We’re not exactly your traditional travel bloggers, but since Jeff, Nick, and I get to visit some extraordinarily wonderful little places off the beaten path, I thought it would be nice to share not only our stories, but our experiences of the places themselves. It’s always been one of my favorite parts of this job that I get to a) go on road trips and b) try delicious things. Thanks to traveling with my music, I know where to get good coffee, beer, cocktails, wine , and food in towns you didn’t know you wanted to stop in. Since we just played a show and Bastion Brewing Company last Saturday, that seems as good a place as any to start.

When we first pulled in to the parking lot for Bastion Brewing Company I briefly wondered what the hell I had signed us up for. On one side an expansive golf course rolls eloquently off into the see-able distance, one the other a distinctive and surprising building sits nestled next to a gas station pump. It was apparent immediately, Bastion wasn’t like other breweries we had played.

As you enter Bastion the first thing you realize is that quite brilliantly they have separated the food counter from the beer counter which is pretty dang brilliant if you think about it. How many times have we all had to wait behind someone ordering multiple appetizers, a few dinners, AND multiple drinks. Creating counters for each cuts down on crowding and speeds up everything substantially. It also allows the evening to flow more organically. Someone coming in for a drink at 5 doesn’t have to know in advance that they will be hungry at 5:45, then seek out the wait staff, look at a menu, and wait for someone to come around. Instead, they can just walk right up to the food counter. The nice folks there will give you one of these nice table number things and bring your food around when it’s ready.

Some of you may not know this but Jeff actually brews beer (and Nick actually has a culinary background) which undoubtedly influences some of the venues we go out of our way to reach out to. Here, Jeff is enjoying the Oatmeal Stout which was on Nitro. When I asked him about it later his response was an emphatic “I would go back for that any time”

From a musical standpoint, Bastion is one of the few places we’ve played outside of Seattle that has an honest to goodness STAGE. We can only practice and do our best on stage, and poor sound proofing or out of date equipment can decrease the quality of the sound with little we can do to improve it, which is why we are EXTREMLY EXCITED when it’s clear that a venue has invested a little bit of money to ensure that the performers sound as good as possible.

All in all, the whole evening was a wonderful experience. We’d certainly love to come back any time and would recommend it as a surprising and delightful destination or as a stop on your way to the San Juan Islands or Bellingham. We only ask one thing. As you’re relaxing with your beer and food, remember the nice folk band that pointed you so surely towards a good time.

Until the next adventure,

Allie LaRoe.

On The Road With The Feral Folk: Bastion Brewing Company