit your friends, family, budget and comfort level. Some vans are pet friendly and sleep up to four people. Nightly prices range from $140 to $323.

Lodging

GoCamp written by Cara Strickland

AMENITIES

HAVE YOU EVER wanted to just pack up your gear and a few groceries and just go exploring for a while? Maybe you’re a seasoned road tripper wanting to take it to the next level, or a safety- conscious traveler hoping to explore the outdoors without staying in a hotel. GoCamp’s fleet of privately owned camper vans might be just the way for you to ease back into travel, with everything you need for a great vacation contained in a van outfitted just for you.

These vans are road-trip ready, so you don’t have to pack much more than groceries and clothes. Each vehicle has a table and comes stocked with cookware, bedding and some camping gear (detailed lists are available for each van). Some of the amenities vary according to which model you rent—take the 2021 Winnebago for a spin and you’ll have an air conditioner, shower, refrigerator and a backup camera, among other things. Depending on which camper you choose, you might not feel like you’re roughing it in the least.

GREATER SEATTLE AREA www.gocampcampervans.com

WHERE TO GO

Aaron Wessling

You can take most of these vans throughout the U.S. and Canada. Head up to the San Juan Islands, visit Leavenworth’s Bavarian wonderland without having to worry about booking a room and tour the wine country of the Columbia Valley. If you find you love the van life, other cities for embarking on a GoCamp journey include Portland (where the company began), Denver, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco.

Staying snuggly in the autumn forest gets an assist from a GoCamp van and amenities for roving.

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W H E N Y O U R B A C K YA R D I S A M I L L I O N A C R E S O F W I L D E R N E S S

t e g t n a ’ c u o Y ! t s e w h t r o any more N The Northwest is a way of life, not just a place – and you can’t get any more Northwest than Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. Explore snowcapped mountains, lush temperate rain forests, and rugged Pacific Coast beaches within nearly one million acres of wilderness.

Get your FREE travel planner and begin your next Northwest adventure at OlympicPeninsula.org.


trip planner

Bounty Hiker

Get your fill of Mount Rainier’s world-class fall scenery and local bounty to match written by John Lane

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trip planner

MOUNT RAINIER RISES 14,010 feet in the Cascade Range of southwestern Washington. For some it is a symbol of a spiritual home and beneficence, for others it’s a challenge whose volcanic peak is taunting. For many others, she is a provider of a lifetime’s pursuit of beauty through her trails. Fall is perhaps the most striking of her seasons for those in search of recreation and beauty. In this visit, we engage in an active schedule of day-hiking some of the best trails for witnessing fall colors while stopping only to snack and feast upon Washington bounty—a locavore experience in the wilderness. Keep in mind that you have to obtain park permits for your hikes in advance, too.

Day

Mark Downey/Washington Tourism Alliance

REFLECTION • CHOCOLATE This trip will take a moderate amount of food planning to achieve the best results. Backpacks are required to transport your bounty to farther and higher places along the trails. Today’s outing is a warm-up for tomorrow’s longer effort and includes a moderate, two-hour hike to Reflection Lakes accompanied by local beer, nuts, chocolate and stone fruit. Half of the fun of the first day is sourcing the food for the hike. Fill a Hydro Flask with your favorite Washington craft beer. (Take water, too.) If you’re in a beer rut as we sometimes are, try Elysian’s Avatar IPA with a 6.3 percent alcohol by volume or ABV, or, if hiking on a clear night to see the cosmos mirrored in Reflection Lake, try Elysian’s boozier 8.2 percent Space Dust IPA and let the creativity flow. The Local Logger Lager from Everybody’s Brewing in White Salmon makes for an easy-sipper with a smooth 4.2 percent ABV craft beer. Also in your pack, you should have locally grown macadamia nuts with rosemary from OriginNuts from Vancouver. You can order them ahead of time from its website at www.originnuts.com. Grab some of the bounty cliches of Washington produce, such as cherries, which will be on the far end of the season, or apples, which are now in season. Finally, your pack should include some of the finest Washington chocolates for a sweet finish. Smoked salted caramels from Fran’s Chocolates in Seattle or combine Washington cherries and chocolate with Chukar Cherries, from Prosser. Now you’re in a good place with your nutrition. Mount Rainier, first called Talol, Tacoma or Tahoma by the local Salishan-speaking people, offers premier hiking for fall colors.

