When I was enrolled at/attended the University of Washington (2010 to 2012) I walked past the…read moreDempsey Indoor Track and Field building on my way to/from women's intercollegiate club rugby practice. Since then, I passed the building when revisiting some of my training sites on foot. Yesterday and today (Friday 23 February 2024 and Saturday 24 February 2024) I finally made my way inside the building and spectated the 2024 Ken Shannon Invitational (Indoor Tack and Field competition). Parking in the athletics area was available in the E1 lot (open to everyone) and the E18 (open to those with University of Washington permits). The rate for a full day of parking was $7.55 each day. I had no troubles finding a parking space either day. The ticket booth was located across from the main entrance of Dempsey Indoor along the side of the softball field area. Restrooms were along the same stretch as the ticket booth, roughly facing Husky Stadium. The entry fee for each day was $10 for general admission without discount, which I thought was a good deal as events ran for approximately 7 hours on Friday and approximately 4 hours on Saturday. The interior of the facility was well set-up to allow attendees close proximity when viewing contested events. Running events were held on the track at the same time field events were being contested in their designated section of the field. Fencing/barriers guided us spectators to viewing areas to watch the different performers. Bleacher seating was located along the starting area for track events, the triple jump/long jump area, and the pole vault section. Workers were professional and direct in communication. Athletes were tuned in to their surroundings as were the spectators and the coaches. Multiple clocks and screen displays were strategically located towards the ends of the track to communicate results. An announcer provided helpful context for results and music played when not a start of a race.

Staff is entitled and not welcoming at all. Truly disappointing. Just another uppity rowing club…read morenot looking to change. Your kids are better off elsewhere.

The Pocock Rowing Center (PRC) is home to a number of rowing teams. (List here --…read morehttp://www.pocockrowingcenter.org/teams.html) The teams vary in their goal, from very competitive to recreational fitness. Learn-to-row as well as various levels of sculling/sweep classes are available. Each team hosted in Pocock use the common facilities (ergs, racing shells) with exception of a few teams that buy their own oars and boats. Each team manage their own coaching needs and hires its own coach and sets its own practice times. So the different teams are very independent of each other and each deals with Pocock Rowing Center individually. How the whole program works is that you first pay a due to the rowing center to become a PRC member. You are then an "Independent" who does not belong to one of the said teams. You can use "club boats" and oars that are owned by the rowing center. Then to join a team, you must qualify in terms of rowing experience, and pay another fee to the team on top of the membership fees paid to the Pocock Rowing Center. These team fees are determined by the team that you join and takes care of coaching, lights, other misc equipment, and launch usage. When I rowed for the Pocock Rowing Center Men, the total monthly fees out of my pocket was about $110, which is very much on par with other area clubs. Teams hosted by Pocock vary in their competitiveness and goals. The Masters Men team is very competitive, attends national and regional races, and has reputation of winning a lot of them.

So much has changed since I first started working out at the IMA, but to name a few:…read more - Expansion of the downstairs weight room Over the years, the IMA expanded the weight room and added more squat racks and other weight equipment. However, this area is super popular especially during peak hours - Universal locker rooms The locker rooms now have designated cabanas for changing and showering. I appreciate having the privacy to shower and change in a cabana versus when there were gender-assigned locker rooms - Locker rental You can rent a lock by stopping by the equipment desk on the lower level and use the lockers in the hallway at no extra cost. There are lockers inside the locker rooms but I don't have information if those are at an extra cost - Massage and acupuncture services For an extra cost, you can book massage and acupuncture appointments on the IMA website I still book personal training sessions, and I love having access to their training rooms. Especially having space to do barbell work instead of waiting for a weight rack to free up downstairs. While I still think the IMA is still one of the best gyms to work out, one thing I miss are the steam rooms (unless if I have yet to spot it). I also wish people rack up weights and equipment afterwards as it can be a pain to find stuff at times.

