Vashon Island, Near Seattle: Combining a Day of Education and Recreation

Combine an educational tour of Wolf Town with beach explorations, berry picking, dining and hiking, cycling or kayaking, and you'll experience the best of Puget Sound's unique destinations, Vashon Island.

Start your day at the Hardware Store. When a local resident says they are going to the hardware store you might find them having a beer and a burger, instead of buying tools and lumber.This is not just any hardware store, but THE Vashon Hardware Store Co., a popular eatery right downtown Vashon. You can't miss it, as it is the oldest commercial building on Vashon and listed in the National Register of Historical Places. It is a renovated hardware store combining food, fine wine, art and an espresso bar. Your tools will be fork, spoon and knife as you dig into some tasty breakfast fare. We tried the THS Breakfast, THS standing for The Hardware Store, consisting of two eggs, bacon or sausage, THS potates and toast. You can add flatiron steak for $8 extra. Other choices you'll find are omelettes built your way, french toast, granola, buttermilk pancakes and more all THS-style. Once you've filled your tank with food and garnered some energy as fuel, you are prepared for a few hours at Wolf Town.

Packing a picnic lunch, head south out of Vashon toward Burton. Wolf Town is just outside of town. You'll be greeted by the melodious concert of howling wolves, eerie yet musical, long before you see the wolves. Our group's tour was scheduled for 10 a.m. where for the next two and a half hours T and her husband, who operate the nonprofit Wolf Town, took us on an educational adventure. Wolf Town is where wolves and sheep reside peacefully in a perfectly balanced eco-system.

T said the biggest difference between wolves and dogs is dogs never grow up, wolves do. Another difference is wolves have strength behind their jaws, T said, and can press 1200 to 1500 pounds per square inch, whereas with the domestic dog, even the pitbull, can press only 600 to 700 pounds per square inch. These are two of the many facts you'll garner on the tour.. T was very careful to warn us to keep our hands away from the fence and stand 20 feet behind for our safety. Wolves are very shy, but very intelligent and respecting their territory is wise.

You won't find any wolves in sheep's clothing here, but what would wolves be without sheep? Plan to add to your tour actually sheepherding with T and her herding dogs. You'll marvel at how the dogs gather these wild sheep in a wild area without fences and teeming with potential predators, such as bear, wild wolves and coyote that could appear at any time. This is not the stuff formal herding trials are made. You'll sit for a picnic in a clearing where the sheep stop, as the herding dogs keep them away from you. Watch out for the banana-loving ewe, she'll be keeping an eye on your food.

Wolf Town is by appointment only. Call T at 206-463-9113 or email. Cost of your experience will be a donation. We each donated $10, which would be average.

After your educational experience head out to explore Vashon Island for the rest of the afternoon. Vashon Island is known for its hard to find beaches. If beaches are what you are looking for to round out your day, there is beach access just east of the main Vashon ferry terminals to the north, as well as a 12-acre, undeveloped beachfront campsite, Winghaven Park, a designated Cascadia Marine Trail site. Many of the best beach sites are looped around Maury Island on Vashon's east side. The most scenic beach is located at Point Robinson Park at the far eastern tip of Maury Island connected to Vashon Island by a driveable isthmus. An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting Vashon to Maury Island.

Other attractions you might fit into your day would be Maury Island Farms (99th and 204th on Island Hwy.) for berries and preserves. Berries are big on Vashon. Vashon Island is well-known for their Strawberry Festival in mid-July and you can pick-your-own-berries whether at the various farms or bring a bucket along and pick wild raspberries along the road.

A stop at the Blue Heron Art Center (19704 Vashon Highway SW) adds some culture to the journey with an art gallery of everchanging exhibits and live art events, from literary to dance, to folk music and theater especially on weekends.

For a day of food, wolves, sheepherding, beach exploring and berries, Vashon Island is the perfect Puget Sound destination. Plan ahead, take a group or the family to Wolf Town and spend a day of education mixed with fun and food, an adventure you won't soon forget.