The Willows Inn on Lummi Island

For years, Mardi and I passed the "Lummi Island" exit on our way to Canada and wondered what the island was all about. One day our curiosity got the better of us and we took a detour to check it out. That's the day we fell in love with the Willows Inn.

Situated eight miles west of Bellingham, Lummi Island is reached by a 10-minute ferry ride. Once ashore, the inn is just three and a half miles from the ferry landing. A 1910 Craftsman bungalow, it is on the west side overlooking Rosario Strait and the San Juan Islands. Sunsets are spectacular.

It All Started with the Farm

The inn is owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Riley Starks and Judy Olsen, who are dedicated to providing tasteful accommodations and genuine hospitality. Together with Chef Craig Miller they are garnering rave reviews from guests and food critics alike.

Riley and Judy moved to Lummi Island in 1992 and founded Nettles Farm, where they began growing organic produce and raising pastured chickens. In 2001 they bought the Willows Inn and realized a long-time dream of offering a farm-to-table restaurant gourmet experience using regional foods to ensure a fresh, wholesome fare. Their breakfast includes mouth watering meals from Nettles Farm fresh eggs and produce- all included in the price of the room.

A lifelong commercial fisherman, Riley's own reefnet-caught salmon are featured in the weekly changing menu. Local live spot prawns are the basis for a Willows summer favorite of "weekend prawns on the deck." In addition to eating on the deck, guests also enjoy meals in the main dining room and at the inn's Taproot Espresso Bar & Pub.

Wonderfully Private Rooms

The Main House offers five guest rooms (full bath and/or showers) that are warmly decorated and private. The Cottage has a kitchenette, gas fireplace, a claw-foot tub and a private deck. There is also a larger Guest House (sleeps 4-6 people) that features a walk-in tiled steam shower and a gas fireplace.

The living room of the main house has a large fireplace surrounded by plenty of seating and large windows overlooking the ever-changing Rosario Strait and the San Juan Islands. Throughout the inn you'll find displays by local artists, sculptures in the gardens and frescos on the patio walls.

The Art of Living

A bike ride on the seven-mile island loop is a great way to work up your appetite for dinner. Hiking trails weave through the woods and a leisurely stroll along the inn's private beach is definitely in order.

From August to September, Orca whales can be seen right from the inn's deck and bald eagles often soar overhead. Kayaking comes natural here. In addition, the inn offers excursions in their own six person runabout to neighboring islands for picnics and exploring.

Once you get back on land, you can enjoy a massage or simply relax in the outdoor hot tub. For Mardi and me, the main attraction is having a well-mixed cocktail on the deck while anticipating dinner. Plan on leisurely spending two-hours over a remarkable dinner as the world visibly rotates around you.

The little 8-car ferry over to Lummi Island is a kick! It only got better when we were shown to our water-view room. And then to be served hand-caught salmon and organically grown vegetables at dinner, I was in heaven. What a wonderfully undiscovered place!! As "Arnold" said "I'll be back."