visit to Edison, WA (Vancouver, Bellingham: for sale, buy, living)

[bloom]

Any rec's for a visit to Edison in terms of things to do, see, eat, etc?
Include any web links.

[Diana Holbrook]

I had to look it up!

Apparently they have good Graham Crackers!

The Trip-Worthy Graham Crackers of Edison, WA | SAVEUR

[Hemlock140]

I have been in that area, Edison is tiny and not much there, maybe 150 population. Nearly Bow has more interesting quaint shops and a narrow gauge railroad.

[bartonizer]

No offense to Hemlock140, but you're a bit off with your assessment- or you haven't been there in decades.

My wife and I literally head down there every week or two, and there are plenty of articles written on Edison's foodie scene- though it's important to mention that the area is often referred to as Bow-Edison because the boundaries aren't all that clear. Edison has more of a small village vibe, and Bow generally consists of a small strip of shops on Chuckanut Drive (maybe a mile or so outside Edison), as the rest of Bow is generally unincorporated, though there are a number of farms and a few places to stop in and check out, like Bow Hill Blueberry Farm and Samish Bay Cheese.

Regarding the little strip of shops/restaurants on Chuckanut, we like to eat occasionally at the Rhody Cafe -and there is a new restaurant across the street that that is opening on September 22nd called BowEdison Fine Food and Drink that looks promising and validates my "Bow/Edison are combined" observation. We have not tried Farm to Market Bakery (next to and also owned by the Rhododendron Cafe), but it's cute and gets good reviews.

Heading into the adorable village of Edison, there are a number of interesting choices. My personal suggestion would be to go to the expertly curated Slough Food, grab a bottle of wine and some meats/cheeses/small plates and sit on the back patio or on the water, or walk down to Mariposa, a taqueria in a barn that looks straight out of Coastal Living Magazine and tastes even better. Coffee or a sophisticated snack can be had at Tweets, which is owned by the same folks.

There are several other good places to eat, ranging from kind of a wild west saloon at Longhorn, a high-end bakery at Breadfarm, Edison Cafe, and the Edison.

Of course, shopping is of interest in Edison, as well. There are a number of cute shops, including The Lucky Dumpster, which is filled with unique handmade items and funky stuff. There are several other interesting galleries, including Smith and Vallee, who in addition to the gallery own a high end lumberyard and small shop with exotic wood slabs unfinished pieces for sale. Personally I purchased a 2" thick 66"x30" live edge slab of kiln-dried Bigleaf Maple and made it into a dining table.

Here is a good, recent article on Edison:
Tiny Edison is an artist haven, foodie heaven

Another good article: A food-lover’s tour of Washington’s Chuckanut Drive

Seriously, google "Edison WA foodie" or some variations and you can find plenty of articles on the subject.

And I have to mention that several other culinary things certainly worth mentioning are literally right up the road, including venerable old establishments like Chuckanut Manor- a classy old roadhouse with fantastic seafood and views (plus a good happy hour) and Oyster Bar, which also has amazing views and is a high end Pacific NW culinary experience. Finally, Taylor Shellfish Farms is around the bend. Taylor Shellfish is known as a major supplier of seafood to regional (and beyond) restaurants and markets, but you can actually buy their oysters, clams, mussels, and geoducks there and grill them on site. They provide the grills and Mother Nature provides the amazing views. Highly recommended.

For other activities, I could go on for a while, but I'm running out of steam tonight, so I'll say that you need to research Larrabee State Park, the oldest in WA. Larrabee contains tidal pools, beaches, sandstone cliffs, boating opportunities, as well as hiking trails with close to 2,000' feet of vertical gain, as you can summit Oyster Dome, one of the highest point in the Chuckanut Mountains and a spot that provides a panorama about as fine as that from Mt. Constitution on Orcas Island. Views in the other direction give clear shots of Mt. Baker and the Twin Sisters. Oyster Dome isn't the only trail as there is an extensive network in the Larrabee/Blanchard Mountain Trail network.

Not all trails start on the bottom, and you can actually drive high up on the mountain in several cases- Samish Overlook not only provides a great view of Samish flatlands, Cascades, San Juans and even the Olympics, but is a shortcut that will save you about 1000' of vertical as a shortcut to the top of Oyster Dome. It's also a major (and sometimes deadly) launch site for paragliders and hang gliders. The other lookout that I'm familiar with is Cyrus Gates Overlook, which is further up Chuckanut Drive towards Bellingham. It's a significant climb, but the road is recently worked on and passable for any cars. It provides great views of the San Juans and, when clear, the BC Coastal Range- and even Downtown Vancouver! It's also a trailhead for the new Rock Trail and is bisected by other trails on Chuckanut Ridge. The drive to the top is amazing.

That's it for me at the moment. I'll be glad to answer any other questions you may have; just ask if you're interested! Hope this helps and gives you some ideas to work with...

[Jiff]

The only place I go to in Edison is The Old Edison for oysters and live music and dancing on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It has a big back yard too.

The Bow Diddlers at Old Edison - July 3, 2016: