There’s no need to travel far to get away from it all. Not with Edmonds around. And, if you have family and friends visiting, show them a great time in a truly fantastic city with all the natural, home-grown amenities.

You won’t even miss the Space Needle.

Start with the Shopping

Shoppers won’t ever lose themselves in the crowd with these one-of-a-kind boutiques, designed especially for their unique needs and secret desires.

One of the first stops for the shopaholic tourists — grandma always thinking of others, the fashionista into the latest trendy bargains nobody else has, a brother hoping to surprise his wife for their 20th anniversary — is C’est la Vie at 320 5th Ave. S., downtown. Inside, you will find artisan-crafted jewelry and kitchen knick-knacks, dresses, funky shirts, shoes, and art, including colorful decanters, for every room. Conveniently next door to Arista Wine Cellars, stocked with “great value wines and hard-to find collectibles. From Quilceda Creek and Cayuse to producer-grower champagnes such as Chartogne-Taillet, there are star wines in all categories on the shelf and available from our supportive suppliers [website].”

Don’t miss a chance to browse at crow, one of the newest, hippest downtown designer shops. Owner Jen Lawson, a jewelry designer, opened her boutique in 2019 and opened up an opportunity for other artisans to share their original creations: hand-made, hand-painted ceramic crows for the garden and the holiday tree, precious sterling silver and vermeil semi-precious post earrings inside tiny message in a bottles, merino wool shawls, pillows, shot glasses, and cards you’ll never find anywhere else, and Skogen Studio prints, the only shop to carry them.

You don’t have to be a master chef to enjoy The Wooden Spoon, a kitchen shop at 104 5th Ave. S. Delighting shoppers since 1971, the Wooden Spoon maximizes quality kitchen time for the novice cook craving a late-night snack and the refined baker whipping up confections for a special occasion. Besides pots and pans, mugs, canisters, and yes, wooden spoons, the kitchen shop carries crowd-pleasing collectibles and gifts: Michele’s chocolate truffles, unique cookie cutters for the next Oscar party, Dish D’Lish® seasonings, and Landmark Creations ornaments, like a cute Edmonds ferry.

Treasures and Teas will spark your gift-giving impulses even more with nautical whimsy (lamp made of stacked sea stones, mermaid wall mirror), pirate and mermaid booty (treasure chests, shells and shark teeth, a skull and flask), custom jewelry, beachwear, and specialty teas, some organic, with accessories.

A local institution for over 30 years, Teri’s Toybox will delight the kids in your group with smiling avocado and penguin plushies, educational games and inspiring children’s books, tools for little adventurers, telescope and kites, scooters, and doll sets, even a chance to play dress up princess and pirate.

Garden Gear & Gallery for outdoor delights. ARTspot Edmonds, Gallery North, Cascadia Art Museum’s gift shop for artists. Edmonds Bookshop for bookworms and writers. HouseWares, The Papery, The Wishing Stone to deck out your home in style.

Visit the Landmarks

Landmarks make every worthwhile destination special. Edmonds has its fair share...

...the Waterfront with the ferries and the orcas, the Marsh for the eagles, humming birds, and all the other fair-weathered friends in between, Salish Crossing, where artisans produce exceptional spirits, cocktails, and other culinary fare, Main Street Water Fountain — an important art installation reflecting the indigenous, logging times, more local public art set up throughout the town — designed to inspire and spark imagination, Edmonds Center for the Arts, where headliners and local heroes perform, two major museums — Cascadia Art Museum and Edmonds Historical Museum…

That Restaurant Scene!

Restaurants, cafes, pubs, and bars are never in short supply here. In between the shopping, sightseeing, whale watching, and endless discovery, refresh, replenish, and restore the senses.

For a night on the town, Salt & Iron. Shubert Ho and Andrew Leckie’s upscale steak and seafood eatery lends a special Northwest air of fresh, local class. You’re treated like royalty from the moment you step through the doors. The menu features the best of the best of table side and patio dining. Every seasonal, rotating dish is a lavish treat: octopus with spiced marble potatoes, watermelon radish, arugula, and saffron aioli… Merguez sausage with cranberry beans, roasted cipollini onions, and braised kale… King Salmon atop black rice pilaf, roasted root vegetables, Swiss chard, and peppers, in a Chimichurri sauce.

Also good bets: Chanterelle’s French-bistro chic, Epulo Bistro’s European getaway, Las Brisas’s swanky hang, and three more Ho/Leckie stand-outs — Bar Dojo’s eclectic Asian-Latin affair, Fire & The Feast’s next-level Pacific NW Italian, and sushi master Ryuichi Nakano’s (Kisaku) pristine omakase, SanKai.

For quick bites and even more of a good time, head up Main Street for Ho/Leckie’s down-home MAR•KET, Edmonds’ answer to Seattle’s Pike Place. You can get a screaming deal on a succulent Maine lobster roll, chock full of lobster meat, creamy, dreamy clam-drenched chowder in a sourdough bread bowl, and crispy rock fish & chips. Or try a more spicy, exotic thrill, their signature Singaporean Crab in a Bag. Take some fresh fish to go, so you can whip up a nice dinner at home with the visiting family.

Maize & Barley churns out an amazing array of Latin-Caribbean food from its compact kitchen. Their Midnight Cuban and Arepa Con Queso are a must. Check out some exciting new additions, too, like their Matiz Spanish Sardine sandwich with pear and cabbage slaw. Make room for rotating desserts (coconut milk custard with Piña red wine and pineapple compote, Puerto Rican style). Don’t sleep on their locally sourced draft beer and cider; Venus Forteza and husband/chef Anthony Kjeldsen cut their teeth on these home-grown taps.

Other hits: Walnut Street Coffee, Kelnero Bar, Churchkey Pub, Leftcraft, Daphne’s Bar, Engel’s Pub...where all the locals go.

This is just the start.

Find your own way. Make your own itinerary.

Whatever your heart’s desire, the company you keep — and show around — will be totally happy and more than satisfied.

Guaranteed.