Animal Farm

Today we attempted to go to the beach at Howarth Park but could not find anywhere to park. Our nice days in the Pacific Northwest are limited so people take advantage to soak up the sun whenever there is a chance so everyone has the same idea when the sun is shinning. I want to visit Howarth Park soon so I can blog about it but there is some sort of construction going on and the road was closed which is currently limiting the amount of parking. We decided to visit the Animal Farm at Forest Park which is down the road from Howarth Park and it was a hit! It is free but donations are greatly appreciated. They also had face painting for $2. I will make a separate post about the rest of the park because today, we only went to the Animal Farm. I was very impressed with the super-cute barn setup and everything was very clean complete with hand washing basins upon exiting. We saw ducks, goats, bunnies, alpacas, and horses. There are also pigs, sheep and ponies but didn't see any. We went about half hour prior to closing. They also have pony rides, which we will do next time! The Animal Farm is open from June 30- August 26 this year.

Spencer Island

Spencer Island is a beautiful island tucked deep in north Everett near the Everett sewer treatment facility.
Getting there: Located near the Everett Animal Shelter just continue along that road, you will enter the water treatment plant, which makes you feel like you went the wrong way, but KEEP GOING, you will come to a sign that says 'No Parking Beyond This Point' but again, KEEP going. The road will turn to gravel and down a bit further there is a parking lot on the right side along with a small brown sign identifying the island. If you park here it is still about a quarter mile walk to the island. When I first read about Spencer Island on The Herald website and various parks and rec sites, they mentioned car break-ins, which can happen anywhere, but on both visits I saw small piles of window glass shattered in the lot. They weren't kidding so don't leave any valuables in the car! You can continue driving down the gravel road towards the bridge and there is an area to turn around but there isn't enough room to park. I think it serves as an access road for the plant which is on both sides of the road. We saw lots of birds on both visits and according to the website, the island is home to deer, coyotes, river otter, and much more! The entire island is an easy and level hike but keep in mind dogs and bikes are not permitted on the south end. There is a port-a-potty near the entrance towards the left after you cross the bridge. We have not seen the entire island so I am not sure if there are more. We also saw a few picnic tables along the way. Depending on the weather and which way the wind is blowing, it may be smelly (like the slough you occasionally smell while driving on I5 between Everett and Marysville.) It was pretty stinky on our first visit but the smell faded away as we got closer to the island and there was no smell on our second visit.

 

The island is divided into 2 areas. We went on 2 separate occasions and were able to see a little bit of each end.

This first group of pictures are from the 'south end'

This next set of pics are from the North end of the island which is where dogs are allowed.  

On the bridge over the Snohomish river.

Future of Flight

My very own Savvy Mommy was visiting from out of town and we thought it would be fun to take the kids to see the planes. We pass Boeing's Everett plant a few times a week and the kids always point and get excited to see the planes. Sometimes we are lucky enough to see the "Dreamlifter" take off or land. It's basically a 747 redesigned to accommodate parts for the 787 and bring them from Japan a couple times a week. The kids LOVE to see this plane in action. We have a great spot for viewing in a parking lot near the end of the runway. The plane is so huge it literally rattles your chest as it takes off seemingly just a few feet above your head. Boeing offers a tour along with a gallery named The Future of Flight. I have been on the tour a couple times but they have a VERY strict rule that children under 4 feet tall are not allowed to go. They can, however, visit the gallery! I could only find tour pricing information on their website so I took a picture of the gallery pricing while we were there.

Play area for toddlers

The kids loved everything! It's small enough that it really doesn't take much more than an hour or so to visit all the exhibits. There is a roof-top observation deck of the Payne Field runway which also features a great view of the Boeing plant, other than that, it's entirely indoors. A gift shop and small cafe are also available. More pics from our visit:

Interior of the Boeing 787 'Dreamliner'

View from the outdoor observation deck

Jet engine

Boeing 727

Boeing 727 cockpit

Our favorite best-kept secret

Two words; JETTY. ISLAND. I use the term 'secret' because I only discovered this gem last summer after living here 9 years but after asking friends that have lived here their entire lives and had never even heard of it! A small (free) ferry takes you to an island right off the Everett Marina where the Snohomish river meets the sound (Puget or Possession?). The island is long and narrow and has the softest sand of any of the beaches I have visited in WA state. The island is actually pretty big so even on a 'busy' day it doesn't feel crowded. They also feature different events throughout the summer including campfire stories, nature walks. Our biggest complaint? It's only open from 4th of July through Labor day. Doesn't seem like enough time but it's to be expected with our wacky weather I guess.
Know before you go:

-On a busy day the ferry tickets go FAST. They are free but are first come first served. We found this out the hard way by packing up a whole days worth of food and swim gear on a beautiful Sunday, only to be turned away :(
- There is an outhouse style bathroom on the island. There is no plumbing and no electricity.
-Bring lots and LOTS of water. On a hot day, we suggest at least 3 bottles of water per person in your group if you are planning to spend the day on the island.

I will post pics from last year along with more info for the 2012 season later!

Silver Lake Park, Everett

The name of this park is actually Thornton A. Sullivan Park at Silver Lake, but we call it "Silver Lake Park". During the summer of 2011 they hosted "Cinema Under the Stars" where they played movies at dusk for free. Check their website for any updates/info for the upcoming summer.

We visited the park earlier this week on a partly-sunny afternoon during the end of March, 2012. We chose this location on this particular day for it's extra large playground.

It was "warm" by Washington standards but a brisk breeze made it bitterly cold due to the close proximity to the lake.

The kids, with their bright red noses, ran around and played to stay warm while the mommies bundled up!