To celebrate Mother’s Day, Lindsey wanted to take a day trip to Anacortes, a small coastal town in Skagit County, Washington. We always enjoy strolling the quaint downtown, popping into little shops, and enjoying the restaurants. There would also be a farmers’ market to meander through on this particular Saturday. That’s where we started our tour, arriving at lunchtime. While I assumed we would find some treats to fill our bellies and was on the hunt for a gift for my mom, what I didn’t anticipate was a fill-up of my inspiration bucket.

 The inspiration began as soon as I walked up to the market. I was instantly drawn to an older gentleman selling what looked to be handmade tools. I discovered a combination wood and metal worker named Art, who is in his 80s. He turned new railroad spikes into tools, forging the metal and carving the wood. He had a variety of options, and I walked away with a garden tool for my mom. As Art and I chatted, I learned about the quality of the metal he worked with and the importance of staying productive after “retirement.” He had seen people waste away on their couch with no purpose in life, and he knew that was not what he wanted, so he started creating useful products he could make with his hands.

After our discussion and my purchase, I found Lindsey and Harper, who were munching on a bag of kettle corn. We took in little stands selling everything from jewelry to yogurt until we arrived at the West Coast Dumpling Company. I’m always a sucker for a dumpling, and we couldn’t resist buying a couple bags of frozen perogies. One was filled with bacon and potato, the other with shiitake mushroom and potato. The next stall over was Pinoy Taste, serving up mouthwatering Filipino food. I couldn’t pass it up, so while I waited for our food, my family went on to get a dirty chai and an Italian soda.

After lunch, we were ready to head downtown, but on our way out of the Anacortes Farmers Market, we stumbled onto a table of jars filled with a colorful array of contents. This was Sujin’s Kimchi, and an array of options made a purchase feel impossible. We ended up walking away with Pony Tale. The fiery red contents showed flashes of white inside. The owner’s favorite mix contains large white, stem-on radishes. When I got home, I popped the jar, and the fermenting goodness was bubbling, promising a boost to our gut health. The crunchy radishes are a knife-and-fork snack that is both spicy and tangy. I’m enjoying a snack of them as I write this.

Arriving downtown, our first stop was Wild Hemlock, where I needed to drop off some copies of A Wandering Mind. The store was filled with shoppers excited to be a part of the first day of the store’s rebrand, having changed from Ink + Wool. The owners, Kali and Justen, were busy with customers, but we chatted briefly before continuing on our tour of downtown. We poked into shops, considering buying all sorts of items before landing on a surprisingly sweet purchase. Treat Yourself Cookies, run by Amanda and her husband, were doing a little pop-up, printing pictures on sugar cookies. Yes, printing them right on there. I knew this had to be added to my mom’s Mother’s Day gifts, and while I considered putting my face on the cookie, we landed on her dog, Poppy, which I knew she would prefer and is obviously far cuter.

We strolled a bit more before calling it a day and taking the beautiful drive home. Lindsey got the day she wanted; none of us bickered, and we did our part to stimulate the local economy. As I drove home, I couldn’t wait to write this piece and share all the entrepreneurs I had encountered. Some were just getting started, and some had been at it for years. Some were on a solo mission while others were doing it with family. They were businesses grown out of passion, doing their part to add a little joy to people’s lives. In addition to snacks and presents, I went away with inspiration and a couple of potential Drip, Trickle, Flow, Flood podcast guests. Days like this remind me to get out there and talk to people. Walk the streets and learn from those out there doing it, whatever their “it” happens to be. The entrepreneur spirit is alive and well in Anacortes, and I can’t wait to go back and visit my new favorite spots and discover more.

Stay tuned to hear some of these business owners on Drip, Trickle, Flow, Flood. If you would like to see a video of the day trip, head over to @adventurewithinreach on Instagram.