Roslyn and Winthrop: Exploring Washington State
Where Haven’t We Been?
It’s been exactly 400 days since I’ve been on a plane. Not that I’m keeping track or anything. Danny and I are fully Pfizered (holler!) but it’s been a challenge to continue finding new spots to explore as we ease out of quarantine. Then I remembered the buzz I’d been hearing for years about a charming Western themed town in Northeast Washington called Winthrop.
A Pit Stop
Winthrop is a 4 1/2 hour scenic mountain drive from Seattle. On road trips, I spend as much time researching cool stops along the way as I do choosing the destination. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “It’s not the destination, it's all about the road stops man.”
Located on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains, Roslyn is a small town with big stories. This former coal mining town brought hundreds of immigrants from around the world to work in the mines in the late 19th century. Today the economy relies on tourism and forestry, but its history lives on. The memorial across from city hall commemorates lives lost in local coal mining. And sadly, there were quite a few. Two of Washington’s deadliest mining accidents happened here in 1892 and 1909. They are memorialized in the Roslyn Cemetery just beyond downtown.
The Roslyn Cemetery on the edge of town is a history lesson in itself. The harsh and punishing environment of this era served as a constant reminder that death was always lurking. Graves of kids and babies tell the tale of a high mortality rate and of a generation impacted by the Spanish Flu in 1918, a subject we are all amateur history buffs on now. Twenty-seven graveyards spanning 15 acres honor a multitude of nationalities and ethnic groups. In sunny April, snow covers the higher sections. The history of diversity in Roslyn was unprecedented in this area at the time. In 1890, the Black population was 22% which included Jimi Hendrix’s grandparents. In the Mt. Olivet section of the cemetery lies the grave of Jessee Donaldson, a slave who escaped and fought for the Union Troops in the Civil War. This small town had the diversity that we generally only see in a modern city.
Greetings from KBHR, the heart and soul of Cicely, Alaska
You can’t go to Roslyn without taking a pic of the famous mural on the side of the Roslyn Cafe. You might recognize it from TV’s Northern Exposure which filmed the exteriors here throughout the series in the early ‘90s. The show focused on a New York City doctor living amongst eccentric residents in small town arctic Alaska. Locals still talk about meeting the cast and working as extras.
The Wild West in Winthrop
When Highway 20 was set for completion in 1972, Winthrop was preparing to receive quite a few extra visitors. Local merchants came up with the creative idea of a western restoration. It feels like a fun combination of the Old West and Disneyland. Hey if a theme worked in Leavenworth, why not here?
Old West enchantment abounds in Winthrop. Cruising down the main drag, our first stop was Three Fingered Jack’s, a legendary saloon named after a local butcher who probably should have paid more attention on the job. They’re open for breakfast and I highly recommend the blueberry pancakes. Down at the Winthrop Emporium, you can find milk, eggs, fishing poles, souvenirs, and friendly regulars catching up at the coffee counter. The population here is a mere 386 and you get the sense that they all know each other. With no lack of cute shops selling cowboy trinkets, leather goods, artisan soaps and the like, I bought gifts for family and felt a semblance of the person I was pre-pandemic.
Drive six dusty miles up steep mountain roads and here we are at glorious Sun Mountain Lodge. Passing Patterson Lake and stunning views of Methow Valley at its finest, the drive is spectacular. Hiking is the COVID friendly sport of choice in these parts as it boasts the largest groomed trail system in the country. In winter, it’s all about cross-country skiing. All of the accommodations at Sun Mountain Lodge are luxurious but you have to make a choice. The rooms without a view have TVs and the rest don’t. This was a tough sell to Danny but we compromised on the promise of tablets and wifi. And the truth is, we never even used our tablets.
Adventures Ahead
It’s been 10 years since we first moved to Washington and yet continue to make new discoveries. But hang on to your hat, we’ll soon be venturing out of the state and maybe even, gasp, getting on to airplane again.