destination rainier — gateway to paradise

A Supplement to the Nisqually Valley News

ParadiseGateway to

Destination RainieR 2014

Tenino • RainieR • Yelm • RoY mcKenna • eaTonville

elbe • ashfoRd • mounT RainieR

2 Gateway to Paradise 2014 a supplement to the Nisqually Valley News

Now a bit more than one year into my stint as publisher and editor of the Nisqually Valley News, I’m beginning

to understand what makes this valley standout.

At its most wonderful essence is the people. This community cares. I was deeply impressed, for example, at Christmas in the Park this past December. The warm bonfire, the choir and

band concerts, food and pictures with Santa, bounce toys for the kids, and so much more, and all for free. Children’s books were handed out, then wrapped, again all for free, ensuring every child would have the opportunity to give a present to their best friend, regardless of economic circum-stances.

It was a fabulous display of this area’s community spirit of giving.

The Nisqually Valley News staff participated in both Prairie Days and the Christmas parades. Again, the participation level by the community made both grand days in the valley.

Beyond the people, this area has so much to offer. This

tourism-based guide gives you a glimpse into all the places and activities found from Tenino through Yelm and all the way to Paradise on Mount Rainier.

We start with a calendar of events to give you a blueprint, a guide for activities, and then end it with a series of places that everyone, traveler or resident, should take in.

This past year I was able to attend many events and places, including recent trips to North-west Trek and Paradise Lodge. On my Nisqually Valley bucket list for this year I include trips to South Sound Speedway, Lattin’s Country Cider Mill and Farm, Wolf Haven and fishing followed by dinner at Offut Lake Resort.

I plan to trek the Yelm - Tenino Trail and purchase fresh produce from both the Yelm and Tenino farmers markets.

All too often we live in these splendid areas full of wondrous sights and activities, yet how many of us have been to these jewels in our own backyard?

About one million tourists from across the world travel each year just to take in Mount Rainier. We can get there in but an hour and a half. If you haven’t been up to the mountain lately, it’s high time.

I urge you to make your own Nisqually Valley bucket list, using this publication as a guide, and enjoy the splendor of this corner of the world.

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It’s Time to Make Your Nisqually Valley Bucket ListEditor’s NotEs By Michael Wagar

2 Gateway to Paradise 2014 a supplement to the Nisqually Valley News Gateway to Paradise 2014 a supplement to the Nisqually Valley News 3

Table of ContentsIntro.......................................................... 2

Schedule of Events ............................... 3-12

South Sound Speedway .......................... 13

Lattin’s Cider Mill ................................... 14

Offut Lake and Fishing in the Valley ........ 15

Wolf Haven ........................................... 16

Tenino Sights .......................................... 17

Centerspread Map ..............................18-19

Downtown Rainier ................................. 20

Yelm-Tenino Trail .................................... 21

Yelm Parks ............................................. 22

Yelm Activities ....................................... 23

Red Wind Casino ................................... 24

Farmers Markets ..................................... 25

Stewart’s Meats ...................................... 26

Lavender Farm ....................................... 27

Northwest Trek ...................................... 28

Pioneer Farm Museum ........................... 29

Elbe ....................................................... 30

Ashford .................................................. 31

Sculpture Park ........................................ 32

Gateway to Paradise .......................... 33-35

About the Cover

Gateway to Paradise is an annual publication of the Nisqually Valley News in Yelm, Washington. EDITOR & PUBLISHERMichael Wagar

AD MANAGERAngie Evans, Yelm360-960-1500

SALES REPRESENTATIVESChristy Clarke, Yelm 360-960-1509Jenn Harshfield, Yelm 360-960-1501

WRITERSStaff of the Nisqually Valley News

DESIGN EDITORNicole Kiourkas PRODUCTIONBrian Edwards

To request copies of Gateway to Paradise for your location, or for advertising or editorial information, call the Nisqually Valley News at 360-458-2681, or e-mail to [email protected]

COPYRIGHTDestination Rainier and its contents are copyrighted by the Nisqually Valley News in Yelm and Lafromboise Communications, Inc.

A lenticular cloud hovers over Mount Rainier at sunset in this view from Klapatche Park Camp in Mount Rainier National Park. Drew Perine / The News Tribune

ABOUT THIS PUBL ICATION


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Gateway to Paradise Events and More

May 23-26 — Packwood Flea Market, Packwood26 — Memorial Day Ceremony at Rainier’s Veterans Memorial Park31-1 — Roy Pioneer Rodeo

Roy Pioneer Rodeo Perhaps the biggest

event of the year in Roy, the Roy Pioneer Rodeo covers two weekends this year, May 31 and June 1, as well as August 30 and 31, and the outdoor rodeo is held in Roy at 8710

Higgins Greig Road. The rodeo draws

participants and thousands of fans alike each year to not only take in the traditional Roy events but also to enjoy a souvenir booth, food booth as well as a beer and wine garden.

Fans will see all types of events from bareback riding and saddle bronc riding to calf roping, steer wrestling, military bull riding, breakaway roping, team roping and barrel racing. Also seen will be the opening ceremonies, clown acts, cow milking and businessman’s wild cow milking.

Children can partake in a stick horse racing event, too.

Typically, each rodeo event sees about 10 competitors, with hundreds competing annually from around the Pacific Northwest. Those who compete must also compete in August if they want to win a buckle. Buckle winners are the participants who win the most money at both rodeos in each event.

Sanctioned through the Northwest Professional Rodeo Association, the

Roy Pioneer Rodeo is also part of the NPRA season series. The first Roy rodeo was June 19, 1960 and brought in $500, and now brings in more than $100,000 each year. All proceeds go back into funding the rodeo, as the Roy Pioneer Rodeo is a nonprofit association.

The rodeo starts 1:30 p.m. each day, with gates opening at noon. Admission is $10 for children ages 13 up through adults, $6 for seniors, $4 for children ages 6 to 12 and free for children under 5. Cash-only is accepted on rodeo grounds, so be sure to bring plenty.

Visit www.royrodeo.com for more information and

to view rodeo photos from past years.

June1 — Yelm Farmers Market opens1 — Spring Swing Foundation Golf Tournament at Tahoma Valley Golf Course7 — Tenino Farmers Market opens14 — Yelm Flag Day celebration13-15 — Offut Lake Resort Father’s Day fishing tournament26-29 — Yelm Prairie Days

yelm Prairie DaysAs the fastest-growing

town in Thurston County, the city of Yelm will likely

Nisqually Valley News Photo

The Roy Pioneer Rodeo brings cheers and spills twice a year. The first rodeo is May 31 to June 1, followed by a late summer competition Aug. 30-31.

Continued on page 5


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have thousands of people partake in a community-wide event that spans more than six decades.

It’s called Prairie Days, and if you’re traveling through the Nisqually Valley in late-June headed to Mount Rainier, you may just become part of the city’s biggest annual festivity.

Prairie Days is June 26-29 at Yelm City Park, with a “Flowers Blooming Across the Prairie” theme parade — presented by the Yelm Area Chamber of Commerce — 7 p.m. opening night. Following the parade, the good times move to Yelm City Park with food, games and entertainment.

Hosted by the Yelm Lions Club, Prairie Days is the club’s main fundraiser of the year, in which proceeds benefit activities throughout the area. Attendees, whether local or from afar, will be privy to family and community-oriented entertainment such as local vocal groups, school choirs and bands. Other attractions include special events for children, like a “Kid Zone” and the Magnificent Mutt contest on Saturday.

Residents and visitors can browse among vendors and information booths, or get an adrenaline rush courtesy of the Davis Amusement Cascadia — which offers state-of-the-art rides and concessions that

are sure to please any age. Organizers claim it truly is a first-class, safe carnival for everyone.

The carnival operates through Sunday, after the rest of Prairie Days concludes.

In 1938, when the Yelm Lions Club formed, members created a carnival during the event to raise club funds. Initially, the carnival was near the town’s water tower, then shifted to the park in the 1950s.

According to the record books, Prairie Days started in the 1940s as a one-day gathering with deep, agricultural roots. Yelm historians claim the first

half of the century, Yelm farmers gathered in the summer to hold a town party celebrating the berry harvest, which usually evolved into a street dance in the evening.

With the changing times came growth, as buildings were added to Yelm City Park to support the festival, such as a stage, picnic shelters and a hamburger stand. Events started expanding, too, with the well-known pet parade, dog show, water fights by local firemen and a royalty contest. A children’s costume contest is a tradition that was

Continued from page 4 Continued on page 6


Yelm Prairie Days will transform the prairie city into a massive celebration June 26-28. The centerpiece of the event — the Sat-urday day parade — attracts upward of 5,000 viewers.


brought back several years ago to boost community involvement in the parade.

The Prairie Days parade began as a parade of pets and kids, but now includes businesses and anyone else who wants to enter. And, even if parades aren’t your thing, Yelm City Park will likely have something that is.

July20 — Wilkeson National Handcar Races12-13 — Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic25-27 — Oregon Trail Days

Oregon Trail DaysHeld the fourth weekend

every July, the city of Tenino’s annual Oregon Trail Days is sure to be a blast — especially with the ever-popular Four Square Mile Music Festival.

Occurring July 25-27 in downtown Tenino — which is just off the beaten path toward Mount Rainier — what the small city lacks in population, it more than makes up for with a big birthday bash to honor history.

On Friday and Saturday evenings, the Adam Craig Music Foundation hosts an all-age benefit concert on

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EVENTS:Continued from page 5


Oregon Trail Days transforms the city of Tenino into a frontier-themed village July 25-27. A highlight of the festival is the Adam Craig Music Foundation all-ages concert.


the Quarry House Stage with local musicians and a beer and wine garden. Proceeds benefit the Tenino School District and the city’s Quarry Pool.

