Summer might not officially start until June 21, but heck, we are Seattleites, and we have sun on the brain even if it's raining. There's bound to be plenty nice days this month: Check this list of ideas for how to make the most out of June.
The best trails to spot wildflowers
Rain or shine, June 6 is National Trails Day and the canopy of our Northwest forests will help keep you covered. The good folks at Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest have a handy list of hikes where families can walk among the colorful canvas of wildflowers. Pick one of the recommended hikes on the I-90 corridor for some great outdoor fun with your family. On the Asahel Curtis Nature Trail, a 1.3 mile loop, kids will cross Humpback Creek a few times and find some showy trillium flowers. Look for blooms on the two-mile Franklin Falls hike (one of my family's favorites), as you meander the path alongside the Snoqualmie River. More wildflower hikes can be found here.
Canoe the slough
Experience the Bellevue wetlands of Mercer Slough Nature Park by way of water on a weekend morning canoe ride. The three-hour rides, guided by Bellevue park rangers every Saturday through September, kick off at Enatai Beach Park. Paddlers meander through the slough – a channel through the marshlands – past scores of birds, blueberry fields, an occasional office building and a salmon ladder. The group links up every so often to learn about the animals and plants in the park and how the different ecosystems function. Beginning paddlers are welcome; the talk beforehand briefs riders on safety and technique, and the group sticks together. That said, the ride is four miles and does take some brawn.
Gain some MOMentum
The idea for momentum outdoor gyms came from the belief that healthy moms raise healthy families (can we hear a "hell yeah!"). The outdoor gyms offer low-impact cardio equipment and strengthening machines that focus on the areas moms care about most: arms, abs, hips and thighs. They can be found in three parks in the area – Marymoor Park in Redmond, Les Gove Park in Auburn and Bitter Lake Reservoir Park in Seattle – conveniently located so that the kids can keep busy and get their exercise playing at the playground. Now that's a good idea.
Art on the fly
What happens when you block off two city blocks on Terry Avenue for a day-long urban art fiesta, throw in "surprise" and roving performances, flash mobs, a music stage, free dance classes, an artisan craft fair, beer and margarita gardens, kids' activities and food? Art on the Fly, that's what! And on Saturday, June 13, from 4 to 10 p.m., families can take part in dance classes (on the fly, of course). "Kids ZumbaTomic" and "Kids Creative Movement," street dance, salsa, ballet, Bollywood and hula will all be taught by area dance professionals. Art on the Fly kicks off the Seattle International Dance Festival, a 10-day explosion of dance and the arts with indoor and outdoor events. So go get your groove on!
Escape to Kitsap Peninsula
If you haven't taken your family to see The Mountaineers Players perform at Kitsap Forest Theater's rhododendron preserve near Bremerton, be sure to put that on your to-do list for summer. Part magical nature walk, part theater performance, part Pacific Northwest getaway, what's not to love? In June, Mary Poppins will be showing. You get your exercise on the short hike down a winding forest trail to your destination, where you get to watch the show under a conifer canopy. Be sure to take a picnic and pay a visit to the "Big Tree," one of the oldest and largest living trees on the Kitsap Peninsula.
It's pool time!
On Saturday, June 27, Seattle Parks and Recreation will open its 15 wading pools and nine lifeguarded beaches, weather permitting (i.e. when the forecast is 70 degrees or above … a girl can dream, right?) Check out the wading pool locations and remember these fine tips: no bare bums, no pets and no water fights.
Seattle's two outdoor pools: the now open Mounger Pool with a 50-foot corkscrew slide and a warmer, shallower pool that is great for teaching little ones; and West Seattle's Colman Pool, a heated saltwater pool right on the Sound that features a giant tube slide that opens June 20. Kids will love bodysurfing the wave pools at the Henry Moses Aquatic Center in Renton or Kandle Pool in Tacoma. Taking in some water fun, whether spray park, wading pool or outdoor pool, is one of those quintessential Northwest summer activities.
