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closeOne Day Vacations: It’s the water... and a lot more
Sally Zeiger Hanson / guest columnist
The Destination: Olympia
It’s hard to remember but Olympia beer used to advertise “It’s the Water.” Olympia beer may be long gone but after our recent day in Olympia I am convinced that the city’s motto should be “It’s Still the Water.” There are still artesian wells in town, microbrews aplenty, lakes to walk around, water fountains that spray up at random intervals, specialty coffees being brewed and waterfalls to dine by.
We started our day at the San Francisco Street Bakery which is located in a residential neighborhood on the hill above the bay. It is possible to get their baked goods at the Farmers’ Market and at other Olympia locations; but I like to go to the source of goodness directly. Each day they produce artisan breads, lovely soups, and a range of fresh baked goods. This bakery uses organic ingredients, whole grains and no eggs, milk or sugar in their breads. How does that work? I am left to wonder but the result is delicious. When the weather is warm, they have a garden out in back for diners to sit and enjoy their food. The garden is a native plant demonstration project and this time of year it is a little rugged for my taste. It seems eerily reminiscent of… my back yard.
After getting our day started off on the right foot, we headed to the capitol campus for a self-guided walking tour. If you have not seen the legislative building since the post-earthquake repairs, it is breathtaking. I remember being awed by these hallowed halls of power when I was a page for the legislature at age fourteen. I still feel exactly the same now when I enter the capitol. I do wonder, however, how long we’ll be happy to have the inside of the capitol dome painted pink.
When we were done poking around the capitol building, we exited on the north side of the building so we could go down the forty-two steps which are symbolic of Washington becoming the 42nd state. We walked over to the entrance to the Governor’s mansion. Because of increased security, it is not possible to get too close to the mansion but it was close enough for my son to start wondering if being governor might be part of his career plans.
Next we headed down Capitol Way toward downtown Olympia. Starbucks and Batdorf & Bronson are located on the same block so there is always a tussle between coffee-going friends about which company to support. People who consider that they are “true” Olympians often come down in favor of their local coffee roaster Batdorf & Bronson.
Affectionately called B&B by locals, it is known for its famous Dancing Goats blend of coffee. So of course we had to stop there for a cup of local brew. After getting caffeinated, we headed for one of my favorite independent booksellers in the region, Fireside Books. This small shop is tucked in the corner of the Olympian Hotel building.
While offering the standard fare of novels, biographies, children’s books and audio books, Fireside features a different range of titles than you find anywhere else. The store is staffed by enthusiastic readers and I was holding myself back by walking out with only four new books.
We also spent some time poking around the Archibald Sisters gift shop. If you are in the market for rubber chickens, rhinestone reading glasses, Alice in Wonderland journals or upscale bath products, this is the place for you. The eclectic stock and the mix of serious and cynical products make for great browsing.
We spent the late afternoon walking around Capital Lake on the freshly graveled footpath which is about one mile around. The views of the Capitol building are spectacular and it’s a great chance to see what the native Olympians are up to on a Sunday afternoon. The downside of spring coming is that the bugs are out in force on one side of the lake. We had to put a ban on smiling in order to not get bugs in our teeth during one part of our walk.
We concluded our day with a great meal at The Spar on Fourth Avenue. There are many outstanding restaurants to choose from in Olympia but The Spar has a mystique about it. It has long been known for its cigar shop and its back room where it is rumored that many state deals have been brokered.
These days, it is more known for its hearty food, historic atmosphere and handcrafted beers. Their monthly beer special is brewed with artesian water that springs from a pipe right in their own basement.
Just so you know, there is also an artesian spring in an empty parking lot a few blocks further down Fourth Avenue. There is much debate in town about the healthful properties of this water. Some days there is a line of people in the parking lot who have come to get water to take home.
The Spar was taken over in 2006 by the McMenamins and transformed into a new generation Olympia icon. We spent most of our meal plotting our next visit to Olympia. We have yet to tell you about the Olympia Farmers Market, the Children’s Museum, Percival Landing – the harbor’s boardwalk, the Tumwater Falls Park, the Japanese Garden and the Procession of the Species. What I can tell you is that all of those adventures will still be about the water.
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Places to go, Things to do, stuff to see
> San Francisco Street Bakery 1320 San Francisco Avenue NE 360-753-8553 www.sfsbakery.com
> The Spar, 114 4th Ave. E. 360-357-6444 www.mcmenamins.com
> Olympia Farmers Market, 700 Capitol Way N. www.olympiafarmersmarket.com/ Open Thursday – Sunday 10:00 am – 3:00 p.m. starting April 3 Live music each market day
> Batdorf & Bronson Coffee House, 516 S. Capitol Way Olympia, Washington 360-786-6717 www.dancinggoats.com
> The Dancing Goats Espresso Bar, 111 Market St. NE 360-528-8555
> Batdorf & Bronson Tasting Room, 200 Market St. NE 360-753-4057 The Tasting Room hosts roastery tours free of charge 11:30 am Wednesday-Sunday. A Archibald Sisters, Inc., 406 Capitol Way S. 800-943-2707 www.archibaldsisters.com
> Fireside Books, 116 Legion Way SE 360-352-4006 Join a discussion about Willow Field by William Kittredge at Fireside Books at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 3rd.
> Visit the Capitol www.ga.wa.gov/visitor/
> April 26: Procession of the Species starts 4:30 p.m., free admission. Puget Sound’s largest annual Earth Day event. The Procession is a colorful kaleidoscope of imaginative costumes, creative masks, banners and giant puppets. People are invited to create their own costumes and be part of the Procession. Check the Web site for guidelines. 360-753-8380 www.procession.org
> April 25 and 26: Olympia Arts Walk XXXVI Experience visual and performing arts in over 100 businesses by hundreds of artists. Special features include hands-on family activities, demonstrations and impromptu street performances. www.ci.olympia.wa.us/cityservices/par/specialevents/#arts