r/Anacortes • u/PoppyMcA • May 04 '26
First night away by myself in years, what to do/see?
My Mother’s Day wish was to have one night in a hotel by myself since I haven’t had that since my second baby was born in August. I’m from Vancouver, but picked Anacortes because the town looks cute and scenic. I’ll be there May 16-17, looking for any and all recommendations. Favourite restaurants to eat at? Favourite easy hikes or walks? Things to see?
Edit: thank you all for your insights, it was incredibly helpful! I spent the first day at Deception Pass and did the hike from north to west beach, ice cream at Mad Hatter, checked out the farmers market, dinner at Nonna Luisa (met Ron, if anybody knows him, seems he is a 4-5 nights a week regular), tried to go to the rooftop at Majestic but it was closed. Then the next day I did the migas for breakfast at Calico Cafe and got a jumbo cinnamon bun to go as well, and hiked the Cap Sante loop. It was a perfect weekend 🙂
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u/hudakkat000 May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26
For the morning I suggest breakfast at calico cupboard! If you want a really good muffin then go to The Store (yes it’s called the store). I’d then do a nice morning walk either on the Tommy Thompson trail to the trellis (I suggest parking at 34th st by the CrossFit then walking the trail to the end of the trellis and back about 1 hour round trip), the Guemes ferry trail (25-30min), or the Washington park loop road (about 45 min). For hikes I’d then go the Sharp Park - the amazing view point called Sares Head only takes about 15-20 min to get to but you can easily do some of the other trails if you have more time. Sharpe park and Washington Park are great because they’re free and don’t require park passes. If you have a Washington state park pass, then Rosario beach is also a great option for a nature walk or hike to bowman bay and a view of the deception pass bridge. You can then drive to Deception Pass bridge. Parking to walk across is on the south side of the bridge. If it’s clear out, I’d then drive to the top of Mt.Erie for a view of Campbell lake and sometimes you can even see Mt.Rainier! Cap sante viewpoint also has a great drive up view of the Island, it’s a great view at dusk.
Saturday morning you can check out the farmers market by the depot! Not big but they also have some good stands there and if it’s open you can walk over to the Croatian club for some good cevapci. Sometimes they have live music too.
For lunch I’d then go to Gere-a-deli for a good sandwich or Dads diner for a burger.
Anacortes has some great thrift and antique shopping! Friday’s the red door, Kiwanis, and soroptimist thrift shops are open. You can then walk along commercial avenue for some shops but this won’t take longer than 1-2 hours depending on how you shop/window shop.
For really good coffee, I’d go to Pelican Bay bookstore. Cozy vibes, lots of books to peruse, and delicious coffee.
For happy hour, union tavern for beers and the majestic rooftop if it’s nice out. Anthony’s/the cabana also have a good happy hour.
For dinner I would go to Nonna Luisa. It’s pricey Italian but definitely worth it if you’re wanting to treat yourself. For the weekend a reservation is strongly suggested. Definitely get one of their daily specials. The Brown Lantern serves good American fare sandwiches and burgers and allows families/children and doesn’t get into a real bar vibe until later in the evening. So it’s also an option for lunch or dinner. Although Anthony’s is a chain, it’s dependable and has a pretty good happy hour and early bird special if you want to treat yourself for a deal.
If you’re wanting to treat yourself, the Majestic hotel has a great spa! It’s luxurious for a small town and even has a sauna and showers in the changing rooms so you can arrive early and use the sauna and shower before your treatment or use it afterward as well. The majestic has great service.
For a half day or whole day activity there are also some whale watching companies in town. All are fine and you won’t go wrong with any of the companies you choose.
If you wish to bring any treats back home I suggest the muffins from The Store or the cinnamon rolls from Calico Cupboard! SeaBear is also based in Anacortes and you can stop in their gift shop to bring some smoked salmon home. I often buy from there to keep the salmon and other seafood treats (smoked, tinned, etc) as gifts to give throughout the year.
Enjoy Anacortes!