Although tons of debris has been removed, hazards secured, and some structural elements reinforced, the building remains an empty shell. This shell, full of potential, is waiting for the right business ventures to occupy it and take advantage of the special architectural features, the historic background and the amazing location.

Just a stone’s throw from I-5 and Hwy 101, located midway between Olympia and Tumwater, sitting on the shores of Capitol Lake, and just a short walk from Tumwater Falls Park, this property would be a perfect home for micro-breweries, pubs, cafes, hotel, condos, restaurants, boat rentals, etc.

The complex is made up of several multi-story buildings and a immense patio, connecting several of the buildings, called the “pavilion”. With businesses filling the empty spaces, easy access and plenty of parking, this site would attract not just locals, but also regional visitors and customers. It could be a popular destination point between Portland and Seattle. The brewery owners are currently in the visioning process and are seeking leasing partners to bring the Old Brewery back to life.

I was recently fortunate to receive a tour of the facility. Here are photos of how the site currently presents itself. With a little bit of imagination, it’s not hard to see how this site could be transformed.

I was surprised at how busy the restaurant was, especially considering that the prices were a bit steep for Yelm. The pizza was definitely worth the trip to Yelm, and I told the owner back then that he and his partner should consider opening a restaurant in Olympia.

Imagine my surprise when I went downtown for Arts Walk last week and noticed a La Gitana Restaurant right on Capitol Way. This was only their second day in business and the place was hopping. I love their pizza because it’s authentic Italian. Coming from Europe I grew up on thin crust, light on the toppings, wood-fired oven baked Italian pizza. This is the real thing! I especially love their fresh mozzarella, prosciutto and arugula pizza. To top off the meal, I highly recommend their home-made tiramisu for dessert.

The owners, Francesco Chiechi and Carlos Morist created a friendly and casual ambiance and comfortable dining experience. Francesco is Italian and you can watch him make the pizza dough (with flour imported from Italy) right there in the restaurant. If you’ve tried deep dish, Chicago style, or New York style pizza, then it’s time you try some Italian pizza, because it has arrived in Olympia. 

http://pizzerialagitana.com/wordpress/

I’ve been asked by newcomers to Olympia, if the signs greeting them when they enter the city are Olympia’s slogan. You would really have to slow down and take a closer look to see that these welcome signs have a date on them and do not say “All American”, like many people believe, but “All America”.

The title ”All-America City” is an award given annually to ten US cities by The National Civic League, to recognize communities for outstanding civic accomplishments. To win, each city must demonstrate innovation, inclusiveness, civic engagement, and cross sector collaboration. http://www.allamericacityaward.com/about/

Olympia has received the award for the year 1986 to 1987, and has marked this honor with signs located along major city boundary routes. Many people think that the slogan “An All America City” is Olympia’s tag line, or nick name, like “The Windy City” for Chicago, “The Big Apple” for New York, or “The City of Roses” for Portland.

“An All America City” just doesn’t conjure a clear image for me, and I wish Olympia had a tag line that embodies its unique essence. If Seattle can be the Emerald City, surely Olympia can do better than “All America”. How about Olympia – Crown Jewel of Puget Sound… or Olympia – Organic City… or Olympia – It’s the Water… ? You get the idea. Let’s give Olympia some identity.

Any suggestions?

Sand in the City is back in Olympia from 27-29 August at the Port Plaza and surrounding area.

Stop on by to check out the amazing sand sculptures, to enjoy live music, dance performances, food and drink, and activities.

 The schedule of fun includes:

Master Sand Sculpting Demo
Build and play in the Giant Sandbox
Make & Take Activity Tent
Live Tidepool Touch Tank
Face Painting booths
Sky-high climbing wall
Search for sea shells at Sifting for Sea Treasures
Meet and greet Mini Horses and Donkeys from the Hoofed Animal Rescue of Thurston County
Free Books with South Sound Reading Foundation …and much more.

