History
Before floating bridges and hybrid cars, Ira and Susan Woodin moved their family east from Seattle by way of covered wagon and row boat. They built their cabin in the early 1870s on a 160-acre homestead in the splendor of the Sammamish Valley. After the railroad reached the area in 1888, a town known as Woodinville had grown up around the cabin. The Woodins’ home housed the first post office and school, and later Ira and his son-in-law established the first general store. Woodinville, like most of Western Washington has a long history as a logging community. Frederick Stimson, a wealthy man in the lumber business, built Hollywood Farm in 1910, and the farm is now the site of Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery.
The town has grown as large employers settled into nearby areas. Microsoft’s campus, with more than 30,000 employees in the Puget Sound area, is only 12 miles away in Redmond. Boeing’s Everett and Renton campuses are each only 25 minutes away. While Woodinville has been growing for decades, it was only incorporated in 1993 — more than 100 years after the town’s namesakes built their family cabin. And now, vestiges of the town’s history are visible at every turn, from the cedar snags, to the historic buildings that commemorate its rich tradition.
(left to right) – Front: Ira & Susan Woodin, Back row: Helen, Frank & Mary. The Woodins were the first family to settle in what is today Woodinville
PHOTO COURTESY THE WOODINVILLE HERITAGE SOCIETY
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The Eastside provides proximity to cosmopolitan culture as well as tiny towns, farmland, lakes, mountains, boutique shopping and everything a family could desire. Residents on this side of the water relish the ease of living such a vibrant suburban lifestyle so close to Seattle. But Woodinville residents take greater pride in the fact they’re nestled in Napa-style wine country in the Sammamish River Valley while being just 15 minutes from Bellevue Square.
As the greater Seattle area expands, new neighborhoods have popped up, and existing ones have flourished. But none has established as distinct a culture as Woodinville, which has used wine as a river for tourists to float in upon. It has become the epicenter of Western Washington wine culture thanks to the viniculture goliath Chateau Ste. Michelle, as well as more than 40 other wineries, friendly tasting rooms and specialty shops. Wine provides an identity and elicits visitors, and has paved the way for the variety of options for tourists and citizens that have sprouted. This includes fine dining, agriculture, spas, bike and hiking trails and all the necessary ingredients for a romantic weekend getaway.
Come for the Wine
An ideal weekend or daytrip to Woodinville includes a wine tasting, and there’s a bevy of options. Chateau Ste. Michelle is the centerpiece, and any wine-loving Western Washingtonian who hasn’t strolled amidst the verdant meadows and enjoyed the complimentary wine tours and tastings is truly deprived. Beholding the massive bottling facility, barrel room and 11,000-gallon stainless steel tanks that supply wine for the entire nation is a visual spectacle. Chateau Ste. Michelle also hosts a Summer Concert Series, which fabricates a gorgeous outdoor concert setting complete with food vendors and performances by artists such as James Taylor, Chris Isaak and Crosby, Stills and Nash. The music blares while the wine flows (rain or shine) and concert nights bring electricity to Woodinville.
Across the street is the Columbia Winery, founded in 1964 by several University of Washington professors. Both these larger wineries, as well as the small ones, import grapes, mostly from the Columbia Valley in Eastern Washington, and sell them in Woodinville to capitalize upon the larger population. If suds are a more-enticing option, the Red Hook Brewery is a just a few steps away. Founded in Seattle in 1982 to quench the Northwest’s insatiable thirst for draft beer, the brewery’s success led to the Woodinville Brewery, established in 1994. The brewery offers tours, food and drinks at the Forecaster’s Pub (where minors are allowed unless it is 9 p.m. or later on Friday and Saturday), and hosts group events in many banquet rooms as well as its plush outdoor amphitheater.
