The beautifully restored 1890 Snoqualmie Depot contains the small Northwest Railway Museum (38625 SE King St., 425/888-3030, www.trainmuseum.org [1], $10 adults, $9 seniors, $7 ages 2–12, free under 3), with a ticket office for the Snoqualmie Valley Railroad. These diesel locomotives chug their way through the Snoqualmie Valley on a leisurely 50-minute, seven-mile round-trip ride to North Bend.
Trains depart the Snoqualmie [2] and North Bend [3] depots on weekends late May–Oct., and the ticket office is open Thurs.–Mon. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. You can depart from either town and lay over before catching a later train.
Tolt McDonald Park (31020 Northeast 40th Street, 206/205-5434) is a 574-acre county park just west of Carnation where the Tolt and Snoqualmie Rivers flow together. This secret little stunner provides spots for fly-fishing action in the shadow of a handsome old suspension bridge over the Snoqualmie. Tent and RV camping spots, ballfields, and a barn that you can rent for events contribute to the charm. Open year round.
A visit to a certain part of Carnation might make you think the city is a little behind the times. Roughly 600 years behind the times, in fact. Camlann Medieval Village (10320 Kelly Road NE, 425/788-8624, www.camlann.org [4]) is a reproduction 15th-century English town complete with costumed re-enactors. Food and drink at the Boar’s Head Inn taste the best in the company of knights in armor, minstrels, and maidens. Dramatic productions, plus crafts and food, can be enjoyed year-round. Special programs are offered on Michaelmas, Yuletide, St. George’s Feast, and other obscure dates throughout the year.
In the middle of this is Remlinger Farms (32610 N.E. 32nd in Carnation, 425/333-4135) with pick-your-own berries, pumpkins, and other produce in season.
Links:
[1] http://www.trainmuseum.org
[2] http://www.moon.com/destinations/washington/south-cascades/snoqualmie-area/snoqualmie
[3] http://www.moon.com/destinations/washington/south-cascades/snoqualmie-area/north-bend
[4] http://www.camlann.org