TO THOSE OF US at Seattle Met, the phrase “Christmas in July” refers not to an artificial shopping holiday but to printing schedules that require us to always be working on stories at least a season ahead. So, here I sit, as cruel April comes to its bone-chilling close. Instead of being drenched in sweat from the outdoor summer adventures of this issue’s cover story, I’m drenched in rain and fancying a steamy soak in one of the elegant tubs that grace our bathroom design feature this month. In fact, only the polar bears snapped by local photographer Steven Kazlowski in these pages are warmer than they wanna be. Good thing this issue sizzles with a celebration of earth, water, and sky activities. Saddle up a horse if you’re hot to trot, go for the burn on a rugged mountain trail, set sail on a sultry afternoon, or head for the heavens in a hot-air balloon.

If that’s not your cup of firewater, look for starlight, burning bright at a night-sky party hosted by the Seattle Astronomical Society on Green Lake. Or gawk at red-hot rock stars, as our correspondent did, on Virgin Air’s new direct flight to balmy LA. Establish a beachhead with writer Jim Gullo and bake on 28 miles of blistering sand at Long Beach with a Scoopers ice cream cone melting down your chin. If that’s too hot to handle, tip your sunhat to William O. McKay, the Ford dealer who not only fanned the flames of our love affair with summer road trips but cooked up our annual summer Seafair fest—and then chose tropical Fiji for his final resting place.

To ignite the sparks of torrid summer romance we toast the city’s hottest singles and introduce a happy camper, a singer headed Into the Woods, and an actor Swimming in the Shallows who just may find himself basking in the glow of a sunny press agent.

In the food and drink departments, we order our steak dry-aged and Capital Grilled and our summer ale jasmine-scented, and stroll through Pike Place for doughnuts straight from the fryer or fiery curry from the Pan Africa Market. And we keep the home fires burning, inspired by properties with outdoor kitchens that are selling like hotcakes.

Phew. It’s sweltering in here. Anybody got a fan?

Katherine Koberg

Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]