Ferry Along

Those of us who were raised in the Puget Sound region are accustomed to ferries as a normal mode of transportation. But listen to the oohs and ahhs of an out-of-town visitor and you realize that the greater Seattle area is pretty lucky to have such a cool system of ferries. In fact, our region is home to the biggest ferry system in the country.

Kids share an out-of-towner's enthusiasm for ferry riding. They love seeing cars loaded on and off the big green and white vessels. Kids get a kick out of standing at the front of the boat and watching the Seattle skyline disappear. It's not difficult to get caught up in the excitement of setting off on a new adventure on a ferry.

Taking a round trip ride on a Washington State ferry is a great idea for an easy day trip with kids. Some fun destinations include Vashon Island, Bremerton, Bainbridge Island or Orcas Island.

The price of riding the ferry has risen steeply in recent years. But you can make the trip more affordable by parking your car and walking on the ferry. Kids will like walking off the ferry to eat an ice cream cone or to explore a new beach before hopping back on for the return trip home.

Let your kids pick the destination and teach them how to read a ferry schedule. Then, sink into the plastic benches, enjoy the views and become a ferry enthusiast again.

Links:
Washington State Ferries

The Real Outdoors

Camping is of the best ways to expose your kids to unstructured, outdoor play. A visit to one of our region's national parks or wildlife areas gives them a chance to experience the "real" outdoors in a setting that (hopefully) has no TVs, iPhones or DVD players. Those opportunities are rare today, and camping provides a way to go backward in time to when kids spent most of their time playing in the woods and getting dirty.

We took little L on his first camping trip this past weekend to the North Cascades National Park. He's too little to run around and play in the woods, but he's not too young to enjoy being outside.

We were thrilled to see that he seemed to really love it. The fresh air is good for his lungs. So, is the exposure to new experiences, such as looking up at huge old growth trees, hearing new bird calls and feeling the early morning mist. He experienced his first night in a tent with the rain pounding on the nylon ceiling. He took his first hike and looked out at the lake from the viewpoint 600 feet above.

For three days we listened to children playing from morning to night all around the campground. Shouts of joy and discovery.

Kids enjoying the real outdoors.