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.