Movies at the CUB, Pullman Washington

One thing I have always loved about living in Pullman is the movies at the CUB. There have been times the movies have been free to everyone and at one time they showed movies for the community through the summer. I remember watching Dances With Wolves in the middle of a summer storm and the power went out. Another time they showed The Adventures of Baron Munchausen and my cousin, brothers and I had known every line much to the dismay to the person in front of us. Ach - it was free and we were bored (and loved that movie).
The movies still go on. They are free to students with a Cougar Card but only $2 for everyone else, so much cheaper than any other. The movies run Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They are pre-DVD release movies so it's a great opportunity to catch them in the theatre.
For current information go to the SEB film website.

WSU School of Music Concerts and Recitals

On a weekly basis, you can find a free concert or recital from the WSU School of Music. In the past, I have overlooked these activites but last night we saw Chris Dickey perform on the euphonium and tuba. That seems like a strange introduction to the performances from the School of Music but my grandfather played the euphonium so it felt like a chance to get to know this man who died before I was born.
It was an interesting recital. The songs were entertaining and the event was short (only an hour with an intermission). We were captivated.
Most events with the School of Music are free, with a few that sell tickets. The calendar can be found here. They are at odd times from morning to afternoon to evening.
For those not real keen on sitting through classical music, try picturing the smurfs while listening. That image entertained my 14 year old son through the entire thing. However, smurfs led to visions of dancing hippos and alligators (ala fantasia). I thought the Pink Panther cartoons fit better in places but it was all good giggly fun and I want to apologize to the group sitting behind us. We didn't mean to have so much fun.

Neill's Flowers and Gifts

The third business that shares space with Daily Grind and Lick's is Neill's Flower and Gifts. Neill's has been a landmark in Pullman for generations. They are the place to go for flowers and cutesy little things for home or gift. I love just wandering the store after getting a cup of something hot from Daily Grind.
The inventory rotates on a regular basis so you never know what you are going to find.
Neills is open M-F 9-5:30 and Saturday from 9-5. Check out their website for more information.

Pah-Loots-Pu Pow Wow

Tonight we're heading to Pa-Loots-Pu, the annual WSU/Pullman Pow Wow. This year the festivities are at SEL's event center instead of the Coliseum. I look forward to the change and really participating this year. At the coliseum, the dances were on the floor and a long walk down (and then up for the return) from the rest of the activity. We've always enjoyed watching but I've never been able to convince my family to actually participate.
This year, we are participating. I look forward to seeing all the vendors and hope that more of the native crafts have returned (last year it was more home-based sale businesses like Tupperware than native crafts). Stop in for an Indian taco or just some amazing fry bread.
The event is free. Activities are tonight and all day tomorrow.

Lawson Gardens, Pullman WA

I know I have mentioned Lawson Gardens before but I thought it deserved revisiting so that my readers can have a chance to see the gardens before they close for the season. The Pullman Parks Website says the park is open year round but I know they close off the road/parking lot when the weather turns icy and cold.
Lawson Gardens have become my favorite place to walk with my husband. It's the best of nature that the Palouse has to offer. Until recently, I hadn't taken the time to really explore the gardens because I love the gazebo and it's always been my destination to enjoy the park.
My husband and I have decided that we are going to walk on Wednesdays when our son is at scouts. Lawson Gardens was our first destination and quickly became our favorite. I can't say we get a lot of exercise since the paths are not all that long but they weave around beautiful vegetation and lovely views of newer houses in Pullman.
Getting there is not hard and it's never crowded. The park is located at 705 Derby Street across from Kruegal Park and next to the Scout House (just down the block from the Charlie Brown Water Tower on Spring Street).

Daily Grind, Pullman WA

I posted about Lick's on Monday so it seemed only right to talk about the Daily Grind.

The Daily Grind has been a fixture in Pullman for some years. It started as a kiosk (on Davis Way if I remember that correctly). There are still kiosks in Pullman (and one in Colfax) but when people talk about the coffeeshop - more often they are talking about the Coffeehouse on Main St.
Housed in an older building that has preserved much of it's history, the Daily Grind is a great place to relax, study or meet up with friends. In the warm months, you can sit out on the enclosed patio. In the cold months, curl up in front of the fireplace.