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Chukar Cherries www.chukar.com Everybody’s Brewing www.everybodys brewing.com Fran’s Chocolates www.frans.com

Janelle Walker

Cascadian Outfitters Wine www.cascadian outfitterswine.com

Deby Dixon

Caciotta from Ferndale Farmstead www.ferndale farmstead.com

Will Toft

EAT

Mark Downey/Washington Tourism Alliance

MOUNT RAINIER, WASHINGTON

trip planner

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT The tiered, 69-foot plunges of Christine Falls are accessible by car year-round. Reflection Lakes is an idyllic spot for cracking open a Space Dust IPA. Just looking at the trail leading to Third Burroughs will make your quads burn. Recover from any expedition at Wellspring Spa & Woodland Retreat near Ashford.

Leony’s Cellars www.leonyscellars.com Elysian Brewing Company www.elysianbrewing.com OriginNuts www.originnuts.com Smoked Flagship Beecher’s Cheese www.beechershandmade cheese.com

STAY National Park Inn www.mtrainierguestservices. com/accommodations/ national-park-inn Packwood Lodge www.packwoodlodge.com Storm King Cabins & Spa www.stormkingspa.com

Now for the hike: begin from the lot along Stevens Canyon Road in the morning with a plan to arrive two hours later for an early lunch/snack or at dusk, and with headlamps, to arrive for the stellar light show overhead and stretching across the aqueous canvas before you. Depending on the season, expect to find lupine, yellow arnica, Western Pasqueflower and paintbrush still in bloom. The nearly 3-mile loop features fall colors, views of Mount Rainier and can take up three hours to complete. Add your picnic lunch and you have a gorgeous four-hour first day of your Mount Rainier visit.

Wellspring Spa and Woodland Retreat www.wellspringspa.com

Day

PLAY

BURROUGHS MOUNTAIN • PICNIC

First Burroughs Mountain, Second Burroughs Mountain www.travel-experience-live. com/best-fall-hikes-inmount-rainier-national-park Reflection Lakes Trail www.travel-experience-live. com/best-fall-hikes-inmount-rainier-national-park Road to Paradise Scenic Drive www.visitrainier.com/loop-3the-road-to-paradise

The Stormking Cabins & Spa near Ashford is a great place to book for your rustic, yet comfortable, retreat. Likewise the Wellspring Spa & Woodland Retreat, also near Ashford, offers a bucolic retreat in a natural setting. Today’s outing will be a hearty one which is best followed by a hot tub soak and a massage. Book these in advance at your venue but keep in mind that spa services may be restricted due to Covidrelated issues. Today’s menu will be as crucial and as local as the prior day’s. Your backpack should carry smoked salmon from City Fish Seafood in Pike Place Market, Washington hard or soft cheeses such as Beecher’s Flagship or Ferndale Farmstead’s caciotta; good crackers and Washington wine, either in cans such as Cascadian Outfitters

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or in bottles from surrounding wineries such as Leony’s Cellars in Enumclaw or Rainier View Winery in Graham. Bring plenty of water as this will be a full day on the trails. Today’s hike is longer, gains 2,500 feet in elevation and stands as another fall favorite for color. Burroughs Mountain Trail begins at Sunrise Lodge in Ashford. Hike this 9-mile loop trail counterclockwise and you’ll soon encounter Sourdough Ridge Trail and then up to the top of First Burroughs Mountain, where you’ll have spectacular views of the Rainier tundra, goats, pika, marmots and Mount Fremont. Find a good spot in the austere beauty to drop your pack, kick up your feet and enjoy regional wines and cheese. After an epic day, head back to your cabin for a soak or a massage, or both. If you want to complete the trifecta of all things Washington, settle in for the night with a book from a local author: Boys in the Boat, Where’d You Go, Bernadette or Barkskins.

Day ROAD TO PARADISE Grab a coffee and hit the two-and-a-half hour Road to Paradise scenic byway that begins and ends in Ashford. Hop out of the vehicle along the route as you encounter Christine or Narada waterfalls, and old-growth forests to walk among. This time of year is spectacular in the Mount Rainier area, and you have just immersed yourself in it with fantastic hikes and this scenic drive.


Celebrate a life lived outdoors #Lifeoutdoorswa

L FE OUTDOORS

Visit wdfw.wa.gov/life-outdoors for more info


northwest destination Semiahmoo Heritage Trail is a 5.3-kilometer out-andback that starts and ends and the Crescent Road end of the park.

