West Seattle

April 18, 2019 (West Seattle)

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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 paddlers. Locally-owned Mountain to Sound Outfitters (3618 SW Alaska St) is hosting a Boat Swap on Saturday from 12pm to 6pm (co-hosted by Alki Kayak Tours) and Paddling Film Festival from 6:30pm to 9:30pm. Buy and/or sell human powered watercraft (kayaks, SUPs, canoes) and accessories, see a film — and check out the store’s sale on winter gear.

Help out at Me-kwa-mooks Park. On Friday from 1:30pm to 3:30pm, volunteers will be removing ivy and blackberry to make room for native Pacific Northwest plants. Sign up online and meet on the front lawn of Me-kwa-mooks Park (4503 Beach Drive SW).

Get out! for a day at the beach. Enjoy the quiet side of Alki at Me-kwa-mooks. If the tide is out, explore the tidepools, then walk 2.5 miles along the shoreline to Lincoln Park, which has woodsy and waterside trails.

Fuel up at … We’ve been telling you about our go-to places to eat and get coffee, but we want to hear about yours! We invite you to post a comment about your favorite eateries in West Seattle.

Leaving the car at home? The West Seattle Water Taxi is operating seven days a week now, leaving from downtown. Metro route 773 will take you from the ferry dock to the Alaska junction. The C-Line also runs from Seattle to the Alaska junction and to Lincoln Park. On weekdays, bus #37 goes to the Alaska junction and Me-kwa-mooks Park.

Weather forecast: Friday may seen some rain with a high of 57 degrees. Saturday and Sunday are forecast to be sunny with patchy clouds and highs in the low 60s.

January 31, 2019 (Downtown/Alki)

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 “Step Forward” participants. Whether you’re curious about the new tunnel or nostalgic for the viaduct, you can explore them this weekend at events taking place from the stadiums to the Seattle Center. Saturday includes an 8K fun run, tunnel walk, STEM activities, and a community celebration and art festival on the viaduct. Sunday offers a registered bike ride through the tunnel.

Help out at Alki. On Friday, from 10am to 1pm, volunteers will pick up garbage (click Feb 1 on the calendar) at Alki Beach and neighborhood to prevent it from ending up in the Sound. Bring gloves and a garbage bag; pick-up sticks provided. Meet at Alki Beach (2452 Alki Ave SW). Contact the organizer for more details.

Get Out! on water and wheels (or feet). On Friday and this Saturday, you can take the West Seattle Water Taxi to the Alki Beach Trail — and beyond — for a bike ride or walk. Bikes can be brought on board the water taxi.

Fuel up downtown or on Alki. Sitting atop the new tunnel, Von’s 1000Spirits has, as you might imagine, a full (spirited) bar, as well as pizzas, pastas, and giant burgers on buns made from their own sourdough. Located at the top of the Harbor Steps at 1225 1st Ave, Von’s is open at 11am daily.

Need a break from all the changes in Seattle? Step back in time at Alki Spud Fish and Chips (2666 Alki Ave SW). Since 1935, Spud has been serving up fried fish and shrimp, chowders, and shakes from 11am to 9pm daily.

Leaving the car at home? The West Seattle Water Taxi normally operates on weekdays only in the winter, but will also run this Saturday. The entrance is at the foot of Madison Street (801 Alaskan Way). From the West Seattle (Seacrest) dock, the free DART shuttle (#775) runs along Alki Ave SW.

Weather forecast: Friday could see some rain, with a high of 51 degrees; Saturday is forecast to be mostly cloudy with a high of 50 degrees; Sunday should be mostly cloudy, but colder with a high of 44 degrees.

January 3, 2019 (Duwamish/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 cyclists. Yes, it’s happening: the Viaduct is coming down. Cascade Bicycle Club is leading the SurviveRealign99 Ride where bike commuters and cyclists can try out routes in a friendly group, with more daylight and less traffic than on weekdays. The ride is expected to be about 16 miles with some hills. Register online and meet with your bike at 9:15am on Saturday at the West Seattle Junction Starbucks (California SW at SW Alaska).

Help out at a riverside cleanup and planting. Join EarthCorps and the Port of Seattle for a work party along the Duwamish River. Volunteers will remove weeds and replace them with native plants. Meet at 10am on Saturday at Terminal 105 Park (4032 W Marginal Way SW) just north of SW Dakota St). Contact the volunteer team if you would like to sign up.

Get Out! in the city’s largest greenbelt. The West Duwamish Greenbelt has miles of trails to explore. Access through Puget Park (4767 Puget Way SW) or check out the trail map.

Fuel up with coffee, bubble tea, and more. Pearls Tea and Coffee also serves baguette sandwiches and crepes. Open from 8am to 7pm on weekends, the cafe is located at 4800 Delridge Way.

Leaving the car at home? The West Seattle Water Taxi operates on weekdays only in the winter. The entrance is at the foot of Madison Street (801 Alaskan Way). Bikes can be brought on board. From the West Seattle (Seacrest) dock, the free DART shuttle (#773) goes to the West Seattle Junction. The 120 bus travels from downtown Seattle along Delridge and also stops within a 15-minute walk from Terminal 105.

Weather forecast: Saturday is expected to be cloudy with a high of 47. Sunday will be about the same temperature with rain at times.

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.