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February 13, 2007

My Top 10 Favorite Summer Things to do in Seattle

June 23, 2008 12:04 PM EDT (Updated: June 23, 2008 12:59 PM EDT)

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Welcome Washington State Travel members and anyone who should happen across this list.

"My wife and I just prefer Seattle. It's a beautiful city. Great setting. You open your front door in the morning and the air smells like pine and the sea, as opposed to bus exhaust."

Ron Reagan

My Top 10 Favorite Summer Things to do in Seattle

With the advent of summer, I thought it would be fun to challenge us to list our top 10 favorite summer activities to do in our great Evergreen State! I'll go first, but please jump in with your own Top 10 article about your hometown, the state of Washington, or a combination of the two. Including links and photographs is a helpful bonus. At the end of June, I'll do a recap article highlighting everybody's Summer Top 10 articles!

1. SeaFair. The number one summer festival in Puget Sound is SeaFair. No matter what you like, you will find something to enjoy in the month of July. There are neighborhood parades and festivals, The Torchlight Parade, Hydroplane races, Fleet Week, Blue Angels show, a marathon, triathalon, a fun run and the Milk Carton Derby where teams create "boats" out of milk bottles and cartons to move across Greenlake. The SeaFair Pirates are in evidence at all the events as are the SeaFair Princesses.

2. Fourth of July Fireworks: The WaMu Family Fourth is held at Gasworks Park on Lake Union and broadcast on KING5, the 4th of Jul-Ivars fireworks are on Elliott Bay and broadcast on KOMO4, The , Bellevue Family Fourth and Tacoma Freedom Fair, (broadcast on KCPQ13) also put on good shows. The fireworks can be seen from the venues, but the crowds do start arriving early in the day, or since Seattle is built on 7 hills go somewhere high like the top of Queen Anne, Capital Hill, or the Magnolia Bluff. The other option is to see from the water. Viewing from a boat (Argosy has a July 4^th cruise) on Lake Union or Elliott Bay would be perfect. I prefer to watch on television since it usually rains on the 4^th of July in Seattle. My husband and son brave the weather and enjoy the Bellevue fireworks at Bellevue Downtown Park from under parkas.

3. Pike Place Market Another year-round favorite that gets even better in the summer with fresh produce and flowers from local growers. You can't pass on the snapdragons, fireweed honey or asparagus.

4. Woodland Park Zoo The animals are actually quite fun to look at year round, but I always get a hankering for the zoo when summer comes on. My mom says she walked all over the zoo grounds for the last two weeks before I was born, hoping to start something, but alas I forced her to wait.

5. The Arboretum I enjoy the peace and tranquility particularly in the Japanese garden and I especially like it when we get to see a tea ceremony in the teahouse.

6. The Ballard Locks The locks enable boats to travel from the higher Lake Washington and Lake Union to the lower Elliott Bay. It is extremely fun to go on the afternoon of the opening day regatta on Lake Washington because then there are numerous boats moving up and down. There is also fish ladder where salmon can be viewed heading home to spawn as well as a lovely rose garden where there are often military band performances on summer evenings.

7. The Seattle Center (Space Needle, Pacific Science Center, Experience Music Project, International Fountain) There are just too many activities to number them all here!

8. Ferry ride to Bainbridge Island and Back (walk on) Sunsets in Seattle are epic! Walk on the ferry to Winslow on Bainbridge Island about sunset to watch the reddening sky on the outward trip and if they make you get off, just turn right around and reboard to see the cityscape lit up against the night sky on the return.

9. Green Lake Park With walking/biking lanes around the perimeter, a wading pool for the kids and a lot of attractive scenery sunbathing around the lake, what more could you want?

10. Bumbershoot Festival: The official end of summer in Seattle takes place at the Seattle Center over Labor Day Weekend and highlights art, dance, film, music, and other performances from local as well as national and international artists. Among the headliners for 2008 are Beck, Stone Temple Pilots, Saul Williams, and del the funky homosapien.