The ferry ride from Vashon Island back to Fauntleroy West Seattle had zero line and came frequently, every 20-30 minutes or so. And of course, free for the Eastbound passage. What’s not to love? We even had the boat nearly all to ourselves. Lake was joyous to run unbridled while we kept a loose watch on him. Either April is a great time to travel or Vashon Island remains a hidden gem for weekend getaway from Seattle. We’ll have to visit again and conduct more field research!

Michael and I have a tradition we’re inducting Lake into. When we travel we like to seek out the vegan and/or gluten-free restaurant(s) and patronize them. Lake likes this tradition since it usually merits a dessert he can eat.

On Vashon Island we found the Pure Organic Kitchen and Juicery. A tiny establishment with an “excellent” food handling rating, a rare distinction among vegan restaurants. One must exit the café and enter through the back door to access their one (very clean) bathroom; that’s how small it is. It was modern and delicious and we gobbled up their tasty treats- “one of each please!” I especially liked their kale pizza for its inventiveness and attractive presentation. Also refreshing and delicious!

Our quick and easy home-cooked hack of the vegan GF pizza, not nearly as fresh and raw, is Trader Joe’s cauliflower/polenta pizza crust (frozen) topped with a can of TJ’s Grecian Style Eggplant and some broccolini florets as the topping. Both ways are enjoyable. All the family is enrolled in the adventure of gentle planet living and fresh garden eating. Yum!

We explored some of the 10 miles of trails of Island Center Forest during our Vashon Island Weekend. It was refreshing to see all the green of springtime unfurling. Lake is carrying on Michael’s tradition of having a stick in hand while walking or hiking. We encountered only one other trail user during our day hike: a woman bicycling her dog. Vashon is a well-kept secret.