Half #7 for me. I…read morepicked up my bib the day of the race. I don't live in WA (was visiting Seattle for Labor Day), Seattle and Redmond are about 30 minutes away from each other... I didn't have an hour or so to spare unfortunately to go to the Expo. BUT - there were so many vendors around the day of the race. I got an awesome free water bottle, bag, chap stick, hand sanitizer. Lol - I was really excited for the water bottle since it showed the ounces on the outside. If you're like me or just too lazy to go to Redmond before race day, be sure to get to the Bib Pick Up tent area early. Very happy I did. About 20 minutes before the race, a HUGE line formed. I think maybe we started a little late due to it. Got a thin material hoodie as a shirt. I like it. I'll definitely wear it one of my colder running days! I don't think there was other swag. Overall course: Pretty much flat. If you're from Atlanta, it'll remind you of the Belt Line, but with more scenery (no buildings, etc). The atmosphere/view of the entire race felt so nice. Literally it was just the trees, small creeks, great weather, etc. Hills were minimal. Beware: there are also non racers on the course as well. The miles were very well marked. Great water stations. Not a ton of crowd support but that's OK - I like chill races. And as always, thank you to all the Officers for helping and making sure no one got hurt!

Came upon this trail on accident exploring a different direction on Mercer Island. Driving I-90…read moreWest I have seen the trail and always been curious to find it. Today's walk was very short onto the trail. Between the rain and the rain, I decided to walk a short way out just for the view. I believe this trail is more popular with bikers from what I have seen driving by it on the interstate. Not sure how keen I am on walking it again as it is right next to the highway which is bit scary, but I am down for trying again when the weather is nicer. Walking in the downpour rain not super fun. Happy I found it though. Update to come when I next venture on this urban trail.

During beautiful, warm and sunny summer days, the I-90 freeway trail is my top choice for a short…read morecardio run. I begin my run at Mercer Island and head onto the I-90 floating bridge where there's full exposure to the sun, the breeze and glorious views of Seattle and million dollar homes on the waterfront. Be mindful of a few things when taking this trail as a runner/walker: 1) There tends to be more bicyclists than pedestrians and runners so follow the rules of the road. For example, travel on the right and be wary of bikers as they pass you on the left; don't run down the middle! Before making a U turn, hug the right and ensure that there aren't any traffic right behind you for safety. 2) Though there are restrooms at the parks, there aren't any midway on the bridge so do your deed(s) before heading on the pavement. My worst nightmare is to be 2 miles from a port-a-potty and need to do a no. 2 in the middle of I-90. Thank goodness that hasn't happened!! 3) I like going earlier in the mornings on weekends when isn't no rush hour traffic, reason being the exhaust fumes can get pretty bad if it isn't windy. So far on the runs I have completed, I haven't had much of an issue unless a couple of illegal rust buckets dump their fumes on the roadway. 4) If you have acrophobia, the fear of heights, you may want to reconsider the bridge portion. Looking down the rails on the right side going towards Seattle from Mercer there will a distance between the bridge and the water that would ruin your journey. 5) It is your choice how long of a distance you want to run along this trail. The whole distance roundtrip from one end to end may be as long as 18-20 miles or if you are just doing a section of the bridge and back, it can be as short as 4 miles. To find this trail, you can go to the trailhead on 12th Ave S in Seattle or the Mercer Island parks (or the Park n Ride) off the Island Crest Way/Mercer Way exits. I believe you can start from Bellevue as well but have not tried that one and it is located at Enatai Beach Park on SE Lake Road.

With temps in the mid-30s, the Hot Chocolate Run was definitely one of the more challenging events…read morethat I've participated in so far. Be prepared for cold weather - just because it's March, it doesn't mean that it'll be dry or warm during the event. I'd recommend going to the event at least 30 mins before your start time (7AM for the 5K and 8AM for the 15K) so you'll have plenty of time for gear check, the porta potties, etc. The route starts and ends at the Seattle Center, taking 15K participants downtown and then up Hwy 99. I never realized Hwy 99's slight incline until I had to run up it.. (haha!) But you can taste sweet victory at the end with the Finisher's Mug that comes with hot cocoa, melted chocolate and mixed goodies (banana, Rice Krispy, pretzels, etc.). I think the biggest draw though is the snazzy participant jacket thats given to both 5K and 15K participants. I feel like sizes run a bit larger, so order accordingly - but worst case scenario, head to the expo early to switch out for a different size. :) I'd say that the Hot Chocolate Run is great way to beat the mid-winter blues and get outside! :)

This run was my first ever 15K! It was more of a power walk/jog but I felt so happy I accomplished…read moreover 9miles. It was pretty chilly being in the 30's and next year I will definitely wear gloves and a buff! I loved the jacket! It was really cute! I do wish it was a little thicker and better quality however because there were tons of threads hanging off and parts coming unraveled when I picked it up (none left to exchange). The plastic drawstring bag was cute but I didn't run with it. The marshmallow, noon and water stations were awesome. We were bummed that there weren't any m&m's left at the station but that's what happens when you're in corral L. Overall it was a great run and you get to see lots of the city! The space needle, pikes, Fremont.. It was lots of fun and I could do it again. The hot cocoa and super cute medal were both great ways to end the race.

Nice trail! We've hiked it by our feet. It wasn't that hot weather and it was the perfect time -…read morebridge was closed for the cars, but trail was open. We really enjoyed our time here - watching the water and learning something new about the bridge.

