A summer love letter to Vashon
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, May 26, 2026
It’s almost June — arguably the best month of the year — and this week, it arrives with a little extra shine: Destination Vashon is tucked inside this edition of The Beachcomber.
Putting together a lively tourist magazine while also producing a weekly newspaper is no small feat. There are regular stories to report, pages to edit, photos to track down, deadlines to meet and all the usual surprises that come with putting out a newspaper. Then, alongside all of that, there is the work of trying to capture the spirit of an island that many of us know intimately, but that still somehow manages to surprise us every summer.
That is the joy and challenge of Destination Vashon.
The magazine is meant for visitors, of course — for people stepping off the ferry, maybe for the first time, wondering where to eat, what beach to visit, which gallery to wander into or how best to spend a summer afternoon here. But I hope it is also for those of us who live here. Sometimes, seeing Vashon through a visitor’s eyes reminds us why we fell in love with this place in the first place.
It reminds us of the quiet beauty of KVI Beach, the charm of Dockton, the winding roads beneath summer trees, and the artists, farmers, shopkeepers and musicians who make this island feel unlike anywhere else.
And telling those stories would not be possible without the many islanders who stepped up to help make this issue happen.
To our writers, photographers, contributors and community members who gave their time, creativity and care to this project: thank you. Destination Vashon is stronger, brighter and more complete because of you.
A special shoutout goes to island photographers Ray Pfortner, whose stunning cover photo helps set the tone for the whole magazine, as well as Terry Donnelly, Kent Phelan and so many others who bring both our weekly Beachcombers and Destination Vashon to life.
Photography does something words often cannot: it lets readers feel the light on the water, the character in a face, the movement of a parade, the quiet of a beach or the charm of a well-loved storefront. At a small paper like ours, we are incredibly lucky to have talented photographers so willing to jump in, share their eyes for this place and help us show Vashon in all its texture and beauty.
A special thank you, too, to Scarlet Hansen, who jumped into The Beachcomber during one of the busiest production stretches of the year. While we were going to press with Destination Vashon, she wrote wonderful features, helped report the news of the week and did it all while starting a new job.
The Beachcomber and Destination Vashon would not be possible without all of you. In the truest sense, this work is a labor of love — not just from the people who put the pages together, but from the community that fills them.
I hope this year’s Destination Vashon gets you especially excited for the summer season. You’ll have to read it to find out what’s coming, what you can’t miss and what might belong on your own good old-fashioned summer bucket list.
So sit back — ideally in the sun, preferably at KVI Beach, Dockton Park or anywhere with a view of the Salish Sea — and read about this whimsical island. Remember a few things you already know. Discover a few things you don’t.
Happy reading.
— Aspen Anderson, Editor
