By Anna Roth
What's that up in the sky? Is it a bird? A plane? No it's... the sun. It might not rain constantly in
Seattle like the popular stereotype suggests, but the cloudy city's culture still mostly revolves around indoor pursuits, from coffee shops and bookstores to art galleries and movie theaters. That doesn't mean that the population doesn't know how to get outdoors. From swimming to patio dining, there's plenty to do during Seattle's rare moments in the sun.
Swim in the Lake
Consider yourself warned: the minute the mercury rises above 70 degrees F, Seattleites flock en masse to popular beaches to soak up all the vitamin D they can. Although the temperature of Lake Washington rarely tops 60 degrees F in the summer, you'll still find throngs of people at Madison Park beach every lukewarm day of the season. Most commonly spotted are kids making sandcastles in the surf, bored high schoolers sunning themselves on the grass, and pasty-white hipsters doing ironic cannonballs from the high-dive.
Madison Park Beach
E. Madison St. and E. Howe St.
Seattle, WA
(206) 684-4075
Take a Hike
There's nothing quite like an old-growth forest, especially when the trees aren't dripping with rain and the trail isn't knee-deep in mud. In Seattle proper, it's possible to get the solitude to properly commune with Mother Earth in the miles of hiking trails in the 300-acre Seward Park. If you feel like getting out of town, Tiger Mountain is a half-hour drive and offers jaw-dropping mountain views, though the main trail can sometimes feel like an interstate.
Seward Park
5902 Lake Washington Blvd S
Seattle, WA 98118
(206) 684-4396
Tiger Mountain
Exit from I-5 at High Point Exit #20, turn right and follow the short road to the parking lot.
Eat and Drink Outside
Drinking outdoors is the kind of activity that Seattleites really get behind. When the sun comes out, you'll find them overrunning every restaurant patio in town. The best deck around is found at the Pink Door in Pike Place Market---all twinkly colored lights and bird's-eye views of ferries gliding across Elliott Bay.
If rustic Italian food isn't your style, head out to Ballard for a seafood feast at Ray's Boathouse, and enjoy views of Puget Sound and the snow-capped Olympics with your Dungeness crab. Bonus points: if the wind picks up, the staff at Ray's will lend you a fleece blanket to keep you warm.
Pink Door
1919 Post Alley
Pike Place Market
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 443-3241
Ray's Boathouse
6049 Seaview Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107
(206) 789-3770
Alki Kayak Tours
The boardwalk at Alki Beach is Seattle's own little slice of Southern California, and on sunny days, bikini-clad babes and baseball-cap wearing dudes cruise down the Alki strip in their souped-up cars, blasting bass and pretending they're in Orange County. Join the party by renting a beach cruiser or roller blades and cruising the strip in style. Alki Kayak Tours rents both for less than $10 an hour. After you've had your fill, complete the SoCal experience by refreshing with margaritas and jalapeño-laced lemonade at the popular Cactus Restaurant.
Alki Beach
1702 Alki Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98116
Alki Kayak Tours
1660 Harbor Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98126
(206) 953-0237
Cactus
2820 Alki Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98116
(206) 933-6000
Jump on the Ferry
The half-hour ferry ride to Bainbridge Island is gorgeous on a clear day, with million-dollar views of Mount Rainier and the downtown skyline. After you're off the boat, follow the signs and walk a half mile to the sleepy-yet-sophisticated town of Winslow. Treat yourself to a cone at Mora, an old-fashioned ice cream shop that uses local ingredients for unusual flavors such as goat cheese with fig. More adventurous travelers can take their bikes on board and tackle the 30-mile bike loop around the Island---though know it's extremely hilly and not for the faint of heart.
Ferry Terminal
801 Alaskan Way Pier 52
Seattle, WA 98104
Mora Iced Creamery
139 Madrone Ln.
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
(206) 855-8822
Rent a Canoe
Sometimes you want to enjoy the sunny day without a half-million of your closest friends, and that's when the hidden Waterfront Activities Center at the University of Washington is your best bet. Rent a canoe and paddle across the Montlake Cut, under the 520 freeway, and find yourself in your own personal lily-pad-studded lagoon in the Seattle Arboretum.
Or head the other direction, across Union Bay to the prominent Laurelhurst neighborhood, where you can ogle multimillion-dollar lakefront homes.
UW Waterfront Activities Center
3900 Montlake Blvd NE
Seattle, WA 98195
(206) 543-9433
About the Author:
Anna Roth is the editor of Travels.com and a food and travel writer, whose work has appeared in "Sunset" magazine, "Virtuoso Life" magazine, "Citysearch" and the "Seattle Times." Roth holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and American Studies from the University of Southern California.
