Over the Pass & Putting on the Ritz

It is over the pass day for a five hour drive to Spokane.  The best part of the journey is a lunch stop at the Valley Cafe in Ellensberg.  With its 1930 original decor you want to hum "Putting on the Ritz" as you order your food. Chicken salad with crunchy nuts and fresh greens was just what we needed for a road trip lunch break.  The tea is even pretty as you can see.My husband had the roast beef sandwich with strawberry fan for flair.  You can sit at the counter or at this tableau by the window. Can I rave anymore about this restaurant?  We stopped on our way back to Seattle for lunch again.  The food was very good and served with loving care. We just loved it!

Snoqualmie Falls, Ikea & More

Up and out early on our trip today.  It's off to Snoqualmie Falls. Since Kauai is a virtual paradise full of waterfalls, it takes alot for me to be impressed by waterfalls.  But Snoqualmie Falls was simply majestic.  It was the first day of warm spring weather and everyone including a local motorcycle club came out to enjoy the falls.  My husband & I walked around the town of Issaquah.  He loved the look of this building it gives you a glimpse of Issaquah downtown.

 

I happened a upon a craft fair and bought pot holders and tea towels for Mother's day presents.

 She was a quilter and displayed watercolor quilts something I never had the patience to do.  Friends told us not to miss shopping at the Ikea store.  So we ventured into the land of European design.  I had no idea how large the store was.  It took us a good 5 minutes to walk from the parking lot to the entrance and we were not inside the building yet!  Inside we strolled for at least 3 hours before stopping for lunch at the store cafeteria.  

I had chicken salad and some great brambleberry juice.  I even found their fabric section.  It was self serve and yes, I was honest as to how many yards I cut and labeled.  Here's some of the fabric.  It will be great for household sewing and bags, I'm not sure I would use it for quilts.  But at $3.50 a yard I couldn't resist.   This is the last day in Seattle and we must head over the mountains in tomorrow's blog.  I'll miss shopping in Bellevue.

Seattle Fabric, Eating & Architecture

I've been typing my blog the old-fashioned way so that's why it has taken me so long to update my site.  This morning in April after I stopped by my favorite donut shop, just joking this is the breakfast we really had.  We went to the Food Service Conference and sampled many tasty treats.  A Japanese chef demonstrated slicing and dicing vegetables so they look like a landscape from Memoirs of a Geisha.  I just love the blue soba noodles for waterfall!  After long morning at the food show a quick trip to the local fabric store Stitches and I purchased more dotted basic fabric and a variety of zippers for making purses. Stitches is a cute little store that offers fabric and patterns for "the younger hip group of stitchers".   We finished off the day visiting the historic Stimson-Green house and a lecture on the architecture of Seattle at the University of Washington in preparation for restoring our Cheney historic cottage. Let's close the door for today and more on our Northwest trip tomorrow.