The area around Fall City, where we are currently staying, is gorgeous and we ventured out to ogle some of it today. Before we even got our of our campsite, we noted some spotted towhees had been seduced by our bird feeder and have become regular visitors. There are also western tanagers, big Steller’s blue jays and a variety of little songbirds too quick for us to accurately identify. Unfortunately, a squirrel has also noted our bird feeder and he spends quite a bit of time jumping from adjacent vegetation onto the feeder in an attempt to get some of the goodies. He can’t hold on but his impacts with the feeder drain out a rain of seeds that he subsequently browses after hitting the ground.

We headed up some two-lane roads parallel to I-90 passing by Snoqualmie Falls and into the pretty town of Snoqualmie. There is an abundance of very spiffy architecture here and we stalked the back streets admiring the pretty buildings. The old train station is gorgeous and the flower pots attached to all the downtown streetlights are quite appealing. After a bit, we continued going east and soon came to North Bend, another pretty community that has really been built to serve their local folks. There are parks and bike trails, green spaces and a gorgeous library building. The town is built at the foot of Mount Si, a giant cliff rising more than 3,000 feet abruptly from the flat valley floor. I could be quite happy loafing here and enjoying the dramatic scenery.

Peggy and I used to eat at a pedestrian fast food Mexican restaurant called Taco Time in Coos Bay, OR, back when we were young. That Taco Time is now gone but there is one in North Bend so we headed over for some highly whiteyized Mexican cuisine. We noted that the drive-through lane menu had an item listed as “Crustos.” We didn’t have the necessary intestinal fortitude to sample these things, particularly with that name.

After Taco Time and the mystery food, we headed a bit further east on I-90 until we turned off at a place called the Watershed Education Center. Our initial reason for going there was to find a restroom. I was not optimistic about a place with that name but, as usual, I was delighted when we got there. Seattle’s water comes from this watershed and the water authority has built a beautiful museum/research facility/garden here and attending is free. They also have very nice restrooms.

As we walked into the facility from the parking lot, we noted a barely-audible drumming sound coming from somewhere. As we approached the interactive center, we came across a yard filled with lush plants, grasses and drums. They have arranged the drums beneath concealed tiny rubber tubes that squirt water in little short bursts that fall down and land on the drum heads. It sounds like the drums I used to hear in old western movies when the absolutely white good guy would blunder into the Indian village during a big powwow. We sat down and enjoyed several different drum sequences that change every couple minutes. The views from this garden of the surrounding area are magical.

This garden is right next to the interpretive museum where there are unique displays about the watershed. As the story of the area plays on two wide-screens and and the speakers, a topographic representation lights up to show how the mountains, rivers, lakes and valleys are affected and controlled to provide the best public use. They stated three-fourths of the water released from their system is to keep the salmon breeding here while about one-quarter goes to thirsty Seattleites.

This place closes at 5:00 PM so we were gently evicted at closing time and headed back to Tall Chief. We give the Watershed Education Center five stars on our scale of nifty spots. Five is the highest we can award according to the complete lack of rules and protocols we have.

There’s a few pictures. Click the link. https://photos.app.goo.gl/RKfMNMcAjevwxKab9