The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife has given the go-ahead for some razor clam digging in November. Their season update approves digging at Twin Harbors November 14 – 17; Long Beach, Copalis and Mocrocks for November 14 – 15; and Kalaloch Beach for Monday, November 16 only. Additional dates have been tentatively scheduled through January. It is important to always verify the approved dates for clamming before you go out.

If you do decide to go clamming–and really, you should, it really is quite fun–you might want to take advantage of the special deal being offered by the Kalaloch Lodge in the Olympic National Park. Their Clam Digger Lodging Package offers clam diggers at all levels from first-timers to old hands a night of lodging in their beautiful facility conveniently located near to the beach plus breakfast in the morning. It’s available Monday, November 16, and is tentatively scheduled for Friday, December 4, Saturday, December 5, Thursday, December 31 and Friday, January 1, subject to approval from the Washington and National Park Services. Newbie clammers can book a room using the code CLAMDIGNEW for a package that starts at $169 and includes a night at the lodge, a bucket, shovel and net and breakfast for two the next morning. Clam diggers who already have their own tools can use the code CLAMDIGPRO for a package that starts at $129 and includes the room and breakfast. Guests can stay additional nights for just $99 a night, an excellent deal. Besides clamming there are all kinds of things to do and see in the Olympic NP which contains beaches, rain forest valleys, mountain peaks and far, far more different types of plants and animals than you can name. It’s one of the most beautiful places in our state, and, honestly, maybe in the whole world.

To learn more about the Kalaloch Lodge or to book your clamming experience, visit their website. (Even if you’ve decided that clamming is just not for you, it’s an excellent vacation spot and the lodge offers a bunch of great package deals aimed at a variety of interests.) To learn more about the Olympic National Park, visit theirs.

All the information you need to know about clamming in Washington (including how to clean and cook the tasty things) can be found in the Razor Clam section of their website.

Some basics: a license is required for any digger 15 years or older. Any 2009 annual shellfish/seaweed license or combination fishing license is still valid or you can get a razor-clam only license available in annual or three-day only versions. Buy a license online, by phone at 866.246.9453 or in person at any of the more than 600 authorized license vendors. ALWAYS check the weather and surf conditions before heading down to the beach so that you know what you’re facing and, seriously, don’t be stupid about the ocean. It may be a beautiful source of bounty but “killer waves” is a literal expression sometimes.

Go check them out during their last two weeks. Skillet is there serving dinner, and there’s Parfait Ice Cream as well. They always have music and their chef demos have been impressive and tasty every week.

Queen Anne Farmers Market
Queen Anne Ave and West Crockett
3-7pm, Thursdays

Last week I was given the opportunity to take part in the “Camp Woodmark” experience at The Woodmark Hotel, Yacht Club & Spa in  Kirkland, which just so happens to be the only hotel located on the shores of Lake Washington.  Camp Woodmark was designed with adults in mind, meaning they offer a grown-up kind of fun without any of the awkward moments or pre-teen angst from the summer camps of our youth.

Upon my arrival at The Woodmark I was cordially greeted by Brandon, one of the “camp counselors” entrusted with making each campers stay as relaxing and hassle-free as possible, who presented me with a welcome package that included several Woodmark t-shirts and reusable aluminum water bottles.  Not long after that I was on the balcony of my amazing fourth floor lakeside room, enjoying a cool breeze and feeling that there may just be some merit to escaping into your own city after all.

The Woodmark Hotel and terrace

The early part of the afternoon was spent touring the hotel grounds to learn a little more about what exactly The Woodmark has to offer, which as it turns out is quite impressive.  Featuring 100 rooms, 21 of which are suites, most with views of the lake and all with luxury amenities, The Woodmark is also home to a full-service spa, two exceptional restaurants (more on those later), and is one of the premier wedding venues and event spaces on Lake Washington.

Sneaking my way around the property for a few hours left me pretty thirsty, so I headed down to The Library Bar for the first of my scheduled camp events, a summer cocktail making class with Aziz, one of the friendliest and more theatrical bartenders I’ve met in my many years of bar patronage.  Aziz was insistent that I step behind the bar and attempt to fill his very knowledgeable shoes.  Who was I to argue?  Over the hour and a half that followed, Aziz let me mix drinks for the regulars and taught me how to make some of his personal favorites, from the Shinjuku Blossom to the “Aziz You Like It,” a frothy pineapple concoction of his own creation.

