One of the highlights of my quick trip to Washington was spending 1-on-1 time with my cousin, KT.
You might recognize her from this post when I flew to Wisconsin last summer for her wedding. Today, she lives in Seattle with her husband and was great enough to pick me up from the airport late Friday night and drive me all the way to my parents’ home which is a good 1.5 hour drive north. The things we do for family, huh? Though, I may have bribed enticed her with the promise of a waterfront weekend getaway and my mom’s home cooking which are tough to pass up. Also, long car rides make for a great excuse to catch up!
On the way we made a little detour for Dick’s Drive-in.
Dick’s is a bit of a Seattle landmark. It seems everyone’s grandpa, dad, uncle, and mother were regulars here way back when, so it’s got some nostalgia built into it. My parents, however, deprived me of it while growing up in Washington. Seriously, this was my first Dick’s experience! I got a cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate shake. Great, friendly service and I love their old-school drive-in vibe. The food itself, however… IT’S GOT NOTHIN’ ON IN-N-OUT! 
After sleeping in on Saturday, my mom and I introduced KT to Fairhaven, a little boutiquey division of Bellingham which sits across the bay from my parents’ home. It’s got some great neighborhood shops and restaurants, all locally owned and operated. We ate at the Colophon Cafe which was terribly slow (40 minutes for 3 bowls of soup and a half sandwich?!) and serves horrible clam chowder (I sent it back). Their carrot curry soup, however, is spot on!
Village Books, Colophon Cafe, and Fairhaven Runners
Fitting, eh?
One of my favorite shops. Great locally made handcrafted pottery and chapstick
On the way home we stopped in Bow at one of my all time favorite restaurants, the Rhododendron Cafe. I’ve been coming here since I was a kid, mostly for their clams and ice cream. Weird combo, I know, but you can’t beat fresh manilla clams steamed in white wine, garlic, and butter and the restaurant’s own homemade decadent chocolate ice cream. We stopped specifically for the ice cream and KT agreed — it really is the best!
Immediately following I managed to squeeze in a 4.5 mile run just as the sun was setting and before we settled in for wine, cheese, and dinner a la my mom.
Notice that the most decadent ice cream in the world couldn’t keep me from mom’s brownies a la mode later that evening.
Stay tuned for Sunday and Monday!
Beautiful pictures! Looks like you had a wonderful time.
I left totally recharged just from a couple nights on the island! you captured it all in the photos. I made the carrot curry soup when I got home and it turned out great–if you liked it as much as I did, try to Oprah recipe.
The Rhododendron Cafe on Chuckanut Drive in Bow is our favorite restaurant too. I never knew about their chocolate ice cream though. I’ll have to head down there today to check that out!
Let me know what you think of their ice cream. If you’ve got a better one, I’d like to know so I can try it!