Discover secret coves of wholesome fun in Seattle.

The bronze fish in the floor of Concourse B at the airport include a fish with a suitcase. 3 years ago

http://www.standrewsbarandgrill.com/

Tried to watch the Seahawks game here today, but it was packed. Looked cute, good TV’s. I hear it is a great spot for watching soccer and world cup, etc. 4 years ago

http://www.oliverstwistseattle.com/

I love the food at this place!
Highly recommend 4 years ago

I enjoyed this place
Had a cozy dinner—made my own crepe: brie, spinach, almonds and ham

Good app’s too
Small, warm, cozy, European feel

http://www.nwsource.com/ae/scr/edb_vd.cfm?ven=2398&s=nws 4 years ago

I love this empty lot in Old Ballard. It’s so cool looking that you almost miss how cool it is … until it’s a bunch of CONDOS! Go there and roll around in the grass. Or, if you’re like me, bike ride there on Fridays with your brother and drink tea and eat a baked good @ Cugini Cafe—actually walk next door to the empty lot and sit on the covered patio. It’s even better in the rain. 4 years ago

These are official bike routes so it’s not exactly secret, but they do feel like you’re getting away with something:

- Terminal 91 trail by the railroad tracks—runs N/S between Myrtle Edwards Park and Magnolia

- Rattly Bridge over the train tracks from the Magnolia side of the Locks to Government Way—the north end looks like it’s someone’s driveway, and the bike route sign seems to get knocked over occasionally

- 22nd ave SW to West Seattle Bridge—tiny little sidewalk trail that looks like a backyard garden

- MOHAI bridge—over 520 between Montlake and U District, avoiding the busy part of 24th. There’s a concrete barrier between the MOHAI driveway and the real street so cars can’t use it as a shortcut, but there’s a gap for bikes.

- Interlaken between 19th and 23rd—through Interlaken park partly on a road and partly on a trail. the trail is pretty dark, in the winter I’ve been surprised by piles of gravel and fallen trees. 4 years ago

A few places I took my mentor group this year and last year (either just me and two teenage girls or a group of 10-ish mixed gender adults and teenagers):

Frye Art Museum: free, open late on Thursdays. Their special exhibits are usually pretty accessible contemporary art.

Asian Art Museum: free first Thursday nights when the main SAM was closed, now I think their free day is different. When we went there was a big Dia De Los Muertos event and it was a bit crazy.

Canoeing at the UW:
http://depts.washington.edu/ima/IMA_wac.php
$8.50/hr per canoe (fits 3 people), a lot cheaper than renting kayaks, and more user friendly. 4 years ago

I’ve built a calendar to keep track of cool events for kids and families taking place in Seattle. If you’re interested you can take a look: http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=r5uoaeuc4fm2lgmaucl1p7earo%40group.calendar.google.com

The iCal feed is: http://www.google.com/calendar/ical/r5uoaeuc4fm2lgmaucl1p7earo@group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics 5 years ago

Brooke and I will be going to a church picnic at Carkeek Park in a couple of hours. I’ve just been told by my neighborhood barista that it’s a lovely park, and usually not too crowded. Other than being slightly nervous about the whole “church picnic” thing – I’m fairly new to churches, and this is my first ever gathering with these folks outside of an actual church – it sounds like a fun time will be had. 5 years ago

Try wandering through the hallways of Harborview Medical Center. Wonderful works of art can be found there! 5 years ago

I discovered Woodland Park now and what is happening makes me think of how much care we should take of the environment we live in. Alex from le marche property. 5 years ago

We’re moving very close to Green Lake next week, so there’s one cove of wholesome fun right there. It might not be so secret, but it’s there and we’re going to enjoy it. 5 years ago

This is something I have been doing since I was a kid. In my 20’s when I was athletic I could climb up into the sculpture. This takes wedging your elbow inbetween the two sculpture elements and swinging a leg up – hard to do. Once one person is up they can give another person a hand up. It is extra cool, if you want to spend some time up in the sculpture, to bring a split of wine and some crackers and cheese. This will fix the experience in the mind of that significant other for a long, long time. Especially if he/she is a rock climber looking for cool things to do with their climbing skills right in town. 6 years ago

Go to the entrance at the South end of the Woodland Park Zoo – 50th Ave. N. where Fremont Avenue North terminates at the Zoo. You can save a few bucks by parking outside the zoo and walking in, or parking in the lot on the East (under Aurora Ave. N and take a left into the FREE Lower Woodland parking, then walk back West 2 blocks.) Enter the Rose Garden, which is between the Zoo paid lot and Aurora. Admission is free. Wander around and look at the plantings. Bring a picnic lunch and sit on a bench. Roses are a summer thing, so you’re not going to see the full splendor and esperience all the different scents until July, but it’s a nice place to read a book or hold hands with someone any time of year. 6 years ago

When the weather is sweltering and you feel like your in the deep wet south, I like to take a walk on ferry ride to cool off, watch people and remind myself of why this is the coolest place to live in the US. It is also a great thing to do with grumpy hot kids or teenagers. Bring a friend for your teenager so they wander the ship and leave you alone to play Titanic in the wind. Cheesy but simple and fun. 6 years ago

Charles Redmond is a DC transplant who loves to discover and write about his new hometown of Seattle. Check out this recent entry for a “series of descriptive essays on 13 city parks of exceptional noteworthiness.” 6 years ago

Walk due west past the brass pig and flying fish until you arrive at the public seating area. I think it has one of the best views in the Market. I used to eat there at least twice a week when I worked downtown. I went this past weekend and was reminded what a great public area we have there. One thing to note—it used to be enclosed as a small room with windows. They’ve removed the walls so it’s open to the actual market. Not sure if this is better or worse.

There also used to be a small public sitting area in Post Alley on a deck above the street. That was another little gem in the market. 6 years ago

I guess the goal, for all its cuteness, might be considered a little vague. I’m trying to figure out what it means for me personally, and hopefully I can get a few hints from what you folks are looking for.

I’ve gotten so accustomed to not doing much of anything besides working that I’m kind of at a loss.

Oh, but the Woodland Park Zoo was nice. I’ve been there a few times when I lived across the street from it. 6 years ago

to meet more fun people and know my favourite city more. 7 years ago

How about combining three of several persons’ goals? wholesome fun, go to the library, community in the CD? Invite some musicians to have an acoustic performance or have new authors read at the old Station House library? I think it is the Madrona something library now: http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=branch_open_about&branchID=16

I used to work there many moons ago and its right there in the CD. 7 years ago

Driving south on Raineer, just after the big intersection before you get to Genesse … on your right in the abandoned lot with the stacked wooden frames holding up the carport roof. Right there is a taco bus. The back half is the kitchen, the front have is a diner-style restaurant. Ingenious use of space.

There are plenty of buses that serve Mexican food all over the west coast (like Benny’s Food Wagon in Anchorage, AK) but this one struck me as uniquely unique. I think it’s definitely a SCOWFIS. The setting alone is worth the trip, and I thought the food was great. 7 years ago

Joannie, you convinced me last night that this is one of my goals, whether I own up to it or not. So here I am, coming clean to the world. The thing is, I really feel like the word “cove” is a promise of nautical implications. So I will do this with you, but only on the condition that at least one of our coves will actually involve the sea or sailors or narwhals. 7 years ago

... makes this a goal worth joining. My first secret cove of wholesome fun in Seattle is 7th Avenue Service. Do you have a SCOWFIS? Do tell. 7 years ago