Spend a Long Weekend on Lummi Island

By most accounts, there’s not much to do on peaceful Lummi Island, where 800 residents have access to only one grocery store. There’s nary a stoplight on the island and certainly not much infrastructure for tourists — but that’s part of the appeal.

The island is known for its famous restaurant, The Willows Inn, whose chef Blaine Wetzel trained at the even more famous Noma restaurant in Copenhagen. Wetzel brings Noma sensibilities to the ardently locally sourced, small plates menu that runs $175 per person. The bites are works of art, and this is certainly a destination restaurant if that’s the type of thing that interests you.

Two festivals are worth checking out: The Lummi Island Artists’ Studio Tour on Memorial Day, where visitors can check out galleries and studios around the island; and the Lummi Island Reefnet Festival which pays homage to this Native American method of salmon fishing found nowhere else.

The southern part of the island is all wilderness preserve; several trails thread through this mountainous area. A full list can be found on the Lummi Island Heritage Trust website. Sea kayaking is another great option, and tours are provided on the island by Moondance.