Anyone have a croquet set?

The Guemes Island Resort has a lawn. And it's nice and flat. And there's a great view of Mt. Baker and Puget Sound and the boats and well, it all just makes me want to play croquet. Or Bocce. Or throw a few horseshoes. There are horseshoe pits at the resort (and kayaks and rowboats, too) but as far as I know, no croquet or bocce set. Anyone have one that they'd like to bring along and share?

Our Favorite Best Road Stops

If you're driving up from Seattle, and you want to take a more scenic ride than highway 20, the best road is... Best Road! You'll get great views of the Skagit Valley and its scenic farms with Mt. Baker for wallpaper (if the weather cooperates), and you'll pass by some of our favorite valley pull-outs.

Hop off I-5 at the Conway exit (221) and turn left onto the Pioneer Highway. Just past the overpass, take a right onto Fir Island Road and cross the South Fork of the Skagit River. The Conway Muse is on your left. I've never been, but I hear they have good food and good music!

Keep following Fir Island Road when it takes a sharp right about 5 miles in. Heading north now, you'll pass Snow Goose Produce on your left in a couple miles. It gets its namesake from the thousands of snow geese that winter here every year, though you won't see any in August. The snow goose has local organic produce and locally caught seafood in season. They also have enormous ice cream cones!

I also LOVE the Rexville Grocery, just a few miles past the Snowgoose in the tiny town of Rexville. It's an old country gas station that's been converted to a store, and they sell Biodiesel at the pump! They have a great selection of gourmet foods, local brews on tap, and a patio where you can enjoy a bite to eat from their cafe. To get there, go 2 or so miles past the Snowgoose and take the hard left onto Best Road. Pass over the the North Fork of the Skagit River and the Rexville is on your right.

After filling up on cheese and smoked salmon, head toward LaConner on Best Road. It's a quaint little town on the Swinomish Channel with great shops, restaurants, and galleries. Good beer there, too! We've got 2 favorite restaurants there, The LaConner Brewing Company on 1st Street, and Nell Thorn, an tiny little pub with great food tucked away up a hill on Washington Street. Stop off at the Museum of Northwest Art or The Next Chapter Bookstore (also on 1st Street) to feed your mind, too.

If you're not full of noms and beer yet, follow LaConner Whitney Road north to Highway 20, head to Anacortes, hop on the ferry, and join us for more!



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Jane

The Dutchtub!!!

O.K. So maybe I'm the only one who's excited about this, but I think it's cool! The resort has this wood-fired saltwater hot tub that you rent for the weekend, and we're renting it! So bring your swimsuit... or your birthday suit if that's your preference... and get ready to soak. You can cool off in the refreshing waters of Puget Sound and then go back for more. It even has cup holders!

Videos from the Resort

Here's a short 360-degree pan around the grounds at the Guemes Island resort.

Fourth of July Resort Visit

We reached the resort after a leisurely drive to the north end of the Island. A short stroll around the grounds assured us that this is definitely, "THE SPOT". We're soooo looking forward to getting our family and friends all together at this place for our little shindig. The cabins are all in a neat row along a quiet driftwood beach, with the Guemes House on the south end. The yurts are tucked away up a cozy path into the woods.

There's a nice fire pit, Adirondack chairs here and there along the beach, a horseshoe pit, and plenty of great skipping stones to support a fine weekend of fun and relaxation.

Photos...
1. A view of the cabins, and (goofy) Jon Berry
2. Ms. Jane, headed up the trail to check out the yurts.

Guemes Island Trip Pictures

Well... Yesterday we took a nice afternoon trip up to Guemes Island, just to toodle around, check things out, and take pictures! The weather cooperated beautifully.

Our first stop, right off the ferry terminal, was Anderson's General Store. This is the cozy spot where we'll be having our get together dinner on Friday, the 27th. It's a great little place, with a small store area downstairs, an outdoor porch with some tables and umbrellas, and a cozy upstairs for indoor dining. We'll be in the upstairs area for dinner, with views of the little ferry terminal and Anacortes waterline just outside the window.

Photos...
1. A view of Anderson's from the ferry
2. Ms. Jane posing out in front (she's a cutie)
3. A nice driftwood log next to the outdoor dining area.
4. The back-shed behind the store.

Fun!

-Jon