51. Rattlesnake Ledge Trail at the North Bend (6/4/2023)
- 21 miles on 90E from Bellevue from exit 32, then 3 miles into the Rattlesnake recreational area
- It's a lake at some altitude, blue and green in the water
- Wildly popular and the parking lot filled very quickly on Sunday then it's parking on the roadside. The trail is 1.9m at the marker one way up an incline is tolerable, but over an extended period can be a stretch. I walked 3650 steps upward then came down
- There is a large beach area for a picnic, although there aren't many picnic tables around to do sunbathing
52. Carkeek Park via Pipers Creek Trail (8/26/2023)
- West of Seattle, I-5 173 exit then to the west; lots of parking spots in this expanded community park
- Just a short walk to the central playground and railroad crossings; there are bluff trails on and off the stairs, not too steep, also Everything is within a short distance
- Asian Family Market is just 10min away on 99; but it's not worth going
53. Olympia (9/1/2024)
- 1.5 hours on the road; Washington state capital building 11-4pm; Tumwater Falls; Ranch BBQ; Rainbow Rails
- Tumwater Falls - very sizable parking lot, and lots of people, rather flat loop trail 3000 steps, multiple points of water / brewery park/electricity house
- Ranch BBQ - 15 miles on 101 and 8 (15min drive) along route 8; beef brisket is delicious with potato salad, probably 4 stars; sides are small size, pork on the ribs are dry
- Bayview / Rainbow Falls - parking lot at a supermarket with seats for the customers, right outside of the oyster house and the Olympia City Mark; easy parking
- Capitol building - street-style parking, high stairs to get in and no rooms are open on Sunday
- Did not go, Grays Harbor lighthouse; Westport viewing Tower; Quinault National Recreation Trail; the World's largest Sitka Spruce
54. Gold Creek Pond and Keechelus (8/13/2023)
- Set direction to the Keechelus Trailhead; 51 min to the east of 90 (all uphill); only a few parking spots, and need discovery pass; then walk towards the boat launch using the I90-pass
- Keechelus Lake via the John Wayne Trail; all dried up and left many tree trunks exposed on the soft banks; very hot; couldn't find the one with head
- https://www.parks.wa.gov/521/Palouse-to-Cascades-Trail
- Gold Creek, 5min drive across the river on the other side of the I-90; unpaved path to get to the very small parking lot (needing national forest pass)
- A small pond, the loop is within 2 miles, mostly shaded; lots of picnic tables at the front; only one flex restroom spot
55. Sheep Lake and Sourdough Gap on the Sunrise of Mt Ranier
- 2 miles flat to sheep lake
- close to Mt Ranier, 1 hour 45min
56. Mt Helens (7/23/2023)
- https://www.wta.org/go-outside/seasonal-hikes/summer-destinations/mount-st.-helens-hikes
- https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/giffordpinchot/recarea/?recid=31562
- Trip took 7-930AM in the morning, but close to 5 hours back in the late afternoon (with gas stop, Barclay seafood, 99 ranch Renton)
- Hummocks Trail (2 hours 37min)
- Mileage: 2.3 miles, roundtrip
- Elevation Gain: 100 feet
- Easy but felt long
- Eruption Trail (2 hours 47min)
- Location: Johnston Ridge Observatory (closed)
- Mileage: 0.5 miles, roundtrip
- Elevation Gain: 25 feet
- Harrys Ridge Trail (relatively flat, 8 miles, very tiresome)
- Mt St Helen Volcanic National Monument (closed); trail - boundary trail to Devil's point
- Drive from Mt Helens Forest Learning Center (closed); Elk Rock, (view point only); Castle Lake (overlook), Loowit Viewpoint (closed), Johnson Ridge Observatory (closed), Bridgeview Viewpoint; Coldwater Lake (has picnic table, very nice lake view)
57. Mt Baker (7/8/2023, 8/30/2025)
- https://www.alltrails.com/explore/parks/us/washington/mount-baker-snoqualmie-national-forest?b_tl_lat=48.2763964&b_tl_lng=-121.9819875&b_br_lat=46.8503336&b_br_lng=-120.9272225&mobileMap=true&ar[]=10117861&diff[]=easy