Right around the time my nerve was building up (that and a healthy amount of “sampled” drinks in my stomach) to start flipping bottles a la Tom Cruise in Cocktail, it was time to pick up my wife for dinner at bin vivant.  A procession of food like no other, courtesy of head chef Scott Lents, started crossing our table almost immediately.  Scallops P.L.T. (prosciutto, bibb lettuce, cured tomato), French onion soup, beef tenderloin, rack of lamb; everything was cooked to perfection and with great attention to detail.  The wine list is enough to make even the most earnest grape nut second guess their top picks for the evening.  With one of the largest wine preservation systems of its kind in the Puget Sound region, bin vivant takes wine to a new level by making available over 80 climate controlled wines by-the-glass with a state of the art Argon gas-based dispensing mechanism.  Rounding out an amazing meal and adding to the Camp Woodmark experience are tableside s’mores, where the marshmallows (made in-house) are toasted at the table so you can immediately capitalize on their warm, gooey bliss.

Late night at The Woodmark happens to be just as appetizing too.  From 11pm-1am, guests of the hotel are encouraged to “raid the pantry,” a Woodmark tradition where you emerge from your rooms in pajamas or sweatpants, head down to The Library Bar, and then fill your arms/plates with an assortment of delectables that have been laid out buffet-style.  Some drinks, chips, and a plate of what I’m calling spicy Asian meatballs later, my wife and headed back to the room, ready to top off our tanks for the night.  My head hits the pillow finding me stuffed, relaxed, and not quietly weeping while longing for home in any shape or form; basically the exact opposite of all my previous summer camp experiences.

Kayaking on Lake Washington

You may be asking yourself at this point, is all of this really necessary? Well no, actually, but therein lies the reasoning behind the recession-fueled staycation movement in the first place.  Perhaps it would be better if I let Brian Flaherty, general manager of The Woodmark, give you his take on the subject, “Every so often, it’s important for us to not take ourselves so seriously.  With our Camp Woodmark program, we’re encouraging adults to simply have fun while enjoying an unforgettable Pacific Northwest getaway this summer.”

The fun I had was only a small sampling of what Camp Woodmark has to offer their guests as well.  A more robust itinerary might include a cooking class with Chef de Cuisine Scott Lents, morning yoga on the lawn, kayaking on Lake Washington, or even a cruise around it aboard the 28-foot Woodmark II.  The Camp Woodmark packages start at a minimum of two nights, allowing you more than enough time to fill your stay with those “home away from home” kinds of experiences you’re looking for.  Because as I learned from my stay at Camp Woodmark, the goal of keeping it local isn’t just about trying to do more for less, it’s about taking the time to re-discover the adventures that await you in your own backyard.

My friends have been flocking to the beaches to beat the heat. I’ve been envious of their nighttime frolicking, but am too terrified of flesh-eating bacteria and toxic water to make the trek to meet them, let alone set foot in the toxic muck.

To counter my fears, a friend directed me this map and informed me that — counterintuitively — the water at Green Lake is cleaner than that in Lake Washington. I’m not sure that I can get over my lakey superstitions, but maybe this evidence will help you jump in.

For the colder, and somehow less scary, salt water beaches, you can check the Washington State Department of Health; here’s King County, looking “good” [doh].

Go fishing! We are fortunate to have a ton of rivers in the region. Here, my husband practices his cast on the Skykomish River just outside of Gold Bar, WA. Fishing licenses are cheap: $22 for a year. Even if you don’t catch anything, nothing beats standing in a nice cool river with a beer.

Puget Sound’s water is always beautiful and cool.

The “Gateway to the Olympics” is lush and verdant.

A mama seagull made a nice little home for her babies on a beam at the Kingston ferry terminal.

You can look across the Sound and see Seattle.

Downtown Kingston is quaintly charming and very small; it doesn’t take much time to walk all the way through it unless you stop to visit all the neat little stores they have there, of which there are quite a few. The Kingston Quilt Store had some amazing quilts; when it gets to be that time of year that I stop complaining about the heat because I’m cold, I’m definitely going to get some of their quilts to keep me warm. Before then I may go back to visit for their Saturday night concert series that runs through the month of August, the 2009 Tribal Canoe Journey or the First Annual Slug Hunt on August 8.

Despite its small size, Kingston hosts a number of ice cream places; I found myself drawn into Mora Iced Creamery where they have small batch ice cream and sorbet made from fresh ingredients in flavors like Cinnamon, Spicy Chai, Goat Cheese with Fig, Cantaloupe and Pink Grapefruit. I had a scoop each of Lavender and Lemon Bar (made with bits of real lemon bar crust mixed in!) and can’t wait to go back and try more flavors.

Kingston is definitely a fun place to visit. The ferry ride there and back is pleasant and the town is adorable. It’s well worth the trip.

Mmmm....Sounds tempting....

