Make an Easy Picnic: Memorial Day in Seattle's Carkeek Park

What to do; what to do. It was our first Memorial Day together in Seattle and we, like everyone, wanted to be outside enjoying the day. I had saved an article from the Seattle Times that listed the best picnic spots in Seattle and we threw a dart and picked Carkeek Park on Puget Sound. Look at the view of the Olympic Mountains!

I'm going to tell you my new favorite way to pack a picnic - directly from the grocery store! It may sound simplistic, but it has worked like a charm for us lately, so I'm going to tell you how we do it.

We load our car with an ice-packed empty cooler, a picnic basket (loaded with a picnic cloth, paper toweling, a few empty Ziploc bags, antibacterial wipes, cute napkins and a few little travel salt & peppers) and 2 camping chairs.

We take our large thermos into the grocery store, head to the Starbucks inside and order 2 Venti lattes to go. The barista usually pours the drinks right into our thermos for us. Also order 2 Venti ice waters for the car ride.

Dan loves sandwiches, so he'll chose a pre-made sandwich from the deli area. I like the $6 deli combo, so from the case I order sliced turkey, cold beet & orange salad and potato salad. I also order a small side of cold peas & peanut salad for Dan. We buy a 7-layer bean dip, a bag of tortilla chips, some cold pop and we were ready! Don't forget the disposable utensils and napkins offered at the deli counter.

In the parking lot, we move the food into our ice-filled cooler and started driving toward the park. 

On this particular day, we found an empty picnic table at Carkeek Park, spread out our wipe-able picnic cloth and settled in. The park has grills for the public to use and everything smelled so good! It really felt like the start of summer. We stayed about 2 hours, eating and watching the sailboats on Puget Sound.

Seattle: Discovery Park: Peace and Quiet

Seattle's Discovery Park is all about light. We were out on the tip of the peninsula, on the South Beach side, on a Sunday afternoon in October and I was surprised that there weren't more people around. The population of Seattle is around 650,000, but we practically had the place to ourselves. Of course, the Seattle area has so many parks, lakes and mountains to explore, I know that it's citizens were out and about on this spectacular day, they just weren't here.

The water on Puget Sound was calm and I sat here and enjoyed the sound of the water lapping at the shore while Dan explored the terrain around the lighthouse.

I used my zoom to give you a better look at Mt. Rainier and a freighter travelling on the waterway.

This photo is of the same bay, same direction as above (imagine that Mt Rainier is just off to the right).  Isn't it interesting how much more rich the color blue looks when it is set off by the green and khaki of the shoreline?

Discovery Park was once a military base and it is the largest public park in Seattle. There are trails to hike, beaches to walk (there are 2 miles of protected tidal beaches, so no fishing or shelling) and a bounty of natural habitats to explore. I encourage you to visit the park website and read this FAQ sheet. I read that there are tidal pools here too, so I've got that on my list to visit next time.

Seattle: Magnolia Park has a Magnificent View

When I talked to my friends back home, I had a lot of questions about how I handled all the rain in Seattle.  This photo (above) sums up the weather I experienced while in the Pacific Northwest. I was there between April - October and it was magnificent. I've heard that the traditional rainy season is October-March and it definitely rains then, so our timing was lucky. 

We spent a beautiful Sunday exploring Seattle and found Magnolia Park on top of the Magnolia Bluff. A million dollar view that you can enjoy any time you want. The sparkling water is Puget Sound and depending on the direction you looked, you could see sailboats or freighters. We relaxed on a bench and wished we had brought along a picnic.

What a view. You can see why I loved every minute of my time in Seattle.

Seattle: Bainbridge Island: Bloedel Reserve Japanese Garden

Today I want to spotlight a hidden gem on Bainbridge Island, a resort island that is an easy 35 minute ferry ride from downtown Seattle. We took the 1:10 ferry, spent a few hours exploring Bloedel Reserve and the main street shopping area for an ice cream, and then rode the ferry and were back in Seattle by 6.  This is a glorious way to spend a Sunday afternoon. 

Riding the ferry takes a little planning, visit the ferry schedule website, arrive 30 minutes (at least) before departure, buy your ticket and get your car in line.  If you car doesn't make the ferry, they just cue you up for the next ferry. They depart every hour.

Okay, I will write about the g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s Bloedel Reserve estate tomorrow, but for now I will woo you with their Japanese Garden.

You can see the serene rock garden (above) - the stones have been raked in patterns and you could quite easily sit and let your mind wander.

There was live music being played on a traditional Japanese instrument. It was lovely to hear the ping-ping wafting through the woods as we approached on the foot path.

The view from the deck on the Japanese house was unbelievable.  I'm not sure if you can see the depth, but it is a large sunken garden with trees, plantings and footpaths. Can you see the gourd bird house hanging (above) from a branch? It fit the scene so well, I hope someone lives there. Can you imagine a bird inside listening to the music?

Seattle: Lake Sammamish State Park

Have I mentioned that I love it in Washington State?  It looks like Switzerland and feels so optimistic. I love that the air is cool (44-62 F) most days that I've been here (I can finally wear all those scarves I have knit!) and it hasn't rained nearly as much as I expected.  

When the clouds part the sky is beautiful, there are mountain ranges in the distance and the air is so clear.  These first 2 photos are from the shore of Lake Sammamish in Lake Sammamish State Park.

I took this one above (blurry!) out of a moving car, but I wanted you to see the green in the morning light.  This is another entrance are to the same park.

This drive along Lake Sammamish makes it look like I am headed off to vacation instead of running errands.  The must be very strict signage rules here, because all commerce is tucked back off the road and there are no billboards or lit signs near the road.  It looks like the bustling real world was tucked in unobtrusively between the trees. Well done.

I tried to capture the fact that homes are built on the water as well as up into the hillside, just like in Switzerland.

Seattle: Chism Beach Park in Bellevue:

This lovely little waterfront park is just 4 minutes from the bustling shopping area of Bellevue, Washington.  I was determined to find some large trees in bloom and I thought that a little waterfront park would be a good bet.  No such luck on this particular day at Chism Beach Park, but the sun was so beautiful I didn't mind.

I love seeing huge evergreen trees all over the Seattle area.  They always remind me of mascara wands.  Don't they look like that to you?

When I drove through Bellevue (looking for a park) I noticed some wonderful stores along Bellevue Way that will serve as a magnet to draw me back - I saw a Container Store, Nordstrom, Paper Source, Cost Plus World Market and Apple.  I can definitely have fun - this will be a perfect area to explore on a rainy day.  As for flowering trees, I did find this magnificent magnolia at Denny Blaine Park - the petals had just opened!

Here it is in the distance, to show some perspective. This is the very small park called Denny Blaine.  I can't say that this park has much to offer (it seemed to be a hangout place for kids skipping school) except for this magnificent magnolia and a "mountains in the distance" view.

The magnolia is in full bloom just above this garden door into private property. It reminds me of the magic of The Secret Garden and Julie Andrews' book, Mandy.  Have you read both?  They are wonderful and spring makes me want to be a little girl tending her first garden all over again.

I am constantly in awe of the mountain views that can be seen from so many everyday places.  I am not used to seeing mountains in my daily life.  I like it!