Sam Smith Park is what happens when someone decides to make a non-green park out of what was…read moredefinitely an industrial area. As you walk into the park it seems normal - a paved walking trail, gorgeous trees but towards the back you start to see that there's a large play area, but it's right next to a power station. There's a significantly long tunnel over to the viewpoint and 1-90 trail, but the opening is under what looks to be a closed down county building. The tunnel feels safe, but it's rife with graffiti that could instead be a mosaic or a mural. When you walk over to the 31st Ave area, it feels like the Mount Baker Ridge viewpoint should be connected to the park, but it's not. It's just an oddly laid out park that should have focused on replicating what the front half of the park has, sculptures and artistic prose as you walk along the trail. All in all, I wouldn't want to spend a significant amount of time here but for what it is, it's much nicer than Freeway Park and more successful in the transition from industry to safe public space.

Terrific park in Seattle to get some exercise and head over to the I-90 Bridge to get in a scenic…read morerun back and forth to Mercer Island. This park is part of the I-90 Lid. Running though the tunnel was pretty cool with it's artwork, among the terrific paths with wonderful structures and greenery all around. The trees here are beautiful along with the care of the grounds. Paths to run and bike, playgrounds for the children to enjoy, dog park, tennis courts, picnic tables, and soccer field.

Mount Baker Ridge Viewpoint is another spot you can add to your list of obscure Seattle viewpoints…read more It's not the most stunning view in this city, but it is a unique little place and worth a stop if you're in the area. This pocket park is an excellent example of what neighborhood community activism can accomplish in creating new public space. The project began in 1999 with a petition to acquire the land from the Washington State Department of Transportation and ended in 2009 when the park was dedicated on the spring equinox. Money to build the park was raised through a combination of public funding, corporate giving, and donations from individuals and foundations. The park is tucked back in the Mount Baker neighborhood on the ridge above the I-90 tunnels. The viewpoint is in the middle of an old, quaint two block commercial district with several eateries close by. Parking is on the street.

About 70 some folks and dogs stopped by for the June Solstice. A pretty neat and scientifically…read moreaccurate spot here in seattle. The sunset stones are a sundial. Check them out. Right above the I-90 tunnel and the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trail.

The highest point in the entire city of Seattle! Unfortunately there's no viewing desk to take in…read morethe urban skyline and Cascade and Olympic Mountains. However, there is a decent open-space park for kids and dogs. A good sized "sundial looking" sculpture shows the direction of other Seattle hills and their elevations. The elevation of the hilled park is at 520 feet above sea level and this is apparently the same height as the ground to the Space Needle's observation deck AND the top of the Volunteer Park Water Tower. Coincidence? Perhaps. Sadly nothing spectacular like a fortress or old growth trees exists here, instead two towering water towers. The land was originally meant for WWII housing for defense workers that never happened. Hey, we'll take an open-space park instead.

Great park for us living in the neighborhood!…read more If you didn't already know, the water towers is the highest point in Seattle so you get some great views of both the water and the downtown Sky Light. There's also a really cool area on top of the hill where they mark the other high points in Seattle (Capitol Hill, Queen Anne, etc.). This park has two main areas: a very new, modern children's play area as well as a large grassy field up top. In the afternoon you'll see a lot of kids playing around here and seems like they're having a blast. Not quite dog friendly, no poop bags anywhere near.

I was drawn to the Tehaleh Evergreen Trail Runs due to the fact that I wanted to do a double half…read moremarathon weekend, which meant one half marathon on Saturday and one half marathon on Sunday. *Crazy ain't it? But that's me and my life for a good portion of my life. The Tehaleh Evergreen Trail Runs running event is a small event that showcases and draws many seasoned trail runners, as well as experienced marathoners, to the Pacific Northwest during the last weekend in September. Typically, the weather during that time is generally cooler and makes for a great race atmosphere. To most, this race is not known to the masses, as trail races cater to the chosen few who want a cheap race but not be bothered down with big crowds, heavy logistics, and high entry fees. For those of you who love a good time and want to run a technical trail (at some spots), this may be the one for you, although there were some parts of the course that were paved, but 75% of the course is all trail. I was here for the 2015 installment of this trail race and ran the half marathon. The Tehaleh Evergreen Trail Runs offers the full marathon and a half marathon, as well as a 10K, 5K, and the kids run. I was privileged to see the kids race while waiting for the half marathon to start. Since this one is a very low key affair, they only offer race day packet pick up. They don't have any race t-shirts and don't give out finisher medals at all. I should have known that before signing up, but then again, I don't read through the fine print at times and assume that all races have finisher medals. The race starts and finishes at the Donald Eismann Elementary School in Bonney Lake. Parking here is quite plentiful, as long as you get here early enough to covet a great parking spot near the start / finish line. The race registration is as cheap as you can get and I paid $41 for the half marathon, whereas the marathon is priced at $48. Pretty darn cheap for a race, but bummed that there was no race t shirts nor finisher medals. For me, it was just 13.1 miles and on a trail no less. On some spots along the course, it felt like I was lost and in the middle of nowhere. The course was basically a loop course, where the half marathon did it once, but the marathon does it twice. The course had some hills and some uphill climbs. There was a grossly narly downhill section on the course, which was basically a 45 degree section of trail that was a challenge to get down without breaking anything. That took me a while, but at least I didn't break anything or fall down. Bonney Lake was about 30 - 45 minutes from downtown Seattle, so best believe that it takes a while to drive down to get into the trails out here. In the end, the volunteers were great and the trail was marked with orange ribbons that was tied to tree branches and signposts, so it was marked pretty well. Thank goodness I didn't get lost and the weather was comfortable and didn't get too warm. This trail race is what it is. If you love trail distance racing, this one may be the right one for you. If you like bling with your racing, it may not be the one for you. But it's just running and be glad you are out here and competing. It's a fun way to see the country and the travel is quite nice too. While I am not keen on trail racing myself, it's a nice race with fantastic organization, so I'd recommend this one, if you are chasing states and don't like the urban vibe of the Rock n Roll Seattle marathon (June) or the Seattle marathon (November). Run more! Support local! B+

