Behind the Sign

Day Tripping: Welcome to The Reptile Zoo

Fifty minutes from Mount Vernon there’s a place in Monroe, Washington where even in the dead of winter you’ll feel as though it’s a May evening on the bayou. That place is The Reptile Zoo. If the name conjures up images of sketchy carnival sideshow attractions, prepare yourself for a very pleasant surprise.

Tales From the Magic Skagit: Goodwinds Composites and the Pursuit of Excellence

I first heard of the Mount Vernon company known as Goodwinds Composites the same way most other residents of the Magic Skagit did: from a recent article in the Skagit Valley Herald about a local company that was helping NASA with the first unmanned helicopter exploration of Mars. It was a fantastic account of engineering marvels and high tech materials; but if truth is stranger than fiction (and it is), the story of how Goodwinds Composites came into being is even more interesting than its contribution to our knowledge of the red planet.

Tales From the Magic Skagit: The Ties that Bind — An Interview with Jo Wolfe

Jo E. Wolfe and the Skagit Valley have a history — and as is ultimately the case with all history, it’s personal. Since Jo became a part of the Skagit County Historical Museum eleven years ago, however, the relationship has become professional as well.

Tales From the Magic Skagit: You Light Up My Life — Day (and Time) Tripping to Newhalem

The 69 miles from my home in Mount Vernon to Newhalem is my favorite Magic Skagit day trip. But it is also a trip through history as well as a journey along the Skagit River to the gateway of the Cascades. Along the way you'll discover the vision of a self-taught engineer and the company town that created a national model for citizen-owned power generation.

Tales From the Magic Skagit: Our Lady of the Tulips

You may be amazed to learn, as I did (thanks to the Skagit County Historical Museum), that the person who is generally credited with being the first to establish our local tulip industry was not a Dutch transplant, but a hearty local varietal who is fondly remembered as Mrs. Mary Stewart of Samish Island. As yet another Tulip Festival draws near, this seems like a good time to tell her story.

If Coffee Had a Disneyland…

Starbucks corporation describes its Capitol Hill reserve roastery as, and I quote, "...an immersive and dramatic expression of our passion for coffee, located just nine blocks from our original Starbucks Pike Place store." In an age of "truthful hyperbole," I would actually call this description an understatement. What might be more accurate, if not more fanciful, would be to describe it as a Disneyland for coffee fanatics. But however you refer to it, it's worth a day trip down south to experience it.

February 17, 2021

In Good Taste: A Look Back at Behind the Sign Food Stories

Who doesn't love stories about food? You get a lot of the same emotional pleasure as actually eating it, without the calories. One of our regrets from 2020 was that the pandemic made it all but impossible to do in-person food stories, but we plan to make up for that in 2021. In the meantime, we thought we'd whet your appetite with a retrospective of past Tales From the Magic Skagit food stories. Bon Appetit!

February 14, 2021

Tales From the Magic Skagit: The Story of COA

The story of COA is more than the story of the trials and tribulations of a locally owned restaurant and its efforts to win a loyal customer base. It is a Magic Skagit story of immigrant ambition, the risks and rewards of forging a culinary brand, the determination of small business owners to weather adversity…and last, but not least, the enduring power of family to realize dreams beyond the grasp of any single individual. In that sense, it’s an American story — one infused with chili peppers, tequila, love, sweat, and grandma’s home cooking.

February 9, 2021

Tales From the Magic Skagit: Remembering Neil Hall

Neil Hall has probably forgotten more about trees than I’ll ever know. He is also personally responsible for the identification of scores of unique trees that found root in Skagit Valley soil in the wake of the westward migration, some of which he has since propagated through his nursery business. If you want to know just how much Neil loves trees, he once chained himself to one to keep it from being torn down. Neil passed away in January. This is a tribute to his memory.

February 7, 2021

Son of a Car Guy

Mike Granberg's dad gave him the car bug, and he's had it for as long as he can remember. It should be no surprise that his career automotive career led to having his own dealership. This is his story.

January 15, 2021

Tales From the Magic Skagit: The Story of Rozema Boat Works

If you’ve ever driven along Bayview-Edison Road, you’ve no doubt noticed the former Odd Fellows Hall that houses the only boat building operation in the Skagit Valley. This is the story of Rozema Boat Works, a family business that has been part of Washington’s boat building legacy since its founder immigrated here from Holland in the mid-20th Century.

January 5, 2021

Oh, The Stories We Could Tell!

“And oh the stories we could tell And if this all blows up and goes to hell I can still see us sittin on the bed in some motel Listenin’ to the stories we could tell”

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