The furniture store with a fountain show. And cookies.

Some outings are planned in advance with tickets, schedules and an amount of preparation that could qualify as a second job. And then there is Jordan’s Furniture in Reading, where you can have lunch, watch illuminated fountains, browse a leather sofa and finish with cookies without getting back into the car.

We began at Fuddruckers. There’s James in his navy shirt, sitting by the brick wall with that little smile I’m glad I caught. Sometimes the best photograph from a family outing is not in front of the attraction at all. It is the moment everyone has found a place to sit.

For food decisions, we had a simple two-picture choice board showing grilled cheese with fries and macaroni and cheese with fries. The board is our own communication aid—not a claim that either dish is on the restaurant’s current menu. Having a familiar way to show a preference matters more to us than any elaborate printed menu.

Fuddruckers also had a hand-spun milkshake board, with flavors from chocolate and vanilla to cookies and cream. No one needs to choose a shake to make lunch count, but the menu certainly made a good case for dessert.

And then the water began to dance.

Jordan’s has a water-and-light display known as Liquid Fireworks. In our photographs, water arcs into the dark while green and violet light washes across the room. James is sitting nearby with a big tub of popcorn, looking toward the show.

The photographs are some of my favorites from the afternoon. There was something pleasingly old-fashioned about it: a fountain show, a snack, the changing colors and time to watch as long as we wanted.

We did pause over the furniture, naturally. There was a beautiful tan leather sectional with a dark wood armrest and a clearance sign. If you find yourself comparing sofas halfway through a water show, that is simply the sort of place Jordan’s is.

Cookie Monstah is also inside this same Reading location, so there’s a very appealing cookie-and-ice-cream stop to add if everyone still wants one. The shop is known for fresh-baked cookies and ice-cream cookie sandwiches. I like that this can be part of the afternoon rather than another drive, another parking lot and another set of transitions.

We don’t need every part of a place to be suitable for us. The IMAX theater and ropes course are there for people who want them; the food, furniture and water display make a perfectly good smaller outing of their own.