Celebrating Life at the Downey House

The Bed and Breakfast Locator
Every spring the lush farmlands of Washington state’s Skagit Valley burst with color. Seas on brilliant tulips blanket the land, and ribbons of crimson, gold, pink, and violet stretch into the distance. For several weeks each April, the valley on Washington’s northern coast hosts The Tulip Festival: a celebration of life and color.

Signs marked “tulip route” guide visitors through the maze of flowers. Smooth, flat roads make bicycling a favorite mode of transportation for festival-goers while a tulip transport bus is available for those not wanting to drive or bike. A variety of display gardens on the route provide visitors with a chance to walk through and enjoy a colorful tapestry flowers.

The West Shore Acres display garden on the Swimomish River surrounds an 1886 Victorian home. A windmill at Roosengaarde gardens is the centerpiece for a mosaic of tulips and daffodils. The tulip route also offers an excellent opportunity to view the turn of the century churches and homes dotting the Skagit Valley’s pastoral landscape. Just minutes from the tulip fields, stands the Downey House Bed and Breakfast inviting you to step back in time.

This Victorian farmhouse and hosts Jim and Kay Frey welcome guests with open arms. The Freys have lived in the Downey House for 27 years and love to share its magic with others. Asked about her favorite part of running a bed and breakfast, Kay said, “I love having the house so full of life.”

The home’s country charm and the Frey’s hospitality give the feeling of “coming home,” and when visitors leave the Downey House, they feel more like family than guests.

Peter Downey, a Skagit Valley pioneer, originally built the house for his son in 1904. It was later sold, and in 1965, the new owners offered to give the old farmhouse to anyone willing to move it. Falling in love with the home, Jim and Kay made immediate arrangements to buy land and move the house. They raised their family of three children in the home, and seven years ago, after their youngest son left for college, decided to start a bed and breakfast.

The roots of Jim and Kay’s families lie in the Skagit Valley, and they’ve attempted to reflect that heritage in their restoration of the Downey House. Each of the four upstairs bedrooms: Bergland, Randall, McCormick, and Frey, is named after one of Jim and Kay’s parents. These rooms, two with private baths, offer a breathtaking view of the tulip fields, the Cascade Mountains, and, on a clear day, Mt. Baker. The fifth guest room, separate from the house, is named after Peter Downey. The rooms are decorated with family antiques and collectibles, quilts, and preserved family photographs. Historical photos of the valley line the hall and stairway.

Most of the antique furniture adorning the home was refinished by the Freys. Each piece has its own story. Jim purchased the chairs in the kitchen from a church in the town where he was born, and the china closet belonged to Kay’s great-grandmother McCormick, a friend of the original Downey family. Many other pieces in the home also belonged to Kay’s great-grandmother.

The Freys serve a hearty country breakfast in the dining room where guests sit together at the antique oak table to eat and visit. Breakfast may consist of grapefruit and kiwi, Kay’s homemade granola with raspberry yogurt, and crepes garnished with a fresh flower and topped with your choice of peach sauce, blueberries, malt syrup with almonds or whipped creme. On another morning, a fresh fruit salad, granola, ham, scrambled eggs with cream cheese and chives, and flaky biscuits may grace the table. Whatever they cook, it’s sure to be delicious. Homemade dessert is also served in the evenings.

Jim and Kay encourage guests to make themselves at home. The blazing fire in the sitting room invites you to sink into the pillows on the sofa, sip a steaming mug of tea or coffee, read a good book, or simply stare into the flames. Kay’s flower garden, a perfect place to stroll and relish the beauty of the Skagit flatlands, nestles the side of the house. Visitors can also relax in the wicker chairs on the front porch, visit with the Freys, or soak in the hot tub out back. Whether you visit the Skagit Valley to enjoy the tulip festival or just experience Jim and Kay’s hospitality, going home to the Downey House is a celebration of life at its best.