We got a late start on Memorial Day, but we were still able to manage a beautiful hike at Wallace Falls. The parking lot was full when we got there in the early afternoon, but we were able to grab a spot as someone else was leaving. On a nice day, an early start would be recommended.

We had our infant (in a carrier) and four year old daughter with us, so that limited us to the lower falls (pictured here), but those alone were worth the trip. The lower falls were only a 4 mile round trip. We ran into several who were easily able to make the five mile round trip to the upper falls even with an afternoon start. The consensus from other hikers that we talked to was that the middle falls were the most spectacular, and the upper falls were a bit anticlimactic is light of that.

The hike is rated as medium difficulty, but even our four year old coped well. There are a few steeper grades, but they aren’t very long, and there are plenty of more level grades (and lots of benches) to help catch your breath. If you were wanting to make a longer day out of it, there are plenty of other trails in the area, including a few that go up to three lakes up above the falls.

Wallace Falls State Park is right on the edge of Gold Bar, only a few minutes off of Highway 2. With no traffic, it is a little over an hour from downtown Seattle. Once you are in Gold Bar, you should have little trouble finding the park from the signage in town.

Enjoy!

We decided to play tourist for a day and do the duck tours from Ride the Ducks of Seattle. We had a great time, aside from wanting to sink down in our seats a few times in fear that we might see someone we know on the sidewalks as we drove through downtown.

The 90 minute tour starts with a drive through the waterfront, Pioneer Square, and downtown Seattle, with the driver wise-quacking and pointing out sites of interest along the route. Apparently the drivers moonliight as DJs, because when stopped at a light, they play from the same mix of upbeat oldies that you hear at just about every wedding reception.

The second half of the tour finds the old wartime landing vessel turning into a boat for a cruise around Lake Union. Besides Gasworks Park and the lakehouse from Sleepless in Seattle, there isn’t much to see on the lake. The main appeal for most is the uniqueness of the vehicle.

The tours depart right across from the Experience Music Project at the “duck dock”. They have limited parking on site, but there is plenty of other parking available with a few blocks. In the spring, they had a tour departing every half hour. We got there 15 minutes before a mid-weekday tour, and could have walked right on. From talking to their employees, sometimes the wait can be quite a bit longer in the summer, so buying tickets in advance is recommended.

The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival has become an annual trip for our family. The fact that my wife loves tulips has something to do with that, but it is also a wonderful way to get out and celebrate the arrival of spring after the gray months. A number of events coincide with the festival, but we have been content to just be out and enjoy the tulips. After all, they are the featured guests.

For those content to have a nice drive, a route map provides an easy way to drive through and enjoy the color of the fields. Several growers also allow free parking near their fields and allow you to walk along the edges and enjoy the colors up close. This year, we also took advantage of the paid gardens at RoozenGaarde. Only $2 buys you the opportunity to see the full variety of tulips. If you want to plant tulips of your own, the varieties are labeled so you can visually choose exactly what you want.

Typically the best time to go is in mid-April, although the blooming of the tulips can vary every year based on the weather. Depending on traffic, the tulips are 60-90 minutes from downtown Seattle, and the perfect way to celebrate the arrival of the sun.

The Seattle Aquarium (map) re-opened on September 17 after being closed for ten days for remodeling. There is still plenty of work going on, but we were happy to be among those who visited as it re-opened.

This is a great destination for kids. Our three year old would have been quite content to peer into all the tanks at the aquatic life, but there was so much more for her than that. There were lots of activities and hands on displays throughout the aquarium to draw her in even further. Highlights for her included the otters, the octopus, and a chance to touch a starfish.

The aquarium is conveniently located on the waterfront, so it is a great activity to combine with one of the many other activities to do in the area. I’d also recommend getting an annual pass for only $60. This include free admission for your family for one year, plus 5 guest passes. Those passes alone are worth the $60.