Urban Safari

Did you know that seals sometimes come ashore to rest on the beach at Lincoln Park?

Looking for wildlife is a great activity for kids, and it's surprising how much you can see without even leaving the city. In addition to looking for tough-to-spot animals like seals, it’s also fun to see how many different types of insects and birds you can spot. Lincoln Park, located in West Seattle, is one of the best parks in our area to go on a wildlife “hunt.” In visits during the past two years, I’ve spotted bald eagles circling high above the tallest trees and seen fish jumping just off shore.

Today we set off just after lunch with L in Mr. Bob, our trusty and off-road-friendly stroller. It was a perfect Seattle day… sunny, high 60s and blue, blue skies. There is still a dusting of snow on the highest peaks of the Olympics, setting a wonderful contrast against the deep blue water of the Puget Sound. One of my favorite things about living near the Sound is the smell of salt water. Today a cool breeze brought the salty scent right off the water.

We walked along the lower path in Lincoln Park, about a mile-long stretch of beautiful waterfront. Parking is located at the top of the park, so visitors have to walk a distance to reach the path.

Earlier this month, humpback whales were seen jumping in the waters between West Seattle and Vashon Island, near the Fauntleroy ferry terminal. Today, I couldn’t stop scanning the water for large movements. But, no luck spotting whales. Or seals.

We have only been lucky enough to see a baby seal once, although I’ve heard about many other sightings. Often the mother seal will bring the baby to rest on the beach while she goes hunting nearby. It’s important to remember to stay at least 100 yards away from baby seals and especially keep close rein on dogs. Close contact with humans can scare the mothers away from returning to fetch their babies.

In fact, the wildlife sightings were few. We heard three different types of bird calls, saw several seagulls and crows—my least favorite birds. A couple of pretty white butterflies flittered about. At one point, we played chicken with a fist-sized, unidentifiable flying insect. (I ducked first!)

In fact, the most interesting “wildlife” sightings were: a couple wearing matching blue and white track suits; a four-year-old jumping enthusiastically in and out of a small stream buck naked; and an older couple riding two recumbent bikes with orange flags and grinning like they had just rediscovered the joy of biking.

So, we may not have seen many wild creatures, but we had a wonderful walk. L wasn’t much of a help at looking for animals. He didn’t manage to stay awake for very long, thanks to the bumps of the gravel path that act as a powerful sleep aid.

Other places to look for wildlife in our area:

- The Washington Park Arboretum: An exceptional location for spotting many different species of birds, the Arboretum has dozens of trails that make exploring with kids a lot of fun. The Arboretum is located near the University of Washington.
Link: http://depts.washington.edu/wpa/index.htm

- The “Ballard” Locks: The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (popularly known as the Ballard Locks) are an exciting place for kids to look for salmon jumping up the ladder, as well as the sea lions that like to feast on them. The Locks are located near NW Market Street in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood.
Link: http://www.nws.usace.army.mil/PublicMenu/Menu.cfm?sitename=lwsc&pagename=mainpage

About This Blog

When I was a child, the backyard was my summer playground.

My mom turned us loose in all types of weather to fill the endless hours of summer with all kinds of creative fun.

My sister and I would make forts out of blackberry bushes and put on plays with neighborhood kids. I climbed trees and fed imaginary horses. We invented new elaborate games of tag, rode bikes in endless circles and pretended to be spies plotting the next mission from a backyard tree house.

I’m sure we must have occasionally watched TV on a rainy afternoon, but I don’t have any memories of it. Instead, I remember running freely around the yard in nothing more than shorts and a tank top, the bottoms of my feet black with dirt. It felt like our entire cul-de-sac was filled with happy kids playing outside. It was hard for our parents to get us to come inside for bed when there were always interesting games in mid-play.

Two decades later, as I've recently become a parent, I realize that kids are now spending more time inside in front of TVs and computers and much less time outside exploring their surroundings. I’ve started to think about how special childhood is and how important those unstructured outdoor experiences are for kids.

I believe it is up to us as parents to not only allow, but to also foster, these adventures. I’ve started this blog to share ideas for fun, play-filled experiences we can have with our children. My son and I will be exploring our own backyard and the greater Puget Sound region.

And I hope to recapture some of my childhood along the way.