After closing years ago, the Deception Pass Visitor Center is opening up again and will offer services that benefit both tourists and residents.
The Visitor Center, operated by Oak Harbor residents Tim and Chong McCarthy, offers a souvenir and gift shop; espresso, stand, complete with a drive through window; and a consignment art gallery featuring local artists.
Tim said 17 artists have agreed to sell their art at the Visitor Center, which is located in the log building near the entrance to Deception Pass State Park on Whidbey Island.
He said it wasn’t hard to get a find artists willing to consign their work.
“It’s all been word of mouth,†Tim said.
Art at the gallery features paintings, photos and poetry — all from local artists.
While the Visitor Center provides a forum for local artists to sell their work, it will also provide a place for artists to develop their skills.
Chong said she is planning to offer small art classes for local adults. She is planning to offer classes for six-to-eight people at a time.
“We’re trying to get a community of people to help each other,†Chong said.
In addition to the art focus, she is also offering several unique gifts.
Chong said she is also featuring an oak charcoal bonsai. The pieces are slow-baked in a 1,200-degree oven for five days. In addition to looking good, it helps with household humidity and eliminates nasty household odors and bacteria.
She said she hopes to eventually distribute the product.
Another item Chong pointed out is a salt lamp that is imported from Korea.
Tim said they wanted to open their business close to their Oak Harbor home.
“This is our attempt to get reconnected to Oak Harbor,†McCarthy said.
The Deception Pass Visitor Center opens Monday at 6 a.m. It currently employs 10 people. A ribbon cutting is scheduled for Monday, April 25, at 4 p.m.
The center, however, does have several challenges.
Currently the only access into the center’s parking lot is from southbound Highway 20 and customers can only make right turns out of the business.
Both Chong and Tim said that will change when the safety project on Highway 20 takes place. That project is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2006. They said they will get a left turn access into the lot while keeping the right-turn only access out of their lot.
