I have called Washington home for many years. I live in the Rockies now and go through ocean withdrawal, and every winter I am struck by the barren scenery all around me. I had made a few trips back home by myself, so on this trip I decided to share my home state with my son (AKA Tigger). This would be his first flight, and he was so excited. He talked the entire flight. “Look! There’s a cloud!” I think he made the crew’s day as well. It was so cute.
We flew into Seattle and then drove to the Olympic Peninsula to visit my home town of Ocean Shores. He loved the beach and cold ocean water and had a blast seeing all the deer walking around town without a care in the world.
I wanted to show him some of my favorite haunts, and so we headed first to Lake Quinault for some hiking in one of the few temperate rain forests in North America. Surrounded by an orgy of green, a variety of bugs, including the area’s infamous banana slugs, dirt and water, what boy wouldn’t enjoy this? And adults can easily got lost in its lush tranquility.
After enjoying a nice hike and grabbing a quick lunch from the general store, we got back into the car and headed to the Quileute Reservation. I had been visiting these beaches since before The Twilight Saga was written. You know you’ve arrived in Forks when you see all the Twilight references. It was amusing to see how much the popular books and movies have affected this sleepy town. You know you’re on tribal land when you see the large sign warning: No vampires beyond this point!
First Beach is located prominently and offers amazing views, a plethora of wildlife (my son got to see his first wild bald eagle here as it flew very close to us), fascinating driftwood that is a dream for any child who loves scrambling over objects, and has a much more relaxed feel than many places like it.
Second Beach is a short drive away and is a bit more open. Third Beach is another short drive, but you have to walk about a mile through beautiful woods and then climb over many logs before getting to the rugged beach. Unfortunately, this climb resulted in an unplanned visit to Forks Hospital when Tigger fell and sustained a head injury. On the fun side though, I can tell you Dr. Cullen has a parking space at the hospital. The ER was uncrowded, staff were friendly, and thankfully Tigger only had a sizable knot. No other injury. But he did, in fact, begin listening to my words of warning for the rest of the trip.
It was then time to head to Olympia for a visit to my home temple to participate in the ordination of some new monks. Since we don’t go to a Zen center where we live, this was my son’s first exposure to Buddhism outside of our home. Playing with the other kids and catching frogs was much more interesting to him, however. He’s 150% boy.
After the ceremony and accompanying celebration, we did the few-hour drive north of Seattle to Anacortes, the gateway to our next destination: the San Juan Islands. The following day was probably the highlight of the trip for Tigger, next to the airplane ride. He got to ride on a ferry. While we waited in line to board, we had a brief discussion about how we were going to take the car on the ferry. Then I realized his confusion. He thought we were traveling by fairy. I think I laughed for 10 minutes solid.
It was a bit too chilly to take a kayak trip, so instead we headed to North America’s only whale watching park. We were rewarded by views of a couple of orca pods, minke whales, a harbor seal and many birds. The seal sighting was the most nerve-wracking one for me. I had spotted him just ahead of the pod. I wanted Tigger to see the orcas but didn’t want him to see them get a kill. He ducked into a bay and hid among the kelp. The seal and I watched with bated breath as they searched unsuccessfully outside the bay. I let out a deep breath when they proceeded on their hunt away from its hiding spot.
Harbor seal hiding in a kelp bed while the orca pod passes
Orca spyhopping trying to find the seal
After our weeklong trip, Tigger was ready to move to Washington. I was so happy he loved my home. Seattle is wonderful, but the Evergreen State has so many hidden treasures awaiting exploration. Your kids will love it!
Talon & Tigger (now 9 years old) comprise the Windwalker Duo, known as 1Dad1Kid on Twitter and Facebook. On their blog you will find details of their indefinite round-the-world trip beginning in May 2011. After exploring parts of South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, they will be settling down in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for about a year as they continue to travel and then will continue living in other countries, unschooling along the way. Talon is also a regular blogger at TravelingDad.com. He hopes that other people, especially families, will be inspired to “Live Without Regrets!”
Welcome to 
I consider myself a bit of playground aficionado. I get tired of the same old lot with a couple of swings and a slide. If I feel this way, I imagine my children must as well, which is why I am always on the hunt for a new park to be discovered. This same sentiment holds true for when we travel. Parks are a great way to run out some extra energy after being in a car all day, wind down after a long day of exploring a city, or just catch a glimpse of some of the places that are held close in the hearts of local children.
Trekaroo member TravelMom has put together a great list of destination worthy playgrounds in the Greater Seattle/Pugent Sound area. This list is a great resource for families visiting the region and locals who are looking to spice their playground time up a bit. Just reading about the hill perfect for kite flying at Magnuson Park the salmon slide and faux tide pools at Carkeek Park, and the working farm at Kelsey Creek Park in Bellevue is enough to make me want to hope on a plane and head to the Pacific Northwest.
To read the entire list of parks in the Seattle area that you and your kids HAVE to visit, click here.