Last year’s event raised thousands of dollars, according to the Four Square Mile Music Festival’s Facebook page. The Adam Craig Foundation donated $4,000 to the Quarry Pool Fund, purchased 14 iPads for Parkside Elementary School and paid for 13 sixth-grade students to attend Cispus Outdoor Education Camp.

The Adam Craig Foundation thanked the businesses, sponsors, everyone who donated, and plan to have another great showing this July.

However, before all of those rockin’ memories are made, don’t miss out on the parade 11 a.m. Saturday that travels up and down Sussex Avenue, lasting about an hour.

Established in 1984, the T90 motorcycle drill, led by captain Chad

Bowman, revs their engines around 10:45 a.m. for an adrenaline-pumping ride down the parade route to build anticipation for what’s to come. The streets will surely be lined with locals and tourists who are waiting to see their favorite entries, such as the popular black powder rifle shooters.

The list of participants is practically endless, including businesses, organizations, political candidates, animals,

children, fire trucks and more.

Before the parade begins, the first-ever Oregon Trail Days 5K to benefit Tenino High School cross-country will be underway. Finishers receive

medallion and participants have the option of a T-shirt, which can be seen at facebook.com/oregontraildaystenino. The 5K starts on the parade route right before it begins. Family discounts are available, and age group awards will go to the top three in each category,

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The Oregon Trail Days Parade is one of many events taking place in Tenino July 25-27. The parade kicks off at 11 a.m. led by the T90 motorcycle drill squad.


The Seattle to Portland Bicy-cle Classic cruises straight through the Nisqually Valley.


with five year increments, according to the event’s Facebook page.

From there, swarms of people will head to the city park for music (remember the Four Square Mile Music Festival?), vendors galore, Trader’s Row and kid activities.

Yummy, stomach pleasing food, as well as all of the entertainment options for every age, is almost guaranteed to please everyone who stops by for a great time.

Looking for something enlightening? Stop by the Depot Museum for the list of things to do throughout Oregon Trail Days’ festive weekend.

The South Sound Reading Foundation provides books for ages 4-12 at the Kids Zone, where there will be sack races, candy in a haystack, water balloons and other games. Prizes for the games are donated by local businesses.

Other activities include a car show and gem show,

and potentially a penny-pinching sale at the Tenino Timberland Library.

Oregon Trail Days is a showcase of cherished history, which can be seen everywhere, such as the city’s old-school buildings made from granite mined at the park many, many decades ago. Although the event may not be as old and visible as Mount Rainier, it can provide nostalgia and appreciation for those who make the fun-filled visit.

July26 — Yelm Rotary Badminton Classic30-3 — Thurston County Fair

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Carnival rides thrill the kiddies at a past Oregon Trail Days in Tenino. For adults, try the historic sandstone building tour.


The Thurston County Fair features top 4-H competition starting July 30.


concert series featuring a variety of entertainers.

The carnival provides a variety of rides: tame ones for young children, as well as some death-defying attractions for older thrill seekers. Food ranging from corn dogs to hamburgers will keep visitor’s stomachs from grumbling throughout the day.

Animals serve as the heart of the fair, with high school students from Future Farmers of America chapters throughout the county showcasing local livestock.

Young students get a chance to show off their livestock-raising skills as well through 4-H.

The organizations give students a chance to gain a variety of leadership skills and build confidence in themselves.

As the fair nears, the full schedule of events will be listed at http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/fair/schedule.asp.

August 1 — Prairie Street Rod Association Show2-3 — Southeast Thurston County Relay for Life7-10 — Morton Loggers Jubilee15-17 — Tenino Antique and Classic Motorcycle Swap Meet and Show15-17 — Helsing Junction

Farm and K Records Annual Sleepover17 — T-9-0 Quarrymen Car Club 12th annual Show-n-Shine16 — Yelm Lions Club Poker Run22-24 — Rainier Round-Up Days and Bluegrass Pickin’ Party

Rainier Round-up Days and Bluegrass Pickin’ Party

Late August is the city of Rainier’s time to shine.

The Rainier Round-Up Days celebration has been going strong for more than 20 years, giving people a chance to celebrate their hometown while enjoying toe-tapping bluegrass music.

“It’s Rainier’s annual celebration,” Rainier Mayor Randy Schleis said.

The 22nd Annual Rainier Round-Up Days and Bluegrass Pickin’ Party is Aug. 22-24 at Wilkowski Park in Rainier.

It’s an opportunity to come out and hear great bluegrass music, enjoy food sold by the Rainier Lions Club, and check out vendors, including one run by a local Boy Scout troop, Schleis said.

There are a couple new ideas floating around for this year, including a reenactment of the Civil War. But it’s not yet known


Continued on page 10


Rainier hosts a Round-Up Days and Bluegrass Pickin’ Party Aug. 22-24.


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if that will be included in this year’s festivities, Schleis said. The committee plans to meet to finalize plans for the event.

A highlight of the annual event is the Bluegrass pickin’ party.

“I always look for the bluegrass,” Schleis said. “It’s nice to be able to go down and even if they’re not putting on a performance, you can walk around to the different campsites and see if people are jamming. You can just pull up a seat and sit there and listen to them.”

Food and crafts line the pathways to Wilkowski Park.

The annual parade is Aug. 23 and features a route short enough for kids to walk.

A large number of youth groups from baseball, football, cheerleaders, dance troops, Scout troops, churches and 4-H groups make the Rainier Round-Up Days parade an annual must-do activity.

The parade lasts less than an hour and also includes politicians, businesses and people who just like to be in parades. Nearby activities include games for kids.




Lattin’s Country Cider Mill and Farm hosts an apple festival and pumpkin patch Sept. 27-28, and every week to follow in October.


August24 — Eatonville Arts Festival30-31 — Roy Pioneer Rodeo30 — Wounded Warrior Car Show

september5-21 — Washington State Fair12-14 — South Sound Wine Trail27 — Nisqually Watershed Festival27-28 — Chehalis Valley Wine Tour27-28 — Lattin’s Country Cider Mill Apple Festival and Pumpkin Patch

November 1 — Yelm Area Chamber of Commerce Anniversary Bash15 — Mount Rainier Fall Wine Tasting and Brew Festival

December 6 — Yelm Christmas in the Park

Yelm christmas in the park

Yelm’s Christmas in the Park is as warm as the massive bonfire that burns throughout the day and deep into the night on Saturday, Dec. 6.

If the holidays are a time of thanksgiving, the gathering together with loved ones and a season of giving, this community celebration is a perfect fit.

The entire Yelm community is invited to embrace the 26th anniversary of the day-long event, which starts with a parade and ends with a concert by the Yelm Orchestra. In between are a slew of concerts by students from 13 area choirs and bands.

“The choirs go all day right to the end, one after another,” said Yelm Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Cecelia Jenkins, who has volunteered for Christmas in the Park since its inception. “All those darling kids

singing holiday songs; it’s very entertaining.”

The community blessing and the lighting of the Christmas tree and water tower commence at 5:30 p.m.

Central to the celebrations is a commitment to offer everything for free, from photos with Santa and a candy cane to hot dogs

and beverages, making ornaments, wrapping presents and a children’s book present for every kid. A gingerbread house contest also brightens the park.

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A the center of Yelm Christmas in the Park is a warm bonfire to take a bit of chill off during the day of free festivities Dec. 6.


Library gifts children with a free book, helps the kids wrap them up, and then encourages the books go to a good friend as a Christmas present. The local FFA students will pop popcorn and hand it out all day.

The parade starts at 9:30 a.m. and ends with Santa on a Southeast Thurston Fire Authority fire truck.

For those participating in the parade, lineup is at 8:30 a.m. and trophies are awarded at 9 a.m. Parade staging is in the Yelm Cinemas parking lot and along West Road.

Parade participants are also asked to have walkers pass out candy and treats during the parade; throwing candy from moving vehicles onto the street pavement is discouraged.

The parade proves popular year after year, no matter if it is sunny, raining or snowing, attracting about 5,000 spectators. The parade is sponsored by the city of Yelm’s Park Advisory Committee and the Yelm Area Chamber of Commerce.

“The whole community gets together for a big loving celebration,” Jenkins said. “Everybody is welcome. It creates warm

feelings, but we’re frozen by the end of the day.”

That’s where the bonfire, and several portable heaters, along with free hot coffee, hot chocolate and hot cider, come in. The inner warmth comes from the act of giving.

“Low-income families or families with a lot of children can’t afford to have photos taken with Santa, and food and entry to bounce ups (the event includes free bounce houses for the kids) or write letters to Santa for free — and Santa answers them all,” Jenkins said. “Everyone has a chance to have a Christmas celebration, and it’s all about the kids. The park will be filled with kids.”

Jenkins said the entire event, which will attract upward of 5,000 people to the parade alone, is due to a dedicated army of volunteers.

“It takes a lot of hands,” she said. “So many people make the whole free day for kids and families happen.”

December 5 — Tenino Tree Lighting6 — Tenino Winterfest and Holiday Bazaar

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Are you ready to start 2015 with a chilly splash? A Polar Bear Plunge at Offut Lake kicks off the new year on Jan. 1.


South Sound Speedway Revs Up for RacingBy Nisqually Valley News

For the gearheads in our midst, the South Sound Speed-way just off Interstate 5 at Roch-ester offers a racing season full of roaring engines and more than a crash or two.

The .375 mile oval race track includes a figure eight course with racing most Saturdays through September.

