It has been called quaint and picturesque. It has been compared to Mayberry, North Carolina, the fictional television town of Andy Griffith in the 1960’s.

In an age of strip malls and big box stores, downtown Vernonia is a throw back to a by-gone era where the person working the counter is often the owner of the shop.

Downtown Vernonia certainly has it’s own special appeal and small town charm. The boundaries are unofficial but most locals consider the flashing light (and the only traffic light in town, another bit of small town charm) and the Rock Creek Bridge to be the borders of downtown.

The downtown features the usual rural amenities: a post office, a grocery store, two hardware stores, a dentist office, a bank and a credit union. There is also a laundromat, a handful of real estate agents, two bars and a couple of second hand stores.

What you might be surprised to find in this bucolic setting is the Grey Dawn Gallery, which specializes in fine northwest art and features a collection of work by renowned color landscape photographer Christopher Burkett. Owners Dan and Heidi offer custom framing services; Dan also runs his custom furniture making business, Hardwood Originals from his shop in the back of the building.

Muffy’s is another surprising business that’s made their home in downtown Vernonia. Muffy’s is the ultimate source of saddle shoes (that’s right, saddle shoes!) and believes they have the largest retail selection in the world for women, children and men. When costume designers in the film industry need to recreate a bygone era they turn to Muffy’s and so can you. Their new stock comes from current manufacturers. Muffy’s also carries more than just new saddle shoes; their stock includes work boots, dress boots, one-of-a kind pre-worn shoes and more.

Out on a Limb features gifts, décor items, and antiques. Providing one-stop shopping for cards, gifts for any occasion with a country theme.

One unexpected treat about Vernonia are the numerous restaurants. Downtown Vernonia has seven places you can eat, with a wide variety of choices, all within a few blocks of each other. From American grill to Mexican to Middle Eastern food, Vernonia just about has it all.

Gretchen’s Saddlery makes high quality, handcrafted saddles, tack and leather items, including belts, wallets handbags and more, all at affordable prices. It’s a craft from another era brought back to life in small town Vernonia.

Natural Path Health Services is a Naturopathic and Chinese medicine clinic.   Dr. Carol McIntyre treats patients using a combination of different modalities including Acupuncture, spinal manipulation, nutritional and herbal therapies and more.