Stanwood and The Cookie Mill

I have a “two-try rule”.  If I’m not certain about a place or city, I will always return to get a more comprehensive experience.  It’s not good practice to judge things off of one trip, unless it’s proven undeniably otherwise.  In this case, I thought Stanwood was nice, but I felt incomplete not experiencing other parts.  

South Stanwood offered enchanting forest views of Maple and Pine, knotted with wooden homes saturated with damp, moist, revitalizing air.  Central Stanwood offered more spacious views.  The roads were simple and not as entertaining, the territory was not as forested and seemed more flat compared to a few miles south.  There is development potential here.  They could develop it a little more attractively.  For example, Heratige Park is huge.  They have ample, flexible space to develop more fun opportunities for guests.   City officials should consider funding an expansion project for that playground.  They might be missing an opportunity to attract tourists, and tourist money, with children. 

There’s quite a few places to eat, I planned on eating at The Polska Kuchnia, but my kid wanted McDonalds and to play in play area, I repeat…THE PLAY AREA.  See what an attractive play area brings, customers.   So we ate a McDonalds.  Afterwards, I was full from lunch, but I wanted to try a local spot, so we stopped by The Cookie Mill.

The Cookie Mill was a pleasant place to visit.  The shop had a cottage-feel and country charm.  Here you order and seat yourself.  Plain coffee and water refills sit in the middle of the shop for your convenience.  They offer a wide range of delectable edibles from sandwiches to pastries, we went with the sharable Pumpkin Bar.  The staff warmed it up for us, as they recommended.  The bar was moist to cut and taste, it was slightly sweet, not overwhelming at all.  There was also a wide range of drink items, but the most preferred seemed to be coffee, that’s what I ordered, a Mocha Breve to be exact.  It may not be their style to do latte art, but a little love goes a long way for such an average tasting drink.  Besides that, I enjoyed this place.  The energy was good, guests looked like they appreciated the atmosphere, the staff were nice, and the toilets were clean.

The city center is developing.  I hope they can embrace modernization in the right spots.  I also hope they can maintain its unique history and character (like the brick road downtown) during this period of growth.  When visiting cities in Snohomish County, I find the most attractive ones being able to mix old and new harmoniously.

Kayak Point Regional Park

Saturday arrived and so did the rain, but a little rain never hurt anyone.  Determined to keep my promise of going to the park, I commanded my kid to grab her Hello Kitty doll and added, “No rain is going ruin our day!”

Fish sandwiches, juice box, snacks, moon pie for me, and lunch was loaded into the car with child.  I programed the GPS to Kayak Point, dialed into some REO Speedwagon, and hit 0-30 out of suburbia.

Traveling north and a left off of Hwy 5 from exit #199, enter the Tulalip Reservation. The roads will excite your driving senses with their winding and lifting.  13 miles from the Hwy exit, and a couple of miles after entering south Stanwood, the park is on the left.   The pay station will be around the curved road. 

To get into the day use area there is a $10 fee.  So you are there, you can’t see the actual park, it’s raining, you start to doubt and ask if its worth the investment because you cant see the park from the pay booth, and the pressure builds because your kid is quizzing you on My Little Pony as you think about skipping the fare all together as you look around for witnesses or cameras that may try to hold you accountable.  You commit and you grudgingly pay.

My one problem with this place, and businesses like it, is that it’s wrong to charge someone prior to seeing the goods.  The park cannot be seen from the entrance.  Therefore, the buyer does not know the value of the experience that they are investing in.  Two things will happen causing this park to lose money, potential customers leave or they will drive in ignoring the payment altogether.  It’s a huge problem in my opinion.  How to fix it?  Drop the day use fee to $5 or allow the Discover Pass and post this blog review for visitors to read.

Overall, the park is worth its day use value, even on a rainy day.  Its beauty upon entrance will put your bad purchase thoughts at rest.  The property is spread out evenly with plenty of running room for sports or sitting and dancing room for mini concerts.  Kids will love the play area situated in the center of the park. Parking is wide open right now, but it’s safe to assume that it will be limited during summer.  Walking along the rugged coastline of rock and driftwood, the salt water accentuates the aroma of the air being thrown from its currents. 