Do you have an outing that you would like to spotlight this week?
Perhaps its a post about a vacation you just took or a day trip that you think our readers should know about. Or maybe its a post about the vacation you are currently planning and going to book through Trekaroo! Link up something fresh from your blog using the Mr Linky below.
PLEASE READ AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS.
Step 1: Pick a recent post (past couple of days)
Step 2: Under “Name” write: “Title of your blog post (blog name)” – blog name in parenthesis
Under “url” paste: the link to your blog post (not your home page)
Step 3: Grab the Spotlight Thursday image and link to this post so your readers can see who else is playing along this week.
We want to be sure that everyone who participates in Spotlight Thursdays gets their moment in the spotlight so blogs that don’t link back will unfortunately have to be removed.
- – - – - – - – - – - – - – -
Sharlene Earnshaw (aka doubleadventure) is Blogger-in-chief for Trekaroo and the blogger behind Double the Adventure.
Travel with kids to: CA | CO | DC | FL | HI | IL | MA | NC | NY | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA
Trekaroo is heading up to the beautiful Pacific Northwest to launch in Seattle and across the rest of the state of Washington. There’s so much to see here for tweens and teens – Shamu in the wild, Mt. Rainier, Pike’s Place, the Space Needle, where grunge music began, where coffeehouses took off, Microsoft, and more. For the younger set, there’s a plethora of indoor and outdoor fun to entertain kids for many days.
University of Washington by Flickr: danramarch
What have we got for you?
- Over 200 activities that have been rated and tagged by parents like you
- List of 1000 plus hotels throughout the state of Washington waiting to be rated by parents like you
- Coverage of the 5 major areas in Washington: Greater Seattle Region (Puget Sound), Palouse -Spokane, Mount Ranier and Snoqualmie, Olympic Peninsula, and the San Juan Islands.
- All sorts of fun lists on Destination Playgrounds in the Greater Seattle / Puget Sound Area, 5 Hidden Kidspots in the Seattle Area and more.
So, we’ve now launched something new in the Midwest and the Northwest. Stay tuned because we’ve got a pretty full schedule of places that we’d like to launch before our 1st birthday!
A standing ovation goes out to harebearmommy, travelmom, bbmmouse, and adorablyconfused who each jumped in full force to help get Seattle to a place where we’ve got something to share with the world. I also want to say thanks to my faithful team who work tirelessly to get things done in time.
Race you to the top of the Space Needle,
Esther Lee (thelees3) – CEO
Seattle Resources:
Best Activities for Kids in Seattle – voted by parents
Best Kid-Friendly Hotels in Seattle – voted by parents
- All 140 Activities for kids in the Seattle-Puget Sound Area
- Kid-friendly hotels in and around Seattle-Puget Sound
- Visiting Seattle with Little Kids - adorablyconfused
- Destination Playgrounds in Greater Seattle and Puget Sound – Travelmom
- Seattle Parks and Playgrounds - wandermom1
- Stores Mom and Kids Love in Seattle by Mompreneurs – Jill Dickinson
- 5 Lesser Known Pit Stops In and Around the Seattle Area – pitstopforkids
- Where to eat in Seattle with Kids in Tow - kirida
- Pumpkin Patches in the Seattle Area - Lydie Thomas
Trekaroo – a reviews site dedicated to exploring and traveling with kids.
Travel with kids to: CA | FL | HI | MA | NY | PA | TX | VA and now IL and WA
Trekaroo’s KidsMobile is starting to chalk up those miles. We’ve traveled from New York, to Los Angeles, to Chicago and now we’re pulling into
Seattle, Washington
Don’t be fooled by Seattle’s rainy and gloomy reputation, because it is Seattle’s abundant rainfall that make spring, summer and fall lush and green. Set in Puget sound, this city offers fantastic outdoor recreation. In the rainy months, Seattle has some world class attractions that families absolutely love. Congrats to the families who helped launch Trekaroo in Seattle today.
******
Trekaroo’s growing community of families have pitched in with their votes for 2009. Here’s the verdict!
Best Kid-friendly Hotels in Seattle – voted by parents
Best Activities for Kids in Seattle – voted by parents
Seattle is also the hometown for some exceptional moms who are smart, savvy and in the know about what real moms love about Seattle.
Michelle Duffy, better known as Wandermom starts us off with a list of her favorite Seattle Parks and Playgrounds. Wandermom is truly a travel guru! Her active family of 4 manages to travel on a budget, spending much time hiking, diving and skiing around the world. She is also the co-author of “Wanderlust and Lipstick: Traveling with Kids“. Her wealth of helpful tips can be found on her blog: Wandermom!
Carrie, a super energetic mom who lives in the heart of downtown Seattle knows the best Places to Visit with Young Kids in Seattle. She is the voice behind – Growing a baby in Seattle. Carrie reviews products and services that urban moms are interested in. Her reviews are insightful and personable at the same time. Get her take on some really cool stuff, afterall, Christmas is just around the corner.