Stay for the Lifestyle
Once the subtleties of a choice vintage have been explored, Woodinville provides a variety of non-wine related attractions that are a celebration of the senses and the history of Woodinville. Hollywood School House, built in 1912, is a charming event facility full of antiques and artifacts like pedal cars, petroleum pumps and furniture. On a beautiful summer day, a common sight to see is a hot air balloon lazily floating above the majestic landscape. Hot air ballooning is a popular pastime and thriving leisure business in Woodinville, as companies like Over the Rainbow Hot Air Balloons provide the unique experience of enjoying Woodinville from a bird’s eye view. And for hikers, or those seeking a rewarding stroll, there are a variety of trails of varying difficulties that showcase the natural beauty and topography of the area. Drop the kids (and a babysitter) off at the BMX and skate park, then take a walking tour of the city’s public art. Or saddle up a horse and ride on an equine-friendly trail that can take riders from Bridle Trails to Redhook. Just don’t drink and ride.
Shop It
Woodinville isn’t merely a quaint town with novel tourist attractions. There’s a modern downtown shopping area complete with Jamba Juice, Starbucks and a Barnes and Noble, as well as family restaurants. The Carol Edwards Center provides recreation, sports, and community activities for people of all ages, including teen and senior programs. There’s also an industrial area with large lumber factories, farm equipment and auto shops that conjures a blue-collar feeling right down the road from black tie dining.
Apart from the typical downtown shopping, stores like Molbak’s, a nursery, and Gathering Fabric, a local quilt shop, provide niche shopping for residents as well as tourists. Molbak’s is a now-gigantic nursery founded in 1956 when Egon and Laina Molbak moved to Woodinville from Denmark. Egon Molbak’s love of agriculture and gardening sprouted into a booming company with more than 200 employees and 36 acres of farm land. It is much more than just a nursery, as it supplies agricultural needs as well as patio furniture and boasts a signature Christmas shop. “You can get lost in there, or spend a whole day looking at all the beautiful things they have,” says Kirkland’s Janice Davis, a Molbak’s fan. Gathering Fabric is a quilter’s paradise, complete with lessons, workshops and all the fabric one can sew. Apple Farm Village provides a variety of specialty shops, and the currently in-development Woodinville Wine Village will showcase some of the smaller wineries that receive less exposure and provide more lodging for the hotel room-starved area.
Agriculturally Rich
Agriculture is ingrained in Woodinville’s identity, and several places and events celebrate the importance of an eco-friendly, farming lifestyle. 21 Acres is an “agri-urban” park that is open to the community and acts as an educational center for agriculture and the environment. It includes a farmstead with trails, community gardens, educational signage, and farm plots designed to teach organic and sustainable farming methods. Woodinville Farmers Market runs every Saturday from “spring ’til October” and is a showcase of the finest local produce.
The delicate balance between small town and tourist attraction is a difficult one to strike, but Woodinville has done so aptly. “The area is popular with younger families,” says Shaun Tucker, General Manager of Willow’s Lodge. “With them, they work all week and the weekends are filled with soccer games and activities for their kids. But for many, once a month they’re taking some time and having adult time. And instead of going downtown and partying, they come here and do wine tasting. It’s educational, too. The wineries and owners of these small tasting rooms are so welcoming, and that’s Woodinville as a whole, it’s a small-town feel and very community-based.
Woodinville Locals
Along with the Microsofties and ex-Seattleites living in Woodinville, the area is home to many international residents. Roderick Charmichael is a native of Scotland who came to Woodinville by way of Seoul, Korea. After living in Asia and following the lead of his banking career, Carmichael decided to retire and settle down with his wife, Franchesca, of Italian origin, and their children. Carmichael has lived on four continents and in so many places that he and Franchesca closed their eyes and pointed at the map to pick a place to start anew. He always had admired the Pacific Northwest and its beauty from afar. They opened Italian Country Home and Kitchen in the summer of 2006 and moved to their current location in the Apple Farm Village in spring of 2007. “Woodinville has two parts,” Carmichael accurately describes. “There’s Schucks and Stupid Prices, but the community is also blessed with Chateau Ste. Michelle and the Willows Lodge.” Having a Target, one of the largest employers, provides convenience to a town of just more than 10,000 people.
