Yes, this is NOT a cheap date… the one day ticket is $75.  A two day ticket is $99.  BUT… this is wine and food tasting!

As you know from previous posts, you take the Sound Transit bus #594 from the Lakewood Station.  The 594 drops you off right by the CenturyLink Field, at 4th and Royal Brougham.  Adults pay $3.50 each way.  No parking costs, no worries about driving after drinking, etc.

For the Sound Transit 594 schedule, see www.soundtransit.org

You may also want to take the Intercity Transit weekend bus (620) from Olympia to the Lakewood station.  There are fewer time options, but it may work for you. For that schedule, see www.intercitytransit.com

The Seattle Annual Northwest Flower and Garden Show signifies that spring is, indeed, on the way.  This year’s show is February 8 – 12^th, held at the downtown Convention Center (7^th and Pike).

There are over 300 exhibitors and seminars scheduled this year…lots of variety; something for everyone!

Convention Center parking is $12.00 for 4 – 5 hours.  The round trip adult fare (Sound Transit 594 from Lakewood Station to 4^th and Union in downtown Seattle) is $7.00.  Do the math….of course you’ll take the bus!  (Details in getting to the Lakewood Station are included in the Seattle Boat Show post.)

For the bus schedule, see Sound Transit at www.soundtransit.org

For details on the garden show, see their website at www.gardenshow.com

After this past week of snow and ice, I imagine that you’re dreaming of springtime?  There’s nothing like the Seattle Boat Show to recall sun and water-filled fun.  And what better way to get to Seattle than to take the bus!

Here are this year’s Seattle Boat Show details:

When:  January 27 – February 5^th

Where:  Century Link Field Event Center AND South Lake Union

How much:  $12 for adults, $5 for youth (ages 11-17), free for age 10 and younger.

Website:  www.seattleboatshow.com  (you can buy tickets on line)

How to get there by the bus…

From Olympia, you can take Intercity Transit bus 603 (620 on weekends) to the Highway 512 Park and Ride transfer center.  See www.intercitytransit.com for the time schedule.

If you prefer, you could also drive from Olympia to the Lakewood Sounder Station (exit 125, (Bridgeport Way); turn left off exit; then right onto Pacific Highway South. The Station’s four story parking garage is a few blocks on your left).

This is where you catch Sound Transit’s route 594 to Seattle.  Cost: $3.50 for adults.  www.soundtransit.org  The bus takes you across the street from the Century Link Field, at 4^th and Royal Brougham.

If you want to be really adventuresome, stay on the bus through Seattle, getting off at 4^th and Union.  Walk a few blocks north to the Westlake Mall (4^th and Pike).  Kitty-corner from the northeast side of the Westlake Mall building is the south end of the
Lake Union Streetcar.  www.seattlestreetcar.org The street car takes you through the revitalized Eastlake area (thanks to Paul Allen and his Vulcan enterprise) to South Lake Union, which is the other venue for the Boat Show.

Check back NEXT week for details on the 2012 Northwest Flower Show, an eagerly anticipated annual event for gardeners!

The RBB March 26, 2010 post features Max, my adorable grand nephew.   Max has returned to the great Northwest, with his Mom (Sarah), Sarah’s friends Riana, and Riana’s two year old daughter, Shiway. 

In early November these two brave women and their two always-on-the-go two year olds took Portland by storm.

Following is Sarah’s write-up of the trip…she is convinced using public transportation with toddlers is the way to go!  Yeah, Sarah! 

I’ve spent the majority of my life in Alaska – a state that’s not exactly known for its public transportation systems, outside of the Marine Highway (the ferry system that serves Southeast Alaska and goes as far as Bellingham, WA – what an RBB adventure that would be!).   With a landmass four times the size of Texas and the great number of people who live outside of urban areas, the developmentof a public transportation infrastructure has presented a challenge.   In my 25+ years in Alaska, I’ve never lived anywhere that had a bus stop within walking distance, and park-n-ride options were routinely further away from my home than my workplace.

