Out-of-town tourists often skip over the Eastside in favor of popular attractions in Seattle. When planning your own local family fun this summer, resist the urge to follow the same well-beaten path. Stay east of the bridge to reconnect with nature — and score some tasty eats.
You'll be surprised how easy it is on the busy Eastside to feel a thousand miles away from the hustle and bustle of life. Once covered with old-growth forests, the area still has a surprisingly strong connection to nature, making it a great place to enjoy the outdoors.
Mercer Slough Nature Park
Just past the office parks south of downtown, urban Bellevue gives way to the Mercer Slough Nature Park. At 320 acres, it's Lake Washington's largest remaining wetland and an important refuge for a wide variety of wildlife, including salmon. With five miles of walking trails and a four-mile water trail, it's also a nice refuge for humans.
The park – named after Eastside pioneer Aaron Mercer, who was the first to settle and farm here in 1869 – is an integral part of local history. The slough, a slow-moving body of water that connects to Lake Washington and Kelsey Creek, was exposed in 1916 when the lake dropped nine feet with the opening of the ship canal.
Start your visit at the Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center. Pick up a trail map, then wander onto the viewing platform to see over the slough to Bellevue's skyscrapers.
The .8-mile Bellefield's Loop Trail is good for children and jogging strollers. With a little luck, you'll spy great blue herons, pileated woodpeckers, and ducks as you walk through wetland forests and meadows. Families with older children may wish to explore the park by water. (See below for information on guided canoe tours.)
1625 118th Ave SE, Bellevue, 98005
425-452-2565
bellevuewa.gov/mseec.htm
Sitting atop the hill at Kelsey Creek Park with picturesque barns, a log cabin, and the trees in full leaf hiding the surrounding neighborhood, this park makes it easy to put modern-day Bellevue out of your mind for a peaceful moment. Only the distant roar of traffic on Interstate 405 gives the true time and place away.
The park is a former 1940s dairy farm now visited by more than 250,000 people each year.. Horses, cows, bunnies, chickens and other animals still live here as part of a working farm now owned and operated by the City of Bellevue.They’re out in the pastures and available for viewing daily from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The park also boasts nature trails, one of the best toddler playgrounds around, and an 1880s-era log cabin, which the Eastside Heritage Center opens for viewing on several summer weekends.
As you drive to Kelsey Creek Park, take note of the Wilburton train trestle. Built in 1904 to support the booming forest and coal industries, the trestle was an engineering feat of its time at nearly 100 feet high and 975 feet long.
410 130th Place SE, Bellevue, 98005
425-452-7688
parkstrails.myparksandrecreation.com
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Photo: Richie D./Yelp |
Boehm's Candies and Triple XXX
Satisfy the sweet tooth of every family member with a visit to two quirky and fun Issaquah tourist spots in the same block – Boehm's Candies and Triple XXX Root Beer Drive-in.
Housed in a Swiss chalet, Boehm's Candies was started by native Austrian Julius Boehm and a friend after he skied over the Alps to escape Nazi Germany during World War II. Take the self-guided "window" tour or sign up for a 45-minute guided tour to learn more about Boehm, his chalet home and his factory. Reserve a weekday tour when the factory is abuzz with workers dipping chocolates the old-fashioned way – by hand. Can you say free samples?
Save room for another treat at Triple XXX Root Beer down the street. The 1950s-style diner is one of only two Triple XXX drive-ins still operating (the other one is in Indiana). While the actual "drive-in" is long gone, you can still slide into a shiny red and white booth inside, pop some coins into the tableside mini-jukebox and order up a tall frosty mug of root beer. The Triple XXX often hosts vintage car shows. Check their website if you'd like your visit to coincide with one.
Boehms Candies
255 NE Gilman Blvd, Issaquah, WA, 98027
425-392-6652
Triple XXX
98 NE Gilman Blvd, Issaquah, WA 98027
425-392-1266
Cedar River Watershed Education Center
Do you know where your drinking water comes from? (Before it comes out of your faucet, that is.) How about the sound a drop of water makes when hitting a drum? Learn – and hear – the answers at the Cedar River Watershed Education Center above Rattlesnake Lake near North Bend.
Opened in 2001, the center is right outside the gated 90,000-acre Cedar River Watershed, which provides drinking water to nearly 70 percent of the greater Seattle area. A model of green building practices with breathtaking views, it's an excellent stop in its own right, or as a launching point to explore nearby trails.
Inside, children and parents will enjoy the hands-on "Water is Magic" exhibit. When you're finished, borrow a children's explorer backpack – stocked with binoculars, bug collectors, a map compass and a set of track and scat ID cards – and hit a trail. The 1.5 mile Rattlesnake Lake Trail is particularly good for families with small children. Don't forget to linger at the musical rain drum court before you leave.
19901 Cedar Falls Road SE, North Bend, 98045
206-733-9421
seattle.gov/util/EnvironmentConservation
Other cool Eastside attractions
Historic Mercer Slough Blueberry Farm
Produce stand open daily mid-April through October, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. U-pick blueberry fields open mid-July through late august, depending on availability.
2380 Bellevue Way SE, Bellevue, 98004
425-467-0501
What began as a roadside produce stand more than 30 years ago has grown into a full-fledged market, restaurant, U-pick fields, and the closest thing the Eastside has to an amusement park for children. More than 25 rides and attractions make up the Country Fair Fun Park, including a kid-sized roller coaster, pony rides and a mini-steam train that rolls alongside the Tolt River.
32610 NE 32nd St, Carnation, 98014
425-333-4135
An old brick dormitory still stands as evidence of the many children who have visited this piece of land through the years. The site of a school for delinquent youth from 1905 to 1966, kids used to be schooled in academics and farming here. Today, kids come here to play. At 77 acres, the waterfront park has incredible Lake Washington views, trails, a boat dock and fishing pier, a sandy beach perfect for tots, a fun “earth sculpture” with a fountain that runs all summer and a unique playground.
2040 84th Ave SE, Mercer Island, 98040
No Eastside tourist guide would be complete without mentioning Snoqualmie Falls. Did you know they are 100 feet higher than Niagara Falls? At 276 feet, the breathtaking falls are one of the state’s most popular attractions, with more than 1.5 million visitors each year.
6501 Railroad Ave SE, Snoqualmie, 98065
Just one mile west of Snoqualmie Falls, this is a little museum that could. It’s housed in the original 1890 Snoqualmie Depot, a national historic site. Walk through the short railway exhibit, then buy a ticket to ride on an historic train – at the same ticket window people used more than 100 years ago. The 70-minute, five-mile ride runs through the Upper Snoqualmie Valley to North Bend. All aboard!
38625 SE King St, Snoqualmie, 98065
Raining outside? The KidsQuest Children’s Museum inside Factoria Mall is a perfect place for rainy day fun with your kids up to age 10. Popular exhibits include a tree house and a pipe-fountain water table where it’s OK to get wet.
4091 Factoria Square Mall SE, Bellevue, 98006
Juanita Bay Park
Sightings of western painted turtles sunning themselves on wetland logs are almost a sure thing on a summer day at Juanita Bay Park. The 110-acre park hosts interpretive trails and boardwalks. Volunteer rangers offer free one-hour tours the first Sunday of each month at 1 p.m.
2201 Market St, Kirkland, 98033
Julie Deutscher is an Eastside mother of two.
Editor's note: This updated article was originally published in June of 2009.
