Short Summer Day Trips from Seattle
Leave early to explore the state on summer day trips, and you will find great rewards (just don't try to sneak out on Friday nights). Washington has endless fresh food—much of which you can gather yourself—and historic sights within a few hours' drive.
Image: Lindsay Borden
Lakewold Gardens
Lakewood
This estate south of Tacoma passed through many wealthy hands before it was owned by a high-society matron named Eulalie Wagner. The rare rhododendrons and Japanese maples date to her collaboration with landscape architect Thomas Church, legendary for shaping much of California’s tony exteriors. Wagner’s Georgian-style mansion is open to visitors, but to see vintage photographs tracing the area’s transformation from cow-spotted prairie to city, visit the nearby Lakewood History Museum.
Finnriver Farm and Cidery
Chimicum
In the rolling farmland just south of Port Townsend, the Finnriver orchards stretch across 80 acres using more than 20 different varieties of apple tree. And for good reason; the menu is long and varied. With both its own kitchen and visiting vendors dishing food, the OG Finnriver location is set up for a most-of-the-day visit. The farm also hosts reading groups, dance nights, used goods swaps, and workshops, plus regular live music.
Pioneer Farm Museum
Eatonville
Think of it as old-fashioned cosplay when your kids try out a bow drill or grind grains with the help of costumed tour guides. Neighboring historical recreations feature nineteenth-century homestead cabins on one side and an Ohop Native American fishing village on the other. After a few hours of living in the distant past, travel back to the present in nearby Eatonville, where Mill Haus Cidery has outdoor seating galore.
Founders Pickleball Courts
Bainbridge Island
Bainbridge’s greatest gift to the world may be a game that takes wiffle balls to new heights (and volumes). Though pickleball was invented in an island backyard, today a set of courts in Battle Point Park celebrate the game—and aren’t just tennis courts with new lines either. Various levels of play are scheduled throughout the week, and at certain times rental gear is available.
Remlinger Farms
Carnation
The Remlingers started out with a little roadside fruit stand in 1965, and it’s since become an annual summer destination for Seattle families, complete with a range of activities that stretch the definition of what a farm can be. Seasonal U-pick fields, a farm store with a well-stocked supply of canning tools, a bakery, a restaurant, and an amusement park make up the Carnation institution—check Facebook or the farm’s website daily for updates on availability. In 2024 they debuted an outdoor concert series.
Fort Worden Historical State Park
Port Townsend
Military bunkers, campgrounds, a marine science museum, a bar—Port Townsend’s decommissioned fort is now basically the Disneyland of the state park system, its historic buildings full of dated exhibits and vibrant arts organizations. There’s even an old balloon hangar, now an auditorium. Long stretches of beach (and a lighthouse) form two sides of the 500 acres, with wooded trails on the other two, and the concrete batteries that once held pre–World War soldiers have become year-round haunted house fodder.
Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve
Littlerock
The biggest mystery south of Olympia is what’s going on with the acres of natural six-foot lumps at Mima Mounds. There’s no scientific explanation for what looks a lunar landscape (or the work of a Godzilla-size groundhog). On the other side of I-5 in Tenino, you’ll do a double take at the town swimming pool: the converted sandstone quarry is a remnant of the area’s mining history.
Kayak Crabbing
Brinnon
Hood Canal Adventures on the Olympic Peninsula knows that the best outings end with a meal. They rent kayaks and crab pots together and yes, they'll even loan the gear needed to cook them up on the beach. All you need is the license (available online or at the nearby general store) and the attendants will give advice on how to do it without ending up underwater.