Craving Culture, Creativity

BC’s Surrey satisfies with global flavors and the comforts of nature written by Gordie Lowe

FOR A NICE change of pace to visiting the bustling capital of British Columbia, try a healthy retreat to its neighboring town, Surrey. Crowds and bustle, once buzz words for travelers, have become anathema to some in the era of global pandemics. Surrey is the quiet sister town to Vancouver, where you can get exposure to things that are culturally different and creature comforts that are more familiar. Surrey offers international cuisine, history and placid trails on which you can unwind and lower your shoulders. For weekend hikes, head to Mud Bay Park. This park is deemed an IBA, or Important Bird Area, in Canada. Fifty kinds of shore birds have been spotted in the Boundary Bay area, of which Mud Bay is a part. On the shore of Mud Bay, a 3-kilometer nature trail will take you out to the eelgrass and mud flats, seasonal home to migrating birds.

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OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2021


SURREY, BRITISH COLUMBIA

northwest destination

EAT Old Surrey Restaurant www.oldsurrey restaurant.ca Shawarma Palace Surrey www.shawarma palacebc.com Snowshaa www.showshaa.ca

STAY Civic Hotel, Autograph Collection www.civichotel.ca

PLAY Mud Bay Park www.surrey.ca/parksrecreation/parks/ mud-bay-park Semiahmoo Heritage Trail www.discover surreybc.com

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP A great blue heron pauses on prime birding grounds such as Mud Bay Park. The Civic Hotel offers respite in Surrey City Centre. Satisfy a yen for far-flung flavors at Showshaa with juicy kebabs and creative tapas-style eats.

The Semiahmoo Heritage Trail is a 5.3-kilometer out-and-back that starts and ends and the Crescent Road end of the park. Grab fresh steamed buns from Sungiven Foods before and make a picnic of it as there are parks nearby the trail. Or save your sunset picnic for Crescent Beach overlooking Boundary Bay on its western flank. The views at dusk here are, alone, worth the visit. Surrey’s dining scene is dominated by Indian food but has many other options, too. The Shawarma Palace on King George Boulevard is just different enough that it should catch your attention. The owners, brothers Massud and Haroon Pompall, pride themselves on using more than just Lebanese spices with the addition of Turkish spices. Try the chicken shawarma

platter for the highest and best use of these spices. Break stereotypes by grabbing a table at Snowshaa, a taphouse with cocktails and interesting global bites to eat. Think sesame paneer fingers and cocktail samosas. A classic in the dining scene is Old Surrey Restaurant, where you’ll find Frenchinspired seafood, rack of lamb and steak au poivre. Although a mainstay, Old Surrey clearly is wise in the ways of top-notch food and service, which never gets old. Head back to your lodging at Civic Hotel in downtown Surrey, where you can create a familiar and comfortable retreat with a rooftop pool and 360 degree views of the city and the bay. Kick back at the hotel’s Dominion Bar + Kitchen for a nightcap before tucking into bed. OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2021

Surrey offers international cuisine, history and placid trails on which you can unwind and lower your shoulders.

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1889 MAPPED

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

Friday Harbor

Chelan

Bellevue

Port Orchard

Aberdeen

Newport

Marysville Everett

Seattle

Tacoma

Colville Okanogan

Whidbey Island

Olympic National Park

Republic

Winthrop

Coupeville

Port Townsend

Shelton

North Cascades National Park

Mount Vernon

Port Angeles Forks

Oroville

Bellingham

San Juan Islands

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

Richland

Mount Adams

Prosser

Pasco

Dayton

Walla Kennewick Walla

Goldendale Vancouver

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Live

Think

Explore

16 Pike Place Market

44 Feast World Kitchen

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Olympic Culinary Loop

22 The Brick Saloon

46 Archer Hotel Redmond

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Hama Hama Oyster Saloon

25 Stella’s

46 McMenamins Elks Temple

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GoCamp

26 Rutledge Corn Maze

47 Seattle Rep

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Mount Rainier

38 Soma Institute of Structural Integration

48 Portmanteau Home

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1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE

OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2021

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Savor farm-fresh menus, browse for hand-crafted local gifts, and create warm memories here and in the surrounding Willamette Valley. Stay as long as you like; we are #authenticallyAlbany and we can’t wait to share it all with you.

