Behind the Sign

December 13, 2020

Tales From the Magic Skagit: Lost and Found — The Mural of Skagit County Agriculture 1941

This is the story of how a cow’s butt prevented a priceless mural depicting life the Skagit Valley in 1941 from being destroyed in a barn fire. It’s also the story of the young man who created the mural (and went on to become one of Seattle’s most beloved artists) — which is where this tale begins.

December 8, 2020

Tales From the Magic Skagit: The Padilla Bay Reserve

Drive just 15 minutes west of I-5 in the Magic Skagit and you’ll find yourself on the edge of the Salish Sea. And tucked just off of Bayview-Edison Road, a bit north of my daughter’s little hamlet of Bay View, you’ll find the Padilla Bay Reserve.

November 19, 2020

Tales From the Magic Skagit: Jasper Gates, Mount Vernon Pioneer

At the northeast corner of Main and Gates streets you'll find a statue commemorating the life of the first settler to stake a claim in what would become the city of Mount Vernon. But just who was Jasper Gates?

October 28, 2020

Tales From the Magic Skagit: Ghosts of the New Deal

The moment I first set eyes on Hillcrest Lodge, my immediate thought was “WPA.” Inside and out, it has that solidly rustic quality that pervades so much of our beloved National Park system.

September 25, 2020

Tales From the Magic Skagit: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Joe Treat's home and property in Bow, WA are the outdoor gallery for a vast array of in some cases larger than life creatures, all created from pieces of driftwood. You’ll see monkeys, rhinos, giant spiders, unicorns, horses, and elephants. And be forewarned: there be zombies, matey.

September 9, 2020

Tales From the Magic Skagit: Plying the Skagit

The Skagit River has been a critical artery of transportation for Skagit Valley people going back thousands of years. What has changed over time has been how we've crossed it.

September 2, 2020

Tales From the Magic Skagit: Confessions of a Fair Wrangler

Even for a self-professed “Type A” personality such as Aric Gaither’s, pulling off the Skagit County Fair every year induces a level of stress for which the motivating compensation is the sheer love of the outcome, and the promise of retreating to the mountains upon its conclusion. It’s a cycle that has defined Aric’s professional life since being thrust into his current role at a pivotal point in the Fair’s history.

August 17, 2020

Tales From the Magic Skagit: All in Love is Fair

August is Fair Month, which makes it a cherished four weeks on my calendar. Take the Fair out of August and what you’re left with is parched grass, wilted gardens, dust, grasshoppers, and sticky nights without A/C. Thanks, but no thanks.

August 14, 2020

Tales From the Magic Skagit: Valley of Our Spirits

The inspiration for the 20-foot metal sculpture that rises compellingly over the plaza of Mount Vernon’s Riverwalk, at the west end of Gates Street, is one that goes back 170 years. Its origin story was bequeathed to its designer, artist and Upper Skagit tribal member Jay Bowen, by his great-great-grandfather and is at the heart of the totem pole that he and two fellow artists created known as "Valley of Our Spirits."

Tales From the Magic Skagit: A World Without Walls — The Legacy of Winifred Ruth Smith Bradford

Of the many lives lost in the midst of the Great Pandemic of 2020, there was one soul the coronavirus did not claim. On July 19, 2020, Winifred Ruth Smith Bradford died peacefully at home, just two years short of a century marked by love and service. The Skagit Valley is a poorer place for her absence, but enriched by her legacy.

Tales From the Magic Skagit: Slough and Easy Does It

Need a break from the outbreak We’ve got your venue just inland from the Skagit Bay Estuary Wildlife Area. It’s known as Wiley Slough, and the cost of admission is a Discover Pass.

Tales From the Magic Skagit: Come on Home to Green River

Thanks to living in the Skagit Valley, the magic portal to the muse that could have inspired a Creedence Clearwater Revival hit is less than 4.5 miles from my driveway, on a pull-out at the intersection of Dike and West Stackpole Roads.

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