Sand in the City is sponsored by Olympia’s Hands On Children’s Museum. Proceeds from the event help support the new building for the museum, which will be a tremendous asset to Olympia. For more event information check here.

 Upcoming community events include:

The Drip Stops Here (9-11-2010), a water conservation game that teaches participants how to lower their water use and save money.

Exploring Wetlands (9-18-2010), highlights the different kinds of wetlands and invites participants to make a food chain demonstration project.

Hazards on the Home Front (9-25-2010) explains the hazards of common household products and how to properly use, store and dispose of them.

Visit the new WET center on Saturday the 28th of August for the Sand in the City event to conduct your own sand filter experiment.

For event schedules and news, check out the Get Wet Newsletter: http://www.lottcleanwater.org/pdf/getwet.pdf

The new LOTT facility was designed by award winning architectural firm, The Miller Hull Partnership and is slated to receive LEED Platinum certification, with 50 percent less energy use than other comparable buildings. The theme of sustainability was also carried out with the use of reclaimed timber from a nearby port warehouse, expansive use of natural light and the use of external window louvers, minimizing solar gain. Reclaimed waste-water is being used for irrigating the grounds, flushing the toilets, and for the building’s outdoor pond. The new building has a friendly and contemporary look, and is intended to compliment the new Hands On Children’s Museum, also designed by Miller Hull.

The surrounding grounds incorporate a pond, made up of Class A reclaimed water, complete with a water fountain and connecting walkways. The entire project is aesthetically pleasing and is the first puzzle piece for the Port of Olympia’s East Bay Plaza, which will turn dilapidated port real estate into a modern and valuable community asset.

Olympia’s annual Pet Parade, which occurs in August has been a favorite local event for over 80 years.

The parade is not only for pets, but also for children under the age of sixteen, who get to dress up and decorate their bicycles, or wagons in a selected theme. The theme for the 2010 parade was Fairy Tales.

Parade entrants are judged in six different categories: Big dogs, small dogs, impersonations, wheels, floats and pets.

It’s such a joy to see the care and detail with which the animals, floats and children are adorned. The kids’ pride is evident in showing off their pets, such as dogs, kittens, bunnies, goats, and even chickens.

The parade route begins at Capitol Lake’s Heritage Park and ends at Sylvester Park, where participants and spectators are greeted with music, free treat bags and free ice cream.

Edgefield Manor, built in 1911, used to be the Multnomah County’s farm for poor people. The operation included a dairy, gardens and farm land. In 1947 the site was turned into a nursing home and ultimately closed down in 1982. The McMenamin brothers, famous for fixing up historic buildings and turning them into pubs, restaurants and hotels, purchased Edgefield in 1990 and began refurbishing the buildings and grounds. Edgefield is now an whimsical and down-to-earth hospitality village with restaurants, hotel, bed and breakfast, winery, beer gardens, brewery, spa, gardens, golf, and much more.

Edgefield is a designated National Historic Landmark and is rumored to be haunted. The only spirits I’ve encountered there were of the beverage kind, but I can see how that idea could be believable. Much effort was undertaken to bring the past inhabitants to life by naming rooms after colorful previous residents and by writing their stories on the walls. Most of the colorful art in the building is of people of another era. If one looks closely, faces can be discovered peering down on you from exposed piping.

The array of diversion is so extensive, that one has to practically stay overnight in order to experience all Edgefield has to offer. When checking in, guests receive a map of the property, which can be your itinerary, as well as tour guide. Don’t rush the discovery process, though, because much of the treasure of Edgefield lies in the whimsical details such as real gas lanterns, ornate rain gutters, and hidden art. While waiting for the movie to start in the pub building, I noticed that the round dots on the wall fresco were really faces, and I located one of the seemingly identical faces that was different, only one.

The outdoor soaking pool contains an island interspersed with beautiful flower shaped copper sculptures. If that isn’t artsy enough, they also served as flame emitting torches, and to top it off, if you’re in the pool underneath them and pull on a string, they also serve as a shower.

