Bellingham — Throughout the summer, we’ve been exploring local cities, islands and other destinations within a day’s travel from Bellingham.
Now, we’re taking you outside of Whatcom County to Snohomish, a historic town about an hour away from Bellingham that’s full of unique shops, great restaurants and even some ghost stories.
Stop 1: Looking Glass Coffee
Our first stop is Looking Glass Coffee, a coffee and wine shop decorated with a historic Art Deco ambiance, self-titled “the living room of Snohomish,” according to the shop’s website.
The “coffee shop, pub, live music/event venue, gift shop, and community gathering place” opened in 2017. It offers an assortment of espresso drinks, tea, bagels, waffles, sandwiches, soup, wine, craft beer and hard cider.
Looking Glass Coffee is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays at 801 First St., Suite 201.
Stop 2: My Eclectic Home
Snohomish is known for its main street full of shops and antique stores.
My Eclectic Home, a boutique and thrift shop, is packed full of clothing, kitchen items, home decor, antiques, candles, kids’ toys and clothing, and seasonal decor.
Take your time to explore the store’s two floors and multiple rooms full of unique items.
My Eclectic Home is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and from noon to 5 p.m. Sundays at 916 First St.
Stop 3: Spada Farmhouse Brewery
For lunch, Spada Farmhouse Brewery is one spot you won’t want to miss. The brewery, kitchen and bar serve a variety of housemade beer and delicious menu items.
Try an order of burger sliders, hot honey chicken bites, coconut prawns, poutine, bacon cheddar chive tots, a wagyu sirloin steak, jalapeno brisket brat, French dip sandwich, mini donuts, or mac and cheese.
Spada Farmhouse Brewery is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays at 709 First St.
Stop 4: Victoria Village Antique Mall
As Snohomish has many antique shops on First Street, Victoria Village Antique Mall provides a large conglomeration of items to visitors, as it houses antiques from over 100 dealers across multiple floors. From vintage clothing to home decor, collectibles and more, this family-owned shop is full of treasures for visitors.
Victoria Village Antique Mall is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays at 1108 First St.
Stop 5: Snohomish Bakery
If you’re looking for something sweet, Snohomish Bakery at First & Union is a local sweet shop that does not disappoint. The shop bakes cookies, breads, pastries, muffins, scones, bars and more daily, and it has a cafe for breakfast and lunch options.
Guests can enjoy a pastry along with quiches, biscuits and gravy, breakfast burritos and other breakfast options. For lunch, the cafe serves soups, salads and sandwiches.
The bakery creates special flavored pastries, such as chocolate pecan espresso cookies, creme brulee bars, blueberry hibiscus jam cookies, pear almond croissants and Neapolitan bars.
Snohomish Bakery is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays at 101 Union Ave.
Stop 6: Annie’s on First
Another unique shop on First Street is Annie’s on First, a home decor, clothing and garden shop. The locally owned shop features a collection of women’s apparel and accessories, home decor, jewelry, kitchen items, beauty and skin care items, and seasonal decor.
Annie’s on First is open from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays at 1122 First St.
Stop 7: Snohomish Pie Co.
Have you ever had a pie ice cream sundae? Snohomish Pie Co., a pie and dessert shop, is known for its delicious classic pies, as well as homemade “piescream” sundaes, pie shakes, cinnamon rolls, cookies and even cream pie shots.
The shop serves classic pie flavors like cherry, apple, strawberry rhubarb, pecan or raspberry, as well as more unique flavors like coconut tequila key lime, lemon cream with raspberry, mocha madness cream, s’mores, peach raspberry crumb, chocolate chip cookie and apple raspberry crumb.
Any pie flavor can be made into a “piescream” sundae or pie shake.
Snohomish Pie Co. is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays at 915 First St.
Stop 8: Oxford Saloon
Oxford Saloon may just look like another quaint, small-town restaurant, but the historic building also boasts of its “haunted history.”
Since being constructed in 1900, the building has been used as a dry goods store, a saloon, a brothel, a pool hall and now a restaurant. The saloon is rumored to hold a dark past, which results in three ghosts staying behind to occasionally greet guests.
For those brave enough to test their luck, the Oxford Saloon serves lunch and dinner dishes, including wings, pretzel bites, burgers, sandwiches, tacos, mac and cheese, fish and chips, salads and desserts. The restaurant also has live music every night.
Oxford Saloon is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays and Mondays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursdays, and 11 a.m to midnight Fridays at Saturdays at 913 First St.