I did, however, live in Portland, Oregon, for three years while attending graduate school, and  learning to use – and love – public transportation was a big part of my experience there.  So when my friend Riana and I were planning a trip to Portland for the two of us and our two-year-olds, Max and Shiway, this fall, we quickly realized that having a car-free vacation was a distinct possibility.

In fact, it was easier that we could have imagined.  Riana too has never really lived in an area that had available public transportation and had never been to Portland before, so she was understandably a little reserved about learning to navigate a new city while juggling the toddlers.  But she trusted me when I told her it could be done, no problem.  After returning home – and this is after getting herself, her toddler, and their luggage back to the Portland Airport by themselves, since Max and I detoured to Olympia before heading back to Alaska – her exact words were, “I can’t believe how easy that was!”

Since we were going car-free – and because the majority of our activities were going to be in the downtown area – we decided our hotel needed to be downtown in Trimet’s free zone.  We ended up with a great deal at the Residence Inn Portland Downtown/Waterfront through the Marriott Rewards program.  (Our stay was especially great because the clerk who checked us in took one look at the two of us, the two toddlers, and our heap of luggage and asked, “You’re checking into one room?  Let me see if we can upgrade you to a suite.”)  The hotel is located right across the street from the SW Water Ave Portland Streetcar stop, which happens to be the very last stop within the free zone.  From there, it would be just a quick hop,
skip, and a jump up into downtown, where we could easily connect to the main bus mall on 5th/6th Avenues and the MAX line. Before leaving home, we did some advance planning with Trimet’s extremely user-friendly Trip Planner, which is available on their website, and mapped out several routes – including to and from the airport!

Our adventures in public transportation thus started at around 8:00 p.m. PST after a full day of air travel and a lengthy layover in the Seattle airport.  The four of us retrieved our luggage – two adult-size suitcases, two toddler-size suitcases, two carry-ons, and one carseat (lugged along since Max and I would experience car travel in Olympia) and somehow schlepped towards the airport’s Trimet ticket kiosk so we could hop on a MAX train and head downtown.  Adult all-zone tickets are $2.40 (kids under 7 years ride for free on Trimet!), and the tickets are valid fares/transfers for all Trimet lines – bus, MAX, and streetcar – for the allotted time period.  We hauled our luggage onto the MAX, and after a short wait, we were downtown-bound.

It was here that we discovered one weakness in Trimet’s otherwise fantastic Trip Planner.  I had plugged in the approximate times I thought we’d be traveling, just wanting to get a general route to the hotel on paper.  The Trip Planner takes its objective to give you the quickest trip possible very seriously, though, and will sometimes plan a route for you that doesn’t have very much flexibility time-wise.  For example, our planned route recommended we take the 8:32 p.m. #35 bus after getting off the MAX downtown.  The bus would take us to a stop right across the street from the hotel (right next to the  Streetcar stop, it turned out).  However, we ended up being earlier than we’d anticipated, arriving at the bus mall downtown around 8:10 – and just having missed the previous 35 bus, meaning we’d have to wait there – with two very tired toddlers – for almost 25 minutes before the next bus arrived.  Which we did, and it was fine – the weather was gorgeous (and significantly warmer than home!), and the kids were troopers.  But I later figured out that taking the Streetcar would have been a much better idea than waiting for the bus; it departs every 7 minutes, roughly; it would have been a shorter walk from the MAX; and it would have dropped us just as close to our hotel.  And Trimet’s Trip Planner would have concurred – had I entered the times we were traveling to be 8:29 instead of 8:32, for example.  So my one recommendation for visitors planning to use Trimet is to spend some time playing with the Trip Planner, putting times in slightly differently and taking note of all the different routes that come up, so you already know in advance some alternatives.

During our trip, we mostly stayed within the Free Zone, using the Streetcar/shuttle bus and sometimes also hopping on the MAX.  Since our hotel was designed for extended stays, every room and suite is outfitted with a kitchenette or full kitchen, and so several times we took the (free!) 10-minute Streetcar ride up to Whole Foods in the Pearl District to grab groceries which we could then prepare at “home.”  This was budget-friendly and also kid-friendly.  (This would have been even more of a money-saver if the ritzy Whole Foods salad bar wasn’t so tempting… we probably ended up spending less there than we would have if we’d been eating out, but minimizing the toddlers’ restaurant time was definitely worth it.)