- https://www.fs.usda.gov/activity/mbs/recreation/hiking/?recid=17520&actid=50
- The park requires an America the Beautiful national park pass
- 3 hours' drive in; then coming back, stopped at Sam Oh Jung Lynwood Korean restaurant for a classic Korean dish
- Places to visit
- Artist Point
- Easy trail Huntoon Point Via Artist Ridge Trail (still covered in snow on the day of visit on 7/8/2023, but all cleared and walkable on 8/30/2025)
- Arrived at 9AM, and had to park on the roadside, lots of early riders
- The bathroom was not clean at all
- Heather Meadows visitor center, which has the trail of the Bagley Lake loop, 1.5 miles
- Walked a few steps; must try longer
- Has accessibility reserved parking
- The bathroom was not clean at all
- Bagley Lake, park in the overflow parking lot, difficult and rocky trail (did not proceed; high physique)
- Picture Lake Path, an easy trail (missed the post on 8/30/2025)
- Highwood Lake (did not see)
58. Ebey's landing, Fort Casey, Fort Ebey state parks, Mt Erie, Shrimp Shack (8/19/2023)
- 1.5 hours to the Deception Pass direction; then drive on another 45min to Ebey's Landing
- Ebey's Landing requires a discovery pass, a small parking lot with 10 car slots; 1 mile to the state park line then another 3.8 miles loop on the top of the bluff around the lagoon (didn't go, steep incline)
- Fort Casey has large compound and gun battery exhibitions; the lighthouse should open at 12PM noon (didn't go)
- Fort Ebey state park has two directions, beach and the gun battery underground that was used in 1942
- Mt Erie is very high, and very steep, can drive up and park in the 80% high on gravel ground, then use the stairs to go up
- Shrimp Shack at 230PM has a busy parking lot, but not too crowded. Fresh shrimp is very delicious.
- Whistle Lake (didn't go)
59. Northwest Trek Wildlife Park (7/5/2025)
- Just over an hour on state route 161 (a very busy Pullyup commercial street) after driving on 167 south. Use navigation to move in and out of the state routes.
- Purchase tickets online for small discount, about $25 per person, including the tram rides.
- Tram rides aren't impressive, monotone and saw some bison, swan, 3 goats, and deer in the 40-50min tour.
- The exhibitions are fine with bears, wolfs, cat countries, owls, and eagles. The dining room of the typical burgers and sandwiches was expensive, as was everything else.
- Arrived at 10:30am and came back at about 3pm.
60. Mt Baker Beach Park, Coleman Park on Seafair (8/5/2023, 8/2/2025)
- Seafair airshow, 35min at 330PM start. Parked on 2836, 33rd street; short walk 10min to the Mt Baker Beach park, use the space on the left side of the bathhouse
- 90 Portal viewpoint can be around the corner
- This was not a good spot, Seward Park is better
61. Pier 46, T-Mobile Stadium on Seafair (8/6/2023, 8/2/2025)
- Park at "U-Park", 0-2 hours for $7 before tax, and all day $10
- Cross a few pedestrian crossroads into Pier 46, which opens probably at 9AM for 930AM first batch of fleet ship tours
- Onboarded two ships, USS Barry and a US Coast Guard that repairs buoys
- In total, it takes less than two hours; but in the future, park all day for the potential wait etc
- 8/2/2025
- Drive in using ADA access, requires opening four doors and the trunk; check real ID and need a green card for MoM
- Onboard the USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125), but overall experience not satisfying because mom walks slowly and we can't listen in to the tour guide; lines are long, and glad we didn't have to ride up the scaffolding.
- Future landing positions for the airshow
- East portal viewpoint - only 4/5 parking spots on the street, then big ramp down/up to the second layer of concrete (big drug smell), then follow the I-90 bike trail to get onto the bridge pathway.
