Between Seattle And The Cascades Is Washington's Charming City With Walkable Fun, Art, Shops, And Restaurants

A visit to beautiful Seattle and all of its attractions, including the Space Needle and Pike Place Market, makes for a great trip. Yet that just scratches the surface of what the geologically blessed state of Washington offers. Venture just a little farther afield and you uncover a goldmine of quaint towns hugging rivers or nestled in the mountains. One example is the agricultural valley of Duvall, known for its picturesque riverwalk along the Snoqualmie River, quirky public art, and charming shops and restaurants in the historic downtown. You can easily spend a day or more here and stock up on some fresh farm produce and goods. 

Tucked between Seattle and the Cascade Range to the east, Duvall's charm is a legacy of its short and unusual history. It began as the tribal home of the Snoqualmie people. The wooded foothills of the Cascades and the Snoqualmie River then made it a magnet for loggers, and brothers Francis and James Duvall arrived in the 1870s, establishing a homestead. The town grew almost overnight when the nearby settlement of Cherry Valley completely relocated to Duvall — stores and all — in 1909 to accommodate the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. Incorporating four years later, Duvall today has become a housing hub for the Eastern Tech Corridor. 

Getting here from Seattle entails a scenic, 25-mile drive crossing Lake Washington over the world's longest floating bridge, which charges a toll. With a tiny population of nearly 10,000, lodging is pretty scarce in Duvall. Your best bet is a vacation rental on Airbnb or places in nearby Woodinville, like the Cottage Lake Bed and Breakfast. A mere 5 miles north is the fantasy estate of High Rock Castle, consisting of four suites and a cottage suitable for the whole family. 

Get your local bearings by venturing on the Snoqualmie Valley Trail. It begins in Duvall and is a 31-mile multi-use, flat path to North Bend, passing through Carnation and Snoqualmie, another Seattle suburb worth visiting. Ideal for walking or cruising as little or as much as you like over bridges and through farms, forested paths, and small towns, the trek includes a peek at Snoqualmie Falls, a scenic waterfall taller than Niagara. Other highlights include crossing through a nature preserve, a stop at family-owned Remlinger Farms for u-pick berries near Carnation, and a park with river views of salmon spawning. 

Art is in the town's DNA, so you can also take a walking tour of its sculptures and creative installations. Three sculptures were commissioned for the town's 100th birthday — an upright canoe-shaped piece called "Origins" with a rotating center, the "Free Spirit" open-work metal structure, and "Future Bridge," featuring ribbons of stainless steel. In addition, when walking on Main Street, you'll see benches with artist carvings, 18-foot hand-carved cedar planks adorning light poles, and street murals,  all art projects included in the street's 2008 renovations.

Another way of soaking in the area's vibes is exploring Duvall's past, alive today in its modern structures. Depot Park and its historic railroad depot are a great place to start. Built in 1911, the landmark red building moved from its original location by the railroad tracks in 2001. Another treasured site is the Dougherty Farmstead, built nearly 120 years ago and home to the Dougherty family from 1889 to 1983. The farmhouse also relocated from Cherry Valley and is now maintained by the Historical Society. Tours are available on Sundays from May through September, letting you visit the bunkhouse, milk barn, and nearby cemetery. 

Main Street's shops and restaurants can also provide glimpses to the past. Housed in the oldest building in town, Duvall Flowers & Gifts is in a space built in 1905 that once served as a general store and a post office. Browse the beautiful flowers and pick up a wind chime, charcuterie board, hair oils, or a kitchen towel. More historic storefronts dot the street. It will be hard not to spend time in Rustic Rose, known for its clothing, accessories, home decor, and jewelry, or Country Collections, chock-full of items from cowboy hats and earrings to rocker shirts and bird coasters. 

Take a break with a frosty glass of beer or a cocktail at Duvall Tavern, operating since 1934, the year after Prohibition ended. When hunger calls, stop in for pizza, breadsticks, and salads at Zeeks Pizza, housed in what was once the Duvall State Bank where robbers made off with $435 in 1915. Scoring an impressive 4.6 rating on Google, Grateful Bread, a local favorite for its chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon scones, sourdough bread, and sandwiches, is in a building dating back to 1913, when loggers could get caulked boots there. 

Seattle may be one of the best foodie destinations in the Pacific Northwest, but Duvall's restaurants benefit from proximity to local farms. On prime example is The Grange, with ingredients sourced locally and from its own farm for menu items like nettle pesto fettuccini Alfredo and mushroom tonnarelli. For your personal farm-to-table needs, Hollyhock Farm sells goods at its shop from March to November and has stocked beets, carrots, onions, frozen goat, and frozen lamb in the past.  Family-run Local Roots sells vegetables grown from its 15 acres, including radicchio and fennel.