Great race organization. The first race I did with ETR was my second half ever. It was up Tiger…read moreMtn. I like to look back and laugh. The next with them was this last weekend (Lake Sammamish). The runs have grown in size drastically and so have the quality. There was a DJ and more sponsors and schwag. I like that at the end of a race they have food to accommodate any craving- sweet, salty, crunchy and reusable cups!! My only complaint came from the Tiger Mtn race. It was really hard to figure out on the course which way to go in the maze of trails based on the various lengths people were running. I'm sure that has been cleared up though. Also, maybe one more water station on the routes.. Great runs, though, with great organization. THANKS!! I'll keep truckin with them for sure!

5.5 miles of scenic trail goodness!…read more I love discovering new ways to get around the city on my bike -- and Alki Trail has got to be one of my favorites AND one of the prettiest trails yet. You start at the West Seattle bridge down on Spokane Street, and end up pretty much at the Alki Point Lighthouse. The only REAL inclines have to deal with the bridge itself - and i'm only nauseous on those parts due to my bridge phobia -- not the physical exertion required to make it up them. Harbor Island itself is super interesting to look at. Pretty? Eh, maybe in an industrial sense, but still a visually appealing part of the ride. Then you hit the peninsula portion of the trail and you have pretty much the BEST Cityscape view of Seattle at your disposal. Seriously -- the view is gorgeous and you have plenty of places to pull off an enjoy it (parks, piers, restaurants!). Then you hit the westward bound curve and you have Alki beach and the Puget Sound in front of you -- not to mention deliciously cool breezes off the water while making the experience all the better. At this portion of the trail you hit a LOT of congestion though. I understand it! The beach is nice, the views amazing --- everyone wants to enjoy it! Just make sure if you are biking to use a bell or voice while passing, and well just watch for pedestrians of all sorts. Your speed will be cut down considerably, but who really cares with THAT VIEW? I certainly don't. I love the views, the shops on the way, and all in all I love this short little trail!

Small but interesting little park with Duwamish water access. Tucked away behind the federal…read morebuilding south. Launch a canoe if so inclined, watch the tug boats et al and enjoy a picnic table or two.

Bridge Gear Park provides public access to Harbor Island at a site dedicated to the gears from the…read morefirst bascule Spokane Street Bridge. The former bridge relied on these gears to function, and now they are on display with some background information providing historical context for the area/bridge. The gears are spaced out on a small grassy mound with their weight on the base of the piece where the gear is attached to its cement holding block. A small parking lot provides space to park one's car, though with the current restrictions on the Spokane Street Bridge access due to the temporary closure of the West Seattle Bridge I decided to get here a different way. I parked my car on SW Marginal Pl and walked the Duwamish Trail to its intersecting with the West Seattle Bridge Trail, then took the West Seattle Bridge Trail across the Spokane Street Bridge and crossed a few crosswalks and arrived here. Fun place to come for a stroll and learn about how bridges used to function and compare them with the structure of the bridge(s) that have since replaced the former bridges.

This is the smaller of the two beaches at Lake Sammamish State Park. I prefer Sunset Beach over…read moreTibbetts as it is larger and more like what a beach should be like. If you follow the trail south, you will head towards a lovely park area with the beach at the end of it. The lake view here is still nice, but there are a lack of amenities and the beach is the pebbly variety which I am not a fan of. There is a kayak and paddle boards that you can rent here, but there was no lifeguard on duty. If you prefer a secluded beach over a crowded one, Tibbetts would be preferable to Sunset.