Dayton: the perfect getaway for thrift shopping and lunch

Jun 12, 2024

All Saints Thrift Store at 247 E. Main St. in Dayton is a short walk from just about any downtown spot.

It was a gorgeous, sunny June day with some of the bluest skies I’d ever seen when my friend Nina and I decided to take a road trip to Dayton.

In an effort to shop at every thrift store in the area during her visit to the Valley, we took off in the late morning, sights set on All Saints Thrift Store on Main Street in Dayton.

The drive up there was excellent; there was little traffic, and the clouds that were present politely dotted the sky, careful not to take over.

Bright yellow canola contrasted with surrounding scenery, almost making me want to pull over and take photos, but we were on a mission.

We passed the old Ray’s drive-thru on the way into town and I reminisced about stopping for milkshakes on the drive to and from Pullman during my college days.

Bright blue skies and fluffy white clouds kept us company throughout our trip.

We pulled up and parked on Main Street once we were in the heart of downtown and consulted my phone to see where exactly this thrift store was.

Upon seeing the little mark indicating the location of the store was almost on top of us, I looked out the driver window and saw the storefront I was seeking. We made it!

We each took a swig of our coffee (thrifting requires a lot of energy) and crossed the street to our destination.

A few things about this store stood out to us immediately.

It was clean, well-organized and not over-crowded with people or stuff.

I browsed the clearance rack just inside the door before moving on and perusing the items on the shelves and stand-alone displays along the wall.

A case of 10¢ children's books sits at the back of All Saints Thrift Store.

There was a variety of items, all arranged neatly in categories. We made our way along the wall to the back of the store, picking up some treasures on the way.

There were several glass Pyrex dishes with no cracks and lids in good condition for less than $1 each. We felt like we were getting away with something as we each picked out a few containers.

I looked briefly at the children’s toys but decided not to add to the chaos at home for now.

I did pick up a couple of clothing items for my son, who can’t help but grow like a weed. I figured they’d fit him for a few days at least and be worth it.

The adult clothing items were well-organized by size and type, so it was a genuine pleasure rifling through the racks looking for shirts.

It's hard to miss Moose Creek Café and Bakery; the large moose-in-creek mural on the outside gives it away. The store is located at 330 E. Main St., Dayton.

No tangled hangers, no clothing lying on the floor because of some previous shopper’s lack of consideration.

I found a couple of tops I liked, including a patriotic tee for the Fourth of July.

After I shuffled through the polos in the men’s section and picked out some good quality shirts for my husband, Nina and I met up at the checkout counter to purchase our finds.

Satisfied with our haul, we put our bags in the car and turned our minds toward what to do next.

The Columbia County Courthouse is across the street just beyond the logo of Moose Creek Café and Bakery.

Having worked up an appetite, we decided to walk less than a block to Moose Creek Café and Bakery.

I ordered a turkey sandwich with everything on it. I took the bag of chips that came with it and sat down at a small table near the window. There were cups and free water available on a nearby table.

Through the window, we could see the Columbia County Courthouse, green hills and those fluffy white clouds again — the kind that remind me of the opening to “The Simpsons.”

Our food came and we dug in. The bread on the sandwich was amazingly soft, making it slightly more difficult with each bite to keep the whole thing together.

Thank goodness for those toothpicks in the middle.

Moose Creek Café and Bakery doesn't mess around. This sandwich was complete with meat, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, bacon, avocado and sprouts. The bread didn't stand a chance.

The bread did its best, though, and the sandwich was delicious — nothing a napkin can’t handle.

We silently decided we didn’t need to go back and take another look at the plethora of desserts in the display case at the counter.

After making the trek back to the car a little more slowly than we had walked to lunch, we were ready to head home.

More Simpsons clouds accompanied us back to Walla Walla where we took a much-needed siesta.

We will be back to explore more of what the little town of Dayton has to offer.

Brittany Anderson can be reached at 509-526-8324 or [email protected].

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