Behind the Sign

Tales From the Magic Skagit: The Story of Pasek Cellars

In vino veritas — in wine is truth — and the truth is that Pasek Cellars is yet another example of a local agricultural enterprise whose reputation, like that of our world famous blooms, has grown well beyond the Magic Skagit. I’ll drink to that.

Tales From the Magic Skagit: A Tulip Tower of Power

The origin story of Mount Vernon's iconic Tulip Tower goes back to a time when the Skagit Valley was better known for its dairy industry than for flower bulbs.

Tulip Trivia: How the Ultimate Tulip Festival Brought Down a Turkish Sultan

When it comes to celebrating blooms, if you want to party like it’s 1999 you’d be hard pressed to top the Turkish sultan Ahmed III, whose reign in Istanbul from 1703 to 1730 was known as the lale devri (tulip era) by historians chronicling the Ottoman Empire. Tulips were also his undoing. You always hurt the one you love, as Hank Williams sang.

Under a Tulip Moon

Mount Vernon artist Jennifer McGill and her husband were cruising the tulip fields exactly one year ago today when the inspiration for this year’s official Tulip Festival poster struck. This is the story behind the image.

Spring Hopes Eternal: Welcome Back, Tulip Festival. We Missed You!

The Tulip Festival is back. The Tulip Festival is back. The Tulip Festival is back. Have I made myself clear on this point?

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: 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.

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.

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