#30DaysofBiking: Boehm's Candies and Dean's Sweets

My commitment to the #30DaysofBiking has renewed my sense of wonder and I've been using these daily mini-missions to head out and document some of the the interesting things that are only a short bike ride away. This morning I hop on my trusty red Dahon and ride over to my local candy factory, Boehm's Candies. Yes, I live in a town with a candy factory. Yes, that is as cool as it sounds.

The factory is amazing. Julius Boehm built the chalet and gardens here because the Issaquah foothills reminded him of Switzerland. The factory is a small chalet and the factory grounds are a small park with statues, gardens and a chapel.

You can take a self-guided window tour of the factory anytime during business hours and guided tours are available in the summer. It's an interesting place to visit anytime and early in the morning before things open up, the gardens are quiet and peaceful.

The art and the greenery and all the rest is are nice but it is the chocolates and the other confections that make the whole place possible. And they are wonderful. If chocolate holds any place in your heart, sometime you should follow your heart to Boehm's in Issaquah.

Disclaimer: I get absolutely no kick-back or free chocolate from Boehm's. This glowing review is heartfelt. However, if they want to give me some chocolate at any time, I sure won't turn them down!

And that reminds me, there is a great chocolatier on the other side of the country (Portland ME) and he did send me some awesome chocolates. Dean Bingham is a fellow cyclist and chocolater who raises money for the M.S. Society. Dean sent me a sample box of his truffles and some chocolate-covered bacon buttercrunch and they were awesome. The maple and the salt-caramel truffles were extra-special awesome.

So, to recap, if you're anywhere near Issaquah, go to Boehm's. If you're in Portland Maine, go to Deans Sweets. And if you're near a computer the websites are:

http://www.boehmscandies.com/catalog/

and

http://www.deanssweets.com/

And if you worry about the calories in those chocolates, you can burn them off by riding your bike.

Keep 'em rolling,

Kent "Mountain Turtle" Peterson

Issaquah WA USA