Category: Olympia

How many rednecks does it take to cut down a tree?

Quite a few apparently. Look closely at the above picture (snapped from my Olympia front yard this morning). There is one guy up in the tree with a chainsaw. In the mean time, there are four people pulling the tree down on top of them with a rope as it is cut.

If the tree top crushes the people on the ground, the guy in the tree will need to recruit another group of rednecks to pull the rest of the tree down. 

Another great after-work ride

Charlie took the reigns handlebars this week and planned our after work ride. I almost canceled this afternoon thanks to a horrible throat infection, but I decided to try it anyway. (As Craig says: if your cold is from the neck up, it’s probably okay to ride.)

We met at Charlie’s office just off Black Lake Blvd and headed south into the farmland. (Yes, there really is farmland a mile outside of Olympia in every direction.) He was breaking his rule of going on a group ride on roads he’d never driven before. This was especially troubling for Charlie because he decided to take a shortcut off the route that had been recommended to him by his co-worker.

In the end, the ride was a flawless loop. Slightly rolling with a nice big descent about half-way through. We got to ride through both farmland and state forest. By the time we got back to the starting point, my head felt ready to explode and I was feeling a bit feverish. It was all worth it though for the great company and the adventure of riding the unknown.

Click here for the turn-by-turn playbook if you’re interested in riding the loop yourself.

If you found this information helpful and you’d like to show your appreciation, please consider buying me a beer! Thanks for your support and encouragement.

Olympia Lakefair

I’d heard about it from colleagues long before the Carnie’s started tightening the bolts on Tilt-A-Whirl near the shores of Capitol Lake. What I didn’t realize was just how big of a summer highlight it is for Olympians.

I’m talking about Capitol Lakefair.

Once a year, the shores of Capitol Lake turn into a carnival of unbelievable proportion. Rides, arts and crafts, cheesy carnival games, and a crush of food booths line the northeast side of the water, calling out to locals.

I went down on this afternoon to check out the famous Demoburgers. (Proceeds from the sale of these gastronomic treats support the Thurston County democrats.) Only the brave order the “Mighty D” - a double meat, double cheese, double onion delight served in a cardboard tray with a fork. I stuck with a “messy single” - a basic cheeseburger with sauteed onions.

Curious, I went in search of a food booth that supported the Republican party to see what they were serving. Fairness dictated that I try the other party’s food too. (Maybe it would help make the decision of who to vote for in November a little easier. It would be easier to explain than a complicated government-policy based decision.) I wandered the food aisle twice, finding food booths that supported every group besides the Republican party.

It was on my third pass that I realized I was looking for the wrong food group.

Yup, you guessed it! Elephant ears! Okay, so sales of the ears weren’t exactly supporting the Republican party, but this was as close as the Republicans got to having a food booth.

I ate one anyway. Now I’ve had enough fair food to last me at least until the Puyallup.

Olympia happy hour

After an exhausting search, it is clear to me that there is no definative guide to happy hour in Olympia for newbies. I know there are great happy hours out there though. Nick and I took advantage of one at the famed Waterstreet Cafe two weeks ago. I could just go back there, but that would be...well...not very adventerous of me.

Instead, I’ve collected a list of places that sound intriguing. My goal will be to visit each one before my time in Olympia is up. Combine this with my goal of visiting each of Olympia’s parks before I leave and I’ve got my work cut out for me.

Tonight’s destination is the Fish Tale Brew Pub. Their happy hour isn’t until 9 p.m., but I have an afterwork invitation to join a colleague and some of his law school friends. The good company will be worth the higher drink price. I also have to steal a logo’d pint glass to keep our vacation souvenir tradition alive. (Shhh! Don’t tell!) The extra people and glasses on the table should provide a good diversion.

Starting next week, I’ll begin working my way through the rest of the list of happy hour destinations I’ve collected. If you have any additional recommendations, let me know!

The Swing Wine Bar
Where? 825 Columbia St. SW
Why? Oodles of great wine, views of Capitol Lake. Do you need more?
Happy hour? Daily from 3:30 to 5:30; happily priced beverages and bites

Eastside Club Tavern
Where? 410 E. 4th St. (in downtown Olympia)
Why? 30+ microbrews on tap (including some cask conditioned ones), WiFi, ping pong, pool, and many other amusements
Happy hour? Daily from 4 – 7 p.m., $3 pints $2.50 pints.

Falls Terrace Restaurant
Where? Next to Tumwater Falls Park (across the river from the old brewery)
Why? Great view; you can “walk it off” in the park before driving home.
Happy hour? 3-6 p.m., Mon.-Sat.; $4 food, $4 house wine, $3 well martinis or margaritas, $3 microbrews, $2 domestic beers

The Spar
Where? 114 4th Ave E
Why? McMenamin pubs tend to be funky and have good beers.
Happy hour? Daily from 4-6 p.m.; cheap eats and cheap beer

The Mark
Where? 407 SW Columbia St.
Why? Leopard prints and swank. ‘Nuf said.
Happy hour? Daily 5-7 p.m.; $3.75 well martinis.

The Brotherhood Lounge
Where? 119 Capitol Way N.
Why? Eclectic art, shuffleboard, live music.
Happy hour? Daily from 4 to 7 p.m., $2 beers

More Olympia weekend fun

Sunday brought more Olympia fun for the two of us. Nick went bike racing out near Boston Harbor, and I took advantage of the time to do a much needed load of laundry. Once he was back, it was off to play tourist again. We started with ice cream at the Farmer’s Market and a walk along the waterfront.

Our ultimate destination was the (almost) 100-year old tugboat - Sandman. In Olympia’s heyday, it hauled lumber, pulp, oil, and oysters. It also hauled much of the sand that filled in the area under downtown (hence the name). It was a working tug until about 35 years ago. Now the fully restored boat lives its life as a tourist attraction and exhibition boat.

It still wasn’t time for happy hour yet, so we headed up to Tumwater Falls Park, next to the old Olympia Brewery.

After the park we capped off the weekend with drinks and food at Waterstreet Cafe (Acqua Via’s sister restaurant). A four course “meal” consisting of all happy hour menu items and drinks set us back $25 each. Not a bad way to finish a wonderful weekend.