Summer Living 2010
June 29, 2010
Cougar Mountain and the Cold War connection
June 29, 2010
Missiles atop peak defended region against Soviet threat
President Kennedy had a bad cold.
The leader of the free world begged off public appearances in October 1962, blaming a respiratory infection. Kennedy skipped a planned appearance in Seattle to close the Century 21 World’s Fair.
Except, the president had no cold, bad or otherwise.
The discovery of Soviet missiles in Cuba pushed the United States and the Soviet Union — both nuclear-armed superpowers — to the edge of annihilation. The ersatz illness provided a ruse for Kennedy to duck the limelight and address the crisis.
U.S. military installations around the globe operated at heightened alert in case a spark ignited the Cold War flashpoint.
Sidewalks that connected barracks 50 years ago at Cougar Mountain's Radar Park are among the few signs that remain of the Nike Ajax Integrated Fire Control radar site, now a King County park. By Greg Farrar
High above tiny Issaquah, anti-aircraft missiles sat poised on Cougar Mountain. Installed less than a decade earlier, the system had been devised to protect the Puget Sound region in case bombers came screaming across the Bering Strait from the Soviet Union.
The program debuted in the late 1950s as a technological triumph — the first operational, surface-to-air guided missile system used by U.S. forces.
The military positioned more than 200 Nike Ajax installations nationwide — including 13 around Puget Sound — near major cities and key military and industrial sites as a last line of defense against a Soviet air attack. The missile network defended the economic and political center of the Pacific Northwest, as well as Boeing aircraft factories, shipyards and military installations.
Big business
June 29, 2010
Costco plans bargains in bulk from modest Issaquah headquarters
Every trip through a cavernous Costco Wholesale warehouse feels like a treasure hunt.
The company brings Dom Pérignon and Bud Light, platinum-set diamonds and scoopable cat litter, Prada handbags and Michelin tires together under the same flat roof.
Costco members line up to check out with carts full of their purchases at the flagship Issaquah warehouse. By Greg Farrar
The quest has been carefully designed for shoppers — 57.4 million Costco members worldwide. Shoppers must traverse vast retail plains and scan the jungle of exposed metal shelves for bargains in order to find loot — discounted Ugg boots, say, or smoked salmon.
Inside the Issaquah warehouse, customers hunt for deals in a retail ecosystem spread across 155,000 square feet. Costco cachet knows no class, no income. Part of the appeal, executives and industry watchers said, stems from the treasure hunt concept. Shoppers return to Costco for basics, yes, but also for the thrill of a surprise bargain.
“No matter what level of economic strata you are, you like good stuff,” company Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti said. “Now, sometimes you have to choose to buy the chicken versus the steak, but the fact is, we’ve got some great stuff.”
The philosophy has made the Issaquah-based company the third largest retailer in the United States, the eighth largest on the planet and No. 25 on the Fortune 500.
Home grown
June 29, 2010
Farmers supplying the Issaquah market grow sustainable fare close to home
Richard Gradwohl, owner of Happy Mountain Miniature Cattle Farm, shows the bite-size bovines he raises. By Warren Kagarise
Farmers from throughout the Evergreen State gather at Pickering Barn every summer Saturday to cajole customers to sample something unfamiliar — green garlic, perhaps, or Japanese eggplant, or maybe grass-fed beef.
The group acts as evangelists for more than just food. Customers in eco-conscious Issaquah ask pointed questions about the route from farm to fork, and their tastes run to the organic, or at least to produce and livestock farmed using sustainable practices. Interest in local food — and the burgeoning locavore movement — has also bloomed. Locavores attempt to eat food grown not far from their homes.
Market-goers encounter a formidable resource in the booths and tables lined up outside the restored barn. The farmers growing goods for the Issaquah market skew less toward Old MacDonald and more toward Michael Pollan — author of the foodie bible, “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” and a leading locavore.
Before the first sprout, sprig or stem reaches the Issaquah Farmers Market, growers rely on back-aching work, ingenuity and luck to coax a bounty from the land.
Catch of the day
June 29, 2010
Issaquah chefs turn local trout into gourmet creations
Christopher Brown, executive chef at sip. at the wine bar and restaurant, sprinkles the final touches onto his grilled trout with brown-buttered leeks. By Greg Farrar
Sunshine, swimming at local lakeside beaches and dropping your line in the water for a leisurely afternoon of fishing is part of what summer is all about.
Whether you’re a fishing pro, a novice or beginner, the fish can start piling up faster than you can eat them. While plentiful and tasty, more often than not, trout can leave home cooks confounded for ways to prepare it.
So, we’ve asked for help from our local palate perfectionists — chefs from some of Issaquah’s most well-known restaurants.
Each restaurant’s chef was asked to submit his favorite or a creative way to prepare trout, so your culinary know-how can move from butter, salt and pepper into gourmet-inspired creations that will be anything but boring.
Bon appétit!
