We are back on the road now visiting family in Austin Texas. You know us, one of our first stops is one of our favorite attractions: a local winery. The Bent Oak Winery was delightful.
travel
COVID booster and 2021 flu shots
This is what Walmart uses for shots. It’s an “Inject-Safe barrier” that sticks to your skin and they poke the needle through the thin film in the center of it.
More than 6 months ago Sher and I received our second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Within the past few days the Moderna half dose booster shots became available for those of us over the age of 65, as well as others depending on heath concerns and other conditions.
Our local Walmart almost immediately had booster shots available either by appointment or walk in basis. We decided to go there as we had received our first two full strength doses there. Simple visit, walked in, had about a 5 minute wait. We also got our flu shots at the same time.
Two weeks from our receiving the booster it will be fully effective. Just in time for our trip to Austin. Yes, we’re going back to traveling, visiting our oldest son, daughter-in-law and our 9 year old granddaughter. We’ll soon be bringing some posts from Texas.
Skip Rock Distillery Snohomish
One of the last places we took in before our return to Indiana was a local distillery in Snohomish. The Skip Rock Distillery is known for its premium quality liquors. Their diverse product line includes two kinds of potato vodka, three award-winning rums, several whiskeys and an assortment of fruit liqueurs.
The street view
Some of Skip Rock’s award winners
The tasting room in downtown Snohomish is just off of the 1st Street main shopping area. The old brick building houses the street level shop and the actual working distillery. Our host told us that a remodeling project is coming, which will include a full cocktail bar.
Tasting menu
Six flights ready
Our son-in-law’s parents have also joined us and all of us visited the tasting room. We all had a flight of four samples. It was quite the experience having samples of everything from fruit liqueurs to gin to potato vodka.
Where it all happens
All thoroughly enjoyed the new tastes to our palates. In addition to tasting we did among us purchase some of the fruit liqueurs. These small local distillers are such a treat for several reasons. Normally, like Skip Rock, they produce premium products. In addition these small local businesses are the lifeblood of the town’s economy. We enjoy supporting local businesses. Here is Skip Rock’s website.
Heading back to Indiana
Heading back to Indiana after a wonderful time visiting family in Seattle
Anthony’s HomePort Everett, a detailed look
Here we go again with another follow-up post about a delightful restaurant we visited recently. We posted a double picture of a part of our meal at Anthony’s HomePort Everett, one of a large chain of Pacific Northwest based fine dining places.
On this rainy day the exposed decks were covered
We picked a rainy somewhat dreary day, but we still enjoyed getting a table that overlooked the Everett waterfront. We were seated within a few minutes of our arrival without reservations. It was enjoyable watching the surprising number of boats out on the water running in the rain.
Getting a whiff of the fresh baked bread!
Ground pepper being added to the chowder
We started with a loaf of freshly baked, still warm sourdough bread. Don’t have to tell anybody how good that bread was! I had to try a cup of Anthony’s Award-winning clam chowder with potato and bacon. Topped with freshly ground pepper and oyster crackers, this appetizer was clearly worthy of awards.
Fettuccine pasta specially prepared for Sher
Sher ordered the vegetarian version of the Oregon Fettuccine. In place of the shrimp, Chef Joe added additional vegetables to the fresh pasta, tomatoes, zucchini and
fresh herbs in the garlic cream sauce with Parmesan cheese. Delicious!
Three perfectly fried pieces of fish
A unique lettuce bowl of ginger slaw
Don’t have to tell you what I ordered, do I? (If you’ve been following us, you probably know. If not, well here goes.) I ordered the fresh caught panko crusted cod fish and chips with ginger slaw. Oh yes it was delicious. The three pieces of fish were especially tasty, with the fried panko crust so good. It’s going to be hard to say which Pacific Northwest Fish and Chips is my favorite.
One bite left on the first of three
Very tasty and potent Pomegranate Drop cocktail
We spotted an interesting drink on a table nearby. Our server told us this was a Pomegranate Drop. It’s a cocktail made with pomegranate juice, vodka, orange liqueur and lemon juice. A very tasty drink indeed. We were glad we “discovered” the Pomegranate Drop. Our experience at Anthony’s HomePort Everett was a highlight on what some call a typical Seattle area rainy day.
The fisherman and the flight
We went down the street from Anthony’s where we just had lunch and we spotted the statue of a fisherman and then we went to Scuttlebutts brewery and ordered a flight.
More good Washington cuisine
Fabulous clam chowder and equally fabulous fish and chips at Anthony’s seafood restaurant in Everett Washington.

Diamond Knot Brewery and Alehouse
After we toured the Mukilteo Park it was off to the Diamond Knot Brewery and Alehouse. Maybe “off to” is misleading as the Brewery is next to the Historic Lighthouse on the waterfront, and only about 100 yards from where we were watching the water. The Diamond Knot Brewery occupies a massive building that formerly was a bus maintenance facility.
The entrance to the Brewery
The on tap menu board
A look at the bar: nice old counter seats!
Detail of the seasonal decorations
Being a brewery we of course had to order a flight of four. We chose three IPA’s and one Lager for our flight. We found all four of the brews were quite tasty. These were all smooth, free of bitterness and worthy of consumption. We tend to like beers with lower IBU numbers. ABV%? We like 6.5 to 8.5. That covers a lot of beers!
Sampling a flight of beers is fun!
And as is our normal activity at a brewery, winery or distillery, we had to try the DKB bar food. We were not really that ready for a full meal. Maj opted for Fish and Chips without the chips. These 1/4 pound wild caught cod pieces were coated in beer batter and bread crumbs for a crunchy texture and delicious taste. (Maj now has a new favorite fish!) We also ordered the Elote Mexican Street Corn dip with spicy cream sauce and warm chips. Delicious!
A quarter pound of fish per piece!
This Street Corn dip was absolutely delicious
We really enjoyed our time at the Diamond Knot Brewing Company. The food and beer was great. The staff at this pub was very nice and efficient. Our server took very good care of us, and we also had a nice conversation with the manager as well. We’d give a 5 star rating here.
Mukilteo Lighthouse Park
Today was partly cloudy and cool with a slight breeze. The water was pretty and there were birds everywhere. We enjoyed relaxing and watching the boats go by including the Washington State ferries running from the park across the water to Whidbey Island.
Snoqualmie Falls Brewery, a detailed look
Yesterday we gave you a sneak peek at the Snoqualmie Falls Brewery. What you did not find out about was how nice a pub this is. The main seating was outside in the open with tables that were sun protected by umbrellas. The small indoor eating area had tables spread very far apart, with mask required. All staff wore masks all the time.
We had just come from seeing the actual Falls and were both hungry and thirsty. This brewery certainly took care of immediate needs. Of course we had to get a flight, so our server Kelly picked out four to sample. Sher and I liked each and every one of the flight.
We’re having a ball in Snoqualmie
The “bar food” was absolutely delicious. We love good bar food and good beer. Thus it is easy for us to say “We love Snoqualmie Falls Brewery!” The cheese bread, garlic fries and of course the Fish and Chips really hit the spot.
Flight’s gone, time for a tall one
Sher and I both liked the Mailbox Hazy IPA
Kelly on station, taking care of business
By the time we finished our meals we had also finished our flight of beer samples. It was time for more, as we were planning to enjoy just relaxing at our table for a while, enjoying each others company and the delightful weather. Kelly kept checking in and taking care of us. She made our time at the pub very nice indeed. This stop was a most enjoyable part of our day at Snoqualmie.
Roadtirement 