I could go on and on about all the interesting features of this unique property, but suffice it to say that we had a lot of fun exploring the grounds, enjoyed the comfortable rooms (warning: not all rooms have en-suite baths) and loved the delicious food.

You can get more details and make reservations here: http://www.mcmenamins.com/54-edgefield-home

If you visit Edgefield, also make time to stop at the nearby Multnomah Falls, the second highest year round water fall in the United States.

Living in Olympia, we are so fortunate to have so many interesting destinations at our doorstep. I only wish someone with a vision would step in and turn the historic Tumwater brewery into a similar landmark destination.

I did a little bit of googling when I got back to the office and learned that Pastor John from the Evergreen Christian Center is planning on living on this platform, 40 ft. in the air, in an effort to raise money for Project Rescue in India and Africa’s Hope. Project Rescue is working on ending sexual slavery. Africa’s Hope is helping equip pastors with the necessary tools needed to train believers. John will be camping out from August 1st until August 8th. It’s supposed to get pretty hot in the next couple of days, so you may see him hanging out under the sun umbrella. People wishing to support these causes, can drive by and donate on location. Sandy Nelson Re-blogged by 0 agents Up in the Air, trying to make a difference (edit/delete) I’m always on the look-out for unusual sights and special events in Olympia for my Olympia Uncovered blog. This morning on my way to work on Olympia’s West Side, I came across this sight on Black Lake Boulevard. I did a little bit of googling when I got back to the office and learned that Pastor John from the Evergreen Christian Center is planning on living on this platform, 40 ft. in the air, in an effort to raise money for Project Rescue in India and Africa’s Hope. Project Rescue is working on ending sexual slavery. Africa’s Hope is helping equip pastors with the necessary tools needed to train believers. John will be camping out from August 1st until August 8th. It’s supposed to get pretty hot in the next couple of days, so you may see him hanging out under the sun umbrella. People wishing to support these causes, can drive by and donate on location.

You better believe it.

Each year, as soon as Lake Fair opens, peculiar things start to happen along Olympia’s Capitol Way Boulevard. Stakes are being pounded in the narrow strips of real estate between the side walks and the street. An out-of-towner might thing there is major land surveying going on, as square claims are meticulously platted with different color ropes and tape.

But within a day or two, as chairs and blankets start to appear, it becomes apparent that these miniature land plats and subdivisions are being claimed for reserved seating for the Lake Fair Parade that will head down the Boulevard on Saturday.

This yearly occurrence reminds me of a similar ritual German tourists are fond of performing at their vacation resorts. They will rise in the early morning hours (yes they are on vacation, but duty calls) to go down to the pool and place their beach towels over their favorite lounge chair. If it’s a family of five, of course only mom goes down to place five towels on lounge chairs all in a row. This reserves their spot for when they actually go to the pool later in the afternoon (this spectacle has always amazed me and makes me wonder if I’m really German).

…but back to Olympia, WA, where, just like our German vacationers, the residents look forward to Lake Fair Parade all year and won’t want to miss out on front row seating for this time honored tradition of perky marching bands, colorful floats, vintage cars, and clowns on bikes making their way downtown.

The parade is truly a fun, original and entertaining event that resonates old-fashioned Americana, and I love it!

al·fres·co   /ælˈfrɛskoʊ/ [al-fres-koh] 
-adverb
1. out-of-doors; in the open air: to dine alfresco.

If you want to enjoy the nice weather and beautiful Olympia sights while going out to eat, there are plenty of restaurants in town to choose from that offer outside dining.

Here are just a few of the local alfresco dining options:

Budd Bay Cafe                                                       Anthony’s Seafod

Dockside Bistro                                                      Anthony’s Hearth Fire

Waterstreet Cafe                                                   Oyster House

Mercato’s                                                              Sorrentos

Fishtail Brew Pub                                                    The Sidewalk Cafe                                                

The Farmers’ Market                                              Pellegrinos

Whether waterfront, sidewalk, or street-side restaurants, outdoor dining lets you enjoy Olympia’s vibrant atmosphere.