Lynne Eberenz who works at Rosa Mundi’s Antiques and Interiors, another shop in the Apple Farm Village, loves living in Woodinville. She and her husband moved to the area from Connecticut 15 years ago. Eberenz chose to live in Woodinville primarily because of the schools. She’d heard that the North Shore School District was one of the best in the state, and when her family relocated, an excellent school system was a top priority. Woodinville has proven to be a “great place to raise a family.”
“Even though you are near a big city, you are still in a small town,” she says. In 20 minutes she can be downtown enjoying a show at the 5th Avenue Theater, where she’s a season subscriber. After the final curtain, she and her husband often stop at Fireside Cellars in the Willows Lodge for a warm drink by the inviting fireplace. According to Eberenz, “That’s really nice.”
Willows Lodge And The Barking Frog
The area around Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery and the Red Hook Brewery is the centerpiece of Woodinville’s wine getaway, and nestled amidst astounding horticulture, local art and two of the finest restaurants in the state is the Willows Lodge. This rustic getaway takes luxury, beauty, dining, and everything about an ideal overnight experience to another level. Mammoth rooms with giant bathtubs, flat screens, patios, and a tranquil ambience envelop customers in comfort. A full-service spa pampers guests, and the mineral tub, trails, and ability to walk to many attractions makes it an all-inclusive attraction. Here, guests leave the car in the parking lot
and relax.
The lodge’s aesthetic is built upon local art, a tremendous fireplace, and ornate woodwork. As General Manager Shaun Tucker describes, “Everything here was carefully planned. Wood from an old pier underwater in Portland, Oregon, was brought in for the beams, bringing the outside in.” The grounds surrounding the lodge are a horticultural masterpiece, expertly maintained by director of Natural Beauty, EagleSong, a woman keenly devoted to sustainability, medicinal herbs and “slow food,” a contrast to fast food. All of the lawns receive natural product, and there are no chemicals involved. She’s now at a full cycle so that everything she cuts is going back into the grounds. There is full composting and recycling, and with a focus on sustainability, the Willows Lodge has found the right way to display nature’s treasures.
Outside the main entrance is a cedar snag with a walkway through it. Cedar snags are hollowed-out stumps of logged trees that loggers would store tools and even live in while they were building their houses or working. The chopped-down trees could only be so wide or else they couldn’t be transported, leaving towering stumps with impressive circumferences. The walkway through the cedar snag in front represents the history of Woodinville and the lodge’s commitment to bringing the outside in.
The Willows Lodge’s restaurant, The Barking Frog, draws its name from a Native American tale that exemplifies Woodinville. Legend says that when frogs are in a good, healthy environment, you will hear them “barking.” Here, the delectable menu and expansive wine list coupled with impeccable service leaves customers barking with joy after a relaxing meal. Chef Bobby Moore is all over the floor providing tableside service and making sure each customer is pleased with his or her meal. Not pleased? Attentive and knowledgeable servers and a warming, inviting atmosphere centered around a warm fire makes the Barking Frog truly one of the finest restaurants in the area.
Next door is the Herbfarm, which is under different ownership but works side-by-side with Willow’s and the Frog. The Herbfarm is widely considered one of the finest destination restaurants in the country for foodies. The resident truffle pigs in training, Borage and Basil, meander about the outside garden and greet guests while they take breaks between their nine courses crafted by chef Keith Luce. The pigs aren’t the only pets that dwell in the grounds, as Ruthie the dog sits beside the front desk of the Willows Lodge and greets every guest in a welcoming way no human could achieve. She’s part of the Willow’s family, and her happy stare is yet another reason the Lodge is the pinnacle of hospitality.
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