Saturday Sun and Fun
Well, the forecast came true, and Saturday was HOT! We decided to take advantage of it and get out and enjoy some outdoor venues. As Washingtonians less accustomed to the heat, that may not have been the smartest decision. But we had fun regardless!
Saturday was shaping up to be a busy day… 11am dance recital for a dear friend’s daughter, 2pm Sweet Thang & The Stumblers at Cockrell Cider, and 7pm Dustin Lafferty at Lake City Pub. We had decided to pack a lot into Saturday afternoon, but that’s just how we roll!
The dance recital was fantastic. I (Denice) went with our daughter. It was so great to see our little friend perform in a dance show she was so looking forward to. Thank goodness they had AC because the place was packed!
As we left, Lexi and I realized that we would need to run back to my house to get freshened up and ready for the afternoon out. We opened a bottle of wine when we got home, which the three of us shared while getting ready to go out. Lexi had come prepared with a change of clothes and makeup. The three of us were so excited to turn around and head out for the second round of events!
Now we had only just gone to Cockrell Hard Cider in Puyallup once before (earlier this week if you missed the post!). But when we were there on Thursday, we learned Sweet Thang & The Stumblers would be performing. We had seen them at Blues Fest, and they are about as local as it gets! They regularly perform at local venues, and we were excited to see them there on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
We pulled in with our camp chairs in tow and set them right in the center of the grassy field in front of the stage. We grabbed some grilled sandwiches and cider and settled in.
For a bit we teased the other groups who wouldn’t come sit out in the sun… But only for a bit. After 45 minutes or so we started to realize the mistake of not bringing sunscreen, and just how intense 85–90-degree heat feels when you are sitting in a vinyl camp chair in the middle of a grassy field. Washington sun is great to see, but not always great to feel! We finally admitted defeat and found a corner of shade to sneak into to get some respite.
We did get a few dances in! But the heat became fairly unbearable. Even in some shade it was still intense, and we felt Lake City Pub calling our name as a chance to get out of the heat! On a break, we thanked the band for the great music and packed up to head on out to our next stop. Next time we’ve learned our lesson to not challenge the sun on such a warm day!
We got to Lake City Pub a bit before 6; perfect timing to order some food and drinks and get settled in before the show. Getting to sit down early and enjoy the food and drinks at Lake City Pub is a perfect relaxing respite in a long hot day.
As a usual part of our order at Lake City Pub, we had a bottle of the Argentino Malbec brought to the table. But, with our waitress Gel knowing it was what we ordered every time, we were told that it was the last one they had. I (Zeek) panicked for a moment... until I heard that they had just switched their wine for a new selection! It just was not the Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina that we've become accustomed to.
Well, since we'd gotten there a touch earlier than usual, we had time to ask for a second bottle to see how it stood up next to the old standby... The bottle they brought to the table was another Mendoza, Argentina Malbec, Los Cardos, Doña Paula Malbec.
The beautiful deep Malbec color was obvious in the pour, and the scent of dark fruits, peppery spices, and a minerality not common to most Malbec was apparent (but all things we tend to love in a good bold red). After the scents lured me in, the taste sealed my excitement! The slightly peppery "zing", combined with earthy undertones and a good long finish, make this new addition to Lake City Pub a welcome friend that we will be going back to see again!
Now unfortunately the scheduled musician of the night had an unexpected medical issue arise. But this tight knit community had someone ready to jump right in! We’d seen Dustin Lafferty a time before at The Mill and were excited to hear him perform again. He brought a fun casualness to the stage, mixed with a fantastic talented voice!
He covered a few folks, including Billy Stoops, and some of his own songs as well about growing up in Tacoma. Earlier in the day Sweet Thang and the Stumblers had performed an original song about the Puyallup Valley. There is just something about these downhome songs about these towns we both grew up in that speaks to us so deeply!
And of course, Lake City Pub, our home base, we had to get up to dance! We got to move a couple stools to dance near the side of the stage. Being somewhere we are so comfortable lets us try out newer moves and combinations that we may not want to try out elsewhere. But that is part of what is so great coming here!
We always take plenty of dance videos at Lake City Pub, so be sure to check out our Lake City Pub YouTube playlist to see more!
Dustin played all the way to 10pm. Music always starts at 7, but you never know when it is going to end! But it is just a testament to how amazing Lake City Pub truly is that 5:30ish to 10pm went by in the blink of an eye between good food and great music!