[GSAS-Member] Field Trip to Bridges Pets in Snohomish

[Shango Los <shango@shangolos.com>]

Hello all,

I have integrated pictures in to this email to test out the new system and it 
says my total message is 304 kb but I am skeptical.  Hopefully they come 
through.

I was going to stay home and work today like I do every Monday but with the 
sunshine out I decided I had to go on an adventure.  Our way north-end members 
like Jeff have been mentioning Bridges Pets for some time and it got my 
interest.  I also knew that there is an amazing dim sum restaurant out there I 
had been wanting to try so I decided to make it a lunch and fish store journey.

Dim sum is like asian tapas.  There are many small plates and you can get a 
variety to share.  While I was going alone, I knew leftovers would be noshed 
tonight for dinner.

The place is called Zen Garden because they actually have a garden in the back 
with a pond and a waterfall and moss.  It was very relaxing on a sunny day.  I 
wished they had Koi.  The view from the tables of the garden are wonderful.

I knew Mill Creek wasn't too far away because I went out there once to visit 
Susan and score her famous Firefin Guppies and it was on the way to Bridges 
Pets in Snohomish. Ended up being about 25 minutes from my home near the UW.   
Lunch was fantastic and I suggest you check it out.  Unlike other dim sum 
places, they don't roll them around on a cart.  Instead, they give you a menu 
and they prepare them to order which I much prefer.  There was something for 
everyone on the diverse menu.

http://www.zengardenmillcreek.com/




So then it was another 12 minutes or so to Bridges Pets.  
http://www.bridgespets.com/

This store has got to be new because it was so clean and shiny.  They carry 
alot more than just aquarium stuff.  They have a great reptile section and dogs 
and such too.  They even a large monitor for sale...like a kimono dragon but 
smaller.  It was impressive at 3.5 feet and they grow to 6 feet.

The store also had alot of "gifts" and "collectables" which was wierd.  Stuff 
like clocks and crystals and baby clothes that say silly things and unicorn 
statues.


However, the fish department was well worth my trip for the experience.  There 
must have been at least 120 tanks with a large assortment of fish.  They didn't 
have very many of any particular species but they had a few of maybe 450 
species which is saying alot!  While the fish were not all that exotic and I 
didn't see any shrimp at all, there was a TON of reliably sold and collected 
species in both sexes and at decent prices. Unfortunately, my one picture of 
the tank room didn't come out so well.


The tanks were all crystal clear, pristine and had plastic plants.  There was a 
pondish thing in the middle of the room with water accents.  It was all plastic 
too.  Shopping at Bridges is kind of like going to the mall in that everything 
is antiseptic and plastic but I am not dissing the place at all.  It is just 
synthetic.  The selection is huge and I will be back for sure.

The one surprise was that they had so few plants.  There was but one 40 or so 
gallon tank with a few of the usual plants like Cabomba etc and that was it.

However, their dry goods section was the best of all time.  They had 
EVERYTHING!  You need a replacement part for your water siphon.  No problem.  
You need any chemical, they have it in multiple sizes.  Need a replacement 
blade for your glass scraper, they have it.  More food than I could have 
dreamed up.  A whole section devoted to devices that add oxygen bubbles to your 
tank.  I was very impressed.  If you are familiar with Denny's awesome 
selection, this is three times that at least!

This is just one of three rows, both sides plus along the wall.  This is the 
2/3 of the food and 1/2 of the chemicals.


So, my review is positive.  It was well worth the road trip up to check it out. 
 They had a bunch of fun esoteric items like a little device that will feed 
your fish blood worms without scattering them all over the tank.  The odds and 
ends isle kept me looking longer than anything else in the store because it was 
chock full of interesting devices, couplers, tubes and do-dads.

Good stuff...and get some dim sum on your way!

In service,

Shango

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