Jill Dickinson brings us a list of Stores Moms and Kids love in Seattle who are owned by Momprenuers. Jill knows a good idea when she sees it because she’s the author of a book in the writing called “How to Become a Mompreneur”. She has interviewed a multitude of successful mompreneurs, so if you’re toying with a great business idea yourself, head on over to her blog – mombite - for some inspiration.
Hungry tummies = melt downs. Mona knows Where to eat in Seattle with Kids In Tow. Mona is the witty mom of a 3 year old and writes humorously about life as a full-time working mom on her blog – kirida. Need a good laugh about your predicament as a mom, you could spend hours on her blog (I just did myself – you sucked me in, Mona!)
So where are the locals hanging out? Amy tips us off with 5 Lesser Known Pit Stops in and around the Seattle Area. Her blog – Pit Stop for Kids – is filled with lots of helpful reviews about places to stop along various road trip routes around the country. Her mantra: Getting there should be half the fun! We couldn’t agree more.
Other Resources for Seattle:
- All 140 Activities for kids in the Seattle-Puget Sound Area
- Kid-friendly hotels in and around Seattle-Puget Sound
- Destination Playgrounds in Greater Seattle and Puget Sound – Travelmom
- Pumpkin Patches in the Seattle Area - Lydie Thomas
Next stop, the town where the Trekaroo founders first met - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Go Phillies!
The Trekaroo KidsMobile is a blog carnival with a twist. It’s designed to provide a unique opportunity for mom and dad bloggers to be featured on Trekaroo while
1) expressing their unique point of view
2) getting a web of link exchanges.
Join us for one of our next stopovers.
*****
LiLing Pang is a contributing author on Trekaroo – a reviews site dedicated to exploring and traveling with kids.
Travel with kids to: CA | FL | HI | MA | NY | PA | TX | VA and now IL and WA
With all the wonderful attractions for families in Seattle, you’re gonna want to stay for more than a day. Trekaroo families have weighed in on which hotels they like the best!
Best Kid-Friendly Hotel in Seattle – Watertown Hotel
The Watertown Hotel is getting rave reviews from Trekaroo families because they like it’s modern asthetic with comfortable rooms at a great value. Although it is located closer to the University of Washington instead of right downtown, the Watertown Hotel offers free shuttle service to most major attractions. If you have a car, parking is free unlike most downtown hotels where parking will run upwards of $26 a day. But that’s not all! Families love the free breakfast with freshly cooked bacon and eggs, free WIFI, and even free laundry facilities. A huge hit with families are the fun carts you can order up to your room. If your kids are bored, order up the art cart, or game cart. If mom needs some pampering, order up the spa cart. Average Nightly Rate $134
What’s to love
- Free shuttle to major attractions
- Fun carts – game cart, art cart, kids cart…
- Complimentary breakfast, laundry, WIFI.
- Suites are available
What’s not to love
- Not walking distance to main attractions
- No pool
Read the full reviews from families on Watertown Hotel | Check Availability and Deals at Watertown Hotel
Best Location for Families – Westin Seattle
Located right in downtown Seattle, the Westin’s location cannot be beat. It’s right on the edge of Belltown and Downtown, next to the monorail and within easy walking distance of some favorite family attractions like Pikes Place Market, Olympic Sculpture Park, Gameworks, and Seattle Aquarium. The Westin hotels are known for making families a priority and Westin Seattle is no exception. Their Westin Kids Club amenities provide so many extras that families are looking for from bottle warmers to jogging strollers. To top it off, families enjoy the wonderful indoor pool . Average nightly rates start at $159.
Other kid-friendly hotels in Chicago
Fairmont Olympic (avg nightly rate: $194) – 5 stars on Trekaroo
Seattle Marriott Waterfront (avg nightly rate $179) – 4 stars on Trekaroo
Grand Hyatt (avg nightly rate: $152) – 5 stars on Trekaroo
Sheraton Seattle (avg nighly rate $125) – 4 stars on Trekaroo
Hotels with Free Breakfast in Seattle
Which Activities came up at the top?
Best Activities for Kids in Seattle – voted by parents
Other Resources for Chicago:
- All 140 Activities for kids in the Seattle-Puget Sound Area
- Kid-friendly hotels in and around Seattle-Puget Sound
- Visiting Seattle with Little Kids - adorablyconfused
- Destination Playgrounds in Greater Seattle and Puget Sound – Travelmom
- Seattle Parks and Playgrounds - wandermom1
- Stores Mom and Kids Love in Seattle by Mompreneurs – Jill Dickinson
- 5 Lesser Known Pit Stops In and Around the Seattle Area – pitstopforkids
- Where to eat in Seattle with Kids in Tow - kirida
- Pumpkin Patches in the Seattle Area - Lydie Thomas
LiLing Pang is a contributing author on Trekaroo – a reviews site dedicated to exploring and traveling with kids.
Travel with kids to: CA | FL | HI | MA | NY | PA | TX | VA and now IL and WA
