Shopping

Lynnwood

East of Mukilteo [1], the strip-mall town of Lynnwood is barely worth a stop—unless you’re in a shopping mood. Enormous Alderwood Mall (3000 184th St. SW, www.alderwoodmall.com [2], 10 a.m.–9:30 p.m. Mon.–Thurs., 10 a.m.–10 p.m. Fri.–Sat., 11 a.m.–7 p.m. Sun.) on the east side of Lynnwood hosts The Bon Marché, Nordstrom, JC Penney, Sears, Lamonts, and many smaller stores; the mall is surrounded by smaller shopping plazas. More cheesy developments, discount megamarts, car dealers, condos, fast-food joints, cheap motels, and strip malls line busy Highway 99.

Edmonds Antiques and Galleries

Edmonds [1] has several large antique and collectibles stores, including the Waterfront Antique Mall (190 Sunset Ave. S, 425/670-0770, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Mon.–Sat., noon–6 p.m. Sun.) inside an antique Safeway building, which offers a good mix of art deco, mid-century, and Victorian pieces.

Edmonds has a vibrant art scene, with numerous galleries popping up within downtown. One of the best is Gallery North (508 Main St., 425/779-0946, www.gallery-north.com [3]) an artists’ cooperative that has been going strong for over 40 years.

Get a good overview of the local gallery scene each third Thursday of the month during the Edmonds Art Walk, which focuses on a rotating list of participants. For a list of activities and a map, visit the Edmonds Chamber of Commerce website [4].

Rick Steves’ Europe Through the Backdoor

Rick Steves’ Europe Through the Backdoor (130 4th Ave., 425/771-8303, www.ricksteves.com [5]) is headquarters for this surprisingly large operation directed by the well-known travel author (and star of his own PBS television show). The staff sets up guided tours of Europe, and the center is a great stop for anyone planning a trip to the Continent.

In addition to a large travel library, the center puts on free travel workshops twice a week in the summer, along with free Saturday lectures.

For additional travel tips, drop by The Savvy Traveler (112 5th Ave. S, 425/744-6076 or 877/225-1994, www.savvytraveleredmonds.com [6], 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Mon.–Sat., noon–5 p.m. Sun.). In addition to a wide choice of guidebooks, it sells all sorts of travel paraphernalia and offers free travel seminars once or twice a month.