I recently aired a Tales of the Magic Skagit podcast episode about the life of Laurie Wells, whose parents, Hiram and Alfreda, settled in Mount Vernon in 1877.

During the interview a reference was made to “Ridgeway” as the name of the area where the Wells’ family home was located. I recalled that the Skagit County Historical Museum’s archivist, Mari Anderson Densmore, had written about Ridgeway in her book, “Lost Cities” of Skagit — Rediscovering Places of Our Past, and I wanted to share that bit of our history with you all. 

So, here is my reading of “Ridgeway” from Mari’s book. 

It started with five acres, two parents’ determination that their kids would grow up with a connection to the natural world…and a pony named Stormy.

This year, Lang’s Horse & Pony Farm is celebrating half a century of connecting Skagitonians with the beauty of our Magic Skagit surroundings as uniquely experienced on the backs horses and ponies.

In this Tales of the Magic Skagit podcast episode we learn the story of Lang’s Horse & Pony Farm from the daughter of its founders, Lola Lang. Lola recallsf how her parents, Dolores and Harry, settled on a piece of land off Little Mountain Road and through additional purchases of neighboring acreage created “a place that anyone could come experience ponies and horses within the beauty of the Pacific Northwest.” It’s a heart warming story of how a business model can grow out of doing what you love and wanting to share that joy with others.

I love places that love their history…and Whidbey Island is certainly one such place. In addition to the postcard perfect beauty of Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve, located just a scant 23 miles from my front door, the town of Coupeville is the location of a wonderful museum that embodies the passion for local history of its island community.

In this episode of Tales of the Magic Skagit, I talk with the Island County Historical Museum’s executive director, Dalva Church, about the museum’s origins, her journey to its directorship, and current and upcoming exhibits (including a celebration of Whidbey Island’s maritime history) that are taking place in the wake of its recent renovations, as well as future aspirations. 

For the benefit of first time visitors, Dalva also explains how best to tour the museum. 

If you want a vivid reminder of just how hospitable the Magic Skagit can be, show up at the Lincoln Theater in downtown Mount Vernon at 7pm on Thursday, May 8, 2025 for a public gathering of your friends and neighbors through a program known as "Let's Go Together." The free event offers music and fellowship with the simple agenda of connecting people through the power of face-to-face relationships.

Let’s Go Together invites people of all cultures, faith traditions, ethnic identities and socioeconomic situations to work together for the common good, and it is one programmatic element of an organization called Paths to Understanding (PTU), which provides a vision, preparation, and practical support for wisdom communities to build meaningful relationships with their neighbors.

In this Tales of the Magic Skagit episode, we talk with Viveka Hall-Holt, PTU's events coordinator, about the history of her organization and the journey that led her to its mission of "bridging bias and building unity through multi-faith peacemaking."

If the 24/7/365 news cycle leaves you feeling anxious about the state of the world, Paths to Understanding offers a way of engaging locally in building community. As Viveka relates, "When we are in deep community, that makes us feel most alive -- and that is the truest way of being."

This Tales of the Magic Skagit podcast episode encompasses two topics, which while seemingly unrelated at first consideration, actually have a common theme: the past, present, and future of the Skagit Valley as viewed through an artistic lens.

We start this episode off with Laynie Moran, the Skagit County Historical Museum's Collections Manager, who is heading up a first ever art contest and exhibit with the unlikely theme, "Everyone's a Critic." This upcoming exhibit could, however, also be called "Everyone's an Artist," since the goal of Laynie's project is to showcase art from anyone in the county, regardless of age or skill level, to contribute a work of art of their own creation. The only criterion for the entries, whatever the chosen medium, is that they adhere to the theme "The Past, Present, and Future of Skagit County." Entries are due by June 1, 2025, and the exhibit opens and voting begins on June 20. Details and registration forms are available at the museum and its website, www.skagitcounty.net/museum.

On the subject of Skagit Valley's past, we turn next to Ann Maroney, the office and store manager at the museum, to learn about its current exhibit on the life of Lawrence (Laurie) Wells. In describing Laurie's life, it's hard to know where to begin. He was a largely self-taught artist whose works captured the beauty of his Skagit Valley home through an astonishing number of paintings across a variety media and styles. But he and his wife, whose love story is part of the exhibit as well, were also active in the early grange and socialist movements of the early 20th century. In addition, Laurie could justifiably be called the godfather of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, thanks to his promotion of the Magic Skagit's bulb farms and his landscape design skills in showcasing them decades ago.

