Though the beloved doughnuts sell out quickly in the morning hours, this downtown institution—it's been open for almost a century—has a full day's worth of treats. Breakfast casserole squares pack cheese and potato into a dense, almost portable meal, and paninis range from stacked giants to a simple grilled cheese. Look up before leaving to see the word "bakery" painted above the door in 18 different languages.

The relatively new hangout, coffee shop, and beer spot has plenty of space for crowds to spill out into outdoor patios and tents. It's the kind of place that kids, dogs, locals, and tourists all mix, with regular trivia nights and special dinners on the calendar. Food trucks are expected to round out the food offerings this year.

Sometimes you don't want a surprise. This eatery holds down main street with classics like prime rib sandwiches and fried cod fish-and-chips, plus a selection of steaks (it shares ownership with Seattle's JaK's Grill). A stone fireplace keeps the interior cozy on North Bend's many damp days, and sweet potato waffle fries elevate any order.

A lot of flavor and color gets packed into the small wedge-shaped building that holds a New Mexican restaurant that could hold its own against anything in Seattle. Giant burritos and saucy enchiladas make for multiple meals apiece, and the drinks cooler is stocked with the more obscure flavors of Jarritos. Seating is limited indoors but most locals are taking it to go anyway, and a patio more than doubles the number of tables.

It's hard to believe an outdoorsy town like this only has one brewer downtown—run by an owner who does it part time, at that. But Volition pours a range of IPAs, fruit sours, and more, and the building holds a collection of pinball machines to pass the time. The alleyway outdoor patio is more charming than it sounds.

Old school or new energy? Both forms of ice cream are available on North Bend's main street. Scott's Dairy Freeze operates out of neon-lit building that hasn't changed much since its 1951 opening. Ice cream fuels its shakes, malts, floats, and candy-swirled avalanches. Down a few blocks, Friends and Co. dishes tidy scoops of Snoqualmie Ice Cream in a gleaming white space with sidewalk seating.

With Mount Si looming over town and forests creeping up to the city limits, it's no wonder hiking is so hugely popular here. Favorite routes include Si and Little Si (take the bus from Seattle to skip the parking headache!), Rattlesnake Ledge, and Mailbox Peak. But the nearby Middle Fork region holds plenty of more empty routes.

Technically not in North Bend—Snoqualmie is its own town—but close enough to count as the biggest single attraction. The roaring waterfall has surpassed even its Twin Peaks notoriety to become a signature image of the Pacific Northwest, its 270 feet of white spray showing off the power that fuels the underground hydropower operations. The gift shop and visitor center next to the paved viewing trail is run by the Snoqualmie Tribe–owned Salish Lodge.

Besides the falls, the region is littered with spots made famous by David Lynch's bizarre Northwest epic (broadcast TV's most baffling drama in the early 1990s, with a reboot in 2017). The Reinig Bridge between North Bend and Snoqualmie has become known as "Ronette's" for one character, and Fall City's Roadhouse still operates as a restaurant. The building used on-screen as the sheriff's department is now DirtFish, offering technical off-road driving experiences.

Twede's Cafe, called the RR in the show, is the best place for Twin Peaks nostalgia; rebuilt after a fire in 2000, it functions as a serviceable retro diner among all the show memorabilia, and if the cherry pie is overly sweet, the coffee hold its own as famously "damn fine."

Swiss-born Martin Volken literally wrote the book on backcountry skiing in the Pacific Northwest, but his outdoor shop has gear for a wider range of activities, from hiking to climbing. The building also holds a corner devoted to his guiding service and a cafe with outdoor books at hand, ideal for planning adventures.

The roaming elk of the Snoqualmie Valley are on their own schedule, but it's not unusual to find them at parks just west of town. Tollgate includes a working refurbished farmstead and a playground, plus a killer view of Mount Si. When elk are present, it's best to give them a wide berth—they travel in sizable herds.

While the region has plenty of serious mountain biking, from Duthie Hill Mountain Bike Park to the Tokul network, more mellow routes appeal to the cruisers among us. It's all those former train tracks that once served logging and mining operations. Now they're the Snoqualmie Valley Trail, a gentle gravel route that heads more or less north-south from Duvall to North Bend, and the western terminus of the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail, which stretches all the way across Washington, including to a mile-long tunnel.

While most accommodations in North Bend proper are of the motel variety, the nearby waterfall-adjacent Salish earned a spot on our Best Hotels in Washington State list.  The restaurant's signature is to drizzle homemade honey (well, made by the bees that live in Salish's hives) over fresh biscuits. The spa has an indoor soaking pool as a pre- or post-treatment extra.

The Fall City address of this famous treehouse hotel is a short drive from North Bend and easily qualifies as an experience unto itself. The Treehouse Masters architect constructed the seven separate lofty homes around the property, including one that's ADA accessible. Tall Douglas fir trees maintain privacy and calm, and non-overnight guests can access the space through yoga classes and reservable tours.