Taking the Animals to the Farmers Market

June is one of my favorite months of the year in Seattle.  The weather is gorgeous, baseball is in full swing and there are plenty of outdoor activities to keep the animals in your house occupied and worn out.  One of my favorites is Seattle’s many neighborhood farmers markets, which are finally open for the summer.  The markets are perfect if you enjoy fresh local produce, great food options, or just like to get out and experience the community.

Fresh local produce straight from the farm.  Photo by Kevin Ticen

Fresh local produce straight from the farm. Photo by Kevin Ticen

Queen Anne Farmers Market

Last Thursday, my wife and I were looking for something to do to get the kids out of the house and pick up dinner at the same time.  Luckily, the Queen Anne Farmers Market is only a block from our house so we packed everyone up and walked over to grab some food and enjoy the great sense of community that exists at the market. Continue reading

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Exploring Capitol Hill

Pike Street Everyone in Seattle has their favorite neighborhood. Maybe it’s where they live or work, or where their favorite restaurant or park is located. Maybe their favorite neighborhood is the one where they feel the most at home, or the one where they just aspire to feel the most at home. Regardless, everyone has a place where they belong in this city. Continue reading

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Goin’ on a Sasquatch Hunt

Sasquatchmainstage/ Blue Skies & Hillside at Sasquatch’s Main Stage photo credit: Anne Lundquist

Sasquatchmainstage/ Blue Skies & Hillside at Sasquatch’s Main Stage photo credit: Anne Lundquist

The distinct aroma of mud, hot dogs, sunscreen, kettle corn and honey buckets will forever bring back memories of my camping experience at the annual Sasquatch Festival, located at the Gorge Amphitheater in eastern Washington. As a citygirl with a camper heart, nothing beats spending a weekend under the stars listening to live music with my best buds. If you are like me and don’t mind getting a little dirt under your nails, basic camping is the way to go. I spent the crisp mornings watching the sunrise from my tent while bundled up in a sleeping bag and sipping piping hot coffee. However, for music lovers who enjoy a tad more cushion, Sasquatch offers star camping to keep you nice and cozy in an RV. Making a flag or bringing a balloon is a great way to mark your home away from home especially while learning to navigate the crowded grounds. Continue reading

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Not your Grandparents’ Museums

One of SAM's monthly REMIX parties

One of SAM’s monthly REMIX parties

I recently spent a week in Baltimore attending the American Alliance of Museums‘ annual conference. We’re looking forward to hosting their 2014 meeting in Seattle next May. Which is cause for its own article, but that’s not my topic for today.

Immersed in the sessions and conversations of nearly 5,000 museum professionals, at a conference themed around “The Power of Story,”  I found myself thinking a lot about our museums. About how lucky we are to have such a diverse collection in our community, telling all sorts of powerful stories. And perhaps most importantly,  I realized that the outdated image of museums as stuffy, or boring, is just not true anymore. At least not here.  Our museums offer programming and events that are just plain fun. Continue reading

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Rock Down to Ballard Avenue

While I’ve been fortunate to have lived in a few different Seattle neighborhoods over the the years, I must tell you about the not-so-hidden gem of Ballard. Once a quaint neighborhood that felt more industrial than city, more Nordic fishing village than hot spot for yuppies and hipsters, Ballard hit its growth spurt in the early 2000s and there is no sign of slowing down. I’m one of those “outsiders” who made the move to the lively neighborhood a couple years ago and I’ve been thanking myself ever since. Continue reading

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