Portland landmark Powell’s Books is right across the street from Whole Foods, as is Anthropologie and, of course, many, many other great stores and restaurants.   Our other destinations within the free zone included Portland State University, the park blocks, Pioneer Place Mall, and the Saturday Market.

Our other major outings were both to Washington Park, a lovely 400-acre area that houses parks, an arboretum, museums, and, most importantly (for our purposes, anyway) the Portland Children’s Museum and the Oregon Zoo.  Washington Park has its own MAX stop that is served by the red and blue lines, so it’s only too easy to get there from downtown (but it is outside the free zone).  Adult one-zone tickets are $2.10, and the timestamp was valid long enough for this to cover both our to- and from- rides.  (And again, the kids were free!)

When Riana and Shiway headed back to Fairbanks, Max and I met up with original Rebel Mary (my aunt!) and headed to Olympia for a visit.  Though we traveled to Olympia by car, we had one last fling with public transportation before heading back to the great white north – we used Intercity Transit’s free Dash shuttle for our visit to the Hands On Children’s Museum in downtown Olympia.  This was another fun, convenient, and free ride that helped us avoid the hassle of trying to park near the museum.

Looking back, I have to say that this was a great way to travel, even though – actually, especially because – we were traveling with small kids.  I realized that any extra time we spent waiting for buses/streetcars, or on slightly longer than usual streetcar routes, was time we would have otherwise spent installing/uninstalling carseats and looking for parking.  (It also meant that Riana and Shiway didn’t even have to bring a carseat, which definitely lightened their luggage’s load.)  Instead, the kids got to be outdoors bouncing around, and then had the time of their lives when actually on the bus, streetcar, or MAX.  They loved it, and even now (two months later), “riding” the bus/streetcar/MAX train is still a favorite game around our house.  Whenever friends ask for recommendations of things to do with kids in Portland, I now say, “The children’s museum is fantastic, the zoo is amazing, but what you’ve really got to do is ride the MAX.”)  And the cost was definitely in our favor – instead of spending upwards of $200 on a rental car and who-knows-how-much in parking (the hotel alone charged $20/day for parking), we each spent under $10 total on transportation for the entire five-day trip.  A definite win in my book – needless to say, I can’t wait until we have the opportunity to do it again!

***

For suggestions for fun things to do in Portland, check out Finder: the Willamette Week’s Guide to Portland, which is available free on their website.

 Links in case the hyperlinks don’t work

Portland Children’s Museum http://www.portlandcm.org/

Hands On Children’s Museum http://www.hocm.org/

Dash Shuttle – Intercity Transit http://www.intercitytransit.com/traveloptions/dash/Pages/default.aspx

Trimet – http://www.trimet.org/

Oregon Zoo – http://www.oregonzoo.org/

Marriott Residence Inn Portland Downtown/Waterfront – http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/pwmdt-residence-inn-portland-downtown-waterfront/

Whole Foods – http://wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/pearl/

Powell’s Books – http://www.powells.com

WW Finder: http://www.wweek.com/portland/flex-257-finder.html

This past week I had a lovely day trip to Theler Wetlands, in Belfair (north Mason County).  Sam and Mary E. Theler moved to Belfair in 1926.  In the mid 1930’s they purchased 500 acres between Belfair and Allyn for $4,500 (!), which was subdivided into lots for housing.  The Theler’s generously gave land to the Belfair school, including the 75 acres where the Mary E. Theler Community Center and Wetlands trails are located.  www.thelercenter.org

This is an easy solo short day trip.  I caught the Mason Transit Bus (route 6) at the downtown Olympia Transit Center at 9:20.  The bus also makes stops at any of the bus shelters heading up Harrison Avenue towards Highway 101.  The cost is
$1.50 for adults (50 cents for age 65 and older).  This first leg of the trip takes you to the Shelton Civic Center, arriving about 10:10.  The next bus (Route 1) didn’t leave until 10:45, so I had plenty of time to walk a couple blocks to Sage Book store (116 W Railroad Ave # 102) for a short lattee.  Carolyn Olsen, long-time successful Shelton businesswoman, has created a wonderful atmosphere at Sage.  Regulars gather around a huge old oak table to tease and share stories. www.sagebookstore.com

The next leg of the trip (Route 1) was in a smaller van-type bus.  This route goes north on Highway 3, past Deer Creek, the Grapeview Loop (Stretch and Treasure Island are reached from this road), as well as Allyn.  The water was still and calm; riding the bus you are high enough to see things that you cannot see from a car or truck.