Not just another day in the park
June 29, 2010
You’ll run out of daylight before running out of activities at Lake Sammamish State Park
Just off of Interstate 90 is Lake Sammamish State Park, nestled snugly beside the lake and free of noise or congestion from the nearby freeway. Spread out across 512 acres and boasting 6,858 feet of waterfront, the park serves as a popular summertime destination for swimmers, boaters and sunbathers alike.
“The lake is the major draw,” Park Manager Rich Benson said. “Our boat launch parking lot can take up to 250 cars and trailers, and in the summertime it’s often completely full.”
Annually, the park averages anywhere between 1.1 million and 1.4 million visitors in the summer months. Yet, during the off months and on even the slowest of weekdays, the park is the destination for a wide range of visitors — senior citizens taking peaceful afternoon walks, children bouncing around inside the park’s playground areas, nearby employees getting some leisure or exercising during lunch breaks. In off months the rest of the year, the park averages about 100,000 visitors per month.
Saddle up
June 29, 2010
Squak Mountain trails offer equestrians, backpackers a unique, historical excursion
Of all of the horse trails in Western Washington that Issaquah resident Joann Reider has traversed, Squak Mountain offers some of her favorites. She boards her horses — Luke, an 18-year-old Missouri Foxtrotter, and Ranger, a 5-year-old Rocky Mountain — close so she can grab them at a moment’s notice and hit the trailhead.
But Squak Mountain is not just a good place to ride your horses year round — it also offers miles of hiking trails and a good dose of area history along the way.
Dan Terry, of Bellevue, rides Luke, an 18-year-old Missouri Foxtrotter, through Squak Mountain State Park. By Christopher Huber
“It’s very good riding,” said Reider, a serious equestrian for the past roughly 30 years. “You can ride in winter and it’s not muddy.”
Reider said she likes the approximately six miles of horse trails (which also serve as hiking trails) because they provide a versatile training and conditioning ground for her horses. The trails climb up and down to the approximately 2,000-foot Squak Mountain peak, never truly flattening out, she said.
“You get such a good workout for your horse,” she said.
And outdoors enthusiasts of all sorts tend to respect the trails and each other.
“The hikers and horseback riders get along,” Reider said.
Friend and longtime rider Dan Terry agreed and noted another highlight.
“One of the nice things is everything is basically a loop,” said Terry, of Bellevue, while riding Luke.
Many equestrian trails are essentially gravel access roads, but these trails are tighter and more rugged, yet well maintained, Reider and Terry said.
Four festivals worth finding
June 29, 2010
There’s just something about festivals that draws the community — from the sweet smells of carnival food, to the sounds of live music and children squealing on a field of fun.
But for Issaquah residents who just can’t wait for October’s annual Salmon Days, the summer is packed with other nearby festivals from which to get their fix.
Following the main points of a compass, here’s a look at what four neighboring cities have to draw locals to their backyard.
Unearthing secrets buried beneath Tiger Mountain
June 29, 2010
With paragliding, wildlife galore and nearly 80 miles of trails, Tiger Mountain State Forest is a community treasure for not just Issaquah, but for residents living in the greater Seattle area.
But some of Tiger Mountain’s most unique treasures are the ones that lie beneath the ground.
A history of uniqueness
The Issaquah Alps themselves are unique.
Tim Walsh, geologist with the state Department of Natural Resources, holds the fossil imprint of marine life from 45 million years ago on Tiger Mountain. By Greg Farrar
“In general it is an east-west trending chain of mountains that are riding the back of an east-west fault that is active,” Tim Walsh, a geologist with the state Department of Natural Resources, said during a trip to the mountain.
The Issaquah Alps stretch from Cougar Mountain in the west to Rattlesnake Mountain in the east, and have been part of extensive studies for many years. But recently, they are getting more attention.
New technology is enabling geologists to take a much closer look at the mountains than ever before. Peeling back vegetation, lakes and other human developments with radar technology, geologists are able to accurately map the area and confirm what they’ve long suspected is part of the region’s active faults.
Treat yourself right
June 29, 2010
On hot days, reach for the coolest treats Issaquah has to offer
Judy Sanchez, Gina Fernandez and Mari McCann (from left) serve up a famous Triple XXX super-sized root beer float. By Greg Farrar
Summer, glorious summer, means fat ice cream bars at Boehm’s Candies, enough Triple XXX Root Beer to float a battleship and ample pints at the Issaquah Brewhouse.
Summertime makes for a great excuse to sample quintessential delights from the classic Issaquah joints. Bonus: On blistering days, the treats offer respite from the heat.
Forget the drizzle and damp. Forget calorie counts. Indulge in something cool — and a little nostalgic. Hey, it’s summer.
Float on
Triple XXX Rootbeer Drive-in stands as a monument to the era before interstates and drive-thrus. Behind the barrel-shaped façade, the Enciso family serves big burgers portioned for Fred Flintstone, canoe-sized sundaes and enough flavors of shakes to put Baskin-Robbins to shame.
The titular attraction reigns supreme: root beer served in a frosted mug as big as a medieval tankard. Upgrade to a root-beer float and the potion comes crowned with whipped cream and a scoop of vanilla ice cream as big as a baseball.
