Best Summer Activities in Washington

It is no secret that in Washington (well, the Pacific Northwest in general) is perfect in the summer! Determining which activities to fill your summer or vacation with can be challenging because you’ll want to do everything, but time is not on your side…

Summer 2021 I decided to do a couple weekend getaways and then fill the rest of my time up with activities that I always say I want to do, but never do because I blink and then summer is over.

Here are my favorite summer activities in Washington:

1. Mariners Baseball Game
2. Museum of Pop Culture (MoPop)
3. Hot Tub Boats on Lake Union
4. Exploring Pike Place
5. Whale Watching
6. River Floating/Tubing in Leavenworth
7. Scoot Coupe around Friday Harbor
8. Visit a Washington Beach

Mariners Baseball Game

The Seattle Mariners are one of those teams that play well sometimes, but usually they are not playing good. However, one thing that is consistent is the atmosphere will be energetic. Since T-Mobile Part has a retractable roof, you never have to worry about possible rain ruining the day. Tickets vary in price depending on where you sit and when, but often times ticket can be purchased for as low as $10 if you catch the right promotion.

Museum of Pop Culture (MoPop)

From 2000 – 2016, Museum of Pop Culture (MoPop) was known as the Experience Music Project (EMP). Over time, the EMP gradually became known for both music and pop culture, which eventually led to a rebranding. There are several exhibits that are permeant, such as Nirvana: Taking Punk to the Masses and Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, but then there are several revolving traveling exhibits that keep this museum a place to return back to often.

MoPop is a must stop if you enjoy museums in general, but especially a must top if you enjoy everything pop culture.

MoPop is located at the Seattle Center, which is easily accessible by monorail from Westlake (downtown Seattle). A visit to MoPop can be paired with visits to the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden & Glass, and/or the Pacific Science Center (the Laser Dome is my favorite!).

Hot Tub Boats on Lake Union

Hot Tub Boating