My friend Mike K. lives in Matthews Beach, and we walked over to Matthews Beach Park when we went…read moreto visit him a few weeks ago during a family trip to Seattle. It was a lovely, leisurely walk, even with an elderly dog and two small kids in the mix, one of them demanding to be carried most of the way. We strolled along the bike trail and got great views and a bit of summer mist--all in all a very Seattle excursion. There was a nice playground, well kept and spacious, where our boys ran around while the three adults hung out and one of them, impossible to say who, maybe caught a lot of Pokémon, the park being the kind of place where you might find a lot spawns on, for example, a Jangmo-o Community Day. The kids enjoyed the equipment: climbing the structure, riding the rocking whale, spinning around on the giant spinner. We went down to the water, to what I suppose was the beach part of Matthews Beach. It wasn't a beach in the California sense of the word--I can't really imagine going in my swimsuit and laying out a towel on that meager stretch of hard sand--but the water was pretty and serene. There was a lot of grass as well as plenty of goose poop. Mike and his husband and dog do this walk regularly, and I would too if I lived in Matthews Beach. I look forward to going again next time I visit.

After spending some time in the Wallingford neighborhood, I needed to take a few moments to relax…read moreand unwind. I love Seattle because of all of the beaches and natural beauty. The region is a water-lover's paradise. Matthews Beach Park affords stunning views of Lake Washington, and the heavily-treed neighborhoods that surround it. Although the beach is closed to swimmers due to high bacteria levels, nature abounds. I saw an eagle, lots of crows and bluejays, and plenty of native plants in bloom. There is ample parking not too far from the beach. You'll find restrooms, walking paths, and large grassy areas for dogs and kids to folic and run free. I visited on the weekend and discovered there are lifeguards on duty cleaning and patroling the park, and ensuring folks don't swim in the water. Paddle boarding and other water sports are still permitted.

This is the "Secret Beach" in Seattle, not to be confused with "Hidden Beach." It's by Silshole Bay…read morein Ballard. You can discover it by finding the Ballard Lion's Club, since it is right behind it. You cannot park in their lot so be cool and park on the street. A comment left on a story on "Secret Beach" said just remember that the secret beach is actually private property. Public access is not permitted before sunrise or after sunset. So don't linger too long after sunset and don't hassle the owners if they ask you to leave after hours. Do not try to sit on the beach after dark, it is patrolled. Word to the wise, do not park in the lots of the buildings adjacent to the beach, they are private property and they will tow. Park on the street." But still, this is a great spot. Good for enjoying the fresh air, taking some beautiful photos and feeding the ducks. But since it is a "Secret Beach," try not to tell anyone please.

This is actually just to the south of the Ballard Elks Lodge #827 at 6411 Seaview Ave NW. Behind…read moreWest Marine.

A very nice, cozy park to relax and get away. Facing westerly with a sweeping view about 180 to 360…read moredegrees, you can come here a do nothing. Two benches. A lot of joggers. Even more people taking photos. I've live in Seattle nearly all of my life, and I've always know about Sunset Hill park. Aw, to have one of the houses on the other side of the street facing the same direction--this is on 34th Ave. NW where you can't drive any farther west. Not much else to say, except let the photos and the go-there do the talking.

The Sunset Hills strawberry shortcake is nothing short of spectacular: tender, buttery biscuits,…read moreperfectly softened and lightly sweetened, layered with juicy, sugar‑mac­erated strawberries, and topped with billowy freshly whipped cream. Each bite delivers bright fruit contrast and melt‑in‑your-mouth texture. It's elegant yet unpretentious--the ideal summer dessert. Astonishingly, it manages to outshine even the breathtaking view of Puget Sound and the soothing ocean breeze drifting in from the water. As the sun dips low and the air cools, the shortcake becomes more than just dessert--it's the highlight of the evening.

Small and intimate park with flowers where you can be quite and read a book. It is so small that…read morethere will be someone else with you. Come and take a quick "walk" around while you go along all the other neighborhood parks you will be visiting. Just go through the door. I'm guessing not too many people know about the place. A cross the street next corner you'll be on a good viewpoint of the city. On summer it would probably be a bit dry. Just sit on the bench and take a look and breath having a nice time :)

I proposed here! Super beautiful love the ambiance of flowers and the bench is beautiful.read more

Sunsets here are so dreamy!…read more This park is spread out along Magnolia Blvd W and has shoreline views throughout. There's ample green space and parking along the street, which is perfect for these sunnier days. My only gripe is that there's no restroom on site, but otherwise, it's a gorgeous lookout spot!

