Green Lake

Some times even tourists need a free option.

Some times you need a free option

Or a safe place to roller skate

Or three miles of park to walk around and enjoy the company of a friends

Or to see dogs.

I think you're catching my drift. Some times you just don't feel up to doing the touristy thing and you just want to be out of the house in a place that is free, and chill, and comfortable. Which is why parks and green spaces in cities are wonderful.

As far as green spaces in cities go I think Green Lake is especially special. In the middle of the city there is a lake surrounded by grass and trees and there are squirrels that live in the trees (I grew up mostly in the woods okay, even living outside of Seattle proper I experience a certain level of discomfort being constantly surrounded by concrete and I need green spaces to escape from that). Green Lakes isn't the kind of park you see in suburban neighborhoods where there are a few lots worth of grass with a jungle gym in the middle for kids to play on. Instead it is a three mile loop around the lake with a small stadium, theater, and a few places to baseball, tennis, basketball, other sportsball type games. Mostly it is a space set up to be outside and to enjoy being outside in a place that often feels like being at the bottom of a concrete canyon.

In my experience, Green Lake is busy and well loved all year long but it really comes to life in the spring and summer (again, I am just longing for summer and you are all just going to have to suffer through me talking about it). That is when swimming and boating on the lake opens up and all of us vitamin d deficient locals try to soak up as much of the sun as we can before the long winter returns (the winter, it's so long. It is hurting my soul). There are a couple of different places marked off for swimming and places to rent paddle boards and boats and there are benches in the shade for you to rest in during your long walk around. If those aren't the things you are interested in then there is also geocaching and the trail is fully paved for biking and roller skating. You've got some options.

The best part is, Green Lake is free and it has a free parking lot (that gets kind of full in the summer).