Photos

The Birds of Mukilteo Lighthouse Park

/ Roadtirementvintage / 21 Comments

 

Like us, this gull enjoyed just watching the water

One thing you can always count on at the Mukilteo Lighthouse Park is seeing birds. We mean seeing lots and lots of birds. When we visited we saw crows, pigeons and of course different species of gulls. We saw them everywhere.

Staking claim to a picnic table

Stretching its wings

 

 

 

 

 

It was interesting to note that these birds were so used to people, dogs, and moving vehicles. When we drove through the parking lot birds were in the unoccupied parking spots, but kept the drive lanes clear.

What???

The picture above shows the public boat ramp and twin docks. So what is the deal with the birds here? What is wrong with the right dock, or what is so appealing to be on the left dock? The gulls were still boycotting that right side dock when we left.

 

Cotton Candy Grapes taste, ah, different

/ Roadtirementvintage / 35 Comments

No pink, sugary, fluffy and sticky confection here

There it was : grapes labeled Cotton Candy

We thought the name on the bag of grapes was a cute company name: Cotton Candy. But no, that was the name and flavor of the grapes themselves. Welcome to the wonderful world of designer fruit.

They are not GMO. Seriously, they are not.

Our daughter tells us that this brand of grapes shows up just once a year, and is usually found on the grocery shelves for at most a few weeks in August and September.  The grapes are grown by a California company named the Grapery. And yes, they do taste like cotton candy!

Details are listed here on the package.

The history is that this variety of grapes was developed over a period of eight years of cross-breeding different strains of grapes. The hybrid Cotton Candy Grape is the result that is available now each fall. The Grapery has its vineyards in California’s southern San Joaquin Valley. The Grapery has other varieties of unique grapes, including Gum Drops and Moon Drops. Look for them during your next grocery shopping trip.

Spotted on Snoqualmie’s Railroad Avenue

/ Roadtirementvintage / 21 Comments

Snoqualmie is a lovely town about 30 miles east of Seattle. It has a colorful history and is situated between the Snoqualmie Casino to the south and and the famous Snoqualmie Falls to the north. Railroad Avenue follows the twin tracks through town and features lots of interesting sites, businesses and shops.

Hear are a few things that caught our eye:

An interesting sight

Describing the wheel above

The Snoqualmie Depot, home of the Northwest Railway Museum

Depot history and information plaque

The Railroad was first constructed in 1889 and opened up the timber and lumber industry. Prior to the railroad, logs were floated down the river and over the falls. The Depot pictured above is now home to the Northwest Railway Museum. Engines, freight cars, passenger cars and locomotives are found on various tracks and sidings. The large metal wheel supported a 65 foot long bandsaw in an early mill.

Early diesel locomotive

Street mural depicting early log hauling trucks

1936 Totem Pole

Relaxing on Railroad Avenue, enjoying the sun

 

History of the Totem Pole

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snoqualmie is an ideal destination for a relaxing day trip. There is so much to see with attractions for all ages. One thing we really enjoyed was how laid back everything (and everybody) was. No rushing around, you can take your time and enjoy everything this cute town offers.

Sunday evening gathering of friends

/ Roadtirementvintage / 17 Comments

Sunday turned out to be a gray rainy day, including a couple of claps of rolling thunder, which is not common in Seattle. Our daughter invited her best friend and family over for a relaxed evening of food and fun.

Pepperoni, foreground and veggie, background

Loaded with everything!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nothing better than hot pizza for supper with friends. The pizza came from Bravas Pizza and Pasta in Snohomish. Oh my it was so good. We have dined there before on previous trips.

A seasonal craft beer from a Seattle brewery. Very good, 8.8% ABV

Our daughter’s friend relaxing with “grown up art”.

 

 

 

 

 

The evening’s activities included eating, watching the highlights of the day’s football games, watching the Emmys, eating, watching movies, eating and drinking. Did I mention eating? We had a wonderful time, and Sher and I enjoyed meeting and interacting with our daughter’s friend, husband and daughter. A relaxed Sunday evening always proves to be a great way to get ready for the coming week.

Sunday morning doughnut treats

/ Roadtirementvintage / 45 Comments

Talk about a diet buster, but oh, so good! Our son-in-law treated us all with a box of delicious, I mean delicious doughnuts from the Frost store in Mill Creek, Washington. There is something about a lazy Sunday morning that just cries out for fresh Long Johns, Bismarks or Apple Fritters. These delights have rightfully earned the title of Best Doughnuts in Washington State.

Not much left of our grandson’s treat

Our 6 year old grandson had a ball with his sprinkled and icing topped doughnut. He had a very unique way of devouring it. He started from the top, eating the icing and sprinkles layer first, and subsequently went round and round in a circle until the doughnut was gone.

What’s left of the doughnuts. The Apple fritters come in a bag.

We actually visited the Frost store during our January 2020 visit to Seattle. At the time we were wintering in Austin and had stored the RV for a month and flew to Seattle. This was if you remember right before COVID hit the nursing home in Seattle. This is the link to our article about the Frost store. The article has mouth watering photos including ones of fancy coffees.