The South Sound Speedway, located at 3730 183rd Ave. SW in Rochester, can be accessed by taking Exit 88 and going east on Old Highway 99.

Most races take place Satur-days, although there are a few on Sundays. Perhaps the high-light of the racing season is July 6 when a fireworks show takes place along with the races.

The ticket windows open at 4:45 p.m. The track takes only

cash or checks; no credit cards are accepted. Pit passes can be purchased as well starting at 1 p.m. of race day.

After each event, the pit opens to the public for free, al-lowing race fans to inspect the cars and meet the drivers.

While there, make sure to take in the “Seattle Million Dol-lar Toilets” in the pit area.

The track offers a full slate of food and drinks, including ice cold beer, at two separate conces-sion areas.

Camping is also available, al-

though no campfires are allowed.For the racing VIP, you can

rent a suite for a group of peo-ple as the track has 16 VIP sky boxes.

n For more information: 360-858-1464 or southsound-speedway.com.

Photo by Eric Anderson

A race car catches fire during a heat this May at South Sound Speedway south of Tenino.

MaySaturday, 24 — Street Stocks,

Vintage Modified Mini Stocks, Hobby Stocks, Stinger 8

Sunday, 25 — Street Stocks, Vintage Modified Mini Stocks

Saturday, 31 — Super Late Model 100, Bumblebees, Legends, Baby Grands

JuneSaturday, 7 — 4 Cylinder Late

Models, Mini Stocks, Hobby Stocks, Stinger 8, Vintage Modifieds

Saturday, 14 — Street Stocks, Bumblebees, Legends, Baby Grands, Outlaw Compacts

Saturday, 21 — Super Late Model Twin 50’s, Mini Stocks, Hobby Stocks, Stinger 8

Saturday, 28 — Winged Sprint Cars, Street Stocks, Open Wheel Midgets, Bumblebees, Baby Grands

JulySaturday, 5 — Fireworks. Super

Late Model 125, 4 Cylinder Late Models, Mini Stocks, Hobby Stocks

Saturday, 12 — Open Wheel Midgets, Legends, Street Stocks, Stinger 8, Outlaw Compacts

Saturday, 19 — Big Rats, Mini Stocks, Hobby Stocks, Bumblebees

Saturday, 26 — Super Late Model Twin 50’s, Legends, Baby Grands, Stinger 8

auguStSaturday, 2 — Street Stocks

75 Laps, Super 4 100 Laps, Mini Stocks, Hobby Stocks, Bumblebees

Saturday, 9 — Super Late Model Miller 100, Legends Regional Qualifier, Outlaw Compacts

Saturday, 16 — Street Stocks, Baby Grand, Mini Stocks, Vintage Modifieds, Bumblebees

Saturday, 23 — Winged Sprint Cars, Open Wheel Midgets, Hobby Stocks, Baby Grands, Stinger 8

Saturday, 30 — Super Late Model 100, Dennis Smitham Memorial Qualifiers (Street Stock Shoot Out), Legends, Mini Stocks

SepteMberSaturday, 6 — Open Wheel

Midgets, Super 4, Hobby Stocks, Baby Grands, Stinger 8

Saturday, 13 — Super Late Model 100, Mini Stocks, Bumblebees, Legends

Saturday, 20 — Street Stocks, Hobby Stocks, Baby Grands, Stinger8, Outlaw Compacts

Saturday, 27 — Mini Stocks, Hobby Stocks, Bumblebees, Vintage Modifieds

The back gate opens at 1 p.m., front gate opens at 4:45 p.m., qualifying at 5 p.m. and racing starts at 6:30 p.m.


By Nisqually Valley News

Get those tastebuds going on the way to Mount Rainier with a visit to Lattin’s Country Cider Mill and Farm, located a few miles east of Interstate 5 and north of Tenino at 9402 Rich Road SE.

Like many other tried and true attractions around the area, Lattin’s is a small, family-owned farm that has been cultivating and perfecting its cider since 1976. The apples used in the

cider-making process are pur-chased directly from the same high-quality growers each year, then stored at a controlled tem-perature to preserve their crisp-ness.

The family and its employees sorts, washes and cuts each apple by hand — which amounts to up to 75 tons of apples a day dur-ing peak times, and translates to 4,000 gallons of fresh cider in one week.

To take a look into the pre-cise process of creating Lattin’s own specific tastes of ciders: The

apples are ground and pressed, pasteurized and bottled imme-diately but no additives, preser-vatives or sweeteners are added. Once it’s time to test the product, there is only one way — to take that first sip.

Although apple cider is Lat-tin’s claim to fame, the mill also produces cider from strawber-ries, blackberries and raspber-ries, and they even add a kick to some apple ciders to make spiced ciders.

Visitors can wander about the flower and vegetable gardens, enjoy a picnic complete with ci-der to drink, and even feed baby farm animals — goats, chickens, roosters, calves, bunnies, lambs and pigs. Lattin’s also offers a year-round maze and play area for kids.

Lattin’s farmers market pro-

vides a spread of Eastern Wash-ington fruit, farm fresh eggs, fruit syrups, dried fruit, honey, jam, smoked salmon, Johnson’s Smokehouse meat and cheese products, crisp apples and ready-to-bake frozen pies. Lattin’s also sells pastries and donuts, baked fresh daily.

Apple fritters are available Fridays before noon and all weekend.

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MT. RAINIER RAILROAD DINING CO. Come dine in a real train dining car from 1922. Robert W. Thurston is the founder of this fantastic idea. Family owned and operated since 1987, enjoy the “family secret recipes,” proudly preparing everything homemade and to order. A “must have” are our “in-house smoked daily” B.B.Q. items, indescribably fantastic! Enjoy a domestic or imported beer, local Washington wine or spirits with your meal. Save room ... we have the “BEST” homemade cobbler or bread pudding on the Mountain! We also cater on site or off, for all your special events. Hold your next gathering here we can hold up to 200 people. Open 7 days a week, 9 a.m. - 9 p.m., serving the best breakfast, lunch and dinner around.

Looking for a unique place for a wedding? Located next to a historic church, walk to reception and we have lodging! Room Rates $115.00 per couple per night in your own real caboose!

If You Want to Go:Lattin’s Country Cider Mill

and Farm is open year-round, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday through Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on

Sundays, June 1 to Dec. 31. For more information call

360-491-7328 or visit http://lattinscider.com.

Lattin’s Country Cider Mill and Farm Offers Much More Than Juice



A longtime attraction for lo-cal and out-of-town fishermen alike, Offut Lake Resort just a few miles north of Tenino offers everything an angler could need or want no matter what level of experience — equipment, lures, fishing docks and boats, and even a fishing license.

All of this is found on the scenic and peaceful 200-acre Offut Lake, which is open for year-round fishing.

The small, family-owned re-sort located on the south shore of the lake also provides camp-ing and rustic cabins, as well as a general store. The camp-ground has RV sites with fire pits, free Wi-Fi, access to cable TV, water, electric and sewer.

Two tent areas are also available near the lake, beneath where a soft cedar bed lies. Cars and pets are not permit-ted, and a 5 mph speed limit is enforced on the grounds. Addi-tionally, only electric boat mo-tors are allowed.

Anglers of all expertise lev-els will be likely to catch trout, as the resort raises them in net pens.

Visitors are welcome to park their cars and even bring

pets to the pet-friendly area far-ther back in the park.

In addition to its other ame-nities, Offut Lake Resort has showers in the campground restroom facilities as well as a laundry room and a day-use picnic shelter for groups. A two-night minimum stay is re-quired for the weekends and three-night stay is required on holiday weekends.

New to the resort is the lakefront restaurant Lady of the Lake, which serves fine dining in the spirit of Washington state cuisine.

Beyond Offut Lake, the way to Mount Rainier provides a plethora of other fishing spots, as the Nisqually Valley and surrounding area is one of the country’s prime locations and pulls for anglers, abundant with lakes and other bodies of water.

Perhaps the most popular lake in the area lies in Mineral (Mineral Lake) because of its success rate for fishermen year after year.

Anglers eager to try other spots could also turn their equipment to trout-heavy lakes in Thurston County: Lake St. Clair (tens of thousands of rain-bow and brown trout), Lake Lawrence or McIntosh Lake.

Even closer to Mount Rain-

ier in Pierce County, several lakes have been stocked with trout: Clear, Harts, Kapowsin, Ohop, Silver, Spanaway, Tan-wax and Rapjohn. Clear and Ohop are considered the best locales in Pierce County.

Once in Mount Rainier, the fishing opportunities only con-tinue with the sight of large and small rivers and lakes found in the woods and hills. One option is Alder Lake, a 2,931 acre body of water that’s open year-round. You can catch rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, kokanee, large-mouth bass, yellow perch, black crappie and bullhead catfish.

Formed by the Nisqually River reservoir five miles south of Eatonville, the lake is found just below the Ashford entrance to Mount Rainier on Highway 7.


Offut Lake north of Tenino is a one-stop fishing center, com-plete with a delicious new lakefront restaurant.

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BY NISQUALLY VALLEY NEWS

Wolf Haven International is hidden away as a sanctuary should be, but certainly worth the short drive north of Tenino.

Located at 311 Offut Lake Road SE, Tenino, its mission is to “Conserve and protect wolves and their habitat.”

The nonprofit Wolf Ha-ven accomplishes this mission through providing sanctuary, education and conservation. Wolf Haven rescues and pro-

vides sanctuary for displaced, captive-born wolves, offers educational programs about wolves and the value of all wildlife, promotes wolf resto-ration in historic ranges and works to protect our remaining wild wolves and their habitat.

