Mercer island was way less than stellar for taking in Xmas lights on Xmas eve. major…read moredisappointment...island community does not live up to Xmas spirit expectations...do better Mercer Island!

Mercer Island is one of the most welcoming places, and it's all thanks to Jen. Humble, genuine, and…read moredown-to-earth, Jen brings a unique warmth to the community that makes everyone feel like they truly belong. Her kindness and dedication have created an inviting atmosphere where connections are formed effortlessly. Whether you're visiting or calling Mercer Island home, Jen's presence truly makes this place feel special and truly connected.

Bainbridge Island is a lovely place to visit when you're in Seattle or the surrounding areas. Just…read morea short ferry ride away, you can find Winslow Way, which runs about ten city blocks, and encompasses on both sides a number of local businesses, including a bookstore, several galleries, and multiple restaurants and bakeries. A ferry terminal, with service to Seattle's Colman Dock, boards at the east end of Winslow Way. You can also find a number of public parks around the island. The last time I visited, we brought my friend's dog with us and he LOVED being able to check out all the forest-y areas. Many shops are also dog friendly. Very charming... love Bainbridge Island.

Bainbridge Island is a city and island in the Puget Sound. It's a suburb of Seattle. I highly…read morerecommend you visit if you're in Seattle. It's a nice day trip experiencing the ferry and enjoying the views. There are some beautiful museums and amazing historical sites, and delicious food options.

What makes this spot special is the combination of the landscape, campus architecture, and the…read moreincredible view of Mt Rainier stretching beyond the fountain. Absolutely worth taking a moment to appreciate the view here!

I stayed within the area literally to be able to walk and come here (and Suzallo Library) for the…read morefirst time! The skies were clear and Mt Rainier was peeking through the sky as you look through the fountain. I could stay here the whole day and sit and just listen to the water while I gaze through the clear skies! Must see when you're in Seattle!!!

Totally Bias This…read moreisnt fair, as I am currently on the Project Management team working on the project that has inspired WSDOT to provide this "community service". As such, I am totally bias to how cool what this spot is all about. They have little self guided tours that tells a bit about the history of the area and why the biggest tunnel of this type is being constructed. But WSDOT also describes why they think we need to have a sea wall built. So I finally went by to check it out. Yea, I "dig" these mega-projects and would love to see more of them. The history of the area geographically was cool and the history of Seattle was as well. The best part is its "free" since our taxes will be paying for it for the next 20 + years. ;)

Excellent spot providing info on the Seattle Viaduct Replacement project…read more Especially cool is the presentations they put on to coincide with the First Thursday Art Walks in Pioneer Square. This evening I went to an excellent presentation on the Seattle Seawall replacement project. Thanks to the city for putting this on.

I know this library very well, and I read all of the reviews below, especially the negative ones…read more It breaks my heart, this place was a place of refuge for me. And there are a few different volunteers (it takes someone very unique to want to volunteer at a metaphysical library) so perhaps it was one of the not so socially aware human being. But the volunteer aka the librarian, is not what makes this library a gem in Seattle. It's the contents. After all let's not judge the book by it's cover =)...Also, if you were lucky and ran into Margarette while there, then you'd have a completely different experience of the library. She is a walking library herself, so full of amazing real life experiences through many decade bygone. I love spending time with her. Another point to keep in mind, is that being a metaphysical library it gets a lot of abuse from folks who don't like the idea of things non-mainstream. Be kind to these folks, they are sticking their necks out to hold the space for this information in physical form. You can find things on the webs for sure, but there is nothing like looking and touching the actual material. Loads of awesome books, and ya not for the tourists, it's for locals to join and support the library by membership and/or donations, there is no profit in this business. It's all by donation and love/care of folks that run it. And yes, many of them are very eccentric, still they are doing their best.

It always starts with "Let's do something different..."…read more Ok, fine. We had just spent our time in Ballard at Archie McPhee and a Cat Cafe (yeah, we paid to pet cats I am allergic to, shut up)...so this seemed like the next step. "There's an u-n-d-e-r-g-r-o-u-n-d metaphysical library listed and it's not far. It says it is in a basement, unmarked, and if there is a sign up about the fresh bread it's a signal it is open." Oh, now we're talking. We wandered around the eerily quiet old building for a moment, people poking heads out of their offices to see who was there. "Uh, we're looking for the stairs to the library if it's open" A man points, we continue on. We walk in to the space and eerily quiet takes on a whole new meaning. Ancient man set up in the middle. He appears to be the curator. As I looked at the stack upon stacks of books, laminated newspapers and actual research papers, I expected this man to rise from his seat and regale us for hours with tales of spiritual encounters and confess his membership in the illuminati...NOPE, barely a glance our direction. As we share the few feet of open space with him we spoke in a whisper as not to disturb his work. JFK conspiracy theories? Check Satanism? Check Area 51? Check When I say this place was cramped and cluttered, I mean there could have been a Tall Grey hiding in here and we wouldn't have found him. I am laughing at the review on the duplicate listing which complained about dust and mold - DUH, this is research people! https://www.yelp.com/biz/seattle-metaphysical-library-seattle Anyway, I'd tell you what I learned there but our short term memory was wiped upon exit. You have to see it for yourself.