The picnic shelters rent for $50-$150 per day, a little inflated for non-summer weekdays.  I didn’t view the camping area due to the rain, but I am certain it’s just as well maintained as the day use area.  The property and restrooms were clean and looked well managed. 

The pier was long and felt spacious enough to handle quite a few fishing enthusiasts or midday wanderers.  Here the park seems to be missing an opportunity for a profit.  At the entrance of the pier sits an unused structure built for concessions or something commercial.  Why not rent out kayaks here?  There are no kayaks at Kayak Point and it’s a perfect location for this activity.  It’s an excellent opportunity to bring in some extra money that could potentially add more to an already wonderful space.

Burger Barn

Jump on the Mountain Loop Scenic Byway and see where it takes you.  The back-roads of Snohomish County are known to zigzag drivers through small towns with big character.  These roads offer some of the most spectacular views in the state, thanks to the volcanic Glacier Peak.  Glacier Peak is one of the nations most dangerous volcanoes and steams approximately 20 miles from Darrington, a valley town nestled between a family of peaks and tons of outdoor fun.  Risking a volcanic eruption has never been so much fun and making a visit to this beautiful city is worth the ride.

Everything is smaller and slower here.  The mountains dwarf the architecture and the flat feel of the valley spreads out, creating property space for the small estates.  The roads are wide and the 1,000+ denizens can travel anywhere by foot. 

The one problem that I had here was cell phone service.  If your provider is AT&T, I recommend that you use navigation other than your phone. I had 30% reception with no access to data; internet service is limited out here.  Luckily for me, my dialed-in, Garmin GPS generated the information that I needed.

The Burger Barn is the best hamburger option in town.  Just like other small town eateries, their longevity depends on product quality and return tourism.  The Barn cooked up an exceptional meal, reasonably priced.  Guests have the options of dining-inside or outside and take-out.  If the weather is nice, dining outside is recommended.

I hear the milkshakes are good here, but my diet kept me from indulging.  Their burger choices varied from land mammals to sea creatures.  The salmon burger looked great, but I had to pass on that, because it sounded too healthy for a “country” place.  I ordered a regular hamburger for my daughter, a deluxe cheeseburger for me, and large fries with a side of ranch.

The hottest place in town, besides Mountain Loop Coffee, is Burger Barn.  I think it’ll be difficult leaving here dissatisfied.  It’s a great destination to stop for travelers or vacationers.  Don’t worry too much about the volcano or random lahars, those things dampen the moment, if you think about them.

The Reptile Zoo

Problem.  Due to inclement weather, your family has cabin fever and you’re pulling out your hair over work.  It’s not a school day, so your child has watched their 15^th episode of Peppa Pig, your wife has her routine morning sickness hurling, and you’re quickly running out of options, what do you do?  Google “things to do inSnohomish County” and pray.

Rescued by the Google genie and Reptile Zoo in Monroe, WA.  The zoo is open 365 days a year, so they are obviously keen about keeping options open to people and weekenders.  I threw on my hat, bid adieu to my ailing wife, grabbed the kid, and high tailed it out of our subdivision.

The zoo has undergone a recent facelift from a crimson-red barn color to a modern Gobi Dunes beige, some photos on the internet show it as the aforementioned red.  Once inside, you’re punched in the face with a warm, musty, reptilian smell, but that’s normal.  After you pay the cashier strait ahead, turtles, medium to large sized snakes, lizards, and petting exhibits are to the right of the entrance.  Kids and adults get a kick out of touching the slithering Python bivittatus, a head-nodding Cycluras, and other tractable species in this section.  But wait, the fun isn’t over, you can leave this section to check out the alligators, exotic snakes, and a two-headed turtle that await at the left of the entrance.

The zoo was well worth its price, considering its size and attractions.  The cost for each person is $8 or less, kids under 3 get free access.  The staff are true professionals.  They are conscious about the needs of the reptiles and they care very much about what they are doing.  So, when you run out of holiday options or find yourself in the trenches with the family, go out and visit Snohomish County’s one and only Reptile Zoo.