The sanctuary is open six days a week April through September (closed on Tues-days). Tours start every hour on the hour, with no reservations needed except for group tours. Wolf Haven is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., except for Sundays (noon to 4 p.m.).

During the winter months of October through March, it is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sat-urdays, and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. Wolf Haven is closed Feb. 16 to March 16.

Currently, only about 75 Mexican gray wolves are living in the wild, mostly in Arizona and New Mexico. About 300 remain in captivity in the U.S. and Mexico.

The wolves received pro-tection under the Endangered Species Act 37 years ago. The Mexican grays remain one of the most imperiled mammals in North America and are the world’s most at-risk subspecies of gray wolf.

Wolf Haven’s involvement with the animals dates back to 1994 when it was selected to

participate in the Species Sur-vival Plan, a recovery program designed to oversee captive population management and enhance conservation in the wild.

In the mid-1970s, the Mexi-can gray wolf had nearly dis-appeared from North America. Five of the rare species were captured in the wild and anoth-er two from captivity formed the basis for the genetic res-toration of the nearly extinct animals.

Since Wolf Haven got in-volved, it has produced five litters of Mexican gray pups and released two packs — 11 wolves — into Arizona’s

Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. Some of the first Mexi-can wolves to reenter the wild came from Wolf Haven, which is one of just three pre-release facilities for the species in the United States.

One of Wolf Haven’s most popular events is the amateur photography tours, held dur-ing the colder months when the wolves are wearing their win-ter coats and are most active. During photo tours, the sanctu-ary is closed to the public and the number of participants is limited.

n For more information: 360-264-HOWL and www.wolfhaven.org

Wolf Haven Provides Sanctuary for

Endangered Species

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BY NISQUALLY VALLEY NEWS

Tenino’s natural rock quarry swimming pool, fed by a natural spring water, is the go-to spot for summer fun.

Located in Tenino City Park, it is the remnant of the aban-doned Tenino Stone Company quarry where miners once har-vested sandstone, a sedimen-tary rock that consists of sand or quartz grains cemented to-gether.

Not only is it a cool place to swim, many people just go there to hang out and bask in the beau-ty of the natural stone, moss and trees that surround the park.

A natural waterfall flows in the background, lending a re-sort-like feel to the experience.

Many locals grew up going to the quarry pool and it still at-tracts many regional visitors.

The pool has a high dive and chlorinated wading pool.

Admission and hours vary.The pool is located near the

Tenino Depot Museum at 399 Park Ave. W.

Tenino City Park is located several block east of Sussex Av-enue, the city’s main drag.

The Yelm-Tenino Trail be-gins at the park, which also has facilities for camping, picnic shelters, fire pits, hiking, play structures, athletic fields, public

restroom and plenty of parking.The trail is 14.5 miles of

paved path that links Yelm and Tenino by way of Rainier.

It is a popular trail that fol-lows what was once a railway route. The tracks were removed to make the path, which crosses state Highway 507 only once.

Take a Walking Tour of Historic Sandstone Buildings

Just a few blocks from the city park is the attractive down-town core with its many sand-stone buildings. Stop by for a glass of wine, chocolates, a meal at the Sandstone Cafe or for some shopping, then stroll through the historic buildings and sites.

Founded in 1872, Tenino was known for its early years as a terminus of the Northern Pa-cific Railroad and later the junc-tion for the Olympia and Tenino Railroad line.

In 1888, a large deposit of sandstone was found near Tenino. By the 1910s quarries were operated by the Tenino Stone Company and the Hercu-les Sandstone Company. These companies supplied Tenino sandstone for buildings through-out the West from San Francisco to Vancouver, B.C. and from Ab-erdeen to Missoula, Montana.

The quarries gradually were phased out as concrete replaced stone as a building material. The last quarry closed in the 1930s.

Like so many cities in the West, Tenino’s commercial dis-trict was destroyed by fires. The

1905 fire destroyed a block on the south side of Sussex and the 1917 fire the other side of the street. In rebuilding and using Tenino’s own sandstone, the town was left with a unique legacy of its sandstone quarries.

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The Tenino rock quarry swimming pool is a popular spot to cool down during the hot summer months.


Morton

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Tenino

Yelm

Nisqually

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OlympiaLacey

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Tenino Farmers MarketOPENING DAY - JUNE 7th

www.teninofarmersmarket.org

301 Old Hwy 99 N., Tenino (Tenino Elementary)

Every Saturday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.Love YourFarmers Market

Celebrating 10 Seasons

Take a Stop in Rainier for

Cookies and GiftsBy Nisqually Valley News

Main Street Cookie Company

If you are headed to Para-dise on Mount Rainier, stop by to find a bit of heaven at the Main Street Cookie Company in the city of Rainier.

The kitchen and cookie case are located at 112 Binghampton St. NE inside the former Rainier Hotel on the main street through town. As you walk up to the front door, the smell of fresh-baked cookies pulls you in.

Main Street Cookie Com-pany is owned and operated by Joycelyn and Carl Zambuto, who decided in 2005 they would harness Joycelyn’s talents in recipe creation and build an all natural, artisan cookie bakery around them.

They went to work on a comprehensive business plan,

leased a small space in the old hotel and opened in January 2008. In the short time since its inception, Main Street Cookie Company has been developing a reputation that is spreading re-gionally as baking the finest, lo-cal, always from scratch cook-ies one can buy.

The Main Street Cookie Company has become a desti-nation trip in Washington for many, as some folks will drive an hour to buy the artisan cook-ies.

The Main Street Cookie Company is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

The company slogan couldn’t be better: “We bake with BUTTER.” That means sweet cream butter only — no vegetable shortening, no oil and no hydrogenated product of any kind.

n For information call: 360-446-0232, or visit www.mainstreetcookies.com

Ginger StreetRight across the street from

Main Street Cookie Company is Ginger Street, a shop fea-turing Washington state made gifts.

From home and garden de-cor to cards, gifts and even hand blown glass by Joe Cat-

tuti, shoppers can find a bit of everything. The items for sale are both vintage and new.

Ginger Street is visually stimulating and interesting.

Store hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

n For information call: 360-446-3100, or visit ginger-streetstore.com.

Nisqually Valley News File Photos

For the best cookie found throughout the Nisqually Valley, stop in at Main Street Cookie Company in Rainier.

Just across the street from Main Street Cookie Company in Rainier is the quaint Ginger Street shop featuring Washington state made gifts.



This quiet photo of the Yelm-Tenino Trail will be transformed July 12-13 when about 10,000 bike riders cruise through.


The Yelm-Tenino Trail’s nearly 14 miles offers a pleas-ant, paved path for walkers, bikers, runners and dog lovers.

The trail connects the cities of Yelm, Rainier and Tenino, passing through Wilkowski Park in Rainier and ending at Tenino City Park.

The trail traverses forest and agricultural lands, wet-lands, creeks and other habitat parallel to state Route 507. It’s filled with scenic views, includ-ing the Deschutes River west of Rainier and McIntosh Lake near Tenino.

The trail, which runs east to west, was acquired by Thurston County in 1993. It operated as a Burlington Northern railroad from about 1869 through the late 1980s.

Pedestrians, bicycles and other non-motorized vehicles are permitted on the trail.

The Yelm-Tenino Trail inter-sects with the Chehalis-Western Trail, linking the cities of Yelm, Rainier, Tenino, Tumwater, Lacey, Olympia and Woodard Bay on the Puget Sound.

Thurston County Public works is close to completing a pedestrian bridge on Pacific Av-

enue that will link the Chehalis Western Trail with the Wood-land Trail and I-5 Bike Trail.

The Yelm trailhead is lo-cated behind City Hall and features parking, picnic tables, restrooms and an informa-tion kiosk. The Rainier trail-head is located between Centre and Minnesota Streets behind Rainier Market with restrooms available. The Tenino trailhead is at the Tenino City Park on Washington Avenue with ac-cess to restrooms. The trail can be accessed from just about ev-ery road crossing.

Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic

Each summer the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic cruises through the Nisqually Valley, taking advantage of the smooth ride found on the Yelm - Tenino Trail.

STP this year is Saturday and Sunday, July 12-13. Most riders will flow through the Nisqually Valley Saturday af-ternoon, heading for an over-night stay at the midpoint of the ride in Centralia.

The 200-mile bicycle ride is the largest multi-day bicycle event in the Northwest, with up to 10,000 riders participating.

Enjoy a visit in the country…

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Yelm-Tenino Trail Links Nisqually Valley

Cities Together



Yelm City ParkYelm City Park is the area’s

most popular destination, lo-cated at state Route 507 and Mosman Avenue in the center of town. Owned and operated by the city, the property — which is about one city block in size — was donated by Chuck and Wilma Demich in 1950.

Various special events are held at Yelm City Park, includ-ing Prairie Days, Octoberfest, Christmas in the Park, and Yelm Lions Easter Egg Hunt and Car Show. While hosting events that can involve a carnival (Prairie

Days), the park offers a kitchen, covered facilities, picnic tables, a playground area, softball backstop and public restrooms, although park renovations are underway and many of those amenities will not be available until the summer of 2015.

A skatepark was located there for about 20 years, but a new one is set to be built at the city’s old public works yard ad-jacent to the park.

Longmire Community Park

And for the sports enthusi-asts out there, look no further than Longmire Community Park, located on the outskirts of

town at 16820 Canal Road SE. Longmire Park is Yelm’s sports complex, providing three base-ball fields, a football/soccer field, volleyball court and walking trails. Tournaments throughout the year bring hundreds, if not thousands of ballplayers, along with their families and friends. Oh, playground equipment is also available such as swings, staircase and a bridge that con-nects to two roofed hideouts.

