For the fourth year in a row, Lolita the fortune teller sat in residence on a bench outside the post office in La Conner during the month of October. “Look in my purse for your fortune,” her sign proclaimed. Joanne “Jo” Mitchelle, the artist who created Lolita, hand-writes hundreds of uplifting fortunes, placing them in a container inside the seer’s waterproof pocketbook. Reached by phone, Mitchelle explained, “A lot of people in town like to check their fortune when they pick up their mail, and I don’t want them to get the same message twice.”
In past years, Mitchelle placed other whimsical figures around town but got in trouble because she hadn’t asked for permission. Owing to popular demand, Lolita is allowed to keep going. “She’s packed away now, but I hope she’ll be back next year in time for Halloween.”
I visited La Conner in October when a friend said, “There’s a restaurant I want to take you to. Let’s plan a day trip.” We’d been to this tiny town on the Swinomish Channel before, for tulip and daffodil festivals. But throngs of people make it hard to appreciate the charms of La Conner, with its seaside atmosphere. Behind the shops on First Street, fishing boats and pleasure craft dot the waterway leading to the Salish Sea. Very pretty.
Our fall excursion was easy-peasy. An hour and twenty minutes north of Seattle, La Conner’s compact downtown is jam packed with things to do, see, and eat. It’s a perfect destination for Christmas shopping.
The restaurant that inspired this visit, Nell Thorn Waterfront Bistro and Bar, was a revelation. Cooling down on a ledge near the entry was house-made bread. My friend and I were led to a booth facing the water, and savored every bite of our lunch. Naturally, we started with Nell’s bread, hearth-baked and served with herb-laced butter. The kitchen happily split our order,
creating dazzling presentations of the starter, Pear Salad with Beets and Cambozola cheese, and an entrée of Wild Alaskan Halibut. For dessert, we marveled at the creativity behind Sweet Corn Cake, served with plums poached in Grand Marnier, cardamom and cloves, and dotted with crème anglaise and sage ice cream. We savored every bite of this meal. Is your mouth watering?
Back outside, a few steps from Lolita is a 10-foot cross section of an old fir log, a remnant of long-ago-logging. In 1958, it was found floating in the water. It’s been on display in La Conner ever since, along with a timeline showing events that occurred during the tree’s lifetime, beginning with the 1215 signing of the Magna Carta.
The Museum of Northwest Arts has a gift shop chock full of finds: yard and wall art, stationery, clothing, jewelry, and ceramics, all created by regional artists. On the other side of First Street, Cassera Gallery sells artifacts and cultural objects from Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. A wonderful scent permeates the air in the store. “What am I smelling?” I asked. “Oh,” said the owner, “that’s the folks next door — they make their own soaps.” I had to check it out.
Handmade.la conner was mixing small batches of body and home care products. The aroma was so intoxicating, I bought two jars of bath salts. Along First Street, another shop window displayed T-shirts with messages like “Running Is My Cardio.” Further down, Two Moons Gallery has finely crafted jewelry and art, including the Zsiska line of synthetic resin beads and cords, which allow you to create your own colorful necklace.
Skagit Valley is great for bird-watching, especially from December to February, when over 362 avian species migrate through the area. From Jan. 22 to March 23, 2025, The Pacific Northwest Quilts and Fiber Arts Museum is mounting Birds of a Fiber, showcasing avian-themed fiber-arts. This complements La Conner’s birding festival on Jan. 25 and 26, 2025.
Eighteen minutes away by car, Christianson’s Nursery on Best Road, Mount Vernon has two gift shops with tasteful stock. With my black thumb, I was delighted to find bouquets of dry flowers. I bought one of dainty Safflowers, the other, humongous bright-orange Chinese Lanterns. Just delivered by the woman who grows them a little bit further north, they were flying off the shelf. My final purchase for the day was two tins of French pastilles: orange blossom, and rose.
On the way out of La Conner, just before entering I-5, a drive-thru coffee hut beckoned. The fabulous drinks at Diedrich Espresso Conway made the journey back home even better. Lolita’s uplifting fortunes include this one, so apt for two friends, out for a day of fun: “Keep your good friends. They will help you through the bad times.”
Meanderings is a travel column by Mindy Stern, a Mercer Island resident whose essays can be found at www.mindysternauthor.com.
