Bothell's Country Village

The demarcation between city and country used to be the left turn you made from Main Street in downtown Bothell onto the mysterious and wooded Bothell-Everett Highway.  Everything's changed now, of course, except for a piece of country between busy Bothell Way and the high/bio-tech diversity of Canyon Park.  I'm referring to the shopping experience known as Country Village.

"Boutique shopping meets barnyard" is a good way to describe Country Village.  The charming shops are one-of-a-kind (no Starbucks here!) and feature everything from antiques to clothing to kettle corn.  You can visit with a wedding planner, have breakfast and get a massage - all in one visit.

Country Village looks festive year-round.  The business owners are committed to quaint and seasonal decorations, with profusions of flowers and herbs in the summer, corn stalks and pumpking galore in the fall and twinkling lights in towering firs in December. Chickens and roosters stroll throughout the complex and there's a large pond with dozens of ducks.  Since they live here year-round, by all means bring along a bag of breadcrumbs.  The ducks and geese at Country Village aren't shy about accepting hand-outs! 

Kids will enjoy the swing sets and playground out back.  This is also boarding central for the mini-locomotive that chugs through the Country Village grounds, rain or shine.  There are also special events, depending on the season:  Farmer's Market in the summer, trick-or-treating at Halloween and Santa in December - there's always something happening at Country Village!

It's especially lovely in the holiday season.  Just imagine sipping a hot chocolate pond-side after an afternoon of shopping, the Christmas lights a-twinkle in the dusk and reflected on the water.  Country Village is a welcome refuge and alternative to the mall, the service is personalized, the experience unique--and it's right next door.