Seattle getaway: La Conner, Washington in the fall

I was talking to a Seattle resident a few weeks ago and I mentioned that I was taking a roadtrip to La Conner, WA  to sightsee. She admitted that she had never been further north than Lynnwood, and I don’t think I hid my shock very well. How could you possibly limit yourself to just the towns immediately surrounding Seattle and miss out on the rolling hills, farms, mountains, rivers, lakes and coastline north of us?

Situated on the delta near the mouth of the Skagit River, La Conner was founded in the early 1860’s and is Skagit County’s oldest community. It still has many ties to its early years and has all the charm of an old town, but with updated amenities and attractions that make it a family favorite. We usually make it to La Conner, Washington a few times a year, especially during the spring and summer. This is when we can enjoy walking down the main part of downtown without fear of rain, which means we actually get to spend a little time by the water enjoying the gorgeous scenery and a view of Rainbow Bridge. But this year we’ve held off visiting because there’s a very special shop we frequent that we needed to wait for. We wanted to wait until we knew whether we were expecting a boy or a girl before we visited Bears ‘N Friends, so we knew what kind of Steiff items we would be looking for. We finally got the news we would be shopping for a little girl, and we couldn’t wait to rush up to La Conner. We spent the day stopping in antique stores, fun and funky shops, and even added a new favorite stop for our next La Conner trip: Bunnies By The Bay. One of La Conner’s best shops for kids, Bunnies By The Bay is a locally owned shop, but you have likely seen their large range of baby clothing, blankets, stuffies, and books in retail stores nationwide.

We ended up buying an adorable Cuddle Me kitty wrapped in a kitty printed blanket, which, funny enough is actually for my oldest. She fell in love with the kitty and I couldn’t tell her no when I saw how happy she was playing with it. And then the awesome clerk wrapped it up in the most adorable bag and ribbon with a carrot rattle and I thought my daughter’s head might explode from sheer excitement. This carrot also came in handy for feeding the coin operated horse at Nasty Jack’s Antiques.
After we were done shopping, we headed to La Traviata Italian Restaurant for some delicious dinner. Then we pretended to be an ice cream tower. Of course.
Things to do in La Conner, WA:

1. Go for a walk. Download the La Conner Walking Map and take one of their designated paths to enjoy some sights.
2. Do some shopping. Whether you are shopping for relics from the past, for your home, or for your family, there are lots of options on First Street alone, as well as the surrounding streets.
   
3. Visit during one of their many events in or near La Conner each month.
4. Plan a weekend away. Stay awhile at one of La Conner’s adorable hotels and inns, or even try a B&B or RV park.  Don’t you want to pack your bags and stay here for a night or two?
5. Hug this dog. For some reason, my kiddos adore this dog and like to pretend to feed it treats, sit by it, and pose like it. This is a shot taken this year followed by one taken almost exactly 2 years ago. What crazy kids I have.
   Have you been to La Conner, WA? What are your favorite places to visit when you go?