Lummi Island getaway

Lummi Island getaway

Q: We are looking for a new great spot to visit. We love Cannon Beach, Ocean Shores, Friday Harbor and Port Townsend and visit them every year.

— J.C., Seattle

A: Have you been to Lummi Island? Nine miles long and two miles wide, Lummi is part of the San Juan chain of islands, reachable from the mainland near Bellingham, at Gooseberry Point aboard a car ferry that crosses the water in about eight minutes (www.co.whatcom.wa.us).

There's not much here, but there's enough — one store, a country inn, a handful of cabins for rent, roadside farm stands some amazing pieces of outdoor art. Bring bikes and hiking shoes. The locals can suggest the flattest routes and guide you to hiking trails hidden inside nature preserves.

Lummi is an artists' community. Many studios can be visited by appointment including a sprawling outdoor-sculpture garden where artist Ann Morris displays life-size bronze figures in a wooded setting. See www.annmorrisbronze.com.

A good place to spend the night is the Willows Inn with cozy rooms and a gourmet restaurant specializing in local seafood. Winter rates are in effect and there's a special budget package for two that includes a five-course prix-fixe menu.

More information at www.willows-inn.com and www.lummi-island.com.

— Carol Pucci,

Seattle Times travel writer

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