It is open 8 a.m. to dusk year-round. Come for the athletics, but stay for the park’s pristine view of Mount Rainier when Mother Nature cooperates.

Cochrane Memorial Park

Cochrane Memorial Park is not as visible, but the off-the-

beaten-path gem is beautiful and loaded with things to do. Cochrane Memorial includes a multi-acre expanse of wa-terfalls, ponds and tree-lined paths.

The park, located at 750 Mill Road SE, is part of a functioning water treatment system. Here’s how it works: “All the water in the park is reclaimed water that is infiltrated back into the ground to recharge the aquifer,” according to the City of Yelm website, www.ci.yelm.wa.us.

More so, the park provides a pristine spot for some rest, relaxation and recreation. Ame-nities include a covered picnic area, children’s play area, and, of course, restrooms. It is avail-able for reservation to hold a special event.


Cochrane Memorial Park, located just blocks away from down-town Yelm, offers a quite respite for travelers.

Whether It’s Children or Adults, Parks Offer Something for Just About Everyone

Yelm Offers Several Quality Parks to Enjoy


Yelm Prairie LanesPrairie Lanes is a modern,

family owned and operated eight-lane bowling alley.

Prairie Lanes caters to leagues, recreational bowling, fundraisers and parties. There is limited open bowling during leagues, so call ahead for open bowl times.

In addition, karaoke tourna-ments and the 11th Pin Cafe are also offered, which add to the en-tertainment value for the whole family — or friends, dates and everything in between. Bowl-ing activities include Rock-N-Bowl on Friday nights, which includes black lights and music. Open bowling is available seven days a week, and a specialty of Prairie Lanes is kids and adults birthday parties.

n For information: 360-458-2629, www.yelmprai-rielanes.com.

Tahoma Valley Golf Course

With beautiful views of Mount Rainier, affordable rates for nearly any budget, and great conditions from tee to green, Tahoma Valley Golf Course in Yelm is a leisurely, worthwhile stop along the way to the moun-tain.

Located at 15425 Mos-man Ave. SW, the 18-hole par 71 course is 5,930 yards off the blue tees (5,730 yards from white), including three par 5s and three par 3s on the back nine.

The course includes a pro shop and new restaurant, Big Daddy’s on the Green, which serves a hearty breakfast and lighter fare lunch and dinner.

n For information: 360-458-3332, www.tahoma-valleygolf.com.

Yelm CinemasWith eight movie screens

and updated equipment, Yelm Cinemas offers all the latest movies in the heart of town. Located at 201 Prairie Park Lane SE, the cinema offers comforts of a big-city theater with a small-town atmosphere. It is clean, comfortable, pro-vides all the yummy treats one would expect, and — for before and after movie fun — has an arcade.

n For information: 360-400-3456, www.yelmcin-emas.com.

The Triad Theater

Looking for some live mu-sic, comedy, lectures, drama and independent films? Look no further than The Triad The-ater.

Located in the Wolf Build-ing at the corner of First Street and Yelm Avenue, its eclectic offerings reach out to the lo-cal art community with acting and music classes, as well as hosts the Alpha Centauri Lec-ture Series that focuses on in-novative science concepts and

exploration of the unknown.The Triad Theater offers

ever-evolving activities that change weekly. To learn more about the latest shows and gigs, go to its website, printed below.

n For information: 360-458-3140, www.thetriad-theater.com.

Yelm Historical Museum

The Yelm Historical Muse-um, located on Third Street, is open noon to 4 p.m., Wednes-day through Saturday.

Yelm has a long history (checkout yelmhistoryproject.com) with close ties to Mount Rainier National Park “due to Yelm’s historical gateway to the mountain before modern

roads made accessing the park much easier,” according to thecentralcascades.com/yelm-historical-museum.

Stopping by the museum on the way to Paradise puts the history into perspective, such as exhibits on two of the first people to summit Mount Rain-ier. The first known man to climb to the summit of Mount Rainier, P.B. Van Trump, and the first woman, Fay Fuller, were associated with Yelm and are focused on in “The Bloom-er Girl and the Mountain” ex-hibit at the museum.

Van Trump made his fa-mous climb in 1870; Fuller was a young teacher in Yelm and Van Trump’s friend.

n For information: 360-970-8036, www.ci.yelm.wa.us.

Yelm Activities

Visit the City’s New & Expanded Website at

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Enhanced Features Include:

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With 975 slot machines, craps, roulette, blackjack, Pai Gow and three-card poker, Keno and Speed Keno, the Red Wind Casino is a must stop on your way to Mount Rainier.

Located just north of Yelm on Highway 510, for dining the ca-sino offers the Blue Camas Buf-fet, the high-end Squalli-Absch Grille, The Medicine Creek Deli and the full-service bar Pealo’s landing.

For entertainment, take in The Coho Cabaret for live acts, as well as sporting events played on a 150-inch screen.

The casino is part of the holdings of the Nisqually Indi-an Tribe’s reservation on 1,000 acres, originally established by the Medicine Creek Treaty of 1854.Nisqually Tribal Center

While at the casino, take time to visit the nearby Tribal

Center, which opened in May 2013. The Tribal Center in-cludes conference rooms and offices for tribal divisions such as the tribal council chambers, community, social service, le-gal, financial and human ser-vices.

The two-story building, constructed at a cost of $8 mil-

lion, has a water feature, art and artifacts meaningful to the Nisqually Tribe. The rooftop resembles a native salmon.

A memorial totem pole is on display on the first floor, and was carved and painted by Tommy Dunstan from the Thompson Salish people with help from Nisqually commu-

nity members. It honors their grandmother, Josephine Ska-mink.

A large piece of bark from a local sequoia tree has been fashioned into a table for one of the boardrooms.

Strike it rich on the casino floor, then take in the striking-ly stunning new Tribal Center.

Nisqually Indian Tribal Center, Casino a Worthwhile Stop


Red Wind Casino near Yelm is a popular spot for gambling, but also is well-known for its many restaurants, including a mouth-watering buffet.



With about 350 farmers mar-kets in Washington state, the cit-ies of Yelm and Tenino provide its own one-stop shopping for just about everything local and healthy.

Not only is fresh food avail-able directly from farmers, unique products and artisans provide an experience everyday grocery stores cannot.

Plus, the money spent stays directly in the community, and same goes for the Rainier Com-munity Garden, which provides locally-grown plants and veg-etables by Rainier High School students.

Yelm Farmers Market Bald Hills resident Karen

Rae is the new market manager for Yelm Farmers Market. Rae hopes to grow the market in the coming years.

Rae said this year’s market will offer a broader range of pro-duce than in years past. All pro-duce must be from Washington and it has to come directly from a farmer. That allows the market to offer produce from Eastern Washington; however, Rae is quick to point out competition with local farmers will not occur.

Along with honey, eggs, meats and local produce, the market will have baked goods, crafts, live music, entertainment for kids, veggie starts, plants and perennials for sale. Prepared foods will also be on sale from

various food vendors. Area art-ists are most welcome. She is still accepting applications for vendors, and also will host a non-profit organization and a busi-ness booth each week.

The market will accept pay-ments by EBT, WIC and SNAP as well.

The Yelm Farmers Market is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sun-day from June 1 through Oct. 26. Located in the outskirts of Yelm at the bridge where state Route 507 crosses over the Nisqually River, Yelm Farmers Market is on Nisqually Springs Farm, 17835 state Route 507. Open rain or shine, the market often features live entertainment. For more information go to www.yelmfarmersmarket.yelmfood.coop.

Tenino Farmers Market

Established in 2005, the Tenino Farmers Market is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays from June 7 through September. The market features fresh, locally-grown produce, plants, hand-crafts, music, workshops and community outreach.

The market is located at Tenino Elementary School, 301 Old Highway 99 N. at the cor-ner of Old Highway 99 and Gar-field Avenue. Highlights include Opening Day June 1, Grand Opening June 29, Blue Ribbon Pie Contest July 27, Cabbage to Sauerkraut Aug. 10, Summer Fest Smoothies Aug. 24, Salsa Saturday Sept. 14, and Closing

Day, which includes a Vendor Appreciation Day and a Great Pumpkin Contest.

Rainier Community Garden

Entering its third year, the Rainier Community Garden is a project developed by Angie Karnes, agriculture educator at Rainier High School, and her environmental science students.

The purpose, according to its Facebook pages, “is to bring the Rainier community and sur-rounding areas together and pro-vide educational gardening op-portunities for everyone while growing fresh food and impact-ing local hunger issues.”

Since 2011, the Rainier

Community Garden has locally served those in need who desire a healthy choice. Along with Karnes, more than 60 commu-nity volunteers, around 90 stu-dents and 30-plus donors have helped the project grow — figu-ratively and literally. About 40 raised beds are built, harvesting broccoli, lettuce, beans, cab-bage, strawberries and raspber-ries, just to name a small hand-ful.

Last year, the garden proj-ect produced more than 2,900 pounds of vegetables and do-nated around 2,250 pounds to the Rainier Food Bank, which serves more than 800 fami-lies per month, according to its Facebook page.

Yelm, Tenino Host Thriving Farmers Markets

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You started out at Lattin’s Country Cider Mill and Farm and loaded up on cider and an apple fritter, caught a few trout at Offut Lake Resort, bought some wine at Scatter Creek Winery in Tenino, hit both farmers markets in Tenino and Yelm, bought frost-ed cookies at the city of Rainier’s Main Street Cookie Company,

loaded up on wholesome natural foods from the Yelm Co-op, and now are on your way to Mount Rainier.

Next, as you exit Yelm head-ing east, you’ll need to go through the city of McKenna. McKenna has a rich history and needle-in-the-haystack attractions you won’t want to miss out on.

