The Spice Road

Last weekend Chris and I took a trip to Olympia, Washington. It is wonderful, colorful city and one of our favorites. Luckily it is also not too far away! We went specifically to get a supply of exotic spices, from Buck's 5th Avenue. This amazing store has caught my eye on many previous trips but had always been closed, but just from the outside it seemed fascinating.

The store did not disappoint! We came home with a variety of curries and some lovely, fragrant raspberry tea. The shopkeepers were enthusiastic and knowledgeable, and had a number of ideas for the different spices.

It was a treat for the eyes and certainly for the nose, with the many spicy scents mingled together, and separate as you peruse the jars.

They let us go upstairs to look at the area where they host cooking classes from different countries (drool!) and a small but fascinating gallery. These were done by the lady facing us above.

Aren't they marvelous? I love the expressions.

We wandered for a bit, finding murals around every corner...

And found the Radiance shop, which has a plethora of delicious teas I could spend hours perusing.

We also roamed down to Burial Grounds. We came here on our first date, and its been a favorite since. They have a number of delicious and unusual choices, with amusing names like Ultra Violence (creme de cacao, ibarra  and orange) and Rigor Mortis (chocolate, peanut butter, marshmallow). I got a Molotov, with cinnamon, chocolate and chipotle, and some ghost chili oil. As always is was excellent, I love the combination of bitter coffee with sweet chocolate and a little burn from the chilies.

When I lived in Olympia, I liked to use my day off to grab a coffee, then go to a park I hadn't seen yet. It was handy because I was a nanny and could scope out good new places. There are a number of beautiful and unique places I've found this way. Chris and I like to keep up the tradition when we can, so we picked a random park nearby and checked it out. 

Decatur Woods Park turned out to be a gem. There were many cherry, pear and Indian plum trees, enough that this may have been a farm before it was a park. The trails are not long, but there are many beautiful flowers and tree shaded spots with open fields, wonderful for a picnic. 

Definitely one we will have to explore again! What is your favorite place to take a daytrip?