This trail is about 20 miles long and (surprise!) follows along the Green River. Fairly wide,…read morepaved, and overall well maintained this is a popular biking trail, but works just fine if you're on foot as well. Smooth enough for rollerblading in most areas. There are numerous parking areas along this trail, and it connects directly with the Interurban in Tukwila and Kent for those looking to keep going south. There are a ton of parks and rest points along the way where you can see a lot of what Washington has to offer. At dusk and dawn you can find a TON of bunnies and perhaps even a coyote. Most areas have good lighting, but I wouldn't recommend using this trail as it gets dark due to random homeless encampments.

This is just under a 20 mile stretch of rail to trail project. Goes from the Tukwila-Seattle…read moreborder all the way to Kent starting along the Duwamish River which becomes the Green River. On a gorgeous Sunday afternoon it was pleasantly quiet, saw a few joggers and other bicyclists, but not crazy busy, made for a very pleasant trek down the first 8 miles or so and back. There are several spots where you can interconnect with the Interurban trail as well, paved with some bumpy spots, and mostly level without too many changes in elevation, so great for casual bikers like myself.

A great walking trail to soak in some Seattle vibes. Pretty flat and not too long so it's…read moreaccessible whether you're a seasoned hiker or not. Strips of lane connected by small bridges which is cool. If the 520/Montlake construction has active closers you will need to enter from the UW side. There's ample parking near the trailhead in then neighborhood.

Google sometimes steers me wrong, so when we were out walking at the Washington Park Arboretum and…read moreit tells me there's a path under the overpass onto Foster Island that links up with Marsh Island I'm willing to try it out. The waterfront trail is gorgeous here. There's a small beach and inlet on Foster Island with several benches and a picnic table that has a fantastic view from both directions. The trail itself it mostly made up of floating pathways over majestic lily pad gardens that splash you when boats sail by. There are several sets of stairs as you step up to cross, but outside of the waterfront trail, it's fairly flat. We took the trail from start to finish to link up with Montlake bridge and it made for a gorgeous afternoon hike. 10/10 would definitely recommend.

A very nice walk through park to park (from West to East Montlakes). The trail is over the…read moreconnection to the lake. But the part underneath the bridge has a urine smell. Some people have painted the some walls. At the end, there is a little beach and a tiny spot for a picnic. Loved that there were some trashcans and a benches to admire the water. I advice to go back through this trail because if you yo back through the Arboretum, you'll have to cross some streets and cars don't stop in more of the times. And it can get very warm during the summer.

I love this area, one of a few places in Seattle where I can relax and breath. Has a nice view and…read morewater canal. Only street parking, 2 hours

Terminal 107 Park (T-107 Park) is a beautiful Port of Seattle park providing public shoreline…read moreaccess to the Duwamish River and walking trails to roam through groves of trees. I visited this park a couple of times in early September this year, 2020, and enjoyed each of my visits. A sign trimmed by a neon lime green metal frame is easily visible from W Marginal Way SW marking where to pull in if you are driving to this location. The park is also located alongside the Duwamish Trail, making walking access easy as well. Walking trails loop throughout the park and lead down to the shore of the Duwamish River in a few locations. The trees are cool and I encountered a number of apple trees so ripe and bursting with fruit that the ripened apples had started dropping to the ground. Birds are in abundance here as well, I even saw a Great Blue Heron befriend some ducks one day and a junco foraging away. The tail of the West Seattle Bridge can be glimpsed from certain spots along the river. In addition to the trails, trees, and shoreline access there is a scaled down replica of a former fishing boat used in the area, a story trail towards the south end of the park, large grassy areas to walk or play around, benches to look out over the water and the park, and covered picnic tables. The parking lot is easy to pull in and out of and can hold a small number of cars. Herring's House Park borders Terminal 107 Park to the north, and I found the distinguishing feature between the two was that the trails in Herring's House Park were paved near the boundary of the two parks. The two parks have separate parking lots though there is walking access between them.

Now renamed the name of the native village that was here at least 1400 years. Archaeological dig…read moreproved natives well living here along this river and eating shellfish here since before the time of King Charlemagne. Duwamish Tribe has its longhouse & museum across the street from this archaeological site. Someone needs to erect a marker that this place is on the World Historic Cultural Register. See 1970's archaeological report inside the Duwamish Longhouse. More info at www.DuwamishTribe.org Chief Seattle was joint Chief of the Duwamish & Suquamish Tribes. Seattle's mother was Duwamish. Some Duwamish lived along the river. Seattle's mother was from the People of the Lake. Chief Seattle's father was Suquamish so Chief Seattle ended up being chief of both related Coast Salish tribes. From this park you can see bird life and Kellogg Island in the river. Look North towards the West Seattle bridge to see Osprey nesting platform and Perigrine Falcons who nest under the bridge. The Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition, especially James Rasmussen, have worked decades to clean up the environmental damage businesses have done to this river since non natives settled starting in the 1850's. Currently fish caught in this river would still be carcinogenic, but many people are fighting so that perhaps someday the fish is not carcinogenic and it becomes safe to wade in the polluted river. Lots of native plantings have been added in the parks along the river. If you are attending an event at the Duwamish Longhouse, probably you would park here at the park's parking lot. Soon a proper crosswalk will be added so people can safely cross the road with fast truck drivers not always watching for pedestrians. A new path along the river has been added so pedestrians and bikes can travel more safely. This park parking lot also might be overflow parking for events at the Heron's Nest property, about a half mile South of this park.