This Month at The Willows Inn
Author, author. Dylan Tomine heads our way May 14-15 as the third in our popular author series. His story melds so perfectly with ours. Dylan and his family – wife, and two children – lived off the grid for a couple of years, foraging, farming, living off the land. His book, Closer to the Ground, weaves the story of that time, and he will bring it to life with you as a participant not only through discussion, but also meandering through our garden and the forest to forage.
The kitchen goes very green each May, surrounding our usual staples – fresh salmon, venison, razor clams – with varieties of aromatic baby greens on the array of tastes and bites. These come from the first planting April 1 in our new garden, produced precisely – as identified and requested by Chef Blaine from our new culinary farmer, Mary—only for your plates in our dining room and at the Beach Store Cafe. Tip: close your eyes as they rest on your tongue, and enjoy the mind-buzz.
Starting mid-month, the dining room sittings begin on Wednesdays. Dining-only reservations began May 1 (two weeks in advance, as overnight guests receive dinner priority). Downstairs, we’ve opened the Taproot to a seven-day schedule and added dinner on Mondays and Tuesdays when our main dining room is closed.
Beyond the table, you’ll now find an exciting menu of activities during your stay as the weather opens its arms to adventure – more than a dozen choices among four categories: Earth, Water, Air, and Artists/Farms/Other Places.
The calendar turned us toward anticipation, also, of the James Beard Foundation as it makes its awards May 6 in New York City. Chef Wetzel sits as a nominee. We’ll update you here immediately. Good luck vibes accepted, thank you.
Lummi Island Artists’ Studio Tour
This Memorial Day weekend, May 25 & 26, from 10am to 6pm, enjoy the Lummi Island Artists’ Studio Tour. Thirty Lummi Island artists and craftspeople offering their work at eighteen locations around the island. Enjoy sculpture, drawings, prints, pottery, jewelry, glass, woodwork, paintings, photography, clothing, leatherwork, notecards, quilts, metalwork, stonework, knitwear, and more!
The Willows Inn on Lummi Island
has opened its doors to guests for 103 years. And, in many ways, time has stood still in The Willows’ world, where American eagles soar, days melt passively, and barred owls punctuate silent nights.
While for decades a hidden gem, last year at the start of its second entury The Willows Inn arose in a long string of international media attention for its rare dining experience, led by a young, new shining star in the chef galaxy, Blaine Wetzel.
From the moment you arrive, you’ll find each of us on The Willows Inn team committed to providing an intimate, comfortable, and extraordinary experience of island charm, in addition to a uniquely sublime, prix fixe dinner.