It's one of those Seattle parks tucked away in a neighborhood that you take for granted…read more It's big enough to not be crowded when there are 50 people there but small enough to let your kids and dogs roam free. A lot of tables, grills, a bathroom, and all the things you'd want when getting outdoors for some fresh air. There are a lot of old-growth trees that provide shade all year round. When it was 100+ during the summer of 2021, it was a good 20' cooler here. For the tourist looking at the dry grass, we are in the middle of an unusual drought here. Take care of your parks and they'll take care of you. There's a good bit of aerial acrobatics from the local hawks. I've seen them take out other flying friends.

Cowen Park is the small non wooded area that is to the west end of Ravenna Park. I'm not quite sure…read morewhy there's a delineation of the two parks as they're contiguous, but whatever. There's a grassy open field and a playground located here. The playground has the usual swings, climbing bars, slide, etc. There's also picnic tables and barbecues for a nice lunch or dinner outdoors. For washroom facilities, there are portable toilets. When it's nice, you can just set a blanket out in the grass and lie down. If you want to do some light hiking, check out the trails at Ravenna Park. There are a lot of birds and other wildlife, attracted to the nearby creek. I did see some tents set up today, not sure how temporary they are, but none of the parkgoers seemed to bother each other.

Cowen Park is located in a quiet neighborhood in the Ravenna area close to the University of…read moreWashington and Green Lake. It's the left portion of the park that is attached to Ravenna Park and the ravine that goes through it. It's smaller than Ravenna Park (only 8.4 acres compared to 50 acres) but there's still plenty of space for all your activities. There are lots of grassy areas for outdoor leisure and a kids playground. There's a path that goes the length of the park that many people use for strolls, jogging, and biking. It's a nice and peaceful park for relaxation and sunbathing.

After a blueberry muffin at Wildflour Bakery and Cafe this morning, Sunday 28 May 2023, I decided…read moreto get a little on-foot exploring in and adventure to Salmon Bay Park. When I arrived around 8:37 a.m., there were a few dog walkers out. There is a large playground area and paved trails through grassy areas with trees. I noticed some normal swings as well as what looked like a zipline swing. I walked over to check it out and sure enough it was a zipline swing. Figuring out how to use it, I opted for a sitting approach since I have sustained a head trauma in the past that I did not want to replicate. It was fun to use, and I was relieved it did not get going too fast. Dismounting once the swing started slowing down was without incident as well. While in the playground area, I heard a Northern flicker (a type of woodpecker) calling and looked up to see if I could find it. What I saw was a Cooper's hawk up high in a tree. In our backyard the Cooper's hawks like to chase after the flickers. I exclaimed out loud "a Cooper's hawk" and an American crow on the ground not too far from me cawed and looked at me. The hawks also chase them in our backyard. The hawk flew off before too long and the handsome crow when back to foraging in the grass. A restroom building in the trailed area of the park has running water and soap. I made sure to wash my hands after using the swing on the playground. The building and grounds of the park were well-maintained.

My son is obsessed with this park!! We visited it every day of our vacation in Seattle, and even…read morethough we've long since returned home, he asks all the time if we can go back to the park with the diggers. That's right, there's a tremendous sand pit with "community" diggers available for everyone's use. This says a lot about the general public's use and value of this park. It was really sweet to see the local kids descend on this park and run rampant for 10 minutes until the school bus came. The whole feel of this park takes me back to when I was what is now called a "free range kid." My husband and I also really enjoyed the zip line (who says it's just for kids?!) and didn't even get half of a side-eye for doing our body weight workouts on the play structure while our son played.

Unbelievable City center…read more Approachable parking Not so many chronics Lotsa rocks, not so much sand Good find

This has become one of my dogs' favorite little outings and it's only about a 15-minute walk from…read morewhere we live, which makes it really convenient. I'm also glad they kept access open even with all the construction happening around Elliott Bay. Despite the name, Pocket Beach isn't really a beach in the traditional sense. It's mostly pebbles and rocks instead of sand, but that's part of what makes it interesting. There are a bunch of big driftwood logs along the shore (not sure if they were placed there or just floated in over time), and they make great spots to sit and enjoy the view. It's actually a really nice place to catch the sunset. On clear evenings the light over Elliott Bay is beautiful and the logs are perfect for sitting and taking it all in. It's also very dog friendly. Lots of people bring their pups, and my fur babies love climbing over the logs, exploring the rocks, and splashing around near the water. Overall it's a great little stop along the Elliott Bay Trail if you want to sit for a bit, enjoy the scenery, or just get outside and relax.