Seattle-Tacoma
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The I-5 Drive: Stops from Portland to Seattle
Three hours is just too long to sit in the car. The infamous slog between Seattle and Portland invariably adds a few more hours due to bizarre traffic snafus. (What is the energy vortex causes the mysterious slowdowns in Tacoma, Olympia and Chehalis, anyhow?) Put it all together, and you’ve got a real tantrum starter for parents and kids alike. Unless you give up for a little bit, pull over and chill out. Here are a few of our favorite kid-friendly stops along the Seattle-to-Portland I-5 route. Exit 7: Burgerville. This Salmon Creek Burgerville (on the edge of Portland) is a fast-food diner that thinks it’s a restaurant – thank…
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Beat the Heat in Seattle: Wading pools, beaches and more
I received this press release from Seattle Parks and Recreation in my in-box and couldn’t help but share! Whether you’re visiting Seattle or live here, you’ll need a way to chill, and this list offers the perfect way to do so. ———Following is from Seattle Parks and Recreation Press Release ——- Seattle Beaches Parks offers safe, lifeguarded beaches at nine sites around the city (Seattle), and we strongly recommend swimming only where lifeguards are present. Beaches are open daily, weather permitting, from noon to 7 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Amenities range from swim rafts and low and high diving boards to nearby…
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Photo Friday: Pike Place Market
One of the best things about living in Seattle is watching travelers enthuse over the Pike Place Market. Visitor linger over fresh blackberries, laugh at the salmon-slinger’s antics, clap along with the buskers and marvel at the hand-made goods. Kids try fruit samples, while parents give in and buy a wind-up toy. Or three. I took this photo about a year ago. The market, for some reason, was awash in the prairie-print dresses, somber black stockings and head-coverings of a religious community, probably Amish. In predominantly liberal, agnostic Seattle, the conservative clothing choice was more unusual than piercings and tattoos (which function as everyday work accessories here). Vendors looked mildly…
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Vacationing on a Seattle Houseboat Rental with Kids
Seattle mom Leah Adams recently took an exciting and unusual staycation. She slept for two nights on a Seattle houseboat with her husband, daughter (10) and son (8). Leah took advantage of a weekend-only special (the houseboat usually rents by the month) and found that a houseboat serves up a rockin’ (and rollin’) family vacation. Q: What did you enjoy about the Seattle houseboat? I loved the cedar paneling (smelled just like I imagined a houseboat would). The efficiency of being in a small space appealed to me. There’s something so lovely about being totally satisfied in a small space, leaving all the extraneous stuff in our house behind. The Lake Union location, near Fremont, was fantastic. Fremont deserves…
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35 Free and Cheap Things to Do With Kids in Seattle
Visiting Seattle on a budget? No problem. Check out these 35 free and cheap family-friendly activities in Seattle: 1. Ride a bike on the Burke-Gilman Trail. 2. Run through the 9,000-gallon International Fountain. 3. Watch fish and boats navigate through the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. 4. Cower under giant traffic cones and play hide-and-seek among the art at the Olympic Sculpture Park. 5. Ride the West Seattle Water Taxi to West Seattle. 6. Sample fruit and meet the Doughnut Robot at the Pike Place Market. 7. Pick the Fremont Troll’s nose and take a picture with Lenin in the Fremont neighborhood. 8. Check out the cheese-making process at Beecher’s Handmade Cheese.…
