Best Nature and Parks (RV, National, Dog, etc) in Kirkland

"Olympic Sculpture Park is an award-winning free public sculpture park owned and operated as part of the Seattle Art Museum, originally opened to the public in 2007. The park spans nine acres along the city's downtown seawall beachfront at Myrtle Edwards Park and was designed by Weiss/Manfredi Architects on the site of a former industrial area. As one of downtown Seattle's only urban green spaces, the park is open to the public daily between dawn and dusk, with free tours available at select times throughout the year."

"Olympic Sculpture Park, an ingenuous feat of urban planning, is an official offshoot of the Seattle Art Museum and bears the same strong eye toward design and curation. There are more than 20 sculptures to stop at and admire in this green space that sprawls out over reclaimed urban decay. You can also enjoy them in passing while traversing the park's winding trails."

"Situated on Magnolia Bluff overlooking Puget Sound, this expansive urban park--the largest in Seattle--offers two miles of beach trails and nine miles of winding footpaths. Ostensibly a bluff-top reserve, Discovery Park protects a remarkable urban wilderness and is a great place for nature-watching. The Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center, which features art and cultural exhibits, is also located at the park, as is a marine reserve."

"Discovery Park is aptly named because it allows guests to have fun exploring its nooks and crannies. Couples who love the outdoors will enjoy traversing the trails going to and from the lighthouse or having a picnic at its side. If they want to enjoy the water, there’s a beach where they can go swimming, as well."

"On the north end of Lake Union, you'll find what may be the most unique park in the area. The 21-acre industrial area, formerly the site of a gas plant, was transformed in the 1975 into a recreational complex (a worldwide first). You'll find that there's plenty to do in the park, including kayaking, sailing, picnicking, and bicycling."

"Gas Works Park is a unique passive natural space on Lake Union's north shore, directly across from the downtown skyline. It's hard to say what makes this park stand out the most. It's either the unparalleled view of downtown across the water or the scenic remnants of the former coal gasification plant that used to occupy the site."

"Kerry Park is by far one of the most Instagrammable places in Seattle and one of the best places to see in Washington State. You can see the Space Needle, much of downtown, and the water from this viewpoint. A large majority of shots you see of the city are taken from this tiny park in Queen Anne."

"Another favorite site that is also free is to go to Kerry Park. You will get an amazing view of the city skyline from a different angle. We stayed here as the sun went down to enjoy the view at night."

"This little park at the northern edge of West Seattle offers clear views of the downtown skyline over Elliott Bay. A post shared by Amanda Rasch (@amanda_rasch) on May 20, 2018 at 2:47pm PDT"

"Interlaken Park is proof that one does not need to leave the city to get some nature and a great workout. The park is densely wooded with well-maintained ravine trails, located on the northern end of Capitol Hill. Owning to the well maintained and thrilling trails, which offers excellent opportunities to witness wildlife up close, this park is frequently visited by hikers and joggers."

"Located right in the city center is the excellent Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park which offers up a fascinating look at the gold rush of 1897. Through artifacts, exhibits, and photos, visitors learn about the discovery of the precious mineral and the lives of the thousands of ‘stampeders’ who set off from Seattle to make their fortune. Opened in 2006, the museum is housed in the historic Cadillac Hotel with parts of the park also to be found in Skagway in Alaska."

"This wonderful museum eloquently run by the US National Park Service has exhibits, photos and news clippings from the 1897 Klondike gold rush, when a Seattle-on-steroids acted as a fueling depot for prospectors bound for the Yukon in Canada. Entry would cost $20 anywhere else; in Seattle it’s free!"

"Another fascinating kids' activity in Seattle is the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park. Not only is it an educational and historical experience. But it is part of the National Park Service."

"Offbeat beers from an off-the-beaten path brewery I swear this relatively unheralded brewery didn’t make this list because it's like, a half-mile from my house. It made it 'cause they're serving interesting, often distinctly European-style beers with Northwest ingredients -- try The Lady, a juicy and floral sour, or if you're feeling really bold, the 11% abv Time Crises, a triple with notes of papaya and lemon -- all from a utilitarian taproom in an industrial park just South of the Ballard Locks."

"Sure, this company makes other brews too, but if your jam is in sour beer, you can’t do better than Urban Family. Combining fruits like raspberry, mango, passionfruit, blueberry, boysenberry, lemon and even some other puckering flavors like strawberry lemonade, this is the quintessential summer beer establishment."

