This week's grocery store is rather off the beaten path, but completely worth visiting if you don't mind a few hurdles. Actually, you only have to jump one hurdle and a little bit of driving, but who doesn't like a ferry ride?

The store is Vashon Thriftway. Vashon Island is absolutely day trip worthy. There are many opportunities to purchase all things local: art, organically grown produce and many other handcrafted created items. Not to mention there are some great places to eat, and beautiful places to see. So while you're out there, be sure to make this Thriftway store a destination before you leave.

First of all, in MY opinion, this store is better than Metropolitan Market. Yeah, I said it! There is just SOMETHING about this store. It has a really cool aura surrounding it that can't be explained, at least by me.

Inside this store is the closest I have been to grocery shopping perfection. I can walk around that store for hours in a trance-like state, and often do. The produce section is bright, colorful and incredibly well organized, and same thing with the meat and seafood department. We are visual beings, and the powers at Vashon Thriftway, know this.

However, what really get my juices flowing are the deli, beer, and wine departments. Shocking, I know.

Along with your standard deli offerings, this store provides made to order salads, sandwiches, and burrito bars.

VT's wine department is very thorough. You would have a difficult time NOT finding an obscure or even widely known brand of wine. The beer department is probably the most comprehensive of any grocery store I have ever seen. You'll find labels like Russian River, Port Brewing, Ommegang and more.

I'm thrilled to see Stadium Thriftway is doing the burrito bar thing now, too!

The cheese department is very well stocked and well represented with cheese from around the world and locally. So good in fact, you can smell the stink. It smells like home.

Also, be sure to checkout the olive bar nearby.

Can't have some delicious cheese without a crusty loaf of bread, so pickup a loaf of Bill's locally made and baked sourdough bread for $5.59. Friends ask me all the time to bring them a few of his tasty loaves. I swear it was still warm when I grabbed one. Now THAT'S fresh!

Love the huge selection of bulk items from nuts and dried fruits to candy, dried beans and flour. Many of their bulk offerings are organic. Vashon does organic, so naturally so does this store. People that live out on Vashon really value healthy living. You see it everywhere.

I can't leave out what really charms me about this store, the fun wearables like wool hats, large brimmed gardening hats, flip flops, garden clogs and my favorite - the rubber boots. On my last trip to the store I had to buy these amazing boots that were bright and colorful. Who wants to wear dull and boring when walking in the rain?

So here's my suggestion: if you're bored this weekend, checkout the ferry schedule and take a daycation to Vashon Island. You won't regret it. Just don't be in a hurry, because "island time" is a VERY real thing here.

Hey, Vashon - stay weird.

Vashon Thriftway

9740 Southwest Bank Road, Vashon, 206.463.2100

islandmarketfoods.com