Plan your day or weekend getaway at VisitAlbany.com Connect with us and download our free Albany Explorer app today

541.928.0911

Clockwise from top left: Life on 2nd Ave. by (Melinda Martin), Victorian Splendor (Camron Settlemier), Historic Carousel (Tiffany Holdahl), “Wood Fired Delight” (Dan Bateman)


Until Next Time Fall riding in the Yakima Valley. photo by Shannon Mahre/Mahre Media



Great

Northwest Food STARTS WITH Great northwest ingredients

Signature dishes and cocktails at Angel Of The Winds Casino Resort are predominantly crafted from local ingredients, with an eye for bringing out the essence of Northwest flavor. Angel Of The Winds Casino Resort sources produce, meat, and seafood from local Washington farms, such as Double R Ranch in Loomis, which provides fresh ground beef for mouthwatering burgers from 210 Brewing CO. Elsewhere, our wine list is graced by fine local wine courtesy of Dusty Cellars Winery from Camano Island. Best of all, take 50% off dining when you accrue enough Xperience Players Club points to cover the cost of your meal! Taste the difference of fresh, sustainably sourced northwest ingredients at Angel Of The Winds Casino Resort!


Continue for Special Insert




WE SEIZE THE (SNOW) DAY

You won’t find a more inspiring mountain town than Missoula, where three rivers and seven wilderness areas converge in the cultural hub of Montana. The allure is immeasurable, with outdoor access at every corner and a culinary scene that rivals big cities. This vibrant community is bliss for fresh air enthusiasts, creative souls, and anyone who enjoys a good beer alongside a great meal. Missoula doesn’t just feed the soul, it satisfies the senses.

DISCOVERY SKI AREA

Travel Safely. Explore Responsibly. Call 1.800.526.3465 or visit destinationmissoula.org/1889 for more information.


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Idaho’s Brundage Mountain Resort is rich with trails, 18,000 acres of backcountry powder and amenities in McCall. (photo: John Webster Photography/Brundage Mountain Resort)

A NORTHWEST

SKI TRIP PLANNING GUIDE TO ALLEVIATE DECISION FATIGUE WRITTEN BY INGRID ANDERSEN WE’VE REALIZED HOW precious time and travel are over the past two years of likely having little of the former and doing none of the latter. That sets high stakes on getting this year’s ski trip just right. Coming through the dredges of the pandemic has been difficult, and the winter outdoors and skiing are increasingly the antidote. Because ski areas in the Pacific Northwest are in national forests, regulations prohibit development unlike their counterparts in Utah or Colorado where hotels, spas, restaurants, bars and shopping are all at the base or within a village walk. At many of our ski areas, it takes a little more planning and logistics to put together the perfect visit. In this piece, we will look at just how to do that at some of our favorite ski areas and bedroom communities.

Cover: Sun Valley Resort in Idaho (photo: Hillary Maybery/Sun Valley Resort)

2021 SKI NORTHWEST 3


OREGON

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Mt. Bachelor is home to some of the best snow in the West and seemingly endless skiable terrain. Sipping microbrews and taking in the views at Crux Fermentation Project. Walking the Deschutes River Trail in the Old Mill District. LOGE offers a comfy base camp for every adventurer. (photos, clockwise from top left: Anelise Bergin/ Mt. Bachelor, Crux Fermentation Project, Steve Heinrichs/Visit Central Oregon, LOGE)

are divine and the views of the Cascades are not bad either. Bend Brewing Company has its own indoor-outdoor vibe downtown and wholesome craft beers. The best vegetarian meals in Bend are at Wild Rose, a downtown northern Thai restaurant; Spork, a creative Asian fusion restaurant; and Kebaba, a Middle Eastern favorite among locals. Cocktails are best served at Joolz, a downtown Middle Eastern restaurant; the new Waypoint at Northwest Crossing; or El Sancho, serving margaritas at either of its two locations.

MT. BACHELOR Mt. Bachelor is the belle of the ball in Oregon. It has 4,300 of terrain, 12 chair lifts, 101 runs, 6 terrain parks, 3,365 vertical and days-worth of territory to ski. While Bachelor can be seen for miles around, it’s 22 miles back into Bend where you’ll find the first lodging accommodations. While Bend’s lodging options were limited even five years

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ago, the industry has grown with the soaring popularity of Bend. LODGING: The first hotel coming back to Bend from Bachelor is LOGE, a cool remake of a lifeless motel that has ski lockers, a bar and a barbecue area with Traeger grills. Families will want to consider Tetherow, where there’s a bar and restaurants, as well as a heated pool, or The

Oxford for the convenience of being in downtown Bend. DINING + DRINKING: Dining options are easy and plentiful in Bend, where good food and good beer go hand in hand. To get the best of Bend, begin at its breweries. Deschutes Brewery is well known and worth the wait for its food and drink. Likewise with Crux Fermentation Project, the food and beer

WINDING DOWN: For winding down in Bend, there are easy and scenic hikes close by. The River Trail can be accessed in The Old Mill District and comprises a three-mile loop if you’re inclined, or just stroll any section of it until you’re mind has calmed. Drake Park alongside Mirror Pond is also a nice stroll if you’re staying downtown. For full body relaxation, try Spa W or the Radiant Day Spa in the Old Mill. Both have a full menu that will leave you in a better place on your ski trip.