I requested that the driver drop me off at the Theler Center.  He pulled over by a light-controlled sidewalk, in order for me to safely cross Highway 3.  The friendly volunteers at the Center provided a map of the wetland trails (which was much easier to interpret than the map on Theler’s website), and directed me to the start of the trails.

Following the Rock Wall trail, I passed through a lovely metal gate and down a very well maintained (hard packed soil, with pea gravel) trail.  A short boardwalk followed, which led me to the North Mason Schools classroom and exhibit center.  This is also part of the well-labeled native plant collection.  From the learning center area, I headed to the first trail:  Salt Marsh, which is all boardwalk and ½ mile roundtrip.  Next I went on the longer (1.5 miles each way) River Estuary Trail, with close views of the northeast end of Hood Canal’s merger with the Hood River.  In this section I saw many birds:  tohees, Canadian Geese, two heron, juncos, etc.  Better yet, I saw NO people on the trail!  How peaceful…

Along the trail are many well placed benches.  I nibbled on my lunch along the way, enjoying the brisk, but pleasant sunny day.  About 12:30, I headed back to the Theler Center in order to catch the Route 1 bus heading back to Shelton.  The bus stops on Highway 3, right in front of the Center (but you must signal the driver that you want him to stop!)  I got on the bus about 1:15, returning to the Civic Center around 2:05.   (Note:  You could also catch the Route 2 bus at the Theler Center.  This route gets you to Shelton, but you travel on Highway 106, through Union…. another lovely route!)

The next Route 6 bus left at 2:40, so I walked a half block to the Mason County Historical Society Museum, located at the corner of 5^th and Railroad Avenue.  The museum is housed in the former Shelton City Hall, built in 1914.  The museum is open Tuesday through Friday 11 – 5:00, as well as Saturday 11 – 4:00.  There are many interesting exhibits, including many pictures of logging practice of years gone by.  A bonus:  the museum was having a book sale ($1 for hardbacks; 50 cents for paperbacks).  I bought several books; all for a good cause!

My last leg of this journey was uneventful; returning to downtown Olympia at 3:35.  Check back to see what other adventures are in store for Mason County journeys; such as avisit to Allyn to walk the labrinyth at St. Hugh Church.

Yes, we DID cook dinner, using two of Pranee’s recipes.  My favorite dish was her Kabocha squash soup (with Shitake and oyster mushrooms, and thai basil).  We also cooked Thai Chicken Fried Rice.  To round out the meal we had spring (fresh) rolls as an appetizer, as well as stir fried baby bok choy and snow peas.  The six of us had a grand time; lots of chatter and laughter.

Now for the good news:  south Puget Sounders:  you don’t have to travel to Seattle to find ingredients for your favorite Asian recipes.  There is a wonderful Asian market in Lacey!

The Hong Phat Market (at 1107 College Street, the corner of Pacific and College) has a large produce section, as well as dry goods and meat.  I’m especially impressed with the produce; both the quality and price.  As of yesterday, the sugar snap or snow peas are $3.59 a pound, far less than local chain grocery stores.  A large package of baby bok choy is $2.69.  Thai basil is $1.00 a bundle.  Juicy limes are 20 cents.  The market carries Kafir lime leaves ($1.00 a package), as well as lemon grass, Kabocha pumpkin squash and green papaya….plus much more.

I think Pranee Halvorsen (www.ilovethaicooking.com) would be impressed with the selection at Hong Phat.  They even carry Mae Ploy brand coconut milk, one of Pranee’s favored brands.  All of Pranee’s fans and students from the Bayview School of Cooking will appreciate this market!

