Month: June 2018

June 28, 2018 (Lake Union)

Editor

Welcome to Seattle Close to Home — a weekly round-up of ideas for time-crunched Seattle-area residents, who want to get outside, volunteer, and eat good food, but don’t necessarily want to drive far (or at all).

Help out at an on-water fireworks cleanup. If you are available Thursday morning (July 5), Puget Soundkeepers’ kayak patrol will fan out across Lake Union to collect debris from 8am to 12pm. Boats and cleanup equipment are provided, and a picnic lunch will be served at Lake Union Park following the event. Register online.

Join your fellow restaurant patrons to support Special Olympians. South Lake Union restaurants invite you to help them raise funds to support Special Olympians – and all you have to do is eat! Purchase the featured dish from a participating restaurant and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Special Olympics USA Games, which are taking place in Seattle through July 6.

Get Out! on Lake Union. Strike out on your own adventure in a kayak, electric boat, or a floating hot tub (yes, really!) from one of the many rental outlets on the lake, including Center for Wooden Boats (1010 Valley St), Electric Boat Company (2046 Westlake Ave N), Hot Tub Boat Rentals (1200 Westlake Ave N), and Moss Bay (1001 Fairview Ave N).

Fuel up at Grand Central Bakery. This Eastlake gathering spot (1616 Eastlake Ave E) offers good coffee, house-made pastries, soups, salads, and sandwiches from 7am daily. The Everything Croissant is a personal favorite.

Leaving the car at home? Metro bus #40 runs along Westlake Avenue, and #70  goes along Eastlake and connects with several other buslines in the U-District. The South Lake Union streetcar travels to SLU from the Westlake light rail station.

Weather forecast: Partly cloudy skies with temps between 65-70 degrees.

June 21, 2018 (Magnuson Park/Sand Point)

Editor

Welcome to Seattle Close to Home — a weekly round-up of ideas for time-crunched Seattle-area residents, who want to get outside, volunteer, and eat good food, but don’t necessarily want to drive far (or at all).

Join your fellow full moon sailors. Sail Sand Point volunteers will take you for a spin on Lake Washington by the light of the moon on Saturday evening from 8pm to 10:30pm. The evening starts on the right foot with a dessert potluck. Boat spaces are on a first-come, first-served basis so early arrival is recommended. Sail Sand Point is located at 7861 62nd Ave NE.

Help out with the fight against blood cancer. Run, walk, or volunteer at the Defeat Myeloma 5K run and 1 Mile Walk on Sunday morning at Magnuson Park. The event begins at Magnuson Park Beach, 6505 NE 65th Street. Register online or on race day.

Get Out! on your own adventure. Magnuson Park has a network of trails that take you along the lakeshore, through marshlands, across fields, and past outdoor art installations. Whether you’re on foot or bike, there are plenty of views to be had and places to stop for a picnic.

Looking for a longer bike ride? The Burke-Gilman Trail is just about a mile away from the park and easily accessible via 65th Ave NE. Ride north to Matthews Beach (5100 NE 93rd St.) and/or Kenmore. Head south toward the University of Washington and ride as far as Golden Gardens (featured in our May 31 post) — or connect with the 520 bridge trail and the Arboretum (see the June 14 post for details).

More interested in getting in/on the lake? Swim/wade off the shore of the park or at Magnuson Park Beach or Matthews Beach. Or rent your choice of watercraft — kayak, paddleboard or (with skills test) sailboat — at Sail Sand Point from 11am to 8:30pm on weekends (from 1:30 during the week).

Fuel up at Saint Helens Cafe. Located right on the Burke-Gilman Trail (3600 NE 45th St) about 2.5 miles from the park, this place is worth a stop. The deck is relaxing on a summer day or there is seating inside. Brunch is served on weekends from 10am to 2pm and dinner begins every evening at 5pm. We stopped on a hot day during happy hour (2pm-5pm) and shared a refreshing arugula & lemon salad, Penn Cove mussels in a tangy tomato broth, and crisp, salty fries. Beverage offerings include espresso, a full bar, and fresh lemonade.

Leaving the car at home?  Consider starting and ending your adventure at the UW light rail station and biking about 5 miles to Magnuson Park. Metro bus 62 and bus 75 run early in the morning and late at night on the weekends to and from Magnuson Park.

Weather forecast: Look for temperatures in the 70s on Saturday and Sunday with mostly sunny skies.

June 14, 2018 (Arboretum/Montlake)

Editor1 Comment

Welcome to Seattle Close to Home — a weekly round-up of ideas for time-crunched Seattle-area residents, who want to get outside, volunteer, and eat good food, but don’t necessarily want to drive far (or at all).