THE REST. UNLOCK ACCESS TO THE NW’S LARGEST PLAYGROUND — Winter Adventures Await. Season Passes, Multi-Week Lessons, Private Lessons, and more on sale now. Visit MTBACHELOR.COM for more information.


OREGON

HOODOO SKI AREA The long-held Hoodoo moniker “steep, deep and cheap” is still relevant today as its runs may be steep, but Hoodoo’s prices are not. Hoodoo is relatively inexpensive compared to its Cascades neighbors, and it offers thirty-six runs, 800 skiable acres and five lifts. On the Santiam Pass, Hoodoo’s base elevation is 4,700 feet, 22 miles northwest of the charming, eclectic, Western-themed town of Sisters. LODGING: The lodging options for Hoodoo are as thrilling as its runs. FivePine Lodge in Sisters is a boutique property with beautiful and modern facilities tucked into a quiet wooded area. Many rooms have hot tubs and gas fireplaces. Up the road and closer to Hoodoo is Black Butte Ranch, a luxury destination resort with vacation rentals, restaurants and more. Either of these will ease the decision fatigue of planning. DINING + DRINKING: A few favorites in the Sisters area are Three Creeks Brewery on the FivePine Lodge campus, Angelina’s Bakery for vegan and vegetarian food of the most divine quality and The Open Door for modern Italian cuisine and Oregon wines. Sisters Bakery on the main street, Cascade Avenue, also makes the mother of all fritters. A family of four could greedily share one. WINDING DOWN: Both Black Butte Ranch and FivePine Lodge have trails immediately outside your door for a stroll into the forest. They also both have amazing spas to leave the real world far behind. Hoodoo packs great value as well as plenty of fun with nearby resorts, spas and the charming Western-themed town of Sisters. (photo: Pete Alport)

Mt. Hood Meadows woos advanced skiers with black diamonds and wins the hearts of those seeking accessible pricing, too. (photo: Richard Hallman/Mt. Hood Meadows)

MT. HOOD MEADOWS Hood River could arguably be considered the winter bedroom community for Mt. Hood Meadows ski area, 35 scenic miles south. Meadows, as it’s known, has 2,150 acres of terrain, 2,777 vertical, 11 lifts and 87 trails. Its reputation soars with advanced skiers as its terrain offers a lot in the black diamond range. As much as it caters to the extreme skier, its prices are for the average Joe when it comes to resort pricing. LODGING: Lodging in Hood River begins with the handsome and historic Hood River Hotel downtown. Not only is this a stylish and comfortable redoubt, if you’re already a season pass holder at Meadows, you’ll get 15 percent off your room rate. The adjacent Nordic restaurant, Broder Øst, is more reason to make this your lodging destination. The Best Western Plus makes our list because of its gentle vistas of the Columbia River and its proximity to Pfriem Brewery, one of the best in Oregon’s competitive field. DINING + DRINKING: In the Fruit Loop of Oregon, Hood River sits at the nexus of great craft beer and wine, a nice problem to have. Perhaps the best way to split the difference is at restaurants such as Solstice Woodfire

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Pizza. Four & Twenty Blackbirds food truck at 5th and Cascade Avenue has beautiful vegetarian options. Double Mountain Brewery has delicious beer and the best truffle pizza combo. For the full experience, try Celilo downtown, which brings together local meat and produce and wine in a romantic atmosphere. WINDING DOWN: Water has a calming effect after a long day on the mountain. Hood River Waterfront Park runs alongside the rolling Columbia. If the wind isn’t strong, this walk will help you relax and reflect. Another interesting meander is the Hood River Pipeline Hike along the Hood River, and it continues on the top of an actual pipeline. For more body wellness, look to Spa Remedease at the beautiful setting of the Columbia Gorge Hotel.

Hood River’s Double Mountain Brewery. (photo: Double Mountain Brewery)

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OREGON

ANTHONY LAKES MOUNTAIN RESORT Old-school, small-town Anthony Lakes Resort has all of the qualities for an Americana ski getaway. With both a cool alpine and exceptional Nordic trail system, this venue is truly an Oregon hidden gem. One lift serves 21 runs, 1,100 acres of skiable terrain and lies adjacent to 30 kilometers of trackset Nordic trails.

