After 2 weekends camping, I relented and voted for a motel. That is what allowed us to take this trip. It seemed almost painful to abandon plans in place for 2 months. Besides, what’s not to love about a raspberry festival. The other aspect was originally Wayne was coming. Then he’d meet us for a day. Then as London loomed and the fallout of being away so much settled in it became apparent he had to stay. Then we realized that the trip would elongate our family’s separation. So, we compromised on a motel and coming back early.
I started my travel day with a birthday celebration. The twins turned 4 during our Rainier trip and we weren’t able to go. At Claire’s bday celebration, I had promised I would throw them a party if I couldn’t attend theirs. Then life got busy. It got hard to find a time. So it was my travel day.
At 0800ish, we brought Top Pot Doughnuts, presents, and playmates. 5 girls tried out the swank new backyard with a new swingset.
It was a good time. It also felt like lots of time. I had the best time pretending that the twins were balls (you had to be there). We started raspberry picking early.
I did make it home at 1000 and was happy my parents were late. While I had packed before all my social events, I hadn’t factored I’m time for dishes. So, I worked quickly. When my parents arrived, Dad kindly took the kids to the park for a run while I finished. Then off to Lynden at 1130. Lunchtime! We got on the highway and went north stopping at the reststop at exit 206 by Arlington. We picnicked on crackers and cheese. One girl napped. The activity book I got from Top 10 Toys has been awesome. Sara has been working on it constantly. She shows the same fervor as she did with her Mt. Rainier Junior Ranger book.
We drove straight to Lynden, arriving by 1430. I hadn’t realized the rich Dutch history in this area. The main restaurant is called Dutch Mother. There are Christian reform churches on every corner (I attended one at Madison for awhile). The local hotel is shaped like a windmill.
Even though dark thunderheads threatened all day, we stayed dry.
On the way to restrooms, Laura found a replica of a Dutch shoe to play in.
Of course, after a long car ride, you have to start with a bouncy house. They were pricey, $3 per kid. I’m used to free, but crowded. The kids got to jump forever as long as it wasn’t crowded.
Next, you must do ice cream and snowcones. The ice cream was covered with the best raspberry topping I have ever had. Yum! Sara got a snowcone and shared. It was also the best snowcone I had had in a long time. 
In contrast, the kettlecorn (I got it later, I promise, but you can still see the sugar flowing) was burnt and bad (while I had the best at the Greenwood car show a while back). We stopped to get a pint of raspberries and learned that Barbie’s Berries had a u-pick it spot that was open till 6pm. I got excited about that news.
We continued to wander. There was a long line of one on one basket ball going on for kids. That took up most of the main street.
We looked in on Dutch Mother Family Restaurant.
We had vague plans to go back. Supposedly, the best pies in the world. Also dutch pancakes. What’s not to like. But we were on a sugar high and couldn’t think about food. Well, ok, once more. As we got to the end of the festival, we hit the food court and face painting. The food was standard. There was one booth making potatoe tornados. That was impressive to look at. One stand made poffertjes, a Dutch version of ableskiver, which is pancake batter heated in round half circle cast iron molds and served with powdered sugar.
So we split that too. Sara and Laura each had face painting.
Sara chose a yin-yang
and Laura a sunflower.
And that was the end. The festival, that is. I would say it was a little underwhelming. We walked back and settled on a bench and listened to the Halleck Street Ramblers for a bit. The sugar was wearing off and the kids were hungry. It was 4ish. So I embarked on a new campaign to get us to pick fruit. Off we went to Barbie’s Berries. The girls picked raspberries with gusto.
We got a good crop of raspberries. The strawberries were harder. Their system was a little odd also. We were lead to the far end of a field and given a small part of a small row. Regardless, the strawberries tasted phenomenal. The raspberries were less tasty. A little bland sometimes. I’m eating them today after a day in the car, and the flavor has come out some more. Good pie berries.
We dined at Bob’s Burgers in Bellingham (nice alliteration). West Coast East, a Roadfood standin for the West Coast, has guided the past few trips eating choices and fits well with our ethos of travel dining. Bob’s is a local fast food based in the Skagit Valley. It was a decent choice. Mallard Ice Cream is definitely on the list for next time if we hadn’t already eaten so much at the Raspberry festival.