Fall Activity Guide

Looking for some fun ways to spend time outside this fall?  Here are some recommendations:

Troll hunting:
You’ve probably heard by now about the trolls popping up around town as part of an art installation, Way of The Bird King.  These recycled wood sculptures are a collaboration between Danish artist @ThomasDambo and native artists here in the Pacific Northwest.  Plan a trip to visit one or see if you can catch are five around Seattle (Ballard, West Seattle, Vashon Island, Bainbridge Island, Issaquah) and one in Portland if you’re looking for a longer trip.  https://www.nwtrolls.org/

Pumpkin Patch/Apple Picking:
One of the most ubiquitous things Seattlite’s do during fall is head to a farm or pumpkin patch for photo ops, pumpkin picking, apple cider drinking and other fall merriment. Many patches offer activities for kids, like corn maze, hay bails, and petting zoos.  Swan’s Trail https://swanstrailfarms.com/, Bob’s corn https://bobscorn.com/ and others up in Snohomish are popular destinations, but for a more relaxed and authentic farm experience, my favorite farm for pumpkin patching is Novelty Hill Farm in Duvall. The pumpkins are still on the vines, the crowds are not overwhelming, and the barn is beautiful. And if you’re out in Duvall for the day, might as well stop by my sister’s Local Root’s Farm Store too.

Salmon spotting:
There are many great places to watch spawning salmon around Seattle, including Cedar River in Maple Valley, North Creek, in Bothell, in Issaquah at the fish hatchery and at Longfellow Creek in West Seattle. But my favorite is  Piper’s Creek in Carkeek Park, in North Seattle. On the weekends in November, you can talk with a volunteer about the salmon lifecycle and see a spawned salmon up close. Links with more information here

https://www.parentmap.com/article/see-salmon-spawn-Seattle-Eastside
https://www.seattleschild.com/fall-day-trip-go-see-the-salmon-runs/

Farmer’s markets –
Enjoy the bounty of the harvest season at a farmer’s market.  Check out the information to find the day and location of a market near you:

http://www.sfmamarkets.com/
https://seattlefarmersmarkets.org/

Find fall foliage:
The best time to find fall color in the North West is typically mid-October.  You can often see bright yellow and red leaves just by taking a walk around the block in Seattle, but if you’re looking to make an activity out of it, head to a local park like Green Lake, the Arboretum, Lincoln Park, Volunteer Park or Kubota Garden. And if you have time for a longer day trip, there are many great hiking trails you can visit, with some of the best fall foliage on display in the North Cascades National Park, the Mount Baker Snoqualmie Forest and Leavenworth. Check out this blog from the State Dept of Tourism for more recommendations:

https://stateofwatourism.com/where-to-find-fall-color-in-washington/

Pretend to be a tourist in your own town –
We recently did the ice cream cruise on Lake Union with the kids and it was so much fun .Other ideas include Argosy Locks Tour, Museum of History and Industry, National Nordic Heritage Museum,  Seattle Art and Asian Art Museums, Pacific Science Center and IMAX Theater, and the Seattle Aquarium.  Have you done something fun in Seattle recently? Let me know and I’ll add it here!

Rainy camping in Washington –
I saw this post on the Tourism site and decided to add it, even though I’m not sure I’d recommend rainy camping… But, if you’re like our family, and didn’t get to camp as much as you’d liked to this past summer, a fall camping trip in the rain doesn’t seem like such a bad idea. 🙂

https://stateofwatourism.com/rainy-camping-washington-state-parks/

Thanks for reading! Have a suggestion you’d like to share? Email me and I’ll add it to the blog!