Qualla: Edmonds

Edmonds: Introduction

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Sea Cow, CC BY-SA 4.0. Rick Steves could live anywhere. The travel guru who taught America to pack light and explore Europe has built his empire from this small waterfront city north of Seattle, and there's a reason he stayed. Edmonds is what Puget Sound towns looked like before tech money homogenized them - a walkable downtown facing the water, ferries churning toward the Kitsap Peninsula, Amtrak trains pausing at a station steps from the beach. The city of 40,000 manages to feel like a seaside village, its main street lined with galleries and cafes rather than chain stores, its parks offering views across the Sound to the Olympic Mountains.

Read more: Edmonds on Qualla

Image: Sea Cow | CC BY-SA 4.0

Edmonds: The Ferry Town

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Pfly (User:Pfly). Original uploader was Hojimachong at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.0. The Edmonds-Kingston ferry runs every 30 minutes in peak hours, carrying commuters and tourists between Puget Sound's eastern and western shores. The crossing takes about 30 minutes, time enough to step outside on the car deck and watch the mountains materialize from the marine h...

Read more: Edmonds on Qualla

Image: Pfly (User:Pfly). Original uploader was Hojimachong at en.wikipedia | CC BY-SA 2.0

Edmonds: Underwater Treasures

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit SounderBruce, CC BY-SA 4.0. The cold waters of Puget Sound don't invite casual swimming, but divers have discovered something remarkable off Edmonds: the Underwater Park, one of the best shore dives in Washington. Artificial reefs, sunken structures, and the natural bottom topography combine to create a mar...

Read more: Edmonds on Qualla

Image: SounderBruce | CC BY-SA 4.0

Edmonds: Main Street Character

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit SounderBruce from Seattle, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0. Downtown Edmonds feels like what urban planners dream about - a genuine main street that survived the mall era, where local businesses thrive in storefronts that face the water. Galleries show regional artists. Bookstores remain viable. Restaurants range from white-tablecloth to ...

Read more: Edmonds on Qualla

Image: SounderBruce from Seattle, United States | CC BY-SA 2.0

Edmonds: The Sound Connection

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Ron Clausen, CC BY-SA 4.0. Puget Sound defines everything about Edmonds - the weather, the views, the transportation, the character. The city is one of the few Seattle-area business districts that actually faces the water, rather than building up behind a seawall or industrial waterfront. The result is a c...

Read more: Edmonds on Qualla

Image: Ron Clausen | CC BY-SA 4.0