McKenna is a former timber company town founded in 1908 and still bears remnants of that time, though the buildings now operate under the guises of other businesses and purposes.

Walt’s Place Tavern, the only bar in McKenna, is the epitome of the sentiment that everyone who walks in the door is a friend. New owners Susie and Mike Hull took the reins in August 2013 and have made sure to keep it operat-ing with the same look and feel as it did for the 52 years it was in the Coffel family prior to the Hull ownership.

The tavern, built in 1895, stands as one of the oldest build-ings town. It used to serve as a supply/convenience store for the Salsich Lumber Company work-ers living in the boarding house across the street.

What was once the boarding house for the timber company workers has now transitioned into Nisqually Valley Care Center, a skilled nursing home.

McKenna is the perfect stop to get some steaks and jerky from Stewart’s Meats, perhaps a tasty slice of pizza at Varsity Pizza, or some ribs from Jim Bob’s Chuck-wagon BBQ before leaving for the great outdoors.

Stewart’s Meats is a long-time local destination. Emmett Stew-art opened up the family business during the Depression in 1929.

Back in those days everything was locally raised, slaughtered and sold at country meat markets. While most of those meat mar-kets have disappeared, Stewart’s remains. Much of the beef is from Stewart’s own herd, and the pork is purchased from nearby farms.

His original commitment to quality meats at reasonable pric-es, along with customer service, remains today.

Stewart’s still uses the origi-nal family secret after four gen-erations.

Stock up for your Mount Rainier outing with meatloaf, hamburgers, smoked meats, New York and T-bone steaks, hams, rib

roast — you can even purchase goat and lamb meat and an entire, whole luau pig slow-smoked on low heat from natural hardwoods. Stewart’s is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

If it’s pizza you desire, Varsity Pizza is right on the way at 35025 90th Ave. S. in McKenna just off state Route 507 (open every day from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., serving generous portions and also sal-ads, pasta and sandwiches). The pizza is influenced from a New York pizza expert who trained employees to make the perfect slice. Varsity Pizza a restaurant on Mountain Highway East a few miles north of Eatonville on Highway 7.

Varsity has four big screen TVs featuring sports events.

If you’re looking for some tasty, already cooked ribs, Jim Bob’s Chuckwagon BBQ fits the bill, located at 35119 state Route 507. Made fresh daily, they take at least six hours to cook but when they’re done, the meat falls off the bone. Jim Bob’s is open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

Other items are also on the menu, but when it comes to Jim Bob’s, the ribs stand out.


Stewart’s Meats is a famous old-school butcher shop located just east of Yelm city limits on High-way 507.

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Barbara and her husband Jerry Hulscher started growing lavender with a “test garden” in 2001.

Today, they have about 1,000 lavender plants at Mountain Meadow Lavender in Roy, which also boasts a shop that offers a wide variety of products made from lavender, including soaps, body lotions and bath salts.

The shop also has culinary varieties of lavender blended with spices or teas.

Despite her passion for lav-ender, Hulscher doesn’t have any trade secrets. She’s eager to share her knowledge with anyone will-ing to learn.

Hulscher’s lavender plants for sale come with instruction sheets detailing how to grow them, as well as landscaping suggestions. For people lacking green thumbs, Hulscher has lavender-made products for sale.

She’s seeing increasing inter-est from people who have never grown lavender before, as the plant appears to be getting more popular. Whereas lavender farms in Washington used to be iso-lated to the Sequim area, they’ve popped up all over the place in

recent years, she said. She credits lavender’s grow-

ing popularity with word spread-ing of the plant’s many uses.

“If you want it to just be a landscaping plant, great,” she said. “But there’s other things to do with it and once you get them in the ground, in the proper place, and you trim the stems off every year, you don’t really have to do much to them and they’re drought tolerant.”

When people come out to her farm, they’re also getting more than a get in, get out experience, she said.

Many brides come with their mothers and women in their wed-ding parties to pick lavender for their ceremonies. If they make an appointment, Hulscher makes sure to have treats such as lav-ender cookies and lemonade on hand, she said.

Mountain Meadow Laven-der is located at 919 304th St. S., Roy, and is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May through September, or by appointment. For more informa-tion, call 253-843-4109 or log on to www.mountainmeadowlaven-der.com.

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Mountain Meadow Lavender Features About 1,000 Plants and Variety of Products


Mountain Meadow Lavender features 1,000 plants at its Roy farm.



A narrated tram tour of the free -roaming area allows you to see bison, Roosevelt elk, moose, mountain goats and other native animals, up close in their natural habitats.

A self -guided walking tour along the paved trails in the core of the park provides the opportu-nity to see grizzly bears, wolves and more in naturalistic exhibits.

New last year is a series of zip lines that are a must stop for visi-tors going to Mount Rainier. Four zip line courses all require mental toughness and physical agility.

Northwest Trek is located at 11610 Trek Drive E. just six miles north of Eatonville on state Route 161.

Tram TourSee bison, elk, moose, big-

horn sheep, mountain goats and more from the comfort of heated, enclosed trams. The 50- minute, naturalist -guided tram tour winds through 435 acres of meadows, woods, and lakes filled with wild-life native to the Pacific North-west.

Be the first to spot the bison herd. In the spring, scout a big-horn ewe and her kid in the mead-ows. Or in the fall, glimpse bull elk locking antlers as they tussle over a mate during the “rut” or breeding season. A knowledge-able, friendly naturalist narrates the tour with fun animal facts and interesting stories about the park.

Walking TourWalk a paved path through

the forest to see large predators such as grizzly bears, wolves, cougars and other native for-est animals, all in naturalistic exhibits. The trail is wheelchair and stroller friendly. A limited number of wheelchairs and stroll-ers are available for rent at the main office, on a first -come, first -served basis.Animal Trailside Encounters

Animals are the stars of these trailside presentations, led by keepers. Get up close to a beaver, porcupine, skunk or other small animal. Learn about where they live and what they eat.Cheney Family Discovery Center

Discovering nature is fun for kids of all ages in this interac-tive environment, which is home to some of the park’s smallest

critters. Meet toads, snakes and salamanders. You can’t touch the living animals but you can enjoy hands- on activities from puppet play to touchable animal pelts.

Baker Research CabinThis representation of an old

trapper’s cabin is all about con-servation and research including citizen science. Here you have the opportunity to spy on the wolf pack from the kid- sized observation tunnel or use remote cameras to observe the foxes and coyotes.

Nature TrailsExperience the beautiful

Northwest forest scenery on five miles of paved and primitive trails. Each trail is coded with a different icon so following the right path is easy. A map is avail-able at the trailhead.

www.nwtrek.org

The Zip Wild Adventure course at Northwest Trek gives riders a full zip line/challenge experience.

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Experience the Pioneer Life


On the banks of the Mashel River, Eatonville is one of the last major stops between the Nisqually Valley and the quaint communities near Mount Rain-ier.

A must-stop for those tour-ing the area is the Pioneer Farm Museum and Ohop Indian Vil-lage, which provide glimpses into Indian and pioneer life and work, as well as offering ex-tensive interactive educational programs for schools and small groups.

The museum takes you back to the 1880s to experience the homesteading life in Washing-ton state, including two home-stead cabins.

Do the chores that pioneer children would have done in a log cabin such as grinding grains, churning cream, scrub-bing laundry, and carding wool. You may dress up like pioneers, get your hair curled with an old curling iron and shave with a dulled straight razor.

You can help with the barn chores or visit the replica Ohop Lutheran Mission schoolhouse. Rules and punishments for both students and teachers are hang-ing on the wall inside. The vil-lage takes you back further to

before the first local contact with Europeans.

The one and a half hour guided tours are from Father’s Day through Labor Day.

Eatonville hosts a number of popular community events for holidays such as Christmas and the Fourth of July.

They also have their own unique festivals and attractions, which draw visitors each year.

Eatonville Lions Club Art Festival

The Eatonville Lions Club Art Festival is Aug. 1-3, when more than 100 artists of all forms gather in the park. Music, vendor booths and tons of fun are to be found at the free event.

The event is a major fund-raiser for the Eatonville Lions Club and all proceeds go back into the Eatonville community.

Artists from all over the area visit the town of Eatonville to display and sell their work.

About 50 booths, along with food stands, beer garden and stages fill up Glacier View Park over the weekend.

Artists display artwork for sale including photography, oil and watercolor painting, wood-carving and sculpture.

Many of the artists spend their day practicing their craft as a way of showing onlookers

how they do it. Nearby, a mile away to the

west, Nisqually Mashel State Park offers expansive views of Mount Rainier and the Nisqually River Gorge.

The park also features fish-ing, rafting, hiking, bird watch-ing, picnicking and mountain biking. The park lies beside a salmon and steelhead spawning grounds.


For those wanting to take a trip back in time, the Pioneer Farm Mu-seum and Ohop Indian Village is a must-stop on the way to Mount Rainier.

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Highlights of Elbe

By Brittany WhiteheadNisqually Valley News

Although the town of Elbe boasted a population of just 29 people in the 2010 census, this small town has quite a bit to offer to visitors traveling through.

The Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad and Museum, a nonprofit heritage railroad, begins its train rides at its depot in Elbe, located at 54124 Mountain Highway E.

Those who take advantage to experience this excursion will get to ride on the longest continu-

ously operating steam railroad in the Northwest, a rarity these days as few steam-powered passenger railroads still exist in the North-west.

Starting this summer, passen-gers will get to see phase two of the new Mineral museum, along with the world’s largest collec-tion of displayed steam logging locomotives. The steam train runs almost every weekend from May through October.

