Exploring the Wider Sunnyside Community: On the Edge of the Wild — Newsletter, March 29, 2026
One of the things we love about Sunnyside Village is that it’s not just about the homes — or even just the community — it’s also about where we are. What surrounds us. What’s just beyond.
Our explorer, Melissa
Recently, one of our newer explorers, Melissa (joining us from the East Coast), wrote with a simple and thoughtful question: What’s it like beyond Sunnyside?
Melissa loves the outdoors — hiking, biking, horseback riding, skiing — and she’s curious about the bigger picture. Not just Marysville, but the feel of Snohomish County. The small towns. The trails. The places you find yourself going on a Saturday afternoon. It’s a great question — and one we’ve all been discovering in our own ways.
Downtown Snohomish, Washington
Just a few minutes from Sunnyside, there’s downtown Snohomish — a favorite for many of us. Historic storefronts, local shops for antiquing, places to wander without much of a plan. It’s the kind of small town where you go for a quick stop and end up staying longer.
Our member, Jo
Then there’s Lord Hill Regional Park — big, winding, and just wild enough to feel like you’ve stepped away from everything. Sunnyside member Jo shared a story of getting a little lost there once and finding herself in an overgrown hollow with a quiet creek and a great blue heron. One of those wonderful and unexpected, grounding moments.
And then, head east.
North Cascades National Park
In less than an hour, you’re in the Cascade Mountains — along Highway 2 near Index and the Skykomish Valley. This is where the landscape shifts. Forested trails, waterfalls, mountain air. The kind of places that invite you to spend a whole day — or more — exploring. In the winter, that same direction leads to skiing. In the warmer months, hiking, biking, and just being outside. Sunnyside also sits west of the Mt. Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest, which means that access to nature isn’t something far away — it’s part of everyday life here.
And then there’s the water.
Arial view of Puget Sound from Sunnyside property
Head west and you reach Puget Sound — the Everett waterfront, the open shoreline, ferries in the distance, and a wide sky that feels different from the forest. For many of us, having both mountains and water nearby is part of what makes this place feel balanced.
Closing Thoughts
For Jo, and for many of us, that combination is a big part of the draw — the closeness to forests, mountains, trails… and the sea.
And maybe that’s the answer to Melissa’s question.
It’s not just one place. It’s the range of places.
A morning hike.
A bike ride later on.
Stopping somewhere in Snohomish for coffee or tea (we had to add tea — after all, it is cohousing).
And then heading home… to neighbors, shared meals, and familiar faces.
That’s the wider community of Sunnyside Village.
Warmly,
Norm & Jennie and all of us at Sunnyside Village Cohousing