It’s almost time for the annual “Bite of Seattle”, the festival runs Friday 7/17-Sunday 7/19. (Fri & Sat 11 AM-9 PM, Sun 11 AM-8 PM).

Should be a great time as always, this year there are over 100 food booths with every type of food imaginable. There are also 4 beer gardens for when you get thirsty and 7 outdoor entertainment stages with all types of live music; rock, pop, soul, jazz, 80’s, reggae….Pretty much something for everybody….

Looks like the weather is going to cooperate, should be in the mid 70’s all weekend….

Summertime in Seattle, can’t beat it….

The official start of Summer and the longest day of the year, hopefully Mother Nature cooperates and we get some more sunshine around here….

Get your shades ready, Seattle!

Don’t know if it’s true or not but supposedly Seattlites buy more sunglasses per capita than anywhere else in the country. All those months of gray makes our eyes sensitive I guess….

Walking Green Lake by Seattle Daily Photo - from our Flickr pool

I’ve lived in Seattle long enough to remember when Westlake Plaza was closed to traffic, and I’m still outraged that the city opened it. Westlake Center has never regained the vibrancy and foot traffic that it had when the Plaza was closed. And does anyone think that closing Pike Place Market to through traffic would detract from its appeal? There is no bad there.

The new plan, currently in draft and public comment stage, purports to focus on “safety, equity, vibrancy, and health,” through six stated objectives:

1. Complete and maintain the pedestrian system identified in the Pedestrian Master Plan
2. Improve walkability on all streets
3. Increase pedestrian safety
4. Plan, design, and build complete streets to move more people and goods
5. Create vibrant public spaces that encourage walking
6. Get more people walking for transportation, recreation, and health

These are great goals, and the plan (read it HERE or download as a PDF -low res or high res) does an admirable job of outlining strategies and tactics to meet them. The city has a funding levy of $60 million to fund pedestrian improvements over the next six years. Based on current programs, the plan projects that $47 million will go towards new improvements, such as sidewalks, curb ramps, and signals, while $19 million would pay for maintenance. The plan would require other funding to fully support all of the objectives, such as private investment.

And it’s this last part that has me worried: private investment.

The draft Plan includes stated strategies for meeting the objectives. Among the strategies for #5– “Create vibrant public spaces that encourage walking”– the single most important strategy is missing: car-free streets. Instead, “develop guidelines for car-free and shared space streets,” is the last item in the sidebar, under “sample of actions” that could possibly, perhaps, be considered to encourage walking.

Private investment does not like car-free streets. Private investment likes lots of convenient parking, preferably on-site parking. Pedestrians buy only as much as they can conveniently carry home or back to the office. Drivers buy as much as can fill up their SUV for the drive home to the suburbs. Car-free streets favor small businesses that serve local residents and employees. Parking lots favor ’shopping destinations’ that serve tourists and visitors. National chain stores and big retailers wield the political clout and investment dollars that result in parking lots, narrow sidewalks, and through traffic. Neighborhood business owners, residents, and employees get screwed. Again.

It doesn’t have to be that way. As residents and business owners, we have a say in this process. The public comment period for the draft Pedestrian Master Plan has been extended to Friday, June 26th. You can read it at http://www.seattle.gov/mostwalkablecity.htm, or download a PDF from the same site.

Also, the Transportation Committee and the Special Committee on Pedestrian Safety will host a public hearing on the draft plan on Tuesday, July 21st, from 5:00-6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall (600 Fourth Ave.). This is your chance to be heard. Don’t blow it!

Other ways to comment:

Online webform: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/pedestrian_masterplan/contact.htm
E mail: mostwalkablecity@seattle.gov
Telephone: 206-733-9970
Mail: Pedestrian Master Plan Comments
Seattle Department of Transportation
P.O. Box 34996
Seattle, WA 98124-4996

Mountains to Sound Greenway

4 ways to participate!

Compete in the Mountains to Sound Relay – One Day, 100 miles
Registration open until June 18th

Take the Greenway Challenge – a summer-long scavenger hunt with great prizes

Go Geoteaming – use GPS to find hidden caches at Rattlesnake Lake, North Bend

Volunteer for Greenway Days

Events include:
Fenders on Front Street Car Show and Cruise, Issaquah
Fall City Days
Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center, Bellevue
Kayak Rides in Luther Burbank Park, Mercer Island
Tours of the Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility, Ellensburg
Kite Making and More for Kids at Meadowbrook Farm, Snoqualmie
Interpretive Hikes at Tiger Mountain with Greenway educators

For more information and a complete list of events, visit mtsgreenway.org
or contact Stephanie Dunlap at greenwaydays@mtsgreenway.org or 206.382.5565 x21