Occasionally, you'll find music performances but you will always find good coffee. Got a sweet tooth that doesn't mind the cold - try a Peanut Butter Frost which tastes just like frozen peanut butter frosting (very sweet). Me, I prefer their mochas and hot chocolate but especially their teas - chocolate mint tea is awesome. Their prices are decent and the service is always friendly. They also have sandwiches and some foods that rotate on the menu. Check them out on facebook for more information. Daily Grind is open daily from 6:30 am to 11:30 pm.

Bear Center, Pullman WA

One of our favorite places to visit (and it's free) is the Bear Center or for us - The Bears. WSU houses a research facility that studies Grizzly Bears. The bears live in a large enclosed space that is easily viewed by the public. There is a parking lot and it's open to the public much of the time (just don't leave your car unattended just in case parking services comes).
The bears are located on the corner of Grimes Way and Pullman Airport Rd. It's easier to access them from the airport road than from the campus road.
If you love the visit - leave some change in the parking meter. The department also sells t-shirts.
Go here for directions and here for everything else.

Cafe Moro, Pullman Washington

It comes to no surprise that Pullman is the home of many coffee shops. Seems to me that coffee is synonimous with Washington. We take our coffee drinks very seriously. We have those who prefer it just black and others who want it with milk, flavor, and so much other stuff that the coffee is barely detected. You, almost, can't spit without hitting a coffee shop. The shops are always in use and some days so full that you have no choice but to take your coffee to go.
I'll share more coffee shops with you over the next month but Cafe Moro holds a special place in my heart. It's a small independently owned cafe that has the most friendly staff (to be honest I don't think I've found a place with unfriendly staff but that's not the point).
What attracted me to Cafe Moro is the creativity in which they have created their signature drinks. The flavor combinations are fantastic. Our summer favorite has been the limeade with matcha (green tea). It's a funky smoothie type drink but it's got amazing flavor.
I will admit that Cafe Moro is a little pricey but not overly so. I usually spend $4 when I get a drink there (probably less than Starbucks now that I think about it.)
What I love best is it's artsy feel and cozy spaces. I hear they have concerts so I guess I may share this place once more when I finally attend one.
Check out their website.

Lily Bees

Lily Bees is one of those places that can entertain anyone. We like walking Main street on a Saturday and stopping in here to see what's new. It is a consignment shop but specializes more in antiques and collectibles. There's a great clothing section in the back. I can go in here with my husband and son. More often than not, I'm ready to go before they are which amazes me because it's often the other way around. It's just a fun place to go.
Find them on facebook.

Hero's and Sports, Pullman Washington

Over the next month, it is my plan to share some of the best places for students to visit. So many places get overlooked because they are not as flashy or as accessible. That doesn't mean you shouldn't make the effort, in most cases you will be well rewarded.
Hero's and Sports is a little (and I mean little) sandwich shop on Kamiaken. It sits at the end of the Pufferbelly Depot (not really a part of the depot) next to the river.

It's more of a carry-out sort of place with limited seating at the restaurant. During warm days, you can sit outside but those days will soon be limited.

It may seem strange to get excited about a sandwich shop but Hero's and Sports does the best sandwiches around. You can get them hot or cold, with soup or salad. They also serve wraps and paninis (which are just other types of sandwiches). They do deliver for a small fee. I can't tell you why you need to try them but once you do you'll understand. They are open 11-8pm Monday through Saturday and on Sunday from 11 to 5pm. They have their take away menus outside when they are closed so you can grab one for future reference.

The Students are back

August 22 marks the start of the fall semester here at WSU. It also marks the changing from Summer activities to Fall activities. There are many places that cut back during the summer because the students make up a bulk of Pullman and Moscow's populations. This means that businesses have longer hours, some are now open but for those looking for things to do it means an increase of free and inexpensive events in the community. I'll be posting events as I find them. There are a number of cultural events that are certainly worth the expense as well as a plethora of free activities.
Unfortunately, parking is always a problem on campus but after 5 many of the parking lots open up to the public for free and many of the parking structures offer reduced rates. If you can, take the bus and save the parking for others.

