Hot Day at Seattle Center

Last June we ended up down at Seattle Center when we had family visiting from out of town. I have seen the fountain at night all lit up and thought it was just decoration, but on a blistering hot day we could not resist the call of the refreshing, cool water. Lots of room for stroller parking and sitting on the grass - shade available if wanted.

The easiest way to get there is to get to Westlake Center and go down on the monorail - that doubles the fun for my kids.

You will probably want to bring a swim suit or change of clothes. Pack a lunch or grab something to eat there. Bathroom are conveniently located everyplace.

Dungeness Spit

This take a little planning. It is at least a two hour trip each way, but well worth it.

This is the longest natural sand spit in the United States. It is located just north of Sequim. Open daily from dawn to dusk with access limited by foot or horseback only. The Dungeness Lighthouse sits near the tip of the sandy hook and houses a small museum and the keeper offers a tour. Because it is a 5.5-mile hike out you need to start early enough in the day to make it back (as well as stopping for lots of breaks with kids). Adjacent to the spit is the Dungeness Recreation Area with 216 acres of shoreline to enjoy. The day we went we actually had real waves and we never made it out to the lighthouse because the kids were so happy just playing on the beach. It is a little bit of a hike down to the beach but an easy one. Biggest problem was the shade on the way back with cold kids.

My suggestion is to leave early and take the ferry from Seattle over to Bainbridge and stop on your way through Pulsbo at at Sulys Pulsbo Bakery for breakfast. They have camping facilities if you don't want to do it all in one day.

Bike in Tree - Vashon

This is a great destination because half of the fun of going is taking the ferry over to Vashon.

Easy preparation before going is to read Berkeley Breathed's book,"Red Ranger Came Calling". This is the "bike in the tree" that inspired the story.

The "Aunt Vy" character in the book will autograph books if you visit her at her Country Store, across the street from the Bicycle Tree. You can't miss the Country Store. The Red Ranger book is sold there if anyone needs a copy!

How to get there, when you get off the ferry go all the way through town and pull into the north side of the parking lot at Sound Food Cafe. The bike is up the trail just inside of the woods - you can see a path, but it is not marked.

woodland park zoo

big daddy bought a zoo membership and took the girls a couple of weeks ago. they loved it. that day there was a special bear exhibit showing what happens when you're camping in bear country. act I: they set up a campsite of what not to do with food in the tents and the cooler left out and then let some big bears come tear it up. act II: they set up a campsite that wouldn't attract bears. they didn't stay for this one but it probably wasn't as entertaining anyway. well, if you do go- make sure you stop to feed the birds: $1 a stick of bird food and the kids love it (open during zoo hours - 9:30- 6pm daily). for more info visit www.zoo.org.