Ballard is a historic and hip little town in Seattle’s big city. Settled in 1853, Ballard has been refining its exciting neighborhood for over 150 years. Today Ballard is a place full of some of the best restaurants, pubs, shops, spas, and parks in Seattle. From the famous Ballard Locks, to festive old Ballard Ave, and shopping-rich Market Street, come play in Ballard and experience Seattle in a whole new way.

My friend (and apprentice rebel!) Paula and I took inBallard’s advice… we took the bus to Ballard to
“experience Seattle in a whole new way.”

We met at the Olympia Martin Way Park and Ride, drove north on Highway I-5, taking exit 125 (Bridgeport Way) to the Lakewood Sounder station.  There is always plenty of parking in the four story garage. The Sound Transit bus 594 was ready, warm, and waiting.  Paula and I caught up on family and other activity news as we headed to Seattle.  Exiting the bus at 4^th and Union in downtown Seattle, we walked one block west to 3^rd Avenue, and north one block where we waited for Metro bus 18.

Metro bus 18 is a popular run (there is a bus every 15 minutes) so we didn’t have to wait long.  The bus travels through the Belltown neighborhood, the southeast corner of the Seattle Center, before paralleling Elliott Bay on Elliott Avenue.  From Elliott Avenue the bus heads north on 15^th Avenue, with a great view of Fisherman’s Terminal before crossing the Ship Canal’s (joining Lake Union with Puget Sound) Ballard Bridge.

We decided to stay on the bus past the main business district of Ballard, heading up 24^thfor a panoramic view of Puget Sound, then looping around heading back to Ballard. Shortly after making the loop past Triton Drive, we encountered a FIRST on our bus adventures:  a very grumpy bus driver.  She shouted back at us, demanding to know where we were going.  I told her we were taking a loop trip, and wanted to go back to Ballard.  She said she was due for her break, and we needed to get off.  Sigh.  We did get off the bus on 24^th, at about 85^th.

Our intended first shopping stop was Larsen’s Bakery, located at 8000 24^th Avenue NW (www.larsensbakery.com) Even though they are out of the main shopping area, they obviously have a loyal customer base, especially during the holiday season.  They are known for their excellent Danish Kringle (think rich pastry with almond paste) which is formed in the shape of a large pretzel.  Yes, we each bought one to take home for a holiday brunch.

Since it wasn’t raining (and we didn’t want to encounter the grumpy bus driver again!), we strolled down 24^th toward Market and Ballard Streets.  We walked along Ballard Avenue, having a sneak peek at the quirky and fun Ballard library that has a grass roof!  There is a periscope inside, so you can see what’s growing…

By this time we were hungry, and ready for lunch.  We reviewed our options, deciding on Plaka Estiatorio, a Greek restaurant located at 5407 20^th Avenue NW (www.plakaballard.com) (206) 829-8934.  The comfortable and welcoming Athenian style restaurant serves traditional Greek food, as well as seasonal dishes.  I chose the oven roasted lamb platter, Paula chose a Greek sausage pita sandwich.  We both enjoyed our meals.

After lunch, we explored the main shopping blocks, along Ballard Avenue.  Our favorite shop was La Tienda, a folk art gallery featuring hand made crafts made locally and from around the world.  www.latienda-folkart.com  (206)297-3605.

The friendly shopkeeper at LaTienda gave us a wonderful business and walking guide to Ballard.  Very helpful!  Shops have the map, and it’s also available through the map’s sponsor, Ballard Merchant Association (www.inballard.com)

By late afternoon, we were ready to head back home.  We caught Metro Bus 18 on Ballard Avenue, getting off in downtown Seattle by Macy’s (3^rd and Pine) then walking west to 2^nd Avenue where we caught the Sound Transit 592 (which by-passes Tacoma) taking us to our car at the Lakewood Sounder station.

