The metal gate opened and it was my turn to jump. I looked at the ground, 40 feet below, and my knees turned into jelly.
A 300-ft line sends you whooshing over a pond to land on the opposite bank. The zipline ride at Remlinger Farms, new as of last year, is over in less than 15 seconds. Once you get over the initial terror, you’ll be whooping it up on the other end.
“AMAZING,” said my 8-year-old, who is much braver than me.
“It’s pretty sick,” said the teenage ride attendant. (If you don’t speak teenager, “sick” means excellent.)
(Image: JiaYing Grygiel)
The attractions
The zipline is one of the newer draws at Remlinger Farms, as of last year. The farm, located about an hour east of Seattle in Carnation, has two dozen rides and attractions in its Family Fun Park.
Also on the newer side; a 70-foot tall Ferris wheel, a bungee jump trampoline, a 30-foot rock climbing wall and an arcade. The train takes passengers past animal pastures and through a pitch-dark tunnel.
(Image: JiaYing Grygiel)
“There are lots of rides,” I overheard a parent telling her kid. “You don’t have to pick and choose.”
Exactly.
(Image: JiaYing Grygiel)
What’s included
What we like about Remlinger Farms is all the rides are included in your admission ticket, with the exception of $8 for a pony ride and $7 for the zipline. My kids went on their favorites, the super slide and the giant swing, over and over and over again. No one bugged me for more money or more tickets. It’s the best.
The zipline runs on weekends only, 12 to 4:30 p.m. To ride, you must weigh between 50 and 250 pounds. My 8-year-old stepped on the scale and just made the cutoff at 52 pounds. I was too scared when it was my turn to jump, so I made my kids go first — Mom of the Year! Once I saw them land safely on the opposite side, I knew, “OK, I can do this”.
Even Nathan Sherfey, Remlinger Farms’ co-owner, got nervous when he first tried the zipline. “I got up there, I’ve done a zipline before, yeah, it’ll be totally fine. The first time, I almost didn’t want to step off.”
At least once or twice a day, there’s a kid who goes up and has to back down. Totally understandable.
(Image: JiaYing Grygiel)
How it all started
Remlinger Farms was established in 1965, and started offering tractor rides in the 70s. The Family Fun Park grew from there. And is still growing. When we visited, we spotted a scrambler being assembled. Sherfey wants to add a putt-putt course and possibly laser tag.
Sherfey, 27, is the fourth generation to run the family farm in Carnation. He grew up coming to the farm every summer. “At first, it was my own little Disneyland,” Sherfey said. “I would cut the lines, I would get free cotton candy. All the workers knew me.”
As he got older, he helped pick berries and run the registers. Four years ago, he’d just finished up his master’s degree in finance and his grandpa called. “Well, do you want to do this with me?”
Gary Remlinger, 78, continues to work on the farm. “He’s still here. He’ll never go away,” Sherfey said. “I wake up at 6 a.m., and he’s been here since 4 a.m.”
Remlinger Farms is best known for its kid-friendly fun park and u-pick berries. Sherfey opened up a brewery at the farm, and added live music every Friday and Saturday. There’s a new concert lineup too. His goal is to make the farm appeal to everyone from little kids to teenagers to adults without kids.
“We want to make it fun for every single age,” Sherfey said.
(Image: JiaYing Grygiel)
If you go
- Visit Remlinger Farms Family Fun Park for more information about the rides, dining, U-pick, parties and more
- Family-friendly concerts all summer long. Find out who’s playing here.
- 32610 NE 32nd Street, Carnation
- Cost: $29.95 per person. Kids under 2 are free. Pony rides are an additional $8, zipline rides are an additional $7. Parking is free.
