Summer in Seattle is kind of like a really yummy ice cream cone - you want to savor every bite and let the flavors linger and float around forever - and yet if you don't gobble it up fast, the whole thing will soon turn into a miserable soggy and sticky puddle. So before the rain sets in, and the dark clouds beckon, we say: to heck with it! Drop everything. Get outside, embark on an adventure, and pack in as much summer as you can handle. Here's your bucket list. You can always rest in October.
moungerpool
1. Throw in the towels and head to Jetty Island, just a 30-minute drive north of Seattle.
2. We're psyched about bikes: ride along the Alki Beach Trail, the Burke-Gilman or saddle up for Bicycle Sunday.
3. Soar above it all and fly a kite at a nearby park.
4. Get in touch with your wild side at the Woodland Park Zoo or a nearby farm park.
lemonade stand
5. Stock up on local goodies at the city's best farmer's markets.
6. Tune into a family-friendly outdoor concert or catch a free outdoor movie.
7. Dive into an outdoor pool or take a dip in a city wading pool when the temp rises above 70.
8. Ride the Seattle Great Wheel and explore Pike Place Market with kids.
9. Tour the Ballard Locks, visit the Seattle Aquarium, then take the West Seattle/Downtown Water Taxi and enjoy some terrific fish and chips.
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10. Zip line your way through these Seattle and Eastside parks.
11. Pick up some yummy berries at these u-pick strawberry farms.
12. Visit a nearby park where you can swim and hike in the same afternoon.
13. Paddle around at Greenlake or Agua Verde, or launch a canoe and explore the wetlands around the Washington Park Arboretum.
14. Hike, swim and picnic around Rattlesnake Lake.
kites
15. Ride the kiddie amusement park rides at Remlinger Farms.
16. Set up a neighborhood lemonade stand.
17. Fire up your grill with easy kebabs and enlist the kiddos to help you makePomegranate Italian Ice for dessert.
18. Go for a run along these stroller-friendly jogging paths.
gasworks
19. Grin and bear it, because the kids will love it: Wild Waves.
20. Book at the last-minute and send your kids to summer camp.
21. Go on a weekend road trip to Mount Rainier, Long Beach, the San Juan Islands, or Lake Chelan.
22. Host yard games in your backyard.
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23. Two words: Molly Moon.
24. Visit MOHAI's new location and explore Lake Union Park.
25. Hop a ferry and spend an afternoon on Vashon, Bainbridge or Whidbey Island.