The University of Washington Intramural Activities Building (IMA) was my number one for exercise…read morewhen I attended the University of Washington 2010 to 2012. I adored the indoor track on the top level with window paneling that allowed me to look out as I ran. The track encircled cardio workout equipment. For intercollegiate club rugby (women's), we used the track and space in the corners between the track and the windows for combined sprints and conditioning sets. The main level had restrooms, weights, and cardio equipment as well. I used this section primarily for elliptical, rowing machine, and stationary bicycle sessions. I found this section was typically calmer on Saturday evenings, though could get a bit crowded Sunday afternoons. In the morning, before about 6:30 a.m., I enjoyed the relative calm as well. The lower level weight room I only used for rugby practice if I am recalling correctly. I signed up for an instructed spin (stationary bicycle) class a few terms and had a great instructor, named Kyle. He had excellent workouts and was a good DJ as well. The locker room provided access to a pool. I enjoyed swimming laps here and the analog clocks were perfect for timekeeping as I swam the sets I designed/wrote for myself. To the side of the entrance was a cafe of sorts where I could use my meal plan. Tables were available to sit and eat. In the mornings, I had a combination of a energy bar(s), hard-boiled eggs, Muscle Milk, and/or fruit. They also made smoothies to the order.

The Husky Ballpark is next to the UW football stadium and a 10 minute walk from the UW light rail…read morestation making it very convenient for game days. There are paid parking lots in the area and the nice thing is that parking is free after 12pm on Saturdays and all day Sundays. The stadium was nice and clean. It only holds about 2,000 people and because it's a smaller stadium you can get good views no matter where you sit. We sat two rows behind home plate which was amazing! The only complaint is that when it started raining during the game, the rows closer to the front didn't have any cover while the ones further back did. There are some concession stands for food and shops if you want to buy UW gear. It was fun to enjoy the game on a nice day and it was a relaxing time.

This is an awesome place to watch some competitive baseball. On a sunny day, it's gorgeous. Seats…read moreare cheap, and all of them are close to the field. Parking is plentiful and free on Saturday after 12, and all day Sunday.

One of lesser known Kayaking spot but I really like place. Once you kayak like 15 minutes down you…read morecan see Mount Rainier. It's not happening as SLU but it's a good mix of wildlife, open water. I think I like this spot the most because the water here is relatively calmer so if you get motion sickness and still want to do Kayaking - this is one place you should consider.

We rented 2 canoes from here and it was a great experience! Checking in was quick and there was no…read moretime limit when we went (this may be different if a busier time, but they told us to return when we were ready and to pay for the time you are gone). Lake Washington was a great place to paddle and the staff were very helpful. They help you get in/out of your canoe at the dock. There was a very accessible parking lot that you pay per hour for. Great experience!

Several months ago Alan and I read "The Boys in the Boat" for our book group. It's the true story…read moreof the University of Washington crew team that won the Gold Medal in the1936 Olympics held in Hitler's Germany. It was a wonderful book and we determined that the next time we were in Seattle we would make a pilgrimage to the shellhouse to see the boat, the Husky Clipper. The original shellhouse is of course long gone, but the new one contains the shell, suspended high over the dining tables in the Windermere Dining Hall. It's long and slender and is hanging upside down so you can see the seats the rowers sat on. Attached to the framework near the seats are pairs of shoes, presumably theirs. It was a moving and special sight for us. On the walls are other memorabilia, including photos of the 1936 team and letter sweaters belonging to Joe Rantz and Don Hume, two of the teammates. It was Joe Rantz's memories that formed the basis of the book. In addition to the 1936 team there is memorabilia from the Husky team that won the Gold in the 1948 Olympics in London as well as later teams that won awards in other contests. Though we were less interested in the more recent winners than we were in "The boys" who drew us here we very much enjoyed the entire experience. The shellhouse is open 9-5 Monday through Friday, so don't go there on the weekend.