Beyond the Game: Memorial Day Seattle Events for 12s
The weather in the PNW is finally nice enough to start day-hiking to some of the easy-to-access alpine lakes. Not everyone realizes that we have such a dramatic landscape filled with alpine lakes. There are hundreds of them. Each one is simply arresting in it’s beauty and uniqueness; each lake will make you gasp when you see it. It’s not an exaggeration to say that we have some serious world-class scenery in this state.
Last Sunday we hiked up to Lake Serene; a perfect example of the scenic splendor found in our collective back yard. The only problem was that everyone had the same idea. Since many of the alpine lakes are still too buried in snow to access, lots of people made it out to Lake Serene. It’s quite an aerobic enterprise hiking up there, but the parking lot was still comically full. Fifty or more cars parked along the side of the access road clearly marked “no parking”. We parked so far from the trailhead that it easily added an extra mile to our day. All this to say: enjoy your wilderness. But leave your house early enough to stay ahead of the throngs.
Folklife Festival
The biggest thing going on this weekend is definitely the Northwest Folklife Festival. You don’t need dread locks and patchouli to get the most out of this giant arts and music festival, but it would probably help. Bring an appetite for food trucks (there will be more food trucks and street food then you could sample in ten Folklike Festivals). Bring a willingness to stop at stages featuring bands or music you might not have heard of, and bring sunscreen. Probably double-up on the sunscreen. It’s happening the 26th-29th with a $10 suggested donation ($20 per family). Check out Northwest Folklife for more info.
Gridiron Glory: The Best of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Ordinarily I try to recommend things going on around Seattle, but I’m making an exception. The opening of Tacoma’s newest museum “Gridiron Glory: The Best of the Pro Football Hall of Fame” is happening this weekend. Tickets are $12 ($8 for military, seniors and students). Advance ticket purchases will get you a bunch of extra goodies, like discounts for fun things to do around Tacoma. One can meet former NFL players and refs and see the collection of historic NFL items on display. There will even be a complementary beverage. How could you go wrong with a complimentary beverage! If you want more info, Washington History (dot org) has it.
Mighty-O Tour de Donut 2017
There’s not a lot you can do that will be more Seattle-y then spending a Saturday participating in the Mighty-O Tour de Donut 2017. Mighty-O Donuts is collaborating with Bike Benefits to bring you this delicious self-guided tour of Seattle. Start at the Mighty-O location in Ballard, then off to the Mighty-O on Capitol Hill, then end up at the Mighty-O in Greenlake. $20 will get you coffee and donuts before the ride. Coffee and donuts starts at 8:45, then the ride departs at 9. You’ll get a snappy tee-shirt that will make all your friends and family (and acquaintances) jealous as heck.
One more
Do you love gray bushy mustaches? Does the dulcet sounds of a gravely voiced cowboy do anything for you? Perhaps the lady 12s would like to check out a live interview with Sam Elliott Saturday at the Egyptian Theater? He’ll be there with director Brett Haley to discuss his career and the new movie they just made called “The Hero”. Following the interview they’ll screen the movie, then have an audience Q&A session where you can ask Sam Elliott to marry you, if you are so inclined. Tickets are $35 and it starts at 4 pm.
Mostly, get out of your domicile and let some sunshine fall on your skin. We’ve earned it!