What? No Reviews?…read more If you are into family history or genealogy, this is the place to visit. They used to just have microfilm to look through, but now they have online access to most everything and microfilm as a backup. they have census records, war pension records, immigration records, Native American records, etc. They also have a helpful staff and usually have a couple of very helpful and knowledgeable volunteers. On my latest expedition, several weeks ago, one of the volunteers helped me track down the pension index record for my Great Grandfather. This was no small task and I had tried several times before. I need the record to try and get the Veterans Administration to give me a marker for his unmarked grave in Calvary Cemetery in Seattle. He was a volunteer during the Sioux Indian uprising in 1862 and all I had been able to find before were direct civil war records, which he didn't partake in. They are open Monday through Friday from 7:45 A.M. to 4:15 P.M and Second Saturday each month, 9 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.

I spent the day walking around the downtown area of Everett. Ok, yes, I really didn't have anything…read moreelse to do and it was walking distance from my hotel. This area is a mixture of antique shops, banks and casual restaurants and bars. There is a cute community theatre with some good offerings. It looks like they are trying to change the face of downtown Everett. It has an artsy and eclectic feel to it. The building and growth seem to show a regentrification - so to make it more artistic and less old and run down. I understand Everett is a great place for live music. It was quiet and subdued on a Monday afternoon. Many of the restaurant and businesses were not open. There were several pizza/Mexican/teriyaki/etc hole in the wall eateries thy seemed to offer quick lunch options better than fast food. I really enjoyed the different sculptures around the city, but wished there were signage reflecting on the artists.

You know, I wish people would stop "whining" about a shelter being "a kill shelter"! Fact is, if…read morepeople would get off their rears and get their cats and dogs ALTERED, there would not be so many having to be destroyed. Fact also is; certain pet stores in Snohomish do NOT HELP this situation either! Point of fact; they encourage their customers who purchase "common kittens" to breed them so that the store will have more to sell?! You want to make an impact on the number this shelter has to euthanize; put a STOP to kittens and puppies being sold in a pet store, or at the least, have the animals come with an alter agreement! Whether the kitten or pup is purebred or not; if people would tour the shelter and see the number of animals destroyed each year (and most of these I'm sorry to tell people are kittens and puppies, so even purebred!), they may opt to spay or neuter that animal instead. Fact is: each and every homeowner here in Snohomish County would have to adopt 2 to 3 animals every YEAR to put a stop to any being destroyed! That's a fact. As for the shelter: you can't do better! The people there try their best to answer all questions and find the right animal for each person. I adopted two from there 4 years ago. Yeah, I could have gone to a pet store and gotten the "perfect kitten" - what I was looking for, but I really couldn't see the amount the store was asking for that one kitten. When I went to the shelter; I got TWO for less than the pet store was asking (the shelter was offering adopt one for $99 and get a second one for $1...what a deal! The pet store was over $100 and I still would have to alter the animal and have it vet checked?!). This shelter tho is not limited to JUST kittens, cats, puppies and dogs. Nope, they have a large number of other animals looking for a home too! Animals such as guinea pigs (for way less than any pet store!), rats, hamsters, rabbits, ferrets, chinchillas and more! Please take the the time to look into adoption verses a pet store, we need to send a message that it is NOT okay to sell kittens and puppies in a pet store! BTW-I can't tell you how many times I had heard people state that some pet stores were BETTER THAN A ZOO?! They could come in a pet every single animal they wanted, and did not have to bother buying it either. If people have become that callous to see a pet store as the next ZOO...then sorry, pet stores need to be licensed by USDA just like a zoo does!

"The Surfrider Foundation is an international, non-profit, environmental organization dedicated to…read morethe protection and enjoyment of the world's oceans, waves, and beaches, for all people, through conservation, activism, research and education." I think that says it all... I give 'em five-stars just for the interest they generate in the oceans' health with today's kids. Plus, I'll pay for a one-year membership for the first two yelpers who message me about it - of course, you'll then have to write a review to go with mine... ...or you can just go here: https://www.surfrider.org/surfrider_membership/join/membership3.cfm if you feel like saving me the fifty bucks. UPDATE: Apparently new Surfrider members Alyson L. and Mel R. don't want to save me any money.

My favorite winemakers are also sponsors of the Surfrider Foundation, check 'em out at…read morewww.twinfinwines.com . And because Alan G. surely doesn't want to sponsor all of our memberships, you should go here: http://www.surfrider.org/support.asp and get your own damn membership or just donate money to a good cause. 'Cause we all love beaches, right?