A valley of plenty in Washington State

from the March 23, 2007 edition - http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0323/p12s01-litr.html

Leslie Goshorn of Davenport, Fla., visited Skagit Valley, Wash.

Where did you go?

The Skagit Valley where I grew up. It had been 50 years since my last visit.
Where did you stay?My first exploration led me to the Chewuch Inn in Winthrop after a beautiful all-day drive through the North Cascades. The inn's Eagle's Nest suite, with its surrounding views, was a treat.

What did you do?

Those evergreens, beautiful landscapes, hills and snow-capped peaks overshadowed by Mt. Baker – which always seemed to be playing peeka-boo with me – were everywhere. My very favorite national park, North Cascades, is known mostly by fishermen and hunters and still has only one paved road. My husband and I enjoyed numerous backpacking adventures there, seldom meeting anyone on the trail except for the day I was balancing precariously while crossing a cold stream on a log. A stranger rounded the corner and asked, "Wonder what the folks back home would think of us now?" I began laughing and nearly fell off!

What did you eat?

The valley is known for its produce, so I often shared pies with friends and family – rhubarb with orange zest, green apple, raspberry.

• Where have you been? What did you do? Write us at Weekend

Full HTML version of this story which may include photos, graphics, and related links