As the last day of school rapidly approaches, it’s vital to begin summer activity planning now! The best outlook is the classic Seattleite summer philosophy that you can do just about anything with an ORCA card and a twenty. Here are TRN’s picks for the best summer destinations.
Take a hike! Use Trailhead Direct—Metro bus routes integrated into the regular system that leave the city and head into the woods. On summer weekends and select holidays, take either the Issaquah Alps or Mount Si route and stop off at any number of trails. Try TRN favorites like Mount Teneriffe for an intermediate to advanced hike or Little Si for a beginner’s route.
Just a few light rail stops away from RHS is the Henry Art Gallery, located in the corner of the UW Red Square. Check out Light Reign, a rounded room for viewing the sky, with an exterior that’s illuminated in a range of colors throughout the day. Enjoy free admission with a suggested $20 donation this summer.
Head South to the Frye Art Museum, a uniquely compact museum with paintings squeezed together, floor to ceiling, on the museum walls. The museum is located on First Hill, near Downtown; tickets and tours are always free.
If art isn’t your thing, check out the KEXP Gathering Space and coffee shop at Seattle Center. Just a light rail and monorail trip away! Look for free in-studio artist sessions of touring bands.
Next door, bands are given a stage at the Vera Project. Visit events and sign up for volunteer opportunities (they have a silk screen press, too, which you can access as a volunteer) at the youth driven performance space.
Or, go with the classics: the University Farmers Market runs every Saturday, blocking off areas around the U-District light rail station. Get food for a picnic and head to Gasworks Park for some time to relax by the water—after all too many hours at RHS, you’ve earned it.
