Stanwood and the northern end of Camano Island lie at the edge of the Skagit Delta, where the Stillaguamish River spreads into a flat, fertile plain and meets the waters of Port Susan. The land is as flat as a table, and the horizon is filled by the Cascades to the east and the Olympics to the west. This is a landscape of dairy farms, fields of peas and potatoes, and drainage ditches, with huge skies and a strong smell of earth and sea.
In winter the delta becomes one of the great bird-watching sites of the Pacific coast. Tens of thousands of snow geese arrive from Siberia, along with trumpeter swans and swarms of raptors, including bald eagles, peregrine falcons and snowy owls in some years. The fields turn white with geese, and the air fills with their noise. In April, the nearby Skagit Valley comes alive with tulip fields in yellow, red and pink, and the whole area is thick with visitors.
The label mentions the Olympic Peninsula, which lies across the water, and a ferry from nearby Whidbey Island will take you there. But this corner has its own pleasures. Stanwood was settled by Scandinavian farmers in the late nineteenth century, and its old buildings and cemeteries reflect that heritage. Camano Island State Park offers beaches, forest paths and views over the sound, and the water is cold but clear.
Stanwood has about seven thousand people, with a fuel station, supermarket and some cafes, while Camano, a larger area, has a few shops and a small marina. The roads are flat and straight, with fields on either side, and a strong crosswind is common, so keep a firm hold of the handlebars. In misty weather, the fields look like a painting, with soft light and dim shapes. For a quiet day beside the water, with plenty of birds and few people, it is hard to beat.