Tag Archives: Auburn

Mary Olson Farm, updated May 2016

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When I bought tickets for “Outlaw Days,” I wasn’t sure what it was. But the tickets were only $5 each and I’d heard so much about the Mary Olson Farm in Auburn and the activities there, I thought I couldn’t miss. Although “Outlaw Days” aren’t on the Farm’s calendar this summer, plenty of other activities are.

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Every Saturday and Sunday, from noon ’til 5 p.m., June 25-August 28, you can tour the farmhouse, meet up-close-and personal with the cows, chickens and donkeys and even bring your picnic basket full of goodies to eat on the grounds. That’s all free.

Also, at no cost, let the kiddos, ages 3-12, participate in a themed activity hour any Wednesday in July at 10:30 a.m.

But the piece de resistance must be the overnight stay, July 15 and 16, for those 7-12 years of age. Visit Overnight for details and to register.

The Farm holds numerous events throughout the summer including summer camps for kids, group tours, concerts and special events like “Outlaw Days.” A project of the White River Valley Museum, the Farm originally operated as a subsistence farm. In 2011 it was restored to its current state and opened to the general public. The interior of the house is furnished just like an old farm house.

Petting Farms

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I drove my granddaughter, Kita, to her preschool field trip yesterday. As we made our way to Windwater Farm in Auburn, I decided to use our time together in the car as a teachable moment. I got what I deserved.

“What animals do you think you’ll see at the farm today?” I asked.

“Cows, horses, chickens and unicorns,” Kita answered confidently from the backseat. I laughed to myself and secretly wished I had her imagination.

When we first arrived at the farm, while one of the helpers was placing blanket-wrapped rabbits in the preschooler’s laps, I questioned the farm employee about the unicorns.

“Yes, we have three,” she said, expressionless. (I’m still looking for them.)

Kita feeding a guinea pig.

Kita wanted to feed the rabbits, but unfortunately when they were swaddled they didn’t have an appetite. So her bunny was replaced with a guinea pig that gnawed on the carrot she held to his mouth. She looked like she was holding a baby and wasn’t it just yesterday that she was the baby?

The kids fed goats, a pig (who was definitely not gluten-free – he preferred bread over carrots), sheep, a donkey and chickens (they ate corn). Since I’d done a cursory search of the farm’s website in the morning, I attempted to share my knowledge with Kita.

“They have chickens here that lay brown, white and green eggs,” I told her.

“Then, is their poop pink?” she asked, using her 4-year-old logic.

The highlight of the day came when Kita and her friend were lifted into the saddle of Dolly, the horse. The lady that had assured me about the unicorns led them around the pasture slowly and carefully. And Kita has now ridden her first horse. She beamed with pride over her accomplishment when she dismounted.

Kita, in pink and brown, on her first horse ride.

Unfortunately Windwater Farm is only open for field trips and private parties. But here is a list of other local farms where you can have similar experiences.

Farrel-McWhirter Park in Redmond

Fox Hollow Farm in Issaquah

Remlinger Farms in Carnation

City Goat Farm & Zoo in Spanaway

Old McDebbie’s Farm in Spanaway

Morris’s Shadow Mountain Stables in Auburn

“Outlaw Days” at Mary Olson Farm

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When I bought tickets for “Outlaw Days,” I wasn’t sure what it was. But the tickets were only $5 each and I’d heard so much about the Mary Olson Farm in Auburn and the activities there, I thought I couldn’t miss.

You even get music with this interactive play.

Lo and behold, I stumbled onto a real gem. “Outlaw Days” turned out to be a play, but not in the usual sense of the word. Instead, when the scene changed in the production so did the audience and the actors. We followed the play around to different places on the farm and ended up inside the barn for the final act. I’m not sure what they call that kind of play or even if it has a name, but it sure was a fun experience.

The interactive theatre experience centered on a time in 1902 when the Olson family was taken hostage by the notorious outlaw Harry Tracy. I’m not sure if it’s true or not, but the actors make you think it could have been. The acting was stellar and must have been difficult because almost all of them played multiple roles. So there were lots of quick costume and character changes.

 

The play continues this weekend and I urge anyone interested in history or dramatic arts to attend.

The Farm holds numerous events including overnight camping, summer camps for kids, group tours and special events like “Outlaw Days.” A project of the White River Valley Museum, the Farm originally operated as a subsistence farm. In 2011 it was restored to its current state and opened to the general public. The interior of the house is furnished just like an old farm house.

 

Fair and Festival Season

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A train that took people around the outskirts of Meeker Days

We just started fair and festival season in Washington and last week my husband and I attended Meeker Days in Puyallup. Billed as the largest festival in Pierce County, it certainly lived up to its name. You’d walk down a main street lined with booths only to find all the cross streets also full of vendors just about as far as the eye can see. They had a building full of exhibits, also. And live entertainment, lots of food, a beer garden and a car show. There could have been more, but my feet started talking to me and telling me to sit down so I didn’t cover all the territory.

One of the vendors sold bird houses with swimming pools. Lucky birds.

I love the fairs and festivals we have around here. For some reason all the best ones usually fall on the same weekend and I’m not sure why that is. They are just good old-fashioned fun.

Here are some of my favorites and when they take place this year:

Kent Cornucopia Days, Kent. July 7-10:  Dragon boat races, a run, crafts and more.

Capital Lakefair, Olympia. July 13-17:  Carnival, entertainment and food with a Candyland theme this year.  