- Day street boat ramp, with one ADA parking spot but blocked on the airshow days. This is on the river side street further down from Lake Washington Blvd.
- There is a public shore access parking position in South Irving Street. Set direction for S Irving St Public Shore in google map (3798 South Irving Street).
- Sam Smith park, no dedicated parking, so have to park the street. Then walk the tunnel (long, could be 2000 steps back and forth) into the I-90 bridge second deck. Street parking is available at South Irving and 29th Street.
- Slater Park, big shots than even the main site
62. Volunteer Park Conservatory, walk to Rondo (25min drive and 18min walk)
63. Twin Falls near Bellevue (30min)
64. Remlington Farm (6/8/2025)
- Upick Strawberry, on the first and second of June, Facebook says it opens from 9-6pm, but it actually opens earlier. Cars will park in the field. $3 per pound, 30min drive to the end of 520, then in the farm area
- 30min pick is already hot
- Marymore Park is a no go for 5K walkers
65. South Bend
- https://southbend-wa.gov/
- 2 hours and 19min
- Oysters and seafood
- South bend retail market; keywords oysters; Goose Point oysters; Nelson Crab; Seasonal seafood
66. Seaside, Oregon
- 3.35 hours
- Seaside is a small resort city in northwestern Oregon. Its beach is known for surf breaks and a 1920s promenade. The Seaside Aquarium has touch tanks and a seal exhibit. To the south, Tillamook Head National Recreation Trail climbs a forested cape to Ecola State Park, with views of the 19th-century Tillamook Rock Lighthouse. Rich wildlife includes eagles in the Necanicum River estuary and migrating gray whales.
- https://www.seasideor.com/
- The Tillamook Head National Recreation Trail follows the western edge of the headland, through thick coastal forest to Ecola State Park. The region offers other world-class hikes nearby, including the Fort to Sea Trail from Fort Clatsop, Saddle Mountain in the Coast Range and Oswald West State Park south of Seaside.
67. Issaquah community center and the Issaquah farmers market (9/15/2023, 10/8/2023, 9/14/2024, 10/6/2024, 9/13/2025)
- Set direction to Issaquah community center to visit Jakob Two Trees (seasonal), passing the dog park into the Rainier Trail, short paved trail walk or say 15min walk in some post
- https://www.issaquahwa.gov/778/Farmers-Market; May 6 to Sep 30 in the 2023 year
- 10/8/2023 - Salman Day Festival, 3 day festival in the old town of Issaquah; park on 2nd Ave and inside the haunted house; arrive at 930AM; lots of community service booths to take in some free swags
- 9/14/2024 - Came for the iconic Issaquah adult salmon fish run in Sep and Oct back home. Park at the Issaquah king county library, double-decker, can turn into the NAPA auto part store or the Edward Jones parking lot then onto the upper deck.
- 10/6/2024 - Today is the official Salman Day with vendor exhibitions like Puget Sound (we got a baseball cap). Parked in the same spot as last year, turn left onto the 2nd Ave, then turn left again at the haunted house with giant skeletons. Have to start driving at 9AM. The community center is closed.
- 9/13/2025 - Start of the season of Salmon at sunset blvd. Parked at the library ADA parking slot (4 in total). Then drive to the Issaquah community center to see the Jakob Two trees exhibit and the quilt show ($10 per person).
68. University Village Shopping Center (3/1/2024)
- Store directory - https://uvillage.com/directory/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAloavBhBOEiwAbtAJO-bOWH_Jm4BvgFyzCglJTfxZ_LGirf4J8l1YghQbUFbytcgWGM7YpBoCI2wQAvD_BwE
- All birds returning shoe
- Backcountry, CB2, Crate and Barrel, Everlane, Jcrew, Sephora, Northface
- Away at the far south side
69. Agrobliss U Pick Farm (9/8/2024)
- 40min ride from home, from 405 turn to 9 then turn to the local farm roads. Along the 9 road, there are Mexican food stand that may be interesting.