"Located in the verdant Pacific Northwest, laying along the Puget Sound and lined with mountain ranges to the east and west, Seattle is surrounded by beautiful views and a landscape that offers a generous helping of locally-grown and -raised food. It's true that a restaurant with a good view isn’t very hard to come by, but a restaurant with a good view and good food?. That's another story."

"The Six Arms Brewery is a Seattle outpost of the regional McMenamin’s chain. Their beers include a range of stouts, pale ales, and IPAs, plus Edgefield cider and wine — but more importantly, you can get their delicious pear brandy sidecar cocktail..."

"A post shared by Mike Anderson (@realmikeanderson) on Oct 12, 2017 at 8:04pm PDT. While tacos may not be the neatest food to eat, this restaurant’s ambiance is so perfect your date won’t notice. The Mexican restaurant’s dining room features a tree with lanterns, which makes for a perfectly romantic backdrop."

"For sports loving families, it’s important to mention that Seattle is a city that loves it’s sports teams. With the Mariners, Seahawks, and Sounders competing in their signature bright green and navy colors, locals will wear their colors with pride as well. Keep in mind that attending one of these pro-level games will set you back quite a few dollars."

"Nishino serves up traditional, as well as innovative and speciality sushi. Other than the ala carte sashimi, rolls, noodles and starters, they also offer omakase-style dining, where you sit back, relax and let the chef bring to you the freshest and best catch of the day. Located just a few steps away from Washington Park Playfield, the great location gives you a chance to have a walk after your delicious and fulfilling meal."

"Upscale crowds applaud this lovely restaurant for a sushi bar that delivers maki and sashimi fashioned from the day's freshest catches. In addition, cooked items and luscious omakase meals are available for diners who crave something besides sushi. Nishino's subdued atmosphere provides a perfect environment for enjoying a relaxing dinner, whether it's in the colorful dining room or on the peaceful outdoor patio."

"It’s all white-tablecloth loveliness in this longtime favorite at the portal of Madison Park, which serves exquisite sushi, along with some intriguing fusion items. Bring the geoduck neophytes. Slightly pricy; everyone’s a regular."

"Thirty-one floors above downtown Bellevue, this steak-meets-sushi restaurant could coast on views and clubby vibes, but Ascend’s sky-high prices feel far more justified once you experience the luxe crudos, appetizers, steaks, and sides flawlessly executed to be greater than the sum of their (many) parts. The six-tier steak menu is the big draw, but the sushi bar is equally impressive with traditional nigiri or modern roll concoctions of spicy tuna and prosciutto. Servers are intensely, impeccably trained to support and advise, from the iPad wine list to the theatrics of the dessert menu."

"Enjoy the ultimate splurge at this elevated, fine-dining restaurant in Bellevue, and get ready to drink in views of a lifetime. On a crystal-clear day, Mt. Rainier shows her mighty peak on one side, as Seattle's skyline rises in front of the distant Olympic Mountain peaks. While a full steak and sushi dinner seems to be an event saved for special occasions here, you may also choose to treat yourself to cocktails, delicious wine and small plates with a view in the lounge."

"Sporting sweeping views of the lush waterfront Bellevue area from its stylish dining room, Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi is known for doing surf and turf with a distinctively Japanese..."

"The gist: When Covid closed this Northwest-Filipino tasting menu spot, it reopened with a hybrid CSA and meal-kit balikbayan box. Now, a year on, they have reopened reservations for dining in with meals starting June 12.The food: Chef Aaron Verzosa uses local ingredients to imitate the Filipino foods he grew up with, like sinigang made with green apples.The cost: The 9 - 12 course menu runs $167How to order: Reserve on Tock"

"Hillman City’s acclaimed Filipino fine dining restaurant offers Balikbayan boxes: a combination of seasonal items packaged with the restaurant’s usual thoughtfulness and flair for narrative. Each week, it pairs that with some quick meal offerings, such as Arroz Haluin (paella with locally grown saffron and turmeric, double smoked bacon longanisa, roasted chicken, and spring vegetables). Preorders available via Tock."

"It's impressive how Aaron Verzosa and Amber Manuguid have translated their exposition-driven multicourse dinners into a carefully wrought Balikbayan Box, each week's version filled with protein, seasonal produce, and some fun extras."