Date in Wenatchee, Part Deux

The view from our hotel room... Sunny part of the day

Since the prince's first 2 wishes for Friday activities during our get-away weren't granted, we moved onto his 3rd itinerary item... Checking out some Wenatchee stores.  That pretty much meant going to Old Navy, where he scored some new boxers, a couple of T-shirts, and a cool, front-zip  hoodie (seen in a pic below), all on major sale.

From there, he gave me permission to visit 2 sewing shops, one that he thought was 'creepy,' because we accidentally entered through the back door, so had to walk through their less-than-elegant-or-new stock area, and one of which seemed to be closed.  (We later found out they'd moved, but the store we drove to on Friday was empty.)  

And pouring rain later!

Soon after leaving the area of the closed store, Prince CuddleBunny commented on what a fun day he was having.  What a sweetie!  His major plans shut down, a couple new shirts, and dragging around to sewing shops, and he was having fun anyway!  I was a little surprised, and asked if it was just because he got new 'stuff,' and he assured me that it wasn't that at all, he was just enjoying our morning.

We needed, at that point I thought, a treat and to do something actually fun.  So we made a stop at Starbucks, where he ventured from his 'usual' (not like he gets them often) Raspberry Green Tea Frappuccino, and, on the advice of the barista, enjoyed his Green Tea Frapp with mint syrup and chocolate chips.  I stuck with my usual Espresso Frappuccino.  Then we headed out of town, toward Cashmere.

From Liberty Orchards.
Most people LOVE these candies!

The Wenatchee Valley is known as the Apple Capital of the World, and nearby Cashmere is the home of "Aplets and Cotlets."  These are confections made of jellied apples and apricots with English walnuts and coated in powdered sugar.  They are not my particular taste, and saying so may get me drummed out of the state, because they're beloved and pretty famous.  I celebrate Cashmere's success in making them, and will gladly give them as gifts, but you can have my share.

We weren't going to Cashmere for those, but for 2 bakeries I'd read about.  The first was in the historical and quaint downtown area, called Sure to Rise Bakery.  
Inside a patron and the bakery person were having a friendly discussion about family and mutual friends.  Cashmere is a small town, with a small town atmosphere and closeness.  There is an interesting article about it here, and just as interesting are the comments that follow, from people apparently more familiar with the town's history and attitude.


The baked goods looked and smelled delicious, from the wall of breads, to the cases full of pastries and cookies.  It was a humble place, with wood paneled walls, and offerings with equally humble prices.  

I got the impression that this place was meant to serve the locals, not to make money off of tourists.  Prince CuddleBunny chose a luscious Bavarian Creme pastry, we picked out an apple fritter for Hubby, and I selected a giant raspberry pastry.  Total bill: $3.50.   

From there we headed back toward Wenatchee to the bigger and more famous Anjou Bakery.  

This one sits nestled in an apple orchard, but is also located along side a major state highway, so easily grabs more attention from travelers.   It's more of a restaurant and bakery, with lots of seating, indoors and out, in an interesting building, nicely styled inside.  



A very fun and comfortable place to be with a rustic and industrial vibe.  

The prices seemed more tourist-focused, as our 'take' there (a black-bottom cupcake, a pear pastry, a scone with raspberry jam, and a tomato and goat cheese sandwich) totaled approximately $16.  The scone was just OK, but I could heartily recommend the rest. 

I'm not usually into sandwiches, or a meal consisting of an over-abundance of bread, but I am a sucker for goat cheese and had to try that sandwich.  I was so glad I did!  The French bread baguette was just the right amount of crackly-crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.  The soft, sun-dried (?) tomatoes were amazing with the creamy goat cheese.  I loved it so much we stopped there on our way out of town on Saturday, so I could have another.  Hubby and the prince chose the Anjou's "ham and butter" sandwiches, and both said those were good, too.  I will NOT EVER pass that bakery without stopping for their goat cheese sandwich!

After an adequate fill of goodies, Prince CuddleBunny graciously accompanied me to a local quilting shop back in Wenatchee, where I found some had-to-have pieces for my fabric stash.  This was a great place with friendly, helpful folks, and a full array of quilting cottons.  

They intentionally cut generous yards of fabric there, to make sure the customer has a full yard, in case there is some loss due to straightening when cutting quilt pieces.  Nice!




As soon as Hubby was finished in meetings, we topped off the day with a dinner at Red Robin, as requested by CuddleBunny.  --We went there last year, and he's eagerly awaited the chance to return!  He and Hubby recommend the Red's Tavern Double burger, and I love their Bleu Ribbon burger... Yum!

As I explained yesterday, we had an after-dinner swim, and then cuddled in for the evening with a little more HGTV.  :-)  This conference weekend met all the 'usual requirements' and more.

The trip there was beautiful... scenery and weather.  The trip home had beautiful scenery... When we could see it through the weather!!