LODGING: Baker City is your home base 35 miles southeast of the resort, where the handsome and historic Geiser Grand Hotel will nicely feed this nostalgic ski vacation. First opened in 1889, Geiser Grand today retains the splendor of centuries gone by. DINING + DRINKING: For dining options in Baker City, Latitude 45 Grille serves local meat in the form of steak and burgers; graze Mulan Garden for good vegetarian

options, and swing into Lefty’s Taphouse for local beers and pizza.

Skiing at Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort offers pure, Americanaimbued fun. (photo: Alyssa Henry)

WINDING DOWN: If you’ve never been to the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, you should not miss this opportunity for your wind down. A trail outside of the center leads to actual wagon tracks from the Oregon Trail. That should be a grounding experience for all and a historic ending to a nostalgic ski trip through time.

WITH BOTH A COOL ALPINE AND EXCEPTIONAL NORDIC TRAIL SYSTEM, THIS VENUE IS TRULY AN OREGON HIDDEN GEM. 8  SKI NORTHWEST  2021


EASTERN OREGON POWDER AWAITS... FULL SERVICE DAY LODGE ALPINE & NORDIC YURT RENTALS CAT TRIPS

MOUNTAIN BIKING, HIKING, CAMPING & YEAR-ROUND FAMILY FUN!


WASHINGTON

METHOW VALLEY When the skis get skinnier and the trails get longer, you’re in the heart of Nordic country. One of the world’s best expressions of Nordic ski terrain is Methow Valley, where groomed trails wind more than 100 miles along the Methow River around the floor of the valley and into the surrounding forests. The string of towns along this part of the valley are Mazama, Winthrop and Twisp. Here, you are in a Nordic mecca in the Pacific Northwest. LODGING: The rustic River’s Edge Resort or Methow River Lodge puts you on the banks of the Chewuch and Methow rivers respectively and with hot tubs overlooking the calming rivers. At the more remote Sun Mountain Lodge northwest of Winthrop, many rooms have gas fireplaces and hot tubs and the

lodge has two outdoor heated pools for winter guests. DINING + DRINKING: Morning coffee and baked goods are best at Rocking Horse Bakery on the main street of Highway 20, at this point a trickle of a town avenue. The Mazama Store is a remote density of goodness with its deli and outdoor food carts. For old-school burgers and good beer, the Old Schoolhouse Brewery in Winthrop is the place. For dinner, the tiny

town of Twisp has two outstanding restaurants—Tappi, an authentic Italian restaurant, and Linwood, a creative Asian fusion restaurant. WINDING DOWN: Walk down to the community ice rink on the Susie Stephens Trail and, if you’re comfortable with ice skates, glide around the outdoor rink, taking in the fantastic Methow Valley all around you. Indulge in Sun Mountain Lodge’s full spa for some body work.

WHITE PASS Less than an hour west of Yakima, White Pass Ski Resort sets up nicely for families, with half of its runs intermediate, a third beginner and a fifth advanced. In all, there are 1,400 skiable acres, with 2,000 feet of vertical covering six chairlifts and 45 runs. White Pass’s Nordic skiing comprises 18 kilometers of groomed skinny skiing.

At White Pass Ski Resort in Yakima, families will be set with many intermediate and beginner runs. (photo: Shannon Mahre/Mahre Media)

10  SKI NORTHWEST  2021

LODGING: For those who want to get in the maximum number of turns, book a rental condo at White Pass Village Inn directly across the road from the ski resort. Otherwise, head into Yakima, where there are many compelling options. The Hotel Y, Ledgestone

FROM TOP Experience Nordic skiing’s Valhalla in the Methow Valley, where groomed trails wind through the valley and forests. Reward yourself at Sun Mountain Lodge, with its pleasing spa. (photo, bottom: OCTC)

Hotel and Hotel Maison are just a few. DINING + DRINKING: Yakima has a developed dining scene with many global cuisines to choose from. Nonetheless, Zullee Mediterranean Grill with its dolmeh, hummus, babaganoush and tzatziki; and Zesta Cucina serving a menu with cracked pepper steak kebabs, chop salads and Parmesan halibut should be on your radar. WINDING DOWN: Serenity Day Spa is a good place to unwind from the day’s bump and grind. Or set your mind at ease at the Yakima Area Arboretum, along the banks of the Yakima River, open all days and from dawn to dusk.


