A Magical Journey to Lummi Island, WA

I drive onto the 20-car Whatcom Chief and inch forward to meet the bumper in front of me, coaxed into position by the wagging finger of a salty-looking deckhand. I turn the engine off to wait out the 15-minute Hale Passage crossing from Gooseberry Point to Lummi Island. A trio of gulls keeps pace with the ferry overhead, advancing and then dropping behind in the wind as if playing a familiar game. Our destination is a sparsely populated spot off the coast of mainland Whatcom County, Washington, not far from the Canadian border. Ahead, a mammoth, evergreen-shrouded hill dominates the island, with lower rolling farms and shoreline properties in the foreground. Lummi Island has become a renowned foodie destination for one reason: Willows Inn. Dining there is the highlight of our itinerary to celebrate my friend and traveling companion Robert’s birthday. Willows Inn is a special-occasion kind of restaurant; it has played gracious host to countless anniversaries, birthdays and honeymoons. Read the full feature about Lummi Island here.

We acknowledge that Whatcom County is located on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples. They cared for the lands that included what we’d call the Puget Sound region, Vancouver Island and British Columbia since time immemorial. This gives us the great obligation and opportunity to learn how to care for our surrounding areas and all the natural and human resources we require to live. We express our deepest respect and gratitude for our indigenous neighbors, the Lummi Nation and Nooksack Tribe, for their enduring care and protection of our shared lands and waterways.