Lentil Festival - Pullman Washington

The Palouse region is one of the few areas in the US that grows dry peas and lentils. We are also the home of the US Dry Pea and Lentil Council. Every year people gather in Pullman to celebrate this little legume with a fun weekend festival.
Today I will share friday activities and on Friday, I'll share Saturday's fun with you. There's a golf tournament on Sunday but since I don't play golf I don't have any fun pictures.
Most of the activities are free to the public so come and enjoy.
Friday - come downtown for the world's largest bowl of lentil chili. The chili is free (except you could be in line for a little bit) but many groups sell cornbread along the street. There are tons of activities as various organizations share their information. There will be additional food for sale. There have been bouncy castles and the like and some years they have been free. I can't say they'll be free this year and the lentil festival site is not sharing that information.

The Mayor helps serve the chili. Here, he's taken a moment to talk with the media about the event. If you haven't meet Glenn Johnson - he's a really nice guy and does a lot of great service to the community.

Bouncy Castle

View from the Red Cross booth - check them out. I'll be there at 8:30 Friday to share information.

Wawawai park

Just south of Pullman is Wawawai County Park. This is a wonderful little park that has so much to offer.
There is some camping at the park but we haven't taken advantage of it. We go down to forage for blackberries and attempt to catch some fish in the little inlet from the Snake River.
The fishings not great in the park but it's pretty and it's fun. There's better fishing on the river and great swimming.
The park has a few amenities - picnic areas, bathrooms, and running water.
Getting there is easy, Go south on Wawawai rd (turn right when the road ends) and it goes right to the park and the river.
There's plenty of free parking and free camping along the river.
For more information, check out their website.

Brused Books

Brused Books is one of those stores that has been around that it not only has a dear place in my heart now but walking the crowded aisles reminds me of my teen years. It's quickly become my son's favorite place as well.

I believe everyone needs a good used book store. There are things you can find there that you can't find anywhere else. I have to say that most of the time when I go there looking for something specific, I find it. Usually for a fair price.

We often bring in books to exchange for store credit (or the ocassional dollar). It's fun seeing our old books on the shelves and finding new ones to take home. Last night my son brought in a bag of books with the idea he was going to get cash but before we left he had found several books he wanted to buy. He's going to think it over since his books will be priced this morning. He's a big cartoon fan (Gary Larsen, Calvin and Hobbes) but also a huge Beatles fan and at the counter was a beautiful copy of Beatles Diary.
I think he'll be filling his newly emptied shelf on the bookcase.

The other thing about Brused Books that's fun is the Fair Trade or Just Trade area. These shelves are filled with chocolates and crafts from around the world. They are so fun and the chocolate is the best you will ever eat (I'll say that about other chocolates and it will always be true).


Brused Books is on Main Street between Grand and Kamiaken. They have a small parking lot of Paradise with a back entrance. They are open Monday through Friday 11-6, Saturdays 10-6 and Sundays 12-5.

Old European Restaurant, Pullman

I didn't know this was a chain restaurant until recently. Old European has been in Pullman for a long time (I can't tell you honestly but it feels like my entire life of many years).
I will tell you right off - it's almost always packed and the service is slow so don't go if you are in a hurry. It's really a great example of good things come to those who wait.
My favorite dish is their Hungarian Goulash. It's what I have always known goulash to be and I was shocked to find otherwise. This is almost a breakfast dish - potatoes, eggs, sausage, ham, onions, peppers and cheese. It's not sauce laden and never feels all that heavy. With that said - it's a dish best shared. You can get a half dish but you pay only $1 less. Not only do you get the goulash but you get a choice of a "side" from cinnamon roll to pancakes to fresh fruit. I always get the fruit because the other sides are far too much for me to eat. My son loves the Abelskivers - a pancake made in a ball with a meat and cheese filling (think doughnut hole with meat and cheese in the middle). They have great sandwiches and soups. There are so many choices but most have a Eastern European flavor (German, Hungarian, Russian).
The restaurant is located at 455 S Grand. (I'll work on making sure to add addresses).

