Sights

Sedro-Woolley Museum (727 Murdock St., 360/855-2390, http://sedrowoolleymuseum.org [1], Wed.–Thurs. noon–4 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.–4 p.m., Sun. 1:30–4:30 p.m.) contains local memorabilia and old logging and farming equipment. While here, pick up a walking tour of historic sights around town, including a steam donkey from 1913. Seven of the historic logging pictures by famed documentary photographer Darius Kinsey have been turned into murals on downtown buildings.

Highway 9 north from Sedro-Woolley [2] leads through quiet Nooksack Valley [3] with its aging dairy barns, big bales of hay, and comfortable homesteads. A series of podunk towns form wide spots in the road: Wickersham, Acme, Clipper, Van Zandt, Deming, Nugents Corner, and Nooksack. A favorite tubing float trip is down the warm South Fork of the Nooksack River from Saxon to Van Zandt. On hot August weekends several thousand folks join in the fun, creating traffic congestion and conflicts with spawning salmon.

Everybody stops at the century-old Everybody’s Store (5465 Potter Rd., Van Zandt, 360/592-2297, daily 8 a.m.–8 p.m.) where the shelves are filled with all manner of supplies: delicious baked goods, ice-cream cones, wool caps, 40 kinds of cheese, Indonesian batiks, and organic produce from the backyard garden. The deli here makes great sandwiches.

Woolly Prairie Buffalo Co. (360/856-0310 or 800/524-7660, Mon.–Fri. 8 a.m.–5:30 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m.–noon, closed Sun.) just north of Sedro-Woolley [2], offers summertime hay rides where you can learn about bison.