The Historic Train Depot also houses one of two Mount Rainier Visitor Centers heading toward

the southwest entrance to Mount Rainier. The visitor center is open Thursday through Sunday, from Memorial Day to Oct. 31.

Mark your calendar for July 19, the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad Steamfest, in which tour-ists can see five beautiful steam engines during an all-day special event originating at the museum in Mineral. The depot in Elbe will be closed for the day. Visit www.mt-rainier.com for the year’s events calendar.

Visitors to the area can also enjoy taking in the sight of the Historic Little White Church of Elbe, built in 1906 and still stand-ing in its original location, right off Highway 7. The 18-by-24-foot church is an emblematic structure for the historically German town as it reads “Ev. Luth. KIRCHE” (Evangelische Lutherische Kirche) on its steeple, a reminder of the founders’ German origins.

The church was designed by its first pastor, Karl Kilian, and built by the townspeople. It still bears its original altar and el-evated pulpit as well as one of the handmade pews.

Worship services are held 2:30 p.m. on the third Sunday of the month from March through No-vember, and the church is open to tourists during the summer.

For a dining break and even a place to stay, tourists can head over to the Mount Rainier Rail-road Dining Company, which sits right on the pathway of the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad, at 54106 Mountain Highway E.

The family-owned company offers quite the array of food on its menu, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The family prides it-

self on offering a unique dining experience and is most proud of its “family secret” house-smoked tastes, including alder smoked prime rib and smoked poultry, pork and fish. Other favorites in-clude home-cut cheddar fries, hand-dipped Louisiana prawns, homemade lasagna and beer-bat-tered hoki.

Since starting out as a pop-corn stand on a street corner in Elbe, the Rainier Railroad Dining Company has expanded by adding The Hobo Inn (a caboose motel), a gift shop, the Cascadian Dinner Train as well as the restaurant and lounge.

For those interested in a clas-sic American hamburger and milkshake, across the street from the Rainier Railroad Dining Com-pany is the greasy spoon joint Scaleburgers. Some claim there is no better burger, and it is listed as the ninth-best burger in the state by www.road-quest.com (the top-rated burger is none other than one found at Yelm’s Bunkhouse, 1506 Yelm Ave. W).


The Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad and Museum fea-tures rides on steam trains.

Steam Engine Railroad, Historic Church, Among the Sights of Quaint Town


By Brittany WhiteheadNisqually Valley News

The gateway town to Mount Rainier’s Nisqually Val-ley, the only year-round

entrance to the park, Ashford offers local and out-of-town vis-itors alike a plethora of options as it pertains to lodging, dining, shops, outfitters and even spas and fitness centers during their stay.

Just six miles from the en-trance to Mount Rainier on Highway 706, Ashford is a base camp of sorts for those pushing onward to climb and scale the peak. Lodging is unique to the area, from cottages to lodges to bed and breakfasts, cabins and even a chalet, which blend in perfectly with the mountain theme and experience. For a full list of places to stay, visit www.mt-rainier.com.

High Rock Lookout offers a stunning view of Mount Rainier and is considered one of Wash-ington state’s most stunning lookouts. Hikers gain an el-evation of 1,350 feet during the steep 3.2 miles and estimated three-hour hike. No trailhead pass required. Go to www.visi-trainier.com for details on the trail and specific location of the starting point.

For those not only interested in climbing Mount Rainier, Ash-ford offers more than 20 miles of intermediate to expert cat-egory mountain biking, hiking trails and, in the winter, snow-shoeing routes. The outskirts of Gateway to Paradise are also home to Painters Art Gallery and Ashford Creek Pottery, both on Highway 706.

Ashford also boasts the fair-ly new Ashford County Park, a 30-acre park that was completed in the spring of 2010. It has a children’s play area, a 1.2-mile perimeter walking path as well as interior paths, a restroom fa-cility and a native plant life list. The park is located along 706 as

well. The Mount Rainier Visi-

tor Center in Ashford, located in Whittaker Mountaineering’s Summit House (30027 SE 706 East), holds summer hours of 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, and is open only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday until 5 p.m. during

the winter. Ashford holds an array of

restaurants, including Wild-berry Restaurant, Rainier Base-Camp Bar and Grill, Gateway Inn Resort, Copper Creek Inn and Lodge, Alexander’s Coun-try Inn, and Highlander Steak-house and Lounge.

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On the Doorstep of Rainier


The small town of Ashford is one of the last stops on the way to Mount Rainier. The town is the center of the local mountain climbing community.

Ashford the Center of Northwest Mountain Climbing


Turning Junk Into Art

By Steven WyBle Nisqually Valley News

A hobby Dan Klennert picked up when he was 6 years old helped birth an iconic sculpture park in Elbe, a small town in the shadow of Mount Rainier.

When he was 6, Klennert would walk around Seattle with a little red wagon. His family had just moved to Seattle from rural Minnesota, and he needed an urban pastime to replace the outdoor activities he’d loved in Minnesota — fishing, catching wildlife and running through the woods.

Art served as that replace-ment.

In the mornings, people would throw out old belongings on the curb. Klennert would pick them up and haul them away in his wagon, finding new uses for people’s old junk.

When he was working as a mechanic at age 22, Klennert said he “fell in love with the shape of sprockets” and other automobile parts, and started putting some together with a welder.

He decided to practice weld-ing by putting “junk” together to make art.

He ended up buying a second-hand welder and making more

sculptures with found materials, giving them out as birthday and Christmas presents.

“People went crazy for them,” he said.

He started going to art shows and made money off his cre-ations.

“There’s something to be said about picking through a pile of junk and maybe having five or 10 dollars invested in it and selling it for thousands,” he said. “You can’t find a business like that to-day. The cost of putting it togeth-er was nothing.”

While his sculptures were popular at the art shows, it be-came cumber-some to haul them from show to show.

That’s when he acted on some-one’s advice: “Build it and they will come.”

He bought a piece of land in Elbe in 1998, cleaned it up and, over the next five years, turned it into Ex-Nihilo Sculpture Park, located three miles east of Elbe on state Route 706.

Klennert has been featured by the television show “Evening Magazine” and a documentary

by Walt Disney Pictures. He re-cently had documentarians from Australia at the park, and Mount Rainier Visitors Center is bring-ing in a journalist from France to speak with him, he said.

“I’m not in it for the money,” Klennert said. “My whole thing is sharing. If I can put a smile on people’s faces and enlighten their lives, that’s more rewarding than money — although, I do need to pay the bills.”

He accepts donations to help maintain the park. A couple years ago, one of his friends said “You know Dan, the Democrats

support the arts as long as the Re-publicans pay you for it.”

Wanting to prove him wrong, Klennert put out donation boxes

segregated by political party af-filiation — one box for Demo-crats, one for Republicans, and one for independents.

Independents consistently do-nate the most, he said, followed by Democrats and then Republi-cans.

“I just wanted to prove him wrong and I did it,” Klennert said.

Klennert takes joy in the fact his sculptures inspire people. Several years ago a kid came up to the sculpture park with his dad. He’s now making horse sculp-tures that sell for thousands of dollars, Klennert said.

“People need to find their pas-sion and ride it, take it to the end,” he said. “I’m not a college-edu-cated person, but I’m telling you what, I enjoy my life better than anybody on this planet. … You can’t buy it (living out your pas-sion). People think you’ve got to make millions of dollars to enjoy life. All I’ve got to do is pick up some scrap metal, drill it together with a welder and I’m one happy son of a gun, you know what I’m saying?”


The Elbe Sculpture Park offers a unique set of art made out of discarded items. The park is on the final road to Mount Rainier.

Man Builds Elbe Sculpture Park After Discovering His Passion

Dan Klennert turns dis-carded items into art at this Sculpture Park.


With the Northwest’s singular natural icon as its centerpiece, the

Mount Rainier region is com-prised of some 2,800 square miles including one national park as well as portions of seven wilderness areas, three national forest areas and picturesque mountain communities.

A tourist destination draw-ing visitors from across Wash-ington state, the country and with a big draw of international tourists, Mount Rainier is but 68 miles from Seattle and 95 miles from Portland, the two big metropolitan areas of the great Northwest.

Mount Rainier is an active volcano that erupted as recently as 1854. As you drive off of In-terstate 5 and through the com-munities of Tenino, Rainier, Yelm, McKenna and Roy, stun-ning views of the mountain give an indication of the splendor found. The mountain rises about three miles from the lowlands and is a towering presence — at 14,411 feet tall — it’s the highest peak in the lower 48 states, with the largest glacial system in the lower 48 and 25 named glaciers.

Mount Rainier, part of the Cascades Range and the Ring of Fire, forms a trine with Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams.

Lodging options in the Mount Rainier area are plenti-ful, and include historic inns within Mount Rainier National Park, historic lodges in Mineral

and Ashford, historic hotels in Packwood, resorts, hotels, spas, mountain vacation retreats and vacation home rentals, bed and breakfasts, cabins, a treehouse, and more in Ashford, Greenwa-ter, Crystal Mountain and other surrounding communities.

The area is primed to serve visitors, with restaurants, cafes, espresso stands, climbing and other outdoor activities outfit-ters, gift shops, grocery stores, and more can be found in the communities surrounding the mountain. Within the park, there is a restaurant at the Na-tional Park Inn, Longmire, and snacks at gift shops in the Sun-rise and Paradise visitor centers.

n Source: VisitRainier. Contact Executive Director Mary Kay Nelson at: [email protected]; toll free 877-270-7155 or www.visitrainier.com

How to get to Mount Rainier:

Highway 706 from Ash-ford to the park’s Nisqually entrance, in the southwest corner of the park, is the only year-round access to the park. Highway 706 can be accessed by Highway 7 — to the west or, in the summer, via Skate Creek Road — to the south. The road from Longmire to Paradise within Mount Rainier National Park — closes nightly and reopens each day, weather

permitting. Call 360-569-2211.Highway 410 over Chinook

Pass (on the east side of Mount Rainier National Park) — check with Washington State Depart-ment of Transportation by call-ing 800-695-7623. Closed in winter.

