Favorite Spots in Seattle (Green Lake)

Dipping into a wonderful little walking book by John Owen, called Walking Seattle, I  was pleased to rediscover some of the wonderful neighborhood walks in our city. I also realized that they may be accessible to us as a family, though it may take a few expeditions to complete some of them if the girls are in tow. I decided to put it to the test and choose a walk that is very familiar to the girls: Green Lake. We have circumambulated this lake many, many, many times. The girls have walked some of it, cycled some of it, fed ducks at places, played hide and seek behind the trees or just sat in our burley as I took in some exercise. I have walked it alone, before during and after pregnancies and while training for the Seattle Marathon last year. I have walked it with James, with just one or other of the girls and with friends. I love Green Lake. And so do the girls. So on Friday I suggested that we head over with a new purpose in mind: Blackberry picking!
 
This summer I read an article about foraging for berries in Seattle's urban parks and it inspired me to finally take some action. I love berry picking and have wanted to learn more about the various berries in our area that are edible and tasty. In June and July, the girls loved picking the raspberries growing in our back garden. It had become a summer morning ritual: the girls climbing into our bed for a morning snuggle and then rushing out to the back garden to see if any of the raspberries were ripe enough to pick and eat on the spot. Having developed a love of berry picking, I wanted to extend their joy of foraging with blackberries. We have never picked the plump blackberries from the numerous bushes growing around Green Lake. As blackberries are just coming into season now, I knew that the berries would entice them to walk as much as possible around the lake.

Friday started a soft day with grey skies and hazy rain. Having decided that we wanted to be outdoors with the girls we stuck to our decision to head over to Greenlake. We walked around the lake stopping with our baskets and containers to pick the ripening blackberries. We also had plenty of opportunities to admire the numerous mallard ducks that inhabit the area. The girls ran and walked and took turns riding and standing on a stroller we borrowed for our trip to Paris. We've had a few people offer their sit-and-stand strollers after I sent out a request to my community of mothers. While in the stroller the girls enjoyed pretending they were Buzz Lightyear from the movie Toy Story. They would stretch out their arms and joyfully announce, "To infinity and beyond."

Two thirds of the way around the lake, energies began to wane (the girls' and James'). We decided to stop at Starbucks on the East side of the lake and warmed ourselves with herbal tea (James), chai (me) and hot chocolate (Ashley and Caitlin). Delighted with her discovery of a high chair with wheels, Caitlin had a fun ride around the coffee shop, while Ashley happily explored the customer-free second level. I think it was the going up and down the two flights of stairs that was the real attraction. Fortified from our rest, beverages and pastries, we finished our walk around the lake and returned to our house for the arrival of friends coming to play. In the evening, we made blackberry sauce to spoon over ice-cream, keeping some berries intact to garnish the top. For me blackberry season really is a highlight of the year. I have such fond memories of picking blackberries as a little girl and it never fails to excite me when I see them ripening on a bush. It's a source of great satisfaction and delight to me to share this thrill with my daughters and with James.