#2539 - Curlew Saloon, Curlew, WA - 5/25/2014

Curlew Saloon, Curlew, WA

As the curious flow of the Kettle River snakes back and forth across the U.S. and Canadian borders, from the Monashee Mountains to the Columbia River, it dips into Washington state around White Mountain and past a smattering of old buildings that is the unincorporated community of Curlew, WA. There's not a lot up here, just 10 miles south of the Canadian border in what was for a period considered a ghost town. There are no luxuries like a bank or gas station, but there is nice museum in a historical hotel, and lovely old saloon.

Curlew Saloon, Curlew, WA

It's said that during prohibition bootleggers would sneak in booze from Midway, British Columbia by floating barrels down the river into Curlew. Locals mark the tradition each first Sunday of June in Barrel Derby Days, wagering on how long it will take to reach the Curlew Town Bridge.

You can get your liquor legal inside the Curlew Saloon, and you can drink it under a taxidermy cougar leaping from the ceiling. You can also get a bite to eat, a cold, good beer, and maybe a jello shot if you're in that frame of mind. Someone told me they thought the place had been around since the 40s, but I don't have much to confirm the history of the place. But if you like old country saloons or ghost town like settings, this one must be on your list.

4 River St, Curlew, WA 99118                                         
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Reviews: yelp - tripadvisor