Highway 12 to Highway 123 — approaching from the south side of Mount Rainier National Park. East from Morton, Randle and Packwood or west from Naches (over White Pass).

Carbon River Road (High-way 165 South off of Highway

410 near Buckley, northwest of Mount Rainier National Park) high clearance vehicles recom-mended. Check for closures due to flooding by calling 360-569-2211. Open year-round.

Highway 123/410 over Cay-use Pass (on the east side of Mount Rainier National Park) — check with Washington State Department of Transporta-tion by calling 800-695-7623. Closed in winter.

n Source: VisitRainier.com

Gateway to Paradise

Associated Press Photo

Hiking in the snowfields of Mount Rainier is a must for those visiting the volcano. The tourist destination draws in more than 1 million visitors each year.

See paradise, page 34


Historical Roots:Long before European ex-

plorers, Mount Rainier was known as Talol, Takhoma, Tahoma and other names by Northwest American Indians who frequented it to gather wild huckleberries and hunt game.

Captain George Vancouver penned the name Mount Rainier after his friend, Rear Admiral Peter Rainier, upon observing the mountain on May 8, 1792.

One of the first recorded white explorers to Mount Rain-ier was Dr. William Tolmie in 1833.

The first known successful summit climb was by Hazard Stevens and P.B. Van Trump in 1870.

James and Virinda Long-mire built the first hotel on the

mountain, Longmire’s Mineral Springs Resort, in 1890. That same year, Fay Fuller, a school-teacher, was the first white woman to climb Rainier.

Mount Rainier National Park was the fifth park established in the system by an Act of Con-gress on March 2, 1899, under President McKinley.


Parks, Forests and Wilderness:

Mount Rainier National Park, covering 235,612 acres, includes such well-known sites as Paradise, Sunrise at 6,400 feet, the highest point in the park accessible by car, Long-mire, Ohanapecosh, Grove of the Patriarchs, Tipsoo Lake, 25 named glaciers, and wildflower carpeted sub-alpine meadows.

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High Hut, one of the cabins in the Mount Tahoma trail and hut system, provides overnight places to stay for skiers, snowsho-ers and snowboarders.

See paradise, page 35

paradise:Continued from page 33


Bordering the national park are the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest and Wenatchee National Forest, as well as the Wilkeson, Norse Peak, Clearwa-ter, William O. Douglas, Tatoosh and Glacier View wilderness areas. Goat Rocks Wilderness borders both the Tatoosh and William O. Douglas wilderness areas.


Other Key Attractions:

Trails for all ability levels — An established and well-maintained trail system within and outside the park offers varying levels of difficulty, di-verse terrain and many scenic vistas. More renowned trails in-clude the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, which skirts the park’s east boundaries, and the Wonderland Trail, which cir-cumnavigates Mount Rainier. There are 240 miles of main-tained trails within the park itself.

Mount Tahoma Trails Asso-ciation Hut-to-Hut Trail System — the nation’s most extensive no-fee hut-to-hut system, offers 50 miles of trails, 20 of which are groomed, three huts and a yurt. Designed for use by cross-country skiers during the snowy months, the trail is enjoyed by mountain bikers and hikers during the rest of the year. The system is best accessed from Highway 706, one mile west of Ashford.

Crystal Mountain and White

Pass ski areas — The Mount Rainier region boasts some of the best snow in the west with 350 inches of average annual snowfall on Crystal Mountain, the largest ski area in Washing-ton, and at White Pass. The two ski areas offer days of down-hill and/or Nordic runs. Crystal Mountain also offers dinners at the summit during the summer.

Crystal clear mountain lakes, sparkling streams and milky, mineral-rich glacial riv-ers treat the visitor. There are five major rivers: the Carbon, White, Cowlitz, Nisqually and Puyallup, which originate from Mount Rainier, and more than 100 waterfalls in the park alone.

Flora and fauna viewing op-portunities — With extensive wilderness lands, national for-ests and protected national park habitat, the Mount Rainier re-gion supports an abundance of wildlife. The Oak Creek elk and mountain goat feeding stations in the Naches Ranger District (east of White Pass, near the intersection of U.S. Highway 12 and Highway 410) provide easy viewing during feeding times in the winter months and other opportunities year-round. On rocky slopes within and outside the national park, marmots can often be spotted. In all, 50 spe-cies of mammals make their homes in the park. Bird popu-lations are plentiful with 130 species spotted within the park; abrupt elevation changes allow for observable vertical migra-tions. The environs also support a profusion of wildflowers in sub-alpine meadows.


From paradise, page 34

Bruno’s, the Place for Fabulous Food and a Tail Waggin’ Good TimeEatonville, Wash. –

Bruno’s Family Restaurant & Bar opened its doors in June of 2008 and received a warm welcome from the residents of Eatonville and surrounding areas. Whether you’re 2 or 102, coming from the lake or coming from the office, they are always happy to see new or familiar faces. During Bruno’s six years serving great food there have been many new items added, and lots of favorites that have stayed on their extensive menu. A hit with a lot of regulars is the made-to order, beer battered Alaskan cod, made with Bruno’s Dog House Amber beer, specially brewed for Bruno’s this full-flavored amber ale has a smooth, malty sweet aroma & a steady hop balance. Bruno’s cod, used for its beer battered fish, is wild Alaskan long-line caught. It not only makes for a whiter, firmer and tastier fillet but also helps protect the ocean seabed and other species caught inadvertently when net harvesting fish. In keeping with the belief of giving their customers something new and fresh to try along with their go-to favorites. Not only are they continuing the offering of fantastic cheesy fettuccine alfredo but have expanded their pasta lineup to include homemade spaghetti and meatballs, hand breaded chicken parmesan and a mouth-watering seafood pasta with steamer clams, prawns and cod sautéed in our garlic wine sauce and served on a bed of spaghetti noodles. They are also serving warm garlic bread sticks with pasta dishes and large salads.

When it comes to appetizers you can’t go wrong with Bruno’s famous deep fried pickles served with homemade chipotle mayo or the new humus platter, served with warm flat bread, diced green onions, tomatoes and drizzled with garlic infused extra virgin olive oil. Always a win, win are Bruno’s famous steamer clams steeped in our garlic wine sauce and served with garlic bread or try a pile of their Golden Ale battered shrimp with house made cocktail sauce or zesty orange sauce. These are just a few of the many new and original appetizers to choose from. Are you

a corned beef fan? Bruno’s now slow roasts their own corned beef in house for their ever popular Grilled Ruben and homemade corned beef hash!

If you are in the mood for a fantastic burger, Bruno’s has a great selection of them from their most popular bacon cheeseburger with thick sliced bacon and certified Angus® beef patty, to the over-the-top great Northwest burger piled high with buffalo, elk , certified angus® beef, thick sliced bacon and three cheeses. They also offer buffalo, elk, wild boar, chicken breast tenders and veggie patties for any of their burgers.

Bruno’s has a huge selection of menu items, and everyone is sure to find something they like whether it is for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Bruno’s believes in serving nothing but quality ingredients including wild Alaskan cod and salmon, certified Angus® beef/steaks and burgers, (always fresh never frozen), and is even used to make Bruno’s famous chicken fried steak, made from their Denver steak, hand cut, pounded then breaded to order with their special blend of spices and smothered in homemade sausage gravy. Another favorite is the slow roasted prime rib dinner served every Friday and Saturday night starting after 4 p.m. Get in early as it goes fast! Of course they would not forget the kids with a great selection of menu items specifically geared to the young ones. They have added mini corn dogs and mini tacos both served with fries or tater tots to the kids menu and also pasta to the already fun kids menu.

Don’t forget about desert! Bruno’s has expanded it homemade desert offering’s considerably this year along with some of the old favorites. They use fresh local ingredients whenever possible. Their logger’s apple pie recipe was from the former restaurant at the location they bought in 2008 and has not changed since. Huge slice of pie with apples, raisins, cinnamon and powdered sugar glaze on top served warm and don’t forget to ask for à la mode to complete this treat. They have also added coffee cakes, cobblers, fresh homemade

pies and look for other special fresh fruit treats as the weather warms.

Remember that Bruno’s has a Happy Hour special 3:30 -5:30 p.m. and 9 -11 p.m. With 8 great beers on tap most from local breweries and their own Bruno’s Dog House Amber. There is also a full service bar with lots of great drink specials, blended drinks with real fruit juices and don’t forget to try Bruno’s renowned Bloody Mary’s. Come and watch your favorite sporting event on one of the seven HD flat screens with DIRECTV® programming including NFL Sunday ticket. When the weather is nice you are welcome to have your favorite lovable mutt to dine on the patio with you. Bruno’s is easy to find, on the corner of Highway 161 (Meridian) and Alder Cutoff Road. Just a short drive from Hwy 7. The entire menu is available on-line and you can call ahead and use the pickup window.

www.EatBrunos.com

204 Center St. E. Eatonville, WA

Family Restaurant & BarOPEN 8am Mon. - Fri. • 7am Sat. & Sun.

360-832-7866(83-BRUNO)

Breakfast,Lunch, Dinner& Late Night

Steak Caesar Salad

Great NW Burger

Bruno’s Prime Rib

14-5

2094

8L.N

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