Join your fellow tree enthusiasts for a tour of the Arboretum. Trained volunteers lead free walks focusing on seasonal topics and special plant collections this Sunday (and every Sunday through November) from 1pm to 2:30pm. Tours meet in front of the Graham Visitors Center (2300 Arboretum Dr E).

Help out at the Puget Soundkeepers summer cleanup. On Saturday from 10am to 12noon, hit the waterways of the Arboretum in a kayak or canoe and help pick up trash and debris. If paddling isn’t your thing, you can clean up the shorelines on foot. A picnic lunch will be provided following the cleanup. RSVP online. This event also meets at the Graham Visitors Center.

Get Out! and bike the Arboretum/520 trail. Explore the brand new Arboretum bike path from the Graham Visitors Center to the intersection of Lake Washington Blvd and E Madison (or vice versa). Looking for a longer ride? Veer off the Arboretum path at the old footbridge (#4 on bike trail map), and follow “Lake Washington Loop” signs through the Montlake neighborhood (yes, it does meander through alleyways) to the 520 overpass. Turn right and you’ll be on the 520 bike trail, on which you can ride across Lake Washington and stop at scenic viewpoints along the way.

Prefer to explore on foot? The Arboretum has a vast network of trails among the trees and plants (with many hidden nooks and crannies to discover) and along Union Bay on a series of islands and boardwalks.

Fuel up at Fuel. The longtime Montlake cafe (2300 24th Ave E) serves Caffe Vita from 7am to 6pm on weekends (opens at 6am during the week).

Nearby Cafe Lago (2305 24th Ave E), another Montlake favorite, is open for dinner, offering wood-fired pizzas and handmade pasta from 5pm daily.

Picnic fare can be found at Montlake Boulevard Market (2605 22nd Ave E), which offers a full-service deli, groceries, and prepared items to take away from 6am to midnight.

Leaving the car at home? You (and your bike) can ride the light rail to UW station, then follow the “Lake Washington Loop” signs to the 520 trail or Arboretum.

Metro bus #11 runs from downtown to E Madison and Lake Washington Blvd. And the #43 and #48 run along 24th Ave E. Check the transit map for additional routes.

Weather forecast: This weekend’s forecast predicts mostly sunny skies with highs in the 70s (74 on Saturday and 79 on Sunday).

 

June 7, 2018 (West Seattle)

Editor

Welcome to Seattle Close to Home — a weekly round-up of ideas for time-crunched Seattle-area residents, who want to get outside, volunteer, and eat good food, but don’t necessarily want to drive far (or at all).

Join your fellow rock fans. A presentation and book signing by Jeff Smoot, author of Schurman Rock: A History & Guide (described as “part history, part biography, and part climbing guide”), takes place at Camp Long Lodge (5200 35th Avenue SW) on Saturday at 4pm.

Help out with restoring Longfellow Creek. Sign up to help the Nature Consortium weed and mulch in the forest around the creek on Saturday from 10am-2pm. Meet at 26th Ave SW and SW Juneau St.

Get out! in the bay. At Alki Kayak Tours (1660 Harbor Ave SW), you can take a guided tour or explore on your own in a rented kayak. You can also rent stand-up paddle boards and longboards — as well as bikes and inline skates for use on the well-traveled bike path to Alki Beach. For a longer ride, keep going to Lincoln Park, which features a warm saltwater swimming pool. Alki Kayak Tours is open at 10am on weekends (12pm on weekdays).

Fuel up before/after your kayak adventure. Marination Ma Kai is conveniently situated next to Alki Kayak Tours at the West Seattle Water Taxi (Seacrest) dock. Lines can be long on nice weekends, but the fish tacos and kimchi fried rice – and the waterside patio – may be worth the wait. Opens at 9am Friday-Sunday.

If you’re in the area on Sunday, the West Seattle Farmers Market is open from 10am-2pm at California Ave SW and SW Alaska (the Junction).

For coffee, long-time local chain Uptown Espresso is at the Junction (4301 SW Edmunds) and open at 6am on weekends. And across the street from the Seacrest dock, Moondrop Coffee & Tea (1619 Harbor Ave SW) serves organic, shade-grown, fair-trade coffee.

Leaving the car at home? The West Seattle Water Taxi departs hourly from downtown Seattle (801 Alaskan Way — entrance is at the foot of Madison Street). Bikes can be brought on board. From the West Seattle (Seacrest) dock, the free DART shuttle (#773) goes to the Junction and Camp Long. The 120 bus goes to Longfellow Creek from downtown Seattle.