Suffice it to say that the museum's current exhibit, "Laurie Wells: A Skagit Original," is a multi-layered tribute to an individual whose deep and abiding love of where we live combines works of art with a glimpse into lesser known aspects of Skagit Valley history that will appeal to the eye, heart, head, and soul. And with the exhibit to come in June, Skagitonians of all ages are invited to celebrate Laurie Wells' legacy in a way he would have undoubtedly appreciated: through art.

Sedro-Woolley has long held a very special place in my heart as a 12-year resident of the Magic Skagit. My very first impression of the town was that it had seen better times, but as I got to know it better over the years I came to appreciate its grit and resilience.

One person who understands those civic attributes far better than me is its mayor, the Honorable Julia Johnson — and in this Tales of the Magic Skagit episode I have the pleasure of speaking with Mayor Johnson about her Sedro-Woolley story, how she learned its history growing up, and how she sees its future.

There’s a lot going on in the “Gateway to the North Cascades,” and listening to this podcast you’ll come away with not only a sense of the town’s dynamism, but also Mayor Johnson’s aspirations for the place she left at various points in her interesting life, but always chose to return to.

Here’s to the 3 1/2 percent! You’ll understand that statement by the time you reach the end of this chat with Sedro-Woolley’s mayor, Julia Johnson. 

“Elevated accommodations” is how Alia Rossi, the general manager for the Kulshan Hotel, describes Sedro-Woolley’s new hospitality venue. And while that may sound like a marketing catch phrase, even a cursory look at the hotels rooms and reception spaces will dispel any comparisons with your typical chain hotel.

In this interview with Alia, we’ll learn about her history in the hospitality business, the origins of the Kulshan Hotel, and the role its locally-based owners believe it will play in the life of the place I like to describe as “the little town that could.” 

To learn more about the Kulshan Hotel (whose design was created by Meyer Sign, thank you very much) go to https://www.thekulshanhotel.com . You’ll be impressed!

“. . . but now I know this path is only one of the many that opened before me on that morning in Dorothea.” -- Italo Calvino (Invisible Cities)

"A coffee shop should be a place for new exploration, new pathways in ones life," is how Conor Mahoney describes the experience he and his wife Ashley want to create for those who walk through the door of their downtown Mount Vernon venue.

If that seems like a big expectation to lay on a brand, then the first thing you need to know about Dorothea Coffee is that it isn't your typical coffee shop. Venture in and order a latte and you're going to be disappointed -- but only for a very brief time. You'll likely come around with your first "pour over."

In this first episode in our new Tales of the Magic Skagit series, "A Bite of Skagit," we'll learn about how one couple's coffee explorations led them from Seattle to 1st Street Mount Vernon to share their discoveries with the rest of us.

If you really, really love coffee, this TMS episode just might redefine your relationship with this ubiquitous brew. Consider yourself warned.

In Part 1 of our two-part series, we learned about the life of Bow native Wick Peth and how he became a nationally recognized bull fighter in the professional rodeo circuit. Along the way we also learned a little bit about the history of the Peth Family, courtesy of Wick's son and daughter, Dan and Liza.

We kick off Part 2 with Skagit County Historical Museum executive director Jo Wolfe explaining how the Wick Peth exhibit came together, and the museum's goal of not only sharing his story but the story of rodeo in the Skagit Valley as well.

We finish up the interview with Dan Peth and Liza (Peth) Bott telling us some great anecdotes about traveling with their famous dad, and of the way he has shaped their lives.

I first heard of Wick Peth a few years back at the Skagit County Fair. There was a bull on display named "Little Wick," and I was curious about his name. That's when I learned that the Magic Skagit was home to an individual who was famous to anyone who loved rodeo: Wick Peth, a professional bull fighter.

As a student of Skagit Valley history, the name Peth was certainly familiar as one of the earliest immigrant families to the valley. Wick's grandfather was John J. Peth. But I wanted to know more about Wick. Thankfully, the Skagit County Historical Museum also wanted to tell his story, which is the subject of the current exhibit at the "top of the hill" in La Conner.

In addition to sharing the life and career of Wick Peth, the museum's exhibit also recounts the history of rodeo in the Skagit Valley.

I had the great pleasure of doing an interview at the museum with executive director Jo Wolfe, and two individuals who know Wick's story in a way very few do: his son and daughter, Dan Peth and Liza Bott. In this first of our two part series on the life and legacy of Wick Peth and Skagit Valley rodeo, Dan and Liza recount their memories of their famous father and offer a glimpse into the agricultural life of the valley from decades ago.