As always, there are LOTS of possible activities in Ballard… so many ideas, not enough time!  Here are some of those ideas…

• Walk along the Ship Canal.
  The Burke Gilman trail is on the north side of the Ship Canal (Fremont is the fun neighborhood east of Ballard).  The Ship Canal Trail is on the south side.  Recently, a section of the Ship Canal Trail was paved (from 11^th to the Fisherman’s terminal), which avoids the awkward (and dangerous) section by the Ballard bridge
• Hiram M. Chittendan Locks.  3015 54^th Street NW.   The Locks connect Lake Union to tide-driven Puget Sound, which are at different water levels.  (I have fond memories of going through the Locks on the Virginia V, heading to Camp Sealth!)  Watching the operation of the Locks is fascinating.  There is a visitor center, salmon ladder, and a lovely 7 acres garden (Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Garden).  The visitor center has an excellent guide to the garden.  You can walk to the Locks from Ballard, being just ½ mile from the intersection of Market and Ballard Avenues.
• Golden Gardens Park at 8498 Seaview Place NW.  The Park includes a huge stretch of Puget Sound waterfront.  Bus 18 gets you close to the park (close to Triton Drive).
• Nordic Heritage Museum at 3014 NW 67^th Street.  This museum has ever-changing exhibits celebrating the town’s Nordic history.  It’s located northwest of the main shopping district; an easy walk.  www.nordicmuseum.org

• Old Seattle Firehouse at 5425 Russell Avenue NW, celebrated it’s 100^th anniversary on October 18^th, 2011.  The firehouse retired in the 70’s, and now is home to the Hi-Life restaurant.  Russell street is off Ballard Avenue.
• Want more ideas? Check out the award-winning blog/neighborhood e-news source:  www.myballard.com

Built in 1924, the 62-acre garden was designated a National Sanctuary  in 1983. Deeply forested, the main plaza is set alongside a cliff in which an alter was constructed. This area is free to the public. For a small fee ($3), visitors can take an elevator to the upper gardens. The meditation chapel overlooks a spectacular view of Mount St. Helens. The garden paths wind through shrines,  various chapels, statues, a peace garden and labyrinth.

Labyrinth

A very serene and meditative retreat that feels far away from a city.

Located at: NE 85th and Sandy Boulevard

This is an easy bus trip:

From downtown Portland, catch Bus # 12 on W. Burnside and SW 6th Avenue.

(From Sellwood, catch Bus 70 and get off on E. Burnside and 12th Avenue, and then hop on Bus # 12).

The 12 stops in front of the Grotto. (To get back into the city, # 12 bus stop is across the street).

THANK you, Cheryl, for hosting this fun event.

VIVALA is filled with beautiful and comfortable clothes, as well as accessories, including jewelry, scarves, and purses.  Love those bendy necklaces… I’ll be back for a couple!  Visit VIVALA as 111 Market Street NE, Olympia.  They’re across from the Olympia Farmers Market.  http://www.vivalastore.com/

There are winding paths along the springs, with ducks and geese living in harmony.  We spied a heron, but it was too far to get a photo.

Afterward, we headed back to Westmoreland–Bybee and Milwaukie Ave. and went to the Oaks Bottom Pub for lunch. Food was great. And then it was time for Mary to head back to Portland, pick up her niece and little rebel Max, and return to Olympia.

Entrance Fees
Admission is free to all from the day after Labor Day
through the month of February. A $3 admission fee is charged between
10:00am-6:00pm, Thursday through Monday, March through Labor Day. Admission is
free for children under 12 and Friends of Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden.

From 23rd and Northrop: Hop on the street car. Get off on Market and 5th. Walk 2 blocks north and take Bus #19 towards Woodstock. From Union Station, take a yellow or green max to PSU–along 5th Avenue. Get off at Pioneer Square and transfer to Bus 19.

This bus goes to Milwaukie and Bybee–which is the Westmoreland neighborhood (or what I call uptown Sellwood). Lots of shops and restaurants here.

The garden about a mile or so from Westmoreland. Stay on Bus 19–the garden is located on SE 28 Avenue, one block north of Woodstock, between Eastmoreland Golf Course and Reed College.  This bus takes alternating routes as it goes through Eastmoreland; ask the driver for the stop nearest the garden