Sitting right where it has for the last 140-some-odd years, the historic wooden building that houses home and lifestyle boutique Go Outside welcomes folks to La Conner’s downtown. It was built in 1884, according to the plaque by its door, and was once the home of Puget Sound Mail newspaper. Now, the building is full of colorful, functional, and high-quality items curated by Karli Pickett.
The Shop
Pickett is the third owner of Go Outside, which was originally opened in the late 1980s. Born and raised in Mount Vernon, she comes from a Skagit-based family of business owners and entrepreneurs. After she purchased Go Outside from her godfather in March 2023, the store has evolved to reflect her love of being home, cooking, entertaining friends and family, gardening, and her art history background.
“I grew up going to the store, I’ve always loved it,” says Pickett. “[Owning] it’s been a lot of fun, a lot of work. It’s a lot of creativity, too, to put everything together.”
The Atmosphere
Locals and visitors alike adore Go Outside for its charm, unique items, and welcoming energy. Walking in feels like visiting a fun, stylish friend’s home.
“I hope people always feel welcomed,” says Pickett. “This store has a lot of local regulars, Seattle regulars, Bellingham regulars, and you really get to know them. It’s really fun having familiar faces pop in the door. I really love the people who come in here.”
Pickett is always bringing new items in, resulting in an ever-fresh inventory. She uses her arts background to plan seasonal displays. This past summer, the front of the store featured bright reds, whites, and blues, a handwoven hanging chair, and everything you might need for a crab cookout on the beach with friends. Between this seasonality and the store’s big windows, which connect the PNW climate outside to the lifestyle inside, you begin to understand Go Outside’s eponymous philosophy as it exists under Pickett.
The People
Pickett spends five days a week in the store and is responsible for the buying and most of the merchandising. She has a few helpers to cover the times she’s not there, including one employee who’s been with Go Outside since the previous owner.
What You’ll Find
When you think you’ve seen everything Go Outside has to offer, the next shelf will hold more surprises. There are clothes and accessories, home goods, some kitchenware and food items, books, self-care, and more. Pickett brings in stand-out versions of things we need every day, rather than keeping an endless array of beige basics in stock. There’s even a gardening section near the back of the store, which has been a part of Go Outside’s identity since the beginning.
Favorites
Pickett loves stocking Barbour, a British clothing line, for their stylish garments made to weather a climate much like ours. She adores French textile line Moismont, Linnea candles out of the Midwest, and home goods from Bitters Co. in Skagit.
“When you find those products that you really believe in, and they fit all your ethos…it’s just the best,” she says. “I really care about quality and having…things that you just don’t see everywhere.”
Pickett also enjoys adding antiques from her travels and handmade goods from more local makers to her inventory here and there. Handbags made by Everett-based artisan Madeline Chadwick always sell well.
A Charming La Conner Getaway at Go Outside
As of this September, Pickett is hoping to get the official go-ahead for a new project: creating a small Airbnb in the back of Go Outside. With approval from both La Conner and Skagit County, she’ll transform the backroom of the building (which was once used as living quarters for a Vaudevillian performer, according to Pickett’s recounting of local lore) into a “cozy and warm” place to stay.
“I want to have a little welcome basket for people,” she says with excitement. “It just seems like a fun, creative outlet for me, to design this little space…for people where they can stay for a couple of nights.”
The renovations will include adding a door, putting up custom-designed wallpaper by a Mount Vernon artist, and furnishing the space with items from Go Outside’s inventory. In that way, it will be a living incarnation of the colorful, fun, and functional home that Go Outside’s items fit right into.
The space will open onto Go Outside’s large wooden deck and green backyard, where visitors can enjoy sunny weather and Pickett’s penchant for roses. It’ll provide charming accommodation within La Conner’s commercial zone, with easy access to all of its shopping, dining, and waterfront views. Pickett also has dreams of adding two shepherd’s hut Airbnbs to the backyard, a type of micro-lodging that often takes the form of covered wagons.
111 Morris St., La Conner, 360.466.4836, gooutsidelaconner.com
Photograph by Kristen Boehm
