What amazing fun. Having never sailed before I decided that now is the time. So glad I did it…read more Exceptional value. Stunning way to see Seattle from the water. Brilliant education and introduction to sailing. So much so I am going back for more. Great location with easy parking. Superb instruction that did not overwhelm - just gave great confidence and yearning to do it again. They run mixed and women only sessions so all are welcome. I went on my own but will be looking to take some friends next time too. And all for $80 for 2 fun filled hours. If you have ever wanted to try sailing - this is the place. More like sailing with a friend rather than an instructor. Except this friend is dynamic, smart and knowledgable enough to help you get your sea legs.

Lisa is amazing! She took us from zero to functionally viable sailors in two short but…read moreinformation-packed sessions. She's all about empowerment and teaching everyone, especially women, to be involved at a very practical level with the challenges posed by operating a sailboat. Whatever your comfort or skill level as a novice sailor, Lisa has some reassuring lessons to teach you. She also takes real pride in her work and will help you get oriented in the world of sailing far beyond the cockpit, which is a huge part of the experience. Three cheers and five stars for Lisa. I sincerely can't recommend her highly enough, and if you're privileged to learn from her, you'll soon agree that she's truly, truly wonderful.

Stan Sayres Memorial Park can be considered as two halves. One half is the boat launch area, also…read moreshared with the Mt. Baker Rowing & Sailing Center. The other half is grassy lawns to relax and chill. The rowing center has restrooms that are fairly well maintained. I've been by here a couple of times on the weekend. The rowing center is closed, but for some reason, the parking lot, boat launch area always have parties, loud music, and BBQ going on. During the first visit, someone was selling hot dogs and burgers. During the second visit, a lady (50-ish?) was wheeling around a full professional size speaker on a dolly blasting music wherever she was going. It was quite a sight. On a more peaceful note, there's a large lily pad by the rowing center, and it's starting to flower. We found a turtle resting in the water amongst it. There are duck and goose families nearby. Overhead, we spotted a bald eagle. When we had walked away from here, we saw the eagle landed on the ramps. While there is a restroom, there's no water fountain. There are no shops, either. Be sure to bring all your own supplies. Meanwhile, as others have said, this is the hydroplane central during Seafair Days. Hopefully, the normal festivities will return if and when COVID is ever under control, and we don't need to learn the entire Greek alphabet.

No longer a boat launch. The City of Seattle Parks Department has decommissioned the launches due…read moreto a long history of deferred maintenance and neglect. Now it's a party parking lot and cruising destination that is generally out of control. Blasting music, weed, cars doing burn-outs and doughnuts with the occasional gun shots ringing out late at night. Not family friendly and not recommended, and a complete waste of the limited boat launches on Lake Washington, not to mention a waste of City resources. -Mojo

This is a small, quiet little spot for a short visit to the shore…read more Parking spots are few, and it's a bit hard to get to by foot. I use the steep, uneven staircase by the popular viewpoint on Magnolia Blvd. For someone like me who doesn't hike much, those stairs are quite exhausting to go back up, so keep that in mind! It is in a residential area, with a no access private beach next to it. There is one bench, and some rocks. There's also a ramp that goes into the water (a boat launch?) that I like to hang out at. The views are wonderful. Especially on the ramp. There's a giant rock nearby in the water that looks so pretty, often with some birds chilling on it. Honestly, there isn't a lot of space to put down a blanket or anything, and there isn't much else to do (I've only been here during high tide) so you probably won't spend a lot of time here. But with that little time, you will enjoy soaking in the peace and beauty surrounding you.

A quiet, serene escape with a beautiful view of the Bay…read more When the tide is low you'll have access to walk along the Rocky beach shoreline. You'll find shells, crabs, seaweed, etc. that have washed ashore. When the tide is high you may be able to grab a seat on one of many large boulders or take in the views from the lone picnic table located just off the gravel access. During my time here, I enjoyed stopping by here several times while out walking a local pup that I was looking after - this seemed to be on of his favorite spots. You can drive down to Perkins Lane but there is limited street parking. The road is narrow and is a dead end. Perkins Lane can also be accessed via one of the long, uneven staircases. One entrance is at Magnolia Viewpoing and another is near Magnolia & W. Glenmont Lane.

