Lake Sammamish State Park, located in Issaquah, Washington has so much for families to enjoy. We recently visited the park with a mission to check out their new playground, which opened last fall (October 2016). The playground, designed for kids ages 2-12, mirrors the area’s nature features and historical attributes. The kids and I were impressed to say the least! Along with some of the usual playground offerings, we found a mushroom house, climbable salmon making their way into the lake, and a coal mine to explore.
15 Western Washington Farms, Parks + Hikes to Enjoy this Fall
Our family has a special love for fall in Seattle. For Slaed, it’s the cooler temperatures, for Bergen (4 years) it’s all the collecting he suddenly gets to do–leaves, acorns, nuts, and fruit all falling from our regions’s trees, for me it’s the fall foliage–I just can’t get enough of the glowing display of yellows, oranges and reds, and Georgia (9 months) isn’t so sure what she loves most, but maybe it’s just seeing everyone so happy to be out and about.
Over the years, we’ve enjoyed fall in the Seattle Area (and beyond) in so many different ways, so I’ve compiled all of our favorite experiences together here to keep track of all the fun and in hopes to inspire and equip some of you to make your own autumnal memories!
Western Washington Preschool Hikes: Franklin Falls
With the honeymoon phase of quiet, kid-free mornings due to our little guy (now 3 years-old) being an unusually late sleeper now officially over, we are looking at the bright side.
Yes, he used to sleep until 9, 9:30, even 10 (talk about being spoiled) o’clock in the morning, and still manage (and need) a 2-hour nap in the afternoon. Now that he’s transitioned to a regular bed though, the late mornings are a distant memory. Maybe it’s his new found freedom of being able to get out on his own. Maybe it’s an age thing. Maybe the change of space changed his mindset. Regardless, we are adjusting.
As I was saying, the bright side is…more time for adventure! We can now mange a decent hike, a decent distance away from home, and still be able to return for nap time.
Franklin Falls near Snoqualmie Pass (about an hour’s drive from Seattle) is just on the verge of being too far for a morning excursion. As long as we get into gear early enough and pack a lunch to enjoy en route, it’s possible to accomplish.
On this particular early October day, we found the trail (2 miles out and back) to be filled with mushrooms. Vibrant colors and so many different varieties, thanks to the tiny fungi spotter, we probably stopped and viewed nearly every single specimen available that day.