Tulips, artists and history create waterfront charm

By TERESA TALERICO
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

What do tulips, tourists and author Tom Robbins have in common?

La Conner, of course.

Since its early days as a Swinomish Indian settlement, this quaint Skagit Valley town has been "discovered" several times over and experienced a number of transformations. It has gone from quiet fishing village to mystical mecca for artists, writers and hippies to tourist town invaded every spring by visitors gone ga-ga over the famous tulips that blanket the fields in brilliant reds, yellows, pinks and purples.

Through it all, La Conner has maintained its plucky small-town spirit.

"It used to be you would go to Seattle to The Bon Marche and say, 'I'm from La Conner,' and people would say, 'Where the hell is that?' " says Roberta Nelson, a 77-year-old native and former City Council member. "Now, the other day, I mentioned it in Puerto Vallarta, and people knew where it was."

Today's La Conner, with a population of about 775, reflects an eclectic blend of the dreams and personalities of all its settlers.

Almost a third of the La Conner School District's students are Swinomish tribal members, who live on a reservation across the channel; the gym is named for star Indian athlete and coach Landy James. Electives include Native American carving and weaving classes, and plans are in the works to develop a Swinomish curriculum.

The area's remaining farmers still tend fields of cucumbers, peas, potatoes and seed crops and many meet each morning at the La Conner Tavern to drink 75-cent coffee, play dice, gossip and discuss high school basketball.

Local artists -- many who arrived in the wave of talent that followed Morris Graves and Guy Anderson -- have also found a niche. They paint, sculpt, teach, sell their works and contribute to the Museum of Northwest Art, the only art museum between Seattle and Bellingham.

Situated along the Swinomish Channel, the town boasts a main street lined with cute shops, antique stores and galleries. Bed-and-breakfasts are tucked into turn-of-the-century neighborhoods.

Though an unmistakable tourist draw, First Street features quality goods, many crafted by local artists. Don't come here expecting "I Love La Conner" key chains, magnets and T-shirts. Instead, the town's shopping district, including the Legends Gallery of Indian art, sells original and unique art pieces. Local artists showcase their talents in the annual "Arts Alive" celebration, where you can watch them sculpt, paint and make jewelry.

"The artistic sensibility has permeated into the retail sector," says Susan Parke, director of the Museum of Northwest Art.

Stacy Genandt, a 29-year-old waitress at the La Conner Tavern, put it even more succinctly.

"It's artsy-fartsy," she says with a laugh.

With its brooding beauty and rustic feel, La Conner has indeed served as a muse for creative types. Tom Robbins, author of "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues," "Jitterbug Perfume" and "Skinny Legs and All," moved here in 1970. Like other artists and writers, he was attracted by La Conner's physical beauty and (back then) cheap property. Robbins bought a cottage for $5,400.

"The twisted firs and the mist . . . it looked like something out of a Sung Dynasty painting," recalls Robbins. "It was peaceful and private and, last but not least, inexpensive."

And it was tough to keep La Conner a secret. Tourists have flocked here as faithfully as the snow geese and trumpeter swans migrating here every winter. The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, founded 16 years ago, encouraged even more visitors to explore the once-sleepy village each April. Many residents flee during the three-week festival, escaping the traffic and congestion.