A real craving for fish & chips

/ Roadtirementvintage / 21 Comments

One of my absolute favorite restaurants anywhere is an opened in 1900 and verified haunted saloon in Snohomish, Washington. Sher and I first found the Oxford Saloon back in 2014 while searching for antiques.

The Oxford storefront with COVID prompted outdoor street seating

In planning for our trip to Seattle and seeing our daughter, son-in-law and grandson I knew that we’d be able to visit the Oxford Saloon, and that I’d get the chance to once again enjoy the three piece fish and chips with homemade coleslaw and fries. Well, that happened today! We decided to go to Snohomish for lunch.

My fish and chips meal

Sher’s loaded potato skins

 

 

 

 

 

The Oxford interior is filled with old framed photos, a huge suit of armor hanging from the ceiling and a mannequin of a dance hall girl standing on a ceiling mounted swing. That’s the tip of the iceberg too. Oh, by the way, The Oxford Saloon is haunted. Yes, haunted with many eyewitness accounts. Sher and I had a private tour in January 2020  right before COVID hit, and were told the stories including all about the scary cursed doll. Read about our tour here.

Behind the bar, complete with Moose

Swinging dance hall girl

BIG Knight watching you eat

The haunted doll, safe now on top of the bar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We really had a good time. I especially relished having my fish and chips again at my favorite place. It is fun having a favorite place so far away from our home base in Indiana. As usual, finding a parking spot was a real challenge. But patience prevailed, and after about ten minutes of driving around a spot reasonably close to the Oxford. We also learned that there will be fun Haunted Rock band every Thursday this month. Bet we’ll be back for that. This is the Oxford Saloon website.

 

 

Christa’s Sandwichboard and Wine Bar

/ Roadtirementvintage / 23 Comments

It didn’t take us long to get out and enjoy local restaurants once we got to our family’s place. Snohomish is a fun and historic small town northeast of Seattle. The main street is filled with eclectic stores, antique shops and a wide variety of eateries. Many of the restaurants put up tents on the street to accommodate COVID restrictions. Many of these remain.

Sher with our grandson across from our daughter and son-in-law. Note to tent out side in the street.

Christa’s Sandwichboard and Wine Bar has become one of our family’s favorite. Sher and I soon discovered why it’s a favorite. The sandwich menu is one of the most expansive I’ve seen. Assortments of flat breads and small plates are ready, as are cheese and meat platters.  We opted for the hot sandwich specialties.

Basil, Mozzarella & Tomato – “BMT”

The classic Reuben ala Sandwichboard

Humbolt Fog cheese, thin sliced ham w/fixin’s

Kid’s toasted cheese w/fruit & cookies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The tag “Wine Bar” is included in the name of this fun facility. There was a 1/2 price sale ongoing, so you know us, we had to partake. We got a nice California red, part of the 2017 Joel Gott Wines Artist Series. Good wine!

Comfortable dining with fun decor

This was a delightful place to eat, the service was great and the food delicious. It was so nice to have supper with our Washington family again. It doesn’t get any better than being with family, does it?

 

Indiana to Seattle: fly or drive our RV?

/ Roadtirementvintage / 39 Comments

Requires 33 hours drive time, one way. At least four or five days with stops.

That was the question. We were planning a trip to Seattle to visit our daughter, son-in-law and grandson. It was hard to decide as we love travelling in our RV. It gives us a place to stay so that we aren’t intruding on our daughter’s family all the time. It also gives us a chance to relax and be alone. Staying with them is lots cheaper and gives us more time with them and our grandson. They have a big house and we have our own room when we are there. On the other hand, is it fair to stay with them? I feel like it is a lot to ask having to put up with us.  If we drove we would need to be there for a longer time period, maybe 2 or 3 months. If we fly we can stay a shorter amount of time and go back for another visit sooner. Our grandson who is growing up fast (he is 6) and started 1st grade this year was a big part of our decision. We need to see him more often. We have done both and have been happy with each visit.

After much debating we decided to fly. This decision was based on many things. We didn’t really want a long road trip at this time. The coronavirus has kept us away from family a long time. We did have a quick visit as our son’s wedding, but we wanted and needed some quality time with each of our 5 kids and their families. We also thought that maybe we could help them while we were visiting. We can cook some meals and help keep the house straightened. When we decided to look at it as a we can help trip, instead of being a burden it became more definite that we should fly.

Flying time: 4 hours 53 minutes, non-stop (Photo courtesy Alaska Airlines)

So next week we begin our journey to Seattle, WA. We are flying on Alaska Airlines and were able to get a direct flight for a very good price. We bought our tickets with our Chase Freedom card and we like the points we get when we use it. We usually fly Delta and have lots of points built up on their plan, but couldn’t find a direct flight for the right times and dates. Our daughter tells us that the Alaska Airlines miles program and credit card are the best, so we will be looking into that. Would love any suggestions on what you think is the best travel miles and credit card choices. We check out doctorofcredit.com and will often find good deals on his site. We don’t spend enough to really take advantage of his credit card finds, but we have made extra money by opening checking account he suggests. We get nothing by mentioning his site, but it is an interesting site to check out.

We are excited about our trip next week and have started packing. We will be posting pics of our bags in the next few days.

~Sher