Snohomish

I spent the weekend in and around Seattle - and one of the coolest places I discovered was Snohomish. It's a small town east of Seattle and it's totally captivating.

I went to Snohomish because I spent the weekend with my friend Deb. She's the public programming coordinator for the King County Library System and she had to spend the day Friday at the Snohomish Library so I rode along with her. While she sat through auditions of potential performers, I explored the library and the town.

The library is beautiful, new, high-ceilinged and bright. It has dozens of computer terminals for its patrons and cozy comfortable chairs by the big windows, where I spent a couple of hours finishing the book I was reading and browsing magazines I don't normally have a chance to read.

But the best part of all? The main street of Snohomish. It's a beautiful town full of craft and antique stores and they've restored it with love. I had the best breakfast at the bakery - a crepe quiche and terrific raisin toast. And then I wandered through the antique stores. There are dozens of them, including several antique malls. It's definitely worth the drive and there are lots of great restaurants and coffee shops.

When I get a chance, I'm going to spend a day just wandering around Snohomish.

Kate