- For a large farm, check on Facebook for u-pick schedules https://www.facebook.com/AgroblissFarm/
- The week after Labor Day for the last of the blueberry season for $1 per pound. Lots of parking, park alongside the field under the umbrella, then pay at the vending house.
70. Insurance
- 98point6, registration 20 dollars, then 1 dollar
- CVS clinic
- GoodRx
- Walmart Generic Drug Plan
- Costco and Seseme care; use GoodRx ahead of time to check the lowest price at which pharmacy, and potentially send there
- Vaccine (9/28/2024) - Kirkland Care a Van at Kirkland High School for Covid and Flu shots. Free for uninsured. Large parking lot, 4 nurses, can pre-register with a time slot. https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dph/health-safety/health-centers-programs-services/public-health-centers/kent.
- Kirkland Health and Wellness Fair https://www.kirklandwa.gov/Whats-Happening/Community-Events/Parks-and-Community-Services-Events/Kirkland-Health-and-Wellness-Fair
71. Van Lierop Park and Caffé D’arte at Tehaleh Café (Bonney Lake) (6/2//2024)
- Van Lierop Park at https://www.cityofpuyallup.org/1278/Van-Lierop-Park-Master-Plan
- 3401 8th Ave. SE
- Puyallup, WA 98372
- Parking is available in a small paved parking lot or gravel area along the road
- Street parking for Farm 12 restaurant/event / FIKA cafe, and a U-pick strawberry field
- Caffé D’arte at Tehaleh Café to see Ranier
- 19001 Cascadia Blvd E
- Bonney Lake, WA 98391
- Large cafe place right at the start of some hiking trails (with map)
- Nice view of the Ranier with crossroads that slope up to; arrived at 930AM with available seats outside
72. High Point Trailhead (6/29//2024)
- From the Issaquah farmers market, it's about a 10-minute drive further to the east of I-90. There is a small parking lot, which requires a discovery pass.
- Do not go right into the swamp trail, instead stay on the main trail for the tradition lake for 1.5 miles. The trail is medically accessible.
73. Ebay Waterfront park and Seattle Premium Outlet at Tulalip (7/6/2024)
- Exit at 199 on I-5 Have a morning walk at Ebay Waterfront Park. There are lots of parking spaces and a trail north of the water landing spot. It has a long stretch into the Future Olympic Park. Walked round trip 6000 steps.
- Exit at 200 on I-5, drive past Walmart, Home Depot, and the casino. There is a stretch of shops, best is to park outside the Columbia or Ralph Lauren. There are also arc terex / North Face / Lululemon / bike shops. 45 minutes to drive back, exit 182 to turn from I-5 to I-405.
- There are not many attractive eating places, McDonald's, Panera Bread, Indian food truck.
74. Genesee Park for Seafair Blue Angels show (8/2/2024, 8/3/2024)
- Try the less known places, like Madrona Park (in Seattle), Slater Park (Mercer Island), Chism Beach lake (start from 325pm, parked at roadside by the parking lot); Slate Park on mercer island (only 3 parking spots, and a small sand beach); lid park to I-90 at 230pm.
- Drive to 3A exit then from Ranier into Genesee lane, park at the intersection of S Andover and 38th. Arrive at 1pm-130pm, already too late, and got the last one parking spot.
- Steep climb and decline between 38th to 42nd, about 4000 steps to walk into the park (with security checks but free on Friday). Mobile bathrooms are closer to the entrance, and there are spotty ones throughout the facility.
- Inside the park are many food vendors (fried everything and expensive everything), exhibitions, and displays. Walk all the way inside to the lake area, lots of shades around the lake, those are the good places to sit by, but require a fair amount of walk.
- The park is fenced, and there are long walk, and steep inclines/declines, so overall will not go back.
75. Columbia River Overlook / Gorge, Petrified Forest State Park, Ellensburg
- Two hours drive on I-90 East, passing mountains and terrains, wild horse, wind mills, steel bridge, beautiful gorge views of blue waters, and black stones.
- Ellensburg town is flat, museum is free with street parking (will not go again)
- It takes another two hours to get to the viewing of wheat land. But should research on the DAM.
