We left Wenatchee mid-morning but made sure to hit up my favorite bakery before leaving town.
The Anjou Bakery is an artsy redecorated farmhouse that features original art on it's walls along with a superb selection of freshly made pastries, French sandwiches and homemade soups. We both got coffees to go and I selected an all-time favorite: a chocolatine, known in France as pain au chocolate (chocolate bread.)
Ah, the rustic farmhouse beams combined with a European flair! And lots of flour in the air..
This stone farmhouse is just across from the bakery surrounded by pear orchards. I've always found this house to be absolutely picturesque. Honey, can we buy it?
Stopping for gas in Leavenworth we saw Smoke and Savannah's stunt doubles.
The little black dog is actually a Shelty and the white dog a French breed it's owner couldn't remember. Reminds me of the scene in "Spaceballs" where John Candy and Bill Pullman see their goofy looking stunt doubles. It was a riot!
Just outside of Monroe, WA we stopped for lunch. Dan's looked like as good a place as any -especially since they were a pizza place that served breakfast...
Making it to the Mukilteo ferry, I HAD to snap a photo of the famous Ivar's Chowder house that's been on the pier since dinosaurs roamed. Now you'll find cans of Ivar's Clam Chowder on your grocery shelves and even a satellite chain in the Seattle airport (their breakfast sandwiches are fabulous and a great deal!)
The ferry ride has always been a highlight of my trips to Whidbey Island. The ride which seemed endless as a child went all too fast as an adult. Maybe the boats were slower back in the 80's and 90's, but we barely got up on deck and looked around when it was time to head back to our vehicle.
Brian was not a fan of the ferry experience. Later as we drove on the Island he asked if there wasn't a bridge we could use to get off -which was in the cards, so he was in luck. No more ferries for this guy.
We made it to Grandpa and Sheila's house after an ambling drive inland. The Island is covered in small farms contrasted with dense evergreen forests. After a relaxing chat at the house we all headed down the hill for a walk on the beach.
Several fishermen lined the first few yards hoping to catch one or two for dinner, but it appeared no one was having much luck. The tide was up a good deal so beach treasure hunting wasn't as good as usual, but it was such a pleasure walking along the pebbled bay strewn with driftwood.
Stranded jellyfish, empty crab shells and the odd seashell scattered the beach as we enjoyed the salty sea air, though the abundant seaweed was rather pungent. I have so many memories of walking that beach as a child, teen and adult, collecting oodles of sea treasures and leaving them for Grandma and Grandpa to store for us until our next visit.
Sheila and Grandpa treated us to a marvelous dinner at the Beachfire Grill, a restaurant nestled in a newly developed golfing community. The view of the bay was excellent, as was the food, company and conversation. Afterwards, they took us on a driving tour of several neighborhoods which featured some excellent (and some not so excellent) real estate -all priced astronomically high as the market has skyrocketed, particularly for ocean side residence.
The evening was rounded out with visiting in the living room sharing thoughts on family, friends, politics and world events. It was absolutely delightful. I was so happy for a visit with Grandpa and Sheila, to introduce Brian to them, and to spend some time at my grandparents home that is so peaceful and beautiful -and full of wonderful memories. It was precious to add some more of them to my collection.
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