Zeppoz's, Pullman WA

My son turned 14 last week and all he wanted for his birthday was a party at his favorite place - Zeppoz, the local bowling alley. It's funny to see bowling come in and out of fashion through my life. Bowling is picking up again, especially since they now have Cosmic Bowling (bowling with black lights) and a full bar (and a casino).
Zeppoz's is a popular place but not necessarily for the bowling. So the parking lot may be full but the lanes may not.
We discovered the joy of Zeppoz when we moved to Pullman. It wasn't until we discovered the summer Kids Bowl Free program that we learned to love Zeppoz. I will share more about that program when registration begins. We bought our own shoes and I have to say that if you think you are going to bowl more than 10 times, buying your own shoes is cost effective. We bought 3 pairs of shoes from Zeppoz for less than $100. They have more than paid for themselves.
The party package at Zeppoz is so affordable that we are planning on going there for every birthday this year (that's a lot of bowling!). For $6.50 a person, you get a nice little area for your party, a bowling pin for the birthday person, 2 hours of all you can bowl (the reservation is for 2 hours so the all you can bowl is during that time), soda and shoes. There is an option to add pizza but we wanted to have complete control of the pizza so we opted to purchase the pizza seperately.
Speaking of pizza, we got a pepperoni and a kingpin pizza. That was great pizza. The kingpin pizza has a garlic cream sauce (not heavy so it's barely noticeable but tasty), grilled chicken and I can't tell you what else but it was heavenly. The chicken was huge chunks not those little bits you get with some other pizzas. We were almost sorry that we got a pepperoni because the kingpin was so good. The pepperoni was good too but I gotta recommend the kingpin. They have great fries and nachos as well but our meal this time was really the pizza.
The staff was so helpful, even loaning us a knife to cut our cake and supplying plates (I didn't even think of that stuff because it was our first party away from home). The staff is always helpful even if we don't have a party. They make sure your experience there is a great one.

Geology Museums - WSU

The Webster Physical Science Building houses three geology collections that are amazing. I know geology brings to mind rock collections and boring cross sections of dirt but these collections make you love geology.

The first collection is The Culver Study Memorial that has a few rock in cases and several science experiments to play with.




From there you enter the Harold E. Culver Memorial Room (Room 124) which houses the other to collections. On your left as you enter is a curtained "closet" with the S. Elroy McCaw Fluorescent Mineral Display. This is not a place for those scared of the dark. It is a wonderful display of rocks that glow under certain light spectrums. There are a few to choose from so don't walk away from it until you've tried them all.




The last collection is the Jacklin Collection which has fossils and various rocks. There are some neat shapes and some look as if they have been carved.




The museum is open Monday through Friday 8 am to 5 pm but if you want a special weekend tour call the School of Earth & Environmental Sciences at (509) 335-3009.

Connor Museum - WSU

One of the wonderful things about Pullman is the Washington State University campus and it's riches of museums and activities. A local favorite is Connor Museum. Connor museum is located in a very inconvenient place on campus but is worth the trek. It's in the ground floor of the Abelson science building near the center of campus (across from Owen Science Library). The museum is in three rooms and a hallway. Why Connor Museum? It's a large collection of stuffed animals - not teddy bears but real animals that have been preserved over the history of the university.


It's an amazing collection of local and exotic wildlife. The museum staff include little trivia bits around the rooms and you can even sit and watch a nature video next to a large buffalo.


The north room of the museum houses a life sized replica of a dinosaur dig.


In the east room, one can play with animal bones and furs while learning a little trivia.




Connor Museum is open during the day when Abelson is open. There is no fee nor is there anyone around to assist you if you have questions. It doesn't matter - the museum is a wonderful place and the college has worked hard to give you a rather good education while you are there.

Just the beginning

My son and I were talking this evening about trying to visit every place in the Weird Washington book and it got me thinking. It has always been my goal to see how many places I can go and see in our area and work my way out. I live in Pullman Washington, in the heart of the Palouse region (includes part of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho). There are so many things to see and do that it's easy to forget. We are traveling people and love to go off the beaten path and see what we can find. I hope to share places I visit and re-visit as well as places to stay the night and restaurants. We have two books we are going to try to complete - Weird Washington and Let's Go Daytripping In and Around the Palouse. I may give information about upcoming events so you can come as well. I plan on including pictures just to give me a good excuse to carry around my camera. Come with me on this journey and we may all see a different Washington (and a little bit of Idaho).