After five long hours on Washington state roads, and a mountain range behind us, we finally rolled into Twisp. A motel sign greeted us with a gentle command: “Idle-A-While.”
So we did.
We dropped our bags, took a breath and headed downtown for grub.
Set along Highway 20 in the heart of the Methow Valley, Twisp blends front-porch charm with artistic flair, outdoor grit and a dash of quirk.
Or, as its homepage proudly puts it: “A fun, funky and friendly mountain town.”
This pocket of North Central Washington draws visitors year-round for hiking, rafting, skiing and fly-fishing. Come fall, “Larch Madness” sweeps the region as alpine trees blaze gold and orange. Winter brings a deep chill – the kind that inspired Eddie Bauer to name a down jacket after Twisp, built to stand up to the Okanogan County cold.
Ten miles north is Winthrop, a tourist town known for its Old West storefronts. Our friend Sue Misao lives 10 miles south of Twisp, in tiny Carlton. Sue was the reason we made the trip: my husband Max at the wheel, writer Janice Podsada with her dog Viggo in her lap and two scenic routes at our disposal.
On a hot summer day, we headed out from Everett before noon and took the winding North Cascades Scenic Highway. MapQuest said it was four hours, but with the Burlington train, scenic distractions and coffee pit stops, it was more like five. On the way back, we took the Cascade Loop south, through apple orchards and Leavenworth.
The beautiful, winding road of the North Cascades Scenic Highway.
READ MORE: Take the North Cascades Scenic Highway and do the Cascade Loop
We’d heard Sue rave about the Methow Valley for years. It’s pronounced “Met-how” – as in “how we met.” Fitting, since we all met at The Daily Herald, where Sue worked before moving on to The Seattle Times.
Now retired, Sue recently built a vacation cabin in Carlton on land she bought 28 years ago. She never really planned to move back, but here she is. She used to write a column about Carlton for the Methow Valley News. It was years ago, but locals still talk about it.
“Don’t forget Carlton,” she told us more than once. “All these papers write about Twisp and Winthrop and they never mention Carlton.”
Here’s the lowdown on Carlton from Sue: “We’ve got a general store with gas pumps and free wifi, a cannabis shop, a post office, a fire station and the best swimming hole in the valley, but don’t tell anyone that. We don’t have a restaurant or a Ferris wheel. But we should.”
BBQ, BROWSING & BRAS
After checking into the Idle-A-While Motel, we grabbed takeout from 1908 BBQ & Bourbon (best cornbread ever) on Glover Street to bring down to Carlton. Even after we’d driven five hours to see her, Sue wasn’t cooking, but she did have wine, so all was forgiven.
The next morning, we idled longer than we should have. When we finally shuffled the half-mile to Glover Street, the beating heart of downtown, it was lunchtime.
Plenty of choices tempted us: Cinnamon Twisp Bakery. El Valle Restaurant. BJ’s Branding Iron Saloon.
Sue vouched for El Valle’s generous portions.
My plate disappeared beneath a pile of biscuits and gravy, which Max finished off after cleaning his own. Sue doused her meal in ketchup and called it perfect. Janice made a dent in her mega omelet, and Viggo took care of the rest.
Across Glover Street, two antler-wearing mannequins posed on the roof of Thrifty Fox, a secondhand store.
The sidewalk sale offered a baby-blue leisure suit waiting for its disco moment and a poofy red blouse paired with a black pleather skirt. There was one dressing room. In it, a basket of bras at the ready. I scored designer jeans for $10 and a $3 hoodie.
Payment options: Venmo, cash or local checks accepted. Didn’t ask if Carlton counts.
Purchase Photo
SMILE, BABY — YOU’RE IN TWISP
The name “Twisp” comes from a Methow tribal word meaning wasp or hornet, inspired by the buzzing sound: twissssp.
A yellow jacket sculpture titled Beeest with six-foot metal wings perches 15 feet in the air near the community center, a former school now home to the library, senior center, auditorium and a century’s worth of class photos on the walls.
Twisp is a town with a past – and a promising future.
It is an official Washington State Creative District, recognized since 2019 for its thriving arts and culture scene.
We walked off lunch with a memory lane tour led by Sue and under the distant watchful eyes of the antlered mannequins on the roof.
First stop: True North Letterpress, a tactile, artful shop filled with paper, ink and character. The metal-and-wood kind.
At the Merc Playhouse, the front door was open, so we wandered in. The theater is a hub for community plays, live music, improv and kids’ workshops.
Outside is a mural tribute to the people who’ve taken the stage over the years. The bold color and expressive brushwork spans the entire side of the corner building.
A few doors down Glover, the Confluence Gallery had a show of recycled art, such as a dress made from plastic baby doll limbs and pop art from bottle caps.
We passed Sawtooth Dental and chuckled. No wonder Sue still goes back to Everett for her dental visits. Kidding aside, it was named for the nearby mountain range.
Then we saw it: an SUV covered in orange fur, ears on the roof and a tail dragging behind – the Thrifty Fox’s parade float, parked in an alley waiting for its next cavalcade.
Twisp events include the July 4th Methow Arts Festival, Fall Art Walk and the quirky Trashion Show, a runway of wearable art made from junk.
On a side street, we talked across a picket fence with yet another of Sue’s old friends who saw her walk by and wanted to welcome her back.
The Merc Playhouse, once home of the Twisp Mercantile, hosts theater, music, lectures and other productions throughout the year in Twisp. (Sue Misao)
Purchase Photo
From there we explored TwispWorks, a 6.4-acre former U.S. Forest Service campus turned creative hub with more than 40 studios, shops, nonprofits and businesses. There were doughnuts. A Sri Lankan food truck. A brewery. Another letterpress studio.
Final stop: Methow Valley News headquarters, where Sue is back to writing, this time a column called “SueReal.”
“Sue hasn’t lost her knack for unique but spot-on observation,” editor Don Nelson told readers.
Even without a Sue to visit, Twisp is worth the drive. It’s a fun destination for cornbread and creativity. Bring your Eddie Bauer jacket in the winter. If you forget, the Thrifty Fox can fix you up.
IF YOU GO
Check out twispwa.com, townoftwisp.com and okanogancountry.com for more information.
This story originally appeared in Sound & Summit magazine, The Daily Herald’s quarterly publication exploring Snohomish and Island counties with each issue.
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The Merc Playhouse, once home of the Twisp Mercantile, hosts theater, music, lectures and other productions throughout the year in Twisp. (Sue Misao)
