8 Picture-Perfect Main Streets In The Pacific Northwest
Port Townsend's merchants lined Water Street with brick in the late 1800s, betting their town would become a major seaport. The boom never came, and the buildings stayed. Timber barons, gold miners, and sea captains left behind main streets like it all over the region. Many survive in small towns in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Many still have their brick storefronts, old theaters, and harbor views. Most are best seen on foot, with good food and easy outings a short walk or drive away.
Port Townsend, Washington
Few West Coast streets can match Water Street's run of ornate Victorian commercial buildings, most of them built in the 1880s and 1890s. Because the expected seaport boom fizzled, the brick buildings were never torn down for something newer, and the downtown is now part of a National Historic Landmark District. Catch a movie at the Rose Theatre, a beautifully restored 1907 cinema, then walk to the Northwest Maritime Center to watch boatbuilders at work. Union Wharf stretches out over the water for views across the bay, and Fort Worden State Park, with its beaches and old gun batteries, is a short drive away.
La Conner, Washington
La Conner's First Street runs right along the Swinomish Channel, so you can browse galleries and shops on one side and watch boats glide by on the other. The Museum of Northwest Art showcases painters and glass artists from across the region, and the Pacific Northwest Quilt and Fiber Arts Museum fills a Victorian mansion a block uphill. The bright orange Rainbow Bridge arcs over the channel at the edge of town. Visit in April, and the surrounding Skagit Valley bursts into color during the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.
Snohomish, Washington
Snohomish calls itself the Antique Capital of the Northwest, and First Street backs that up with block after block of antique shops packed into historic brick and wooden buildings. A riverfront trail runs along the Snohomish River just behind the shops, an easy spot for a stroll between stores. The Blackman House Museum, the 1878 home of a local mill owner, shows how the town's early families lived. Cyclists and walkers can also pick up the Centennial Trail, a paved path on a former railroad line that heads north out of town.
Walla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla's downtown has won national recognition for its revival, and Main Street is now lined with restored brick buildings, tasting rooms, and restaurants under tall shade trees. The landmark Marcus Whitman Hotel, opened in 1928, still anchors downtown with its tall brick tower. Wine lovers can sample local vintages at dozens of tasting rooms within walking distance, and the town's famous sweet onions show up on menus all summer. A few blocks away, Pioneer Park offers century-old trees, an aviary, and a classic bandstand.
Ellensburg, Washington
Most of downtown Ellensburg was rebuilt in brick after a fire in 1889, and the result is a handsome historic district centered on Pearl Street and the turreted Davidson Building. The Clymer Museum honors John Clymer, an Ellensburg-born painter famous for his Saturday Evening Post covers and Western scenes. Just off downtown, Dick and Jane's Spot is a quirky private home covered in thousands of reflectors and folk art, best viewed from the sidewalk. Plan around Labor Day weekend, when the Ellensburg Rodeo fills the town with cowboys and crowds.
Jacksonville, Oregon
Jacksonville began as a gold rush town in the 1850s, and the entire town is now a National Historic Landmark. California Street is lined with brick and wooden buildings from its boom years, now holding wine bars, bakeries, and boutiques. Each summer, the Britt Music and Arts Festival hosts concerts on a hillside amphitheater just above downtown. The historic Jacksonville Cemetery, on a wooded hill nearby, offers walking paths and a look at the town's pioneer families, and wineries of the Applegate Valley are a short drive west.
Sisters, Oregon
Sisters dresses its downtown in Old West style, with wooden storefronts and covered walkways lining Cascade Avenue beneath the snowy Three Sisters peaks. Shops sell everything from quilts to fly-fishing gear, and the town's bakery and coffee shops are popular stops for travelers crossing the Cascades. Every July, the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show hangs more than a thousand quilts from buildings across town. A short drive away, the Metolius River springs from the ground, and trails in the surrounding national forest lead to lakes and lava fields.
Sandpoint, Idaho
Sandpoint's First Avenue sits just steps from Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho's largest lake, and Sand Creek runs right behind the shops, where kayakers paddle past downtown. A restored 1927 movie house, the Panida Theater hosts films, concerts, and community events. The Cedar Street Bridge, a covered bridge over the creek, has been turned into a small marketplace. In winter, Schweitzer Mountain, just north of town, offers skiing with sweeping views of the lake.
Strolling The Northwest
These eight main streets prove that some of the Pacific Northwest's best scenery comes with a sidewalk. Each pairs historic buildings with good food, local shops, and nature close by. Visit on a weekday if you can and park once. Give yourself time to wander, because the best finds on these streets usually happen between plans.
