Roslyn

I noticed, shortly after arriving, that Washington has a plethora of towns with personal names. Some of my favorites are: Daisy, Adelaide, Mack, Sam, Doris, Elmer, Flora, Roy...the list goes on and on-- all of them sweetly amusing names for a town. I have not visited all of these hamlets but I plan to make it a priority to do so during my stay in Washington. One of my favorite “name towns” I have visited and want to keep visiting is the wonderful, old mining town of Roslyn, Washington. I will have to say that I was smitten with Roslyn the moment I laid eyes on her. Snuggled high up in the Cascade Mountains, Roslyn is an old fashioned girl at heart. Half the town seems to be on the historical register; I felt like had stepped back in time the moment I came into town.

The old downtown of Roslyn, WA.

There are no fast food joints, no Walmarts or their ilk, no strip malls, no planned community housing developments, no mega mansions, no prefab housing, very little cinder block...it was a breath of fresh air for me. I was enchanted, driving down the main drag of Roslyn, to see unique homes and buildings that all looked like they had tales to tell. A great first stop when you get into town is the Roslyn Museum.

A description of the museum says:

"The museum is a reflection of Roslyn, it's tenacity, love of life and the richly seasoned ethnic mix that once represented more than 20 nationalities, and still does in the genealogy of it's inhabitants and former residents." 

I adore this mini frigidaire clock.

This a good place to get your bearings, talk to the ultra-friendly staff, pick up a map or two and develop a plan to get the most out of your day in Roslyn. The museum is small but it is crammed to the ceilings with all sorts of random Roslyn memorabilia from top hats to mining equipment to year books and old photograph albums. Speaking of old photographs there is a wonderful photo archive of Roslyn (and some other great-looking old Washington towns) put up by Washington Rural Heritage.

The best sign in all of Roslyn.

One of the most fascinating things about Roslyn is they have 28 cemeteries! If you are an affectionado of the towns of the dead then plan on several hours if you want to take the grand tour. I found them so interesting and photoworthy that I am devoting the next blog post to them-- so stay tuned!

One of the best things to do in Roslyn is to just walk around the neighborhoods. Almost every home is worthy of a second look and often a long pause and some speculation about what it must be like to live there. I also enjoyed the plant life interwoven through the town. There were great big old cherry trees in many people's yards. We found this beauty in the front of a vacant house and picked a bowlful. I encourage everyone to spend a day in this tranquil, evocative place that is steeped in history and charm.