(c) MitchellIMAGE

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METHOW VALLEY NORTH AMERICA'S LARGEST CROSS-COUNTRY SKI AREA

120+ miles of groomed trails kids ski free cozy lodging delicious local food winter wonderland fun for everyone VISIT US ONLINE TO PLAN YOUR ADVENTURE:

winthropwashington.com

methowtrails.org


IDAHO

Descend the legendary slopes of Sun Valley Resort and into its glamorous, storied past. (photo: Jon Mancuso/Sun Valley Resort)

SUN VALLEY RESORT The birthplace of lift-serve skiing and the nostalgic winter playground of Hollywood’s golden era, Sun Valley has charm, history, people-watching and more than 2,000 skiable acres. The main Warm Springs Lodge at Bald Mountain (Sun Valley Resort’s main ski area), was renovated in 2019 after a fire ripped through and gutted it in 2018. Rest assured, the glamour of the original was dutifully restored. The resort has 120 runs, 18 lifts and 3,400 feet of vertical drop. LODGING: Lodging in Ketchum got a lot more difficult when the modern clean lines of Limelight Hotel entered the picture. Limelight was the first modern luxury alternative to the rustic and charming hotels of a bygone era. That said, the history and secrets of Ketchum are within the walls of the Sun Valley Lodge. A 2015 renovation updated its rooms and pool area and added a full spa. Both of these accommodations

BRUNDAGE MOUNTAIN RESORT Launched by a local mill owner, a potato mogul and Norwegian Olympic ski champion Corey Engen on Thanksgiving 1961, Brundage Mountain Resort has 67 trails, more than 1,900 vertical, 1,920 skiable acres and five chairlifts. Snowcat skiing unlocks 18,000 more acres of backcountry powder. LODGING: Brundage Bungalows are comfortable, rustic cabins that feel like mini ski chalets. Shore Lodge has a heated pool,

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hot tubs, firepits and an indoor theater. The historic Hotel McCall in the heart of downtown McCall is another great way to experience McCall while on your ski trip. Overlooking Payette Lake, Hotel McCall’s current iteration came after being rebuilt from a devastating fire in 1937. It has an indoor heated pool and a spa. DINING + DRINKING: Rupert’s at Hotel McCall has a menu that includes vegetarian options, with many foods sourced from the farmers market. Himalayan momos, a black rice Buddha

will provide a memorable Sun Valley experience. DINING + DRINKING: The Main Street classics (Pioneer Saloon, Sawtooth Club and Whiskey Jacques’) may be overrun on any given weekend. Shoot for Despo’s for top-notch Mexican cuisine and margaritas. Il Naso is an intimate Italian restaurant out of the fray and with a deep wine list. For cocktails, head back to Main Street to either Warfield’s Distillery & Brewery or to Limelight Hotel, where you can sit indoors or outdoors in a courtyard that overlooks a little park that houses the regional museum. WINDING DOWN: Relaxing is easy to do when you’re in the Ketchum area. Head north of town on Highway 20 and pull off at one of the many trailheads along the Big Wood River. Outand-back hikes in this valley are restorative and de-stressing. For the rest of your being, there’s Zynergy spa, a full-service spa with a flair for body care.

bowl and a mixed grill of elk are just a few items on an engaging menu. McCall Brewing Company has a mix of sandwiches, wraps and burgers along with a good portfolio of craft beer for a more casual dining experience. WINDING DOWN: From downtown, you can pick up the North Valley Rail Trail McCall Trailhead behind City Hall and do an easy, scenic out and back. For the ultimate in relaxation, book services at Shore Lodge’s spa, The Cove, from massage to soaking immersion pools.

FROM TOP Ridgeline ripping in the backcountry, accessed by snowcat. Get the mini ski-chalet experience at Brundage Bungalows. (photos, from top: Brundage Mountain Resort, Brundage Bungalows)


Make tracks, make memories.

