Summer Days - Fun things to do outside of Seattle from a local Family Photographer
When I was little, summer days meant playing with my sisters and cousins with a bucket, water guns and the hose in the driveway. The driveway was shared between two houses at the end of a dead-end street. Our neighbors were my aunt, uncle and cousins and having extended family just steps away meant that there was always someone to play with.
The funny thing is that those are some of my most cherished memories; the un-fancy, sometimes boring days of blowing bubbles and listening all day for the sound of the ice cream truck turning down our street. As the sun fell and the sky turned from blue to red, to orange, we’d run on the lawn and catch lightning bugs. I didn’t realize then how blissful my childhood really was, and how quickly it passes.
Last year, my family and I relocated all the way from Long Island, NY to Kitsap County, WA (which isn’t too far from Seattle). From hot humid summers to cool, drizzly days that have left me wondering “Will summer ever come?”
There’s plenty to love about living on the west coast, in addition to the stunning natural beauty. The people are friendlier, there’s way less traffic in places like Bainbridge Island, for example than in NY and the air smells sweetly of pine trees. There are more birds than I can count, chirping and swooping throughout the day.
Getting acquainted with our adopted home has been fun. Our kids enjoy walking through Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island. It’s a picturesque way to immerse yourself in nature. The Japanese Guest House and Garden is a highlight. Be sure to stop on the Trestle Bridge for a photo op!
There are plenty of shops and restaurants in nearby Winslow. Favorites of ours have become Bruciato, for inventive brick-oven pizza, and Café Hitchcock for their amazing pastrami sandwich or smoked salmon tartine. Top it off with creative ice cream flavors at Mora, and you’ve had yourself a pretty perfect day. (Pssst…try the Lemon Tart)
What do I miss about Long Island? Beside missing our family tremendously, I long for the familiar things. Our favorite restaurants, like Grotta di Fuoco and Pearl, the ocean waves of Long Beach, and of course the salty air. I might even miss those notoriously grumpy New Yorkers who love to honk their horn in traffic.
But most of all I wish I had more photographs of my extended family to display throughout our new home. I believe deeply that photographs hold immeasurable value within a family. A way to recall memories that are tucked away in the far reaches of your mind. Open an album or a shoebox full of old photos and it’s almost as if the memory becomes a wave that washes over you. Suddenly, you recall the sights, smells and sounds of a special day or moment. That’s why Lifestyle Family Sessions and Extended Lifestyle Family Sessions are so dear to me. It’s an opportunity to pause and remember this season of life.