Lake City Dick's Drive In

Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Seattlites have a longtime love affair with Dick's Drive In restaurants. There are five of them and they have become a beloved fixture in the northern neighborhoods. Why such affection for a hamburger joint? Maybe its the owners' personal commitment to doing good business and offering employees much higher than average starting wages, health benefits, childcare allowances, and college education incentives (details here). In short, there seems to be a real human being behind the business. The first Dick's opened in the Wallingford neighborhood in 1954. This one is in the Lake City neighborhood and has been busy 7 days a week since 1963. For a view of the restaurant click here. (And, you might remember my photo of the Holman Rd. Dick's from December 2006). Dick Spady was 29 when he and his two partners opened the first Dick's, which continues to keep a very simple menu of hamburgers, fries, shakes and floats, pop, and ice cream. Extra condiments cost a nickel, and you could set your watch by the gathering lunch crowds at most sites. Their first hamburgers were 19 cents, and the current price is only $1.20. They make their own fries from scratch, buy their own fresh beef from a local supplier, still hand dip their shakes, and have created over 50 years of good will through their community involvement and charitable donations.

Oh, and I wanted to say congrats to our CDPB friends in Spain! What a wonderful win after 40 years!

Yeah Baby, It's the Sugar Shack

Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

You would think with a huge bright mural like this covering one side of its building that the Sugar Shack Baking Co. in the Maple Leaf neighborhood would be fairly easy to find, and you would be right if you were traveling south on Lake City Way! From other vantage points, however, it's easy to miss. It's a great stop for morning coffee beverages and heavenly scones, for a made to order sandwich or quiche at lunch, or a from-scratch yummy cookie with the kids in the afternoon. I didn't asked about the mural and haven't found anything published about it, so if you know who the artist is or anything about the fugures, let me know. Certainly brightens up the street scene! For another view click here.

Crepe Cafe & Wine Bar

Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Since our fave ice cream place, The Mix, closed, we've been casting about for other fun summer evening destinations. The Crepe Cafe & Wine Bar is our newest late evening find in the Ravenna neighborhood. If you are looking for a relaxed place to go for dinner, desert (including flaming crepe Suzette!), coffees, or nice wine, this is a delightful blend of French-meets-west-coast style cafe, and they are open until 10 PM most evenings. Next we will be trying their brunch!

Looking West From the Viewridge Neighborhood

Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Do you see "The Brothers" peak from the Olympic range in the distance? This view is from the Viewridge neighborhood that sits above Lake Washington's western shore. You are peering down the view corridor formed by NE 65th Street. To the right on the hill ahead begins the Wedgewood neighborhood. These areas in the north end of Seattle were developed later than the central areas and are primarily made up of WWII and post-WWII era residential developments. The area's landscape, decidedly more suburban in feel compared to Seattle's central, downtown, and southern portions, keeps a greener, more forested appearance than other areas which were more heavily logged out early in the city's history.

Zoo Tunes Concert

Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

This summer marks the 25th year of Seattle's popular Woodland Park Zoo evening open air concert series on the meadow, called Zoo Tunes. Like hundreds of others out for this sunny evening, I brought along a short chair and light supper to enjoy on the lawn. Headlining for the second night in a row were consummate musicians in the blues tradition, Keb Mo and Taj Mahal. Contrary to the impression these side-by-side photos might give, they did not perform together, but had separate sets, with Keb opening. Their performances were big crowd pleasers.

Vintage VW Bus at Twilight

Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

I saw this vintage (1967?) VW bus illuminated by streetlight after 10 PM on yesterday's beautiful long summer evening. I was facing northwest for this shot, somewhere on the ridge where the Fremont, Ballard, and Phinney neighborhoods blend into each other.

View From the Hospital Window

Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Sorry for this very late post. My mom was admitted to hospital and its been a bit hectic. I thought you might like to see this beautiful view from her window. The mountain (Mount Rainier) was definitely out this evening! I took this shot at 8:10 PM. Our summer sun and long days are finally here!