Fairhaven Fun

We picked up my parents late Saturday morning for a trip to Fairhaven, on the southern outskirts of Bellingham, about an hour from home. We were going for lunch at the Calaphon Cafe which is located on the first floor of Village Books, and then hang out in town for a while.

We'd never been to Fairhaven together, so it was fun to just hang out. Our lunch was delicious -- so good, in fact, that we went back several hours later for dessert!

The bookstore and its sister store, Paper Dreams, occupies most of a city block and is full of books, gifts, and two eateries. While we were there a local author was sharing about her book, just one of a number of scheduled events at Village Books this week.

Artwood and Good Earth Pottery call our names whenever we're in town. We loved the beautiful wood works and the amazing colors and styles of pottery. But you shouldn't touch things in stores like this. You can, however, touch stuff at the Fairhaven Toy Garden, which is just what we did. We picked up table games and read the backs of the boxes; we studied toys and creative kits that would delight the hearts of 10-year-old boys; we celebrated the bright colors; we cheered on the juggler; and we tried out the wooden games. I think the trip to the toy store was my parents' highlight!

What would a trip to town be without finding a yarn shop with its skeins of color (Mrs Hudson's Yarn and Tea), or checking out the architecture, hanging out with the local sculptures or talking to the kids painted on wall at the park?

We also scouted out places to go next time -- restaurants, boutiques, a craft studio. 

It was a gorgeous day, sunny and warm. As we drove along a couple of motorcycles passed us. I turned to Dad and asked, "Would you like to have a motorcycle?" It was Mom who answered. "Yes, I'd like to have a motorcycle with a sidecar so Dad would have a place to sit!" Well, parked in front of the Toy Garden, we found just what Mom was looking for, a bright orange Ural with a sidecar! Dad, being a bit more conservative than Mom, found his new car parked a few spaces away.

We headed home on Chuckanut Drive, with rugged rocks to our left and peeks of Puget Sound through the trees on our right. A drive along Chuckanut could be a day trip in itself, with its oyster restaurants, parks and beautiful scenery.

All in all, a very fine day!

(All photos were taken by Tom or me except the photo of the Fairhaven double decker bus)