Book your McCall, Id winter vacation at

visitmccall.org

Stay Ski Stay & & Ski Packages Packages FROM $144* *Per Person, based on double occupancy

Sign the McCall Promise and help us preserve this special place. #travelresponsibly


MONTANA + CANADA

MONTANA

SNOWBOWL Just 12 miles northwest of Missoula and in the Lolo National Forest, Snowbowl is Missoula’s alpine playground. With 950 skiable acres and 39 runs served by three double chairs, Snowbowl is a great balance of challenging black diamonds and proximity to a great mountain town. Like many ski resorts set in national forests, most lodging options (and most restaurants) are farther afield. LODGING: If skiing and snowboarding is your raison d’etre, then book a room at the slopeside Gelandesprung Lodge, with outdoor hot tub and food options nearby. The cool factor goes up at hot tub rooms at the renovated Thunderbird Motel on the banks of the Clark Fork River in downtown Missoula. If you’re traveling with your dog, Jacobs Island Bark Park is right out the door. DINING + DRINKING: Try Plonk in downtown Missoula, a classic brick galley-style restaurant and bar for cocktails, massaman curry, shrimp and octopus ceviche and seared halibut cheeks. Boxcar Bistro at the Old Sawmill District is another good dining experience in Missoula. The French-inspired menu has bouillabaisse, raclette and chicken chasseur. WINDING DOWN: To unwind in Missoula, book a massage at Sorella’s or, if the weather allows, lace up a pair of skates at Glacier outdoor ice rink and sip hot chocolate as you go.

FROM TOP Chairlift views of Snowbowl’s black diamond trails. Downtown Missoula offers dining spots including Plonk, with dishes such as grilled venison short-loin with brandy-currant foie gras. (photos, from top: Chris Henderson, Plonk)

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Fernie Alpine Resort’s vast terrain includes a village with lodging, dining and bars. (photo: Fernie Alpine Resort)

BRITISH COLUMBIA

FERNIE ALPINE RESORT Unlike many of our featured ski areas, Fernie is the complete village resort with ski services, lodging dining, bars and a grocery store. Its skiing covers all facts of terrain. The lift-service alpine area has 2,500 skiable acres, with 3,550 vertical, 142 runs, seven chairlifts and a few restaurants on the mountain. Fernie also offers spectacular catski options for more advanced skiers who crave deep powder. Getting to Fernie may not be easy, but definitely worth your effort. In southeast BC, it lies about 170 miles northeast of the Washington border if driving. Flights are available from Portland or Seattle and go to nearby Cranbrook with about a 70-mile scenic mountain drive to an oasis of Canadian ski nirvana. For cross-country skiers, the Fernie Nordic Society manages a few ski areas nearby including the Elk Valley Nordic Centre just 5 kilometers back toward town. If you plan ahead for a special Nordic ski trip, book the snowcat up to Island Lake Lodge for 25 kilometers of skinny skiing, a spa and gourmet-lunch package. LODGING: In the Fernie ski village, there are a few options which include: The Griz Inn, Lizard Creek Lodge, Snow Creek Lodge and Slope Side Lodge.

The convenience of these for visitors whose activities center on skiing, is unmatched. Book Island Lake Lodge if you’re taking the Nordic plunge. DINING + DRINKING: Cirque Restaurant and Bar boasts surf and turf plus a Parisian gnocchi dish on the menu. Its wine list is dominated by French reds and British Columbia whites. Legends Mountain Eatery has two kinds of poutine on its menu, plus burgers and sandwiches, beer and wine. Between these two venues, there’s little need to forage further. WINDING DOWN: First consider the Fernie Aquatic Center for its 25-person hot tub. Perhaps more important are two Canadian traditions you shouldn’t miss while in town—skating at the Fernie Memorial Arena, and curling, which you can do on drop-in Thursdays beginning in January 2022 at the Fernie Curling Club.

Après ski at Cirque Restaurant and Bar. (photo: Matt Kuhn)


Experience the Canadian Rockies, Fernie Style.

Destination BC/Dave Heath

Over 30 Ft of Snow Annually | 3,550 Vertical Ft | Top Elevation 7,000 Ft 2,500 Acres of Lift Access Terrain & Thousands of Acres for Catskiing

Located in the Rockies of southeast British Columbia, Fernie is known for its deep powder snow and cool local vibe. Just over a 100 miles north of Whitefish & Kalispell, Montana, Fernie is easy to get to. Add the great currency exchange rate that saves you 20–25% on everything, a trip up is well worth it!

Fernie Alpine Resort – 4 Nights Ski-in Ski-Out Suite & 4 Days of Skiing from US$278/night for two. FWA Catskiing – Single Day Snowcat Skiing from US$396/person, early or late season. Island Lake Catskiing – 2 Nights & 2 Days All-Inclusive from US$1580/person. Book today and visit safely this winter! | experiencefernie.com | #ferniestoke


Kids Ski Free

KIDS UNDER 7 SKI, BOARD, & TUBE FOR FREE AT HOODOO Days, nights, weekends, & holidays!!!

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ALL SEASON LONG www.skihoodoo.com


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