Sequim Lavender Festival, Sequim. July 15-17. Self-guided tours of farms, a street fair and all things lavender.  

Bellevue Arts Museum Arts and Fair, Bellevue. July 29-31. Live entertainment, hands-on kid’s activities and lots of outdoor art.  

Morton Loggers’ Jubilee, Morton. August 11-14. We celebrate everything here including lawn mower racing and lumberjack skills.  

Auburn Good Ol’ Days, Auburn. August 12-14. School reunions, a fun run, car show and a honey bucket building contest.  

Tacoma Maritime Fest, Tacoma. August 27-28. Boat building, awesome harbor boat tours, live music and Almond Roca.

What is your favorite fair or festival and why?

Emerald Downs Open for the Season

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Our horse racing track, Emerald Downs  in Auburn, opened this month for the season. It’s a fun, fabulous way to spend the day whether you’re into gambling or not. You can just enjoy the outdoors, the beautiful thoroughbred animals and people watch, if you like.

The track always has different promotions going on from Family Day to free admission for seniors, to tee-shirt giveaways and more. Free outdoor children’s activities are offered on weekends, weather permitting. Next Saturday, May 7th, you can go to Emerald Downs and watch the Kentucky Derby if you like.

Here are some other dates to put on your calendar:

  • June 19, free caps for Father’s Day
  • July 23, Wiener Dog Races
  • August 20, you can run the same mile the ponies do

 

Emerald Downs opened in 1996. The track, a one-mile oval in the shadow of Mount Rainier, makes this a most scenic spot on a sunny day.

 

If you do place a wager or two on the horses, it’s always fun to pick them by their names. After all Royal Wedding did win a race on the same day as “The Royal Wedding.”

Pick-Quick No. 2 Opens

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Tomorrow is the day that many of us in the South Sound have been waiting for – the day that Pick-Quick No. 2 opens in Auburn. Not only will we be able to get the high quality food and nationally renowned hamburgers already served at the sister or should I say “Mother” restaurant in Fife, but we can now enjoy them indoors and out of the rain as there’s seating for 35 people inside the restaurant.

 

I’ll let you in on a secret. Pick-Quick No. 2 opens at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow and if you’re one of the first 49 guests, you’ll receive a reusable cold drink tumbler with the Pick-Quick logo on it. To see what the tumblers look like, visit the restaurant’s Facebook page at:  http://www.facebook.com/#!/PickQuick.  The quick-service restaurant is located at 1132 Auburn Way North. The reason that 49 tumblers will be given away is because the Fife location has been operating and serving up delicious food since 1949.

 

Let’s talk a little more about the food this iconic restaurant will now be serving in two different locations. They are juice-dripping good created with flair out of 100 percent natural beef. Gastronaut Jay Friedman, creator of “Sexy Feasts,” named Pick-Quick’s hamburger the best in Washington State in a list for USA Today. Read more about his food finds and adventures at:  www.gastrolust.com.

The hand-cut fries are cut fresh throughout the day from locally-grown Russet potatoes.

My personal favorite has to be the blackberry milk shakes made with ice cream from Snoqualmie Gourmet Ice Cream and when in season, made with fresh berries. Yum.

 

No. 2 has many very sustainable components to it, also, besides the quality and genesis of the ingredients used. The building itself awaits LEED certification, hopefully of the “Gold” variety. The chairs inside are made of recycled plastic Coca-Cola bottles, the parking lot and walkways are made with pervious concrete so rain water can be collected and used to water the landscape and the employees’ restroom has a shower so that employees can bike to work. Two of the parking spaces are reserved for fuel-efficient cars.

Pick-Quick No. 2 will be open Sundays through Thursdays from 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays form 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m.

New Pick-Quick Opens Soon

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Have you ever eaten a Pick-Quick hamburger from the iconic drive-in in Fife? People say that should be on your bucket list. I know, firsthand, just how yummy they are. 

Rendering of the Auburn location, courtesy of Richmond Public Relations.

In USA Today, Jay Friedman, a freelance food writer and gastronaut, named the Pick-Quick burger the very best in the whole state of Washington. I would have to agree. The food sends waves of delight from my tongue to my brain. But, there’s one problem with the Fife location – I don’t really like sitting outside in the rain to enjoy my meal.

In three weeks that problem will be solved. After 49 years of having only a single location, Pick-Quick will open a restaurant in Auburn.

“The time was right and we found the right people to oversee the new facility,” said Greg Burgi, one of the owners.

Not only will the Auburn location be larger and also have a drive-through window, but it will also have both indoor seating and covered outdoor seating.

What makes Pick-Quick’s burgers better than the rest? 

Burgi says they make 2-ounce patties and you can have up to four of those on a bun.

“You get more flavor from multiple patties. Everything is fresh, from the hand-cut tomatoes to the onions and we don’t have frozen meat,” said Burgi. “Adding cheddar or American Cheese and bacon to the burgers and hot dogs is an option.” 

Fife location of Pick-Quick, courtesy Richmond Public Relations.

Hungry yet?

The menu also includes: hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, garden burgers, chili, twenty flavors of milkshakes made with fresh fruit (when in season) like blueberries and strawberries, and of course, fresh-cut fries and onion rings.

Currently the Fife location is closed through the end of January for their usual maintenance, where they refinish and paint their picnic tables. The Auburn Pick-Quick will be open year round.

Okay – I’ll tell you where the new place is:  1132 Auburn Way North.

Sign up to “like” their FaceBook page at www.Facebook.com/#1/PickQuick and check out their weekly contests.