La Conner and Deception Pass With Brother Dan

We had a weekend visitor -- Tom's brother Dan from Western New York. Danny is a dentist in Fillmore (get it?) and he likes to call himself Dr. DK ("Dr Decay"). We hadn't seen him for three years. As you might imagine, it was fun to have him here.

We took him to La Conner on Friday. It's a wonderful place to take visitors, with it's art and water and good food. He oohhhed and aahhhed his way down Pioneer Highway and through the Skagit flats, and  couldn't understand why he hadn't spent more time in the area when he was a kid growing up in Seattle. Just think how excited he'd be to visit during the annual Tulip Festival in April!

The first thing you notice on the streets of La Conner is the great old buildings. This historic downtown is on the National Register of Historic Places.

(This was my favorite)

Like his dad and his brother, Danny is a woodworker and thoroughly enjoyed the Wood Merchant, which features the work of over 200 wood artists. 

According to Wikipedia, "La Conner was first settled in May 1867 by Alonzo Low and was then known by its post office name, Swinomish. In 1869, J.S. Conner bought the settlement's trading post and in 1870 had the name changed to honor his wife, Louisa Ann Conner, the French-appearing 'La' representing her first- and middle-initials." (Sorry, Danny, but La Conner isn't French, after all!)

The town is situated on the Swinomish Channel, and fishing and boating are a way of life there.

Photo by Tom

The Rainbow Bridge over the Channel has its own enchanting appeal.

When we got home on Friday, Dan discovered that his glasses were missing. I called the restaurant and they said they'd found them on our table. Personally, I think he enjoyed himself so much on Friday that Danny left them there on purpose, just so he could go back the next day to pick them up!

And that's what he and Tom did on Saturday morning. After getting the flat tire on his rental car repaired, they set off for La Conner and then drove over to Deception Pass. Here's what they saw there:

It was great to have you here, Dan! Let us know when you want to come back, and we'll show you a few more sights you missed as a kid.

(Deception Pass photos and La Conner bridge photo by Dan Kauffman)