“What do you want to do?”
“I don’t know. What do you want to do?”
We could go back and forth for hours, but we’ve found a better solution for filling our weekends with adventure. We just hop in the car and drive. We pick a road and see where it goes, the smaller and more out-of-the-way town that we discover, the better. One of our favorite little local towns to visit is Black Diamond, Washington.
We start with breakfast in the bakery, and maybe even pick up some treats to go on our way out.
Then we wander down the boardwalk to the museum.
I love a small town museum, with it’s antique fire engine
and jail.
Then we stop by to visit the old train
before we head in to the main part of the museum
filled with the details of small mining town daily life,
from the barber shop,
to pen and ink,
and from monkey wrenches (so that’s what keeps getting thrown into the works),
to Hard Hat Harry.
But one of my favorite parts of this museum is their collection of unidentifiable tools.
Any idea what these are for? Don’t worry. The old timers don’t know either.
Do you have any favorite Pacific Northwest towns to visit? Where should we go next?
this looks so much fun
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My boys would have loved that old train! I’ve never been to the west coast so I wouldn’t know where you should go too next.
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Love the West Coast for that – sadly, FL does not really have quite so much to offer … but the beaches and the weather
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Looks like a fun place to visit, especially for the kids! I love small-town museums, too.
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This makes me homesick for Washington State! (I grew up in Kent, WA, not too far from Black Diamond). I know the kids would LOVE to visit there – it looks like yours had so much fun!
Can’t wait until we move back! 
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Looks like you had a good time! Thanks for linking up:)
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I think the second to last photo is a can opener. Don’t know how it would work though. Thanks for linking on my post. Happy WW!
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such an eye-opener! enjoy the rest of your journeys
thanks for linking this!
Ai @ Sakura Haruka
Join in: Wordless Wednesday Linky Party
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The first “thingie” looks like a staple gun.
Gem’s hair is gorgeous, and she looks like she’s a hopper like my Sarah.
I’ve only been up there twice. I loved both Spokane and Eugene, but they are bigger towns. I remember some falls on the Snake River that I enjoyed and on the coast there are places where ocean waves will surge up through the rocks like gysers (I could have stayed there all day). Can you tell I’m a hydrogeologist? If I could have a second home, it would be up there on the west (wet) side of Oregon or Washington. The only thing up there that hit me physically and painfully was the clear-cutting. We have it in Texas too, but the land is flatter so it’s not as visible.
I’m so glad you are so thoroughly enjoying your family.
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What a cool place and awesome photos.
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Interesting museum, looks like a fun trip.
thanks for linking up.
http://www.nycsinglemom.com/2012/01/31/chinese-new-year-dragon/
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