Family Roundup: A Last Grasp at Summer

Last summer I took my son to Seattle Center to celebrate one of the last days of his summer vacation. I bought the Fun Forest unlimited ride pass and he rode the roller coaster a dozen times, a memory I hope he will treasure forever. The roller coaster was torn down last winter, but there are lots of other fun things to do and places to explore, that you might consider visiting to create a special “end of the summer” memory for your family.

Remlinger Farms in Carnation

If you haven’t had a chance to check out  this summer, now is a great time to visit the family farm and “mini-Disneyland” of Carnation. The rides are open every day of the week until Labor Day, then just on the weekends until Oct. 30, when the park closes for the season. In addition to the fun rides and a great market and restaurant, their U-pick blueberry fields are now open, so make a day of it. For extra points, bring a play date. Don’t forget to pack water bottles, hats and sunblock.

Drive In Movies in Auburn

Any warm, dry summer night is a good night to take the family to the Valley 6 Drive In Theater, located in Auburn, the largest and one of the last remaining drive in theaters in Puget Sound. There is always one or more family friendly double features playing. Adults are $9, tweens and teens and seniors $5.50 and children ages five to eleven just $2 each with kids under five free!  Enjoy beverages, pizza, popcorn and other treats from the 1950s style concession stand. You can even bring the family dog as long as long as he or she stays on a leash.

Henry Moses Aquatic Center in Renton

If Remlinger Farms is our “mini-Disneyland”, the Henry Moses Aquatic Center is our “affordable Wild Waves”. This small outdoor water park and pool in Renton off Interstate-405 offers water slides, a “lazy river ride”, wave machine, swimming pool with separate lap pool and a toddler play area. You may rent a locker to store your stuff and there is a place to change. You can purchase snacks and beverages from the Shark Bites Café.

Two sessions are available everyday from Noon to 3:30 p.m. and again from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Admission is $8 for children ages one to four years, $14 for children ages five to twelve years and $14 for children ages thirteen and up. Open every day until Labor Day when it closes for the season.

Ferry Ride to Bainbridge Island

Is your family in the mood for a boat ride? Then plan a day trip to Bainbridge Island. Check out the ferry schedule online. To avoid long vehicle lines, take a bus into Seattle and walk to the terminal and walk on to the boat. You can easily walk the few blocks from the island’s terminal into downtown Winslow when you arrive. Bring a stroller if you have a toddler as all the walking around Winslow may tire him or her out by the end of your visit. 

Downtown Winslow is charming and offers lots of fun places to eat and shop with your kids including Mora Iced Creamery, Eagle Harbor Book Company and Oil and Water Arts on the second floor of the Winslow Landing Mall. 

While you are on the island also check out the Kids Discovery Museum, open seven days a week and also walking distance from the ferry. The Waterfront Park in Winslow is also a great place to visit with kids to play on the playground, use the public restrooms and check out the beach. 

If you brought your car, consider driving out to Fay Bainbridge Park. Take Highway 305 from the ferry terminal, turn right on Day Road and follow the signs. The park offers picnic areas, a gorgeous view of Seattle and lots of logs for kids play on and a long, sandy beach to explore. 

On the way home, plan to snap some photos of the kids outside on the ferry deck with Seattle’s skyline in the background for a uniquely Northwest family photo. If you walked on and are wiped out from your big island adventure, catch Metro bus number 66 from in front of the ferry terminal which will travel back into downtown where you can catch your bus back to the Eastside.

Pike Place Market Safari

I visit the Market with my kids several times a year. The Pike Place Market is the soul of downtown Seattle. It is so important to me that my kids grow up loving it as much as I do. Our first stop is always to visit the Market's mascot, Rachel the Piggybank. I've taught them that it brings good luck when you rub her nose and put money in her. The money she collects supports several market based nonprofit organizations. We snack on freshly made donuts, watch the guys toss fish, admire the many handmade art and crafts for sale and eat lunch from several of our favorite food stands.

To avoid the crush of tourists in the summer, go early in the morning and have breakfast at Lowell’s Café or The Athenian, both offering dining with views of Puget Sound or experince a taste of France when you grab a delicious pastry at La Panier. 

When you are ready to roam, point out to your kids how beautifully the produce and fruit is displayed at the Market and ask them to “look with their eyes but don’t touch” as it takes sellers a long time to set up those amazing displays. Accept samples and ask the sellers to tell your family about what they are selling, where it was grown and how it got to the Market that day.

If you have the whole day to spend, leave the Market around noon, take the Market's hillclimb stairs down to the waterfront, where there are lots of great lunch options, then visit the Seattle Aquarium. 

Uwajimaya Village in the International District

One of our beloved back to school rituals is to take our kids shopping at the Kinokuniya bookstore at Uwajimaya Village in the International District. Here you’ll find an amazing selection of pens, erasers, pencils and other super cool back to school supplies. My kids also love the bookstore’s huge collection of manga, Ugly Dolls and origami paper. We enjoy eating at the food court inside the village, where restaurants offer everything from Thai food, to delicious baked goods to Korean barbecue. There is paid parking available next to and underneath the village. Take your ticket and have it valididated as you shop inside. And while you are there, check out the fabulous selection of back to school snacks available at the Uwajimaya grocery store.

If you can’t get to the International District, check out the  store in downtown Bellevue, which moved into the old Larry’s Market location last year. They have a smaller but still fabulous selection of great stationery items, great fruit and produce and kid pleasing school snack options.

We try to time our visit to Uwajimaya Village for the last weekend before school starts so that our kids are excited to go back to school with their new unique and hip school supplies. After my daughter got her trendy messenger bag there last year, she said “now I’m ready to go back to school” – what every parent wants to hear this time of year!