Sorry, Georgetown families. I'm going to let your secret out. The newly renovated neighborhood…read moreplayground at Georgetown Playfield is way too cool to keep under wraps. The airplane-themed play structure has truly unique features that kids will love, plus exercise equipment for grown-ups -- and there's a super special bonus for kids who love transportation. Definitely put this artsy, historic Seattle neighborhood on your route.  1. The unusual, two-story, globe-shaped merry-go-round spins and doubles as a climber with cargo netting all around. Hop inside or climb up the outside. 2. A totally fun hydraulic descending platform thingy is a little hard to describe but enthralling to kids. Children step onto a small, circular platform with a central pole (with hand-holds) and the platform slowly descends to the ground under their weight. Once the child steps off, the platform slowly rises back to its starting position. 3. A cargo net climber and other climbing elements encourage balance and age-appropriate risk-taking. There's as a small rock-climbing ramp for younger kids, a stretch of enormous, twisting rope, fabric platforms and a curving blue slide. 4. Flexible rubber "ramps" are irresistible to young climbers. One has hand-holds for littler kids. Scramble up these pathways to hop on and ride the hydraulic descender. 5. Colorful bells, a huge xylophone and other giant musical instruments invite sensory play. 6. Swings! The spacious swing set features two accessible swings, two regular swings and two baby swings. 7. Exercise equipment for grown-ups (and teens) means you can squeeze in a little workout while your kids go bananas on all the cool play structures. Try the elliptical trainer. There is also a tennis court and while it doesn't look like it was part of the renovation, it appears totally serviceable. A half-court basketball court invites shooting baskets, and a huge soccer field hosts official games for teams of all ages but is also open for public play at other times. These highlights are just the beginning of the fun features at this park. Pathways are accessible and there are new benches adjacent to the play area. The spray park, and there is a small covered picnic area and other seating, plus a restroom. Transportation bonus: Train tracks run right by the park and the Georgetown neighborhood's proximity to Boeing Field mean planes fly in low and loud. It's great fun for the young transportation buff. Have you visited the newly renovated Georgetown Playfield? It's a great spot for outdoor fun!

Excellent park for all ages. They actually have separate stations for different age groups. Coolest…read moreset up and design. 3 xylophones and even an outdoor gym for adults. A hidden gem south of Seattle area

One of only a handful of public boat launches that I know of on Lake Union…read more This is a really nice ramp that is all concrete down to about 8 feet. Also has a secondary dock once you drop your boat and if you need to get organized. That dock has cleats and is a stationary dock. GET WET SEATTLE!

Cute, safe and fun playground and park for kiddos! Big park for dogs and tenis courts! Love itread more

Spacious park in a cute little neighborhood. FYI a lot of dogs off leash even though it's not an…read moreoff leash dog park but I personally don't mind. I usually go to shoot hoops when I'm in the area. Slight slope and double rim, but not usually busy when I go. Grab Mammoth, otter bar or some Starbucks and enjoy the park!

This review is just for the dog park area which is down toward Elliott Ave, this tier is dubbed…read more"Lower Kinnear Park." The dog park area here is new, and pretty nice. It's large enough for dogs to run around, but not super large like Magnuson or Westcrest. The ground is made up of small wood chips, which my dog seems to like a lot better than the stones at Regrade Off-Leash Park. The crowd also seems to be a little more dog-friendly than Regrade, which is closer to my home but sometimes attracts people who just want to hang out and not follow dog park etiquette. There is no water in the park. There is sometimes a bowl full of water, but there's no running water to refill it or anything. I know the park is new, I'm not sure if they plan to add water later. I've also seen a raccoon down in the parking lot, which is located behind Queen Anne Upholstery. Apparently there's a "cat lady" who puts out cat food that attracts the raccoons, but I'm a little wary of raccoons that are out looking for food during the day. That's just something to watch out for. My dog has her rabies shot, but why mess around? Finally, it's really difficult to get into the parking lot from Elliott. When you turn onto West Mercer, you can't turn into the parking lot because there's a divider in the street. I end up going up the hill and making a u-turn to come back down the hill and make a right into the parking lot. This isn't the best scenario, but I don't really have a better plan yet. Still, worth it. My dog loves this park, it's a good size for her, it's close to home and she loves running around with the other dogs!

I wish the city of Seattle would invest a little bit in this park. It's in a part of the city that…read moredesperately need some green space, for adults, children, and pets. But especially for children. There aren't a lot of great park/playground options for kids in this area, and unfortunately Kinnear park is also not a great environment for kids. There's only one swingset and nothing else... no playground, no pavement to ride bikes/scooters/etc on, no water park, nothing. A playground would do wonders for this park. Then additionally there are homeless people essentially camping out in the park, and it's probably not the safest place to be at night either. Also there's no great way to go from Olympic down to Elliott, as you are forced to walk a long and circuitous path. A more direct switchback path or staircase going down would be a great investment, especially for the shops on Elliott, which today are fairly isolated from residential Queen Anne traffic. One thing that I do like about this park is it size and walking paths that are available if you want to go for a short hike.

Kirke Park is a nice small neighborhood park that a community garden and playground to encourage…read morechildren to play and learn. Being a neighborhood park, there are lot of small children's toys that can be found that includes dump trucks, car toys, toy boats, etc. Also several children's jackets hanging on benches and part of the playground (I hope these children come back to claim their coats). I was surprised to see a small little trail behind the playground that can be fun for a child (an an adult that is young at heart) to play hide and go seek or other fun games. The playground itself has 2 large swings that are pretty comfortable to swing on and can get a lot of air and lift. There is a slide and a small rock wall to challenge little hands and legs. There is also plenty of grass for 4 legged little friends to also stretch their little legs and potty on the grass (please do pick up after your pups). The community garden here is actually pretty big and love how there is opportunities for children to learn more about mother earth, sustainability and the environment. Parking for this little park is just street but shouldn't be a problem if you don't live close enough to walk to. Although small, definitely a nice little park that is perfect for little ones to play (please note that there are no restrooms available, nor a water fountain so plan accordingly).

Great for a little neighborhood park if you live nearby. not worth it if it's a drive…read more Pros: -a couple of picnic tables -plenty of grass to picnic -sand box area -fun little wooded trail Cons: -no bathrooms -street parking -no water fountain