North Bend: the city of many peaks.
North Bend has at all times been a type of crossroads, all the way in which again to when Snoqualmie Valley tribes constructed trails by way of the prairie that sits between river valleys. Finally white settlers got here and timber, hydropower, and mining pursuits adopted. At present, nonetheless, the city is a bustling heart for outdoorsy tradition. The historic downtown used within the TV present Twin Peaks is thought for its quirk and rural allure. At a mere half hour—okay, extra with visitors—from Seattle, it is a getaway with out an excessive amount of getting away.
What to Eat / What to Do / The place to Keep
What to Eat
Big doughnuts on the North Bend Bakery.
The North Bend Bakery
Although the beloved doughnuts promote out shortly within the morning hours, this downtown establishment—it has been open for nearly a century—has a full day’s price of treats. Breakfast casserole squares pack cheese and potato right into a dense, virtually transportable meal, and paninis vary from stacked giants to a easy grilled cheese. Lookup earlier than leaving to see the phrase “bakery” painted above the door in 18 completely different languages.
South Fork
The comparatively new hangout, espresso store, and beer spot has loads of house for crowds to spill out into outside patios and tents. It is the form of place that youngsters, canines, locals, and vacationers all combine, with common trivia nights and particular dinners on the calendar. Meals vans are anticipated to spherical out the meals choices this 12 months.
North Bend Bar and Grill
Generally you do not need a shock. This eatery holds down essential avenue with classics like prime rib sandwiches and fried cod fish-and-chips, plus a choice of steaks (it shares possession with Seattle’s JaK’s Grill). A stone fire retains the inside cozy on North Bend’s many damp days, and candy potato waffle fries elevate any order.
Burritos are barely smaller than the eating room at Rio Bravo.
Rio Bravo
Loads of taste and shade will get packed into the small wedge-shaped constructing that holds a New Mexican restaurant that might maintain its personal towards something in Seattle. Big burritos and saucy enchiladas make for a number of meals apiece, and the drinks cooler is stocked with the extra obscure flavors of Jarritos. Seating is proscribed indoors however most locals are taking it to go anyway, and a patio greater than doubles the variety of tables.
Volition Brewing
It is laborious to imagine an outdoorsy city like this solely has one brewer downtown—run by an proprietor who does it half time, at that. However Volition pours a variety of IPAs, fruit sours, and extra, and the constructing holds a set of pinball machines to move the time. The alleyway outside patio is extra charming than it sounds.
Falling River Meats
Ice Cream
Old skool or new vitality? Each types of ice cream can be found on North Bend’s essential avenue. Scott’s Dairy Freeze operates out of neon-lit constructing that hasn’t modified a lot since its 1951 opening. Ice cream fuels its shakes, malts, floats, and candy-swirled avalanches. Down just a few blocks, Associates and Co. dishes tidy scoops of Snoqualmie Ice Cream in a gleaming white house with sidewalk seating.
What to Do
The Rattlesnake Ledge hike will not be for many who worry heights.
Mountain climbing
With Mount Si looming over city and forests creeping as much as town limits, it is no surprise climbing is so massively well-liked right here. Favourite routes embrace Si and Little Si (take the bus from Seattle to skip the parking headache!), Rattlesnake Ledge, and Mailbox Peak. However the close by Center Fork area holds loads of extra empty routes.
Snoqualmie Falls from the bottom viewpoint.
Snoqualmie Falls
Technically not in North Bend—Snoqualmie is its personal city—however shut sufficient to depend as the most important single attraction. The roaring waterfall has surpassed even its Twin Peaks notoriety to turn out to be a signature picture of the Pacific Northwest, its 270 ft of white spray exhibiting off the facility that fuels the underground hydropower operations. The present store and customer heart subsequent to the paved viewing path is run by the Snoqualmie Tribe–owned Salish Lodge.
Tour Twin Peaks Spots
Apart from the falls, the area is affected by spots made well-known by David Lynch’s weird Northwest epic (broadcast TV’s most baffling drama within the early Nineteen Nineties, with a reboot in 2017). The Reinig Bridge between North Bend and Snoqualmie has turn out to be often known as “Ronette’s” for one character, and Fall Metropolis’s Roadhouse nonetheless operates as a restaurant. The constructing used on-screen because the sheriff’s division is now DirtFish, providing technical off-road driving experiences.
Twede’s Cafe, referred to as the RR within the present, is the most effective place for Twin Peaks nostalgia; rebuilt after a fireplace in 2000, it capabilities as a serviceable retro diner amongst all of the present memorabilia, and if the cherry pie is overly candy, the espresso maintain its personal as famously “rattling positive.”
Professional Ski Service
Swiss-born Martin Volken actually wrote the guide on backcountry snowboarding within the Pacific Northwest, however his outside store has gear for a wider vary of actions, from climbing to climbing. The constructing additionally holds a nook dedicated to his guiding service and a restaurant with outside books at hand, very best for planning adventures.
Elk are a daily sight at Tollgate Farm Park.
Tollgate Farm Park
The roaming elk of the Snoqualmie Valley are on their very own schedule, but it surely’s common to seek out them at parks simply west of city. Tollgate features a working refurbished farmstead and a playground, plus a killer view of Mount Si. When elk are current, it is best to provide them a large berth—they journey in sizable herds.
Biking
Whereas the area has loads of critical mountain biking, from Duthie Hill Mountain Bike Park to the Tokul community, extra mellow routes attraction to the cruisers amongst us. It is all these former practice tracks that after served logging and mining operations. Now they’re the Snoqualmie Valley Path, a delicate gravel route that heads roughly north-south from Duvall to North Bend, and the western terminus of the Palouse to Cascades State Park Path, which stretches all the way in which throughout Washington, together with to a mile-long tunnel.
The place to Keep
Salish Lodge and Spa
Whereas most lodging in North Bend correct are of the motel selection, the close by waterfall-adjacent Salish earned a spot on our Greatest Lodges in Washington State record. The restaurant’s signature is to drizzle selfmade honey (properly, made by the bees that stay in Salish’s hives) over recent biscuits. The spa has an indoor soaking pool as a pre- or post-treatment further.
Treehouse Level elevates the common-or-garden treehouse.
Treehouse Level
The Fall Metropolis tackle of this well-known treehouse resort is a brief drive from North Bend and simply qualifies as an expertise unto itself. The Treehouse Masters architect constructed the seven separate lofty properties across the property, together with one which’s ADA accessible. Tall Douglas fir timber keep privateness and calm, and non-overnight friends can entry the house by way of yoga courses and reservable excursions.
