An Afternoon on Vashon Island
You haven't truly visited Seattle until you've gone on a Washington State Ferry. Adventure's in the air as you stand on the bow of the boat and look down at the glimmering water of Puget Sound. Then again as you near your destination, run down to find your car, having to slide and maneuver between the other cars, hoping to reach it before its time to drive off the ferry.
And that's just getting to the island of your choice. Then the fun continues as you explore one of Washington's many quiet and rustic island towns, most just twenty minutes to an hour away from the busyness of Seattle. These days the crowds are back, and we all desire a few hours of quiet in a sleepy town, or at least I do.
My family and I took a quick twenty-minute ferry to Vashon Island. You catch the ferry in West Seattle at the Fauntleroy terminal. Also located in King County, Vashon is a quiet community, filled with beautiful nature, notable dining, and much more. We visited once before and you can see that post here! We checked out Point Robinson for some gorgeous lighthouse and Mt. Rainier views. It was also during the Strawberry Festival which takes place in mid-July, which we made sure to check out.
After a fast trip on the ferry, we drove into town, which is one road and easy to navigate. It was lunchtime and we wanted some pizza, so we headed to O Sole Mio. If you love NY style foldable slices, this is the spot for you. The slices are huge and you can chow down while listening to 90's rock, which we love, and brings us back to our teenage years. They sell cocktails in cans, and don't let the look of them fool you, they're all double shots and will kick your butt.
For something sweet, head just across the street to Glass Bottle Creamery for some house made ice cream. They even have retro video games, if that's your jam. They have both dairy ice cream and sorbets. The sorbets are made from fresh and local fruit from Vashon. I wanted ice cream and there were eight rotating flavors to choose from. I sampled a couple of them, ultimately choosing some Rhubarb Ginger. It was so creamy and satisfying. The fresh rhubarb hit the spot and reminded me when I was a kid, picking rhubarb in my grandma's garden.
After lunch and dessert, it was time to cross an item off my bucket list. Visiting a Lavender Farm! We drove to the Lavender Hill Farm, which is open from mid-June to the end of July. The lavender season is short, so it's a special thing to visit when the plants are in season. The first thing I noticed about the farm was the smell. I absolutely love the smell of lavender. The girl working near the entrance was really friendly and informative and took us on a mini tour of the lavender farm. She told us there's twenty different kinds of lavender grown on their farm. Then we walked around, smelling the lavender and taking a zillion photos. They sell lavender soda, cookies, lotions, and bundles of lavender. My sons and I each bought a sugar cookie. The cookie was really cute and tasted delicious, too.
We visited a playground nearby so the boys could run around. Then we drove back to the ferry terminal to head back to Seattle. Luckily for us, the ferry was running a little bit behind. We didn't have to wait at all, and we drove right on the ferry. Next thing we knew, we were back in West Seattle. Vashon Island feels like a world away, but really, it's only a quick ferry ride.
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