In the past, I’ve only gone to the SeaTac area to fly out of the airport. [Anyone else?] I had no idea what the surroundings were like, or that there were beautiful trails and ocean views nearby. So because I was “stuck” here for training anyway, I decided to use my remaining daylight hours to do some exploring.
First up: Des Moines Creek Trail to Des Moines Beach. According to traillink.com, “The Des Moines Creek Trail offers a nice connection between the south side of Seattle and the waterfront community of Des Moines on Puget Sound.” It’s true! I was able to walk from my hotel to the trailhead [about two miles] and then … keep walking! The trail itself is only about a mile long, but offers a great deal of tranquility as the forests and creek are your only companions. I didn’t even hear much traffic noise [except for airplanes taking off]. The beach and views of the Puget Sound are pretty spectacular too. It’s a great little adventure and escape from the city streets.
Next up: Seahurst Park. This one required me to take a couple city buses, first to Burien, then closer to Seahurst Park Rd. I didn’t wear the right shoes for this adventure [Birkenstocks? you okay?] and ended up walking four miles to get down to the beach and then back up again. But the driftwood and sunshine on the water were really beautiful. I think coming here with a car would have been ideal.
And finally: I took the quick [15 minutes!] ferry from Fauntleroy [again, city buses to the terminal and back] to Vashon Island to hike at Shinglemill Creek. It only costs $6.25 for a round trip ferry ticket and you can get an all day bus pass for $8. The trailhead was only half a mile from where the bus dropped me, and then [after changing into exercise clothes and sneakers] I hiked about three miles on a most beautiful and forested trail, going up and down through the woods and sometimes next to the creek. Another lovely adventure!!
So if you’re ever in these parts of the world, hopefully my descriptions will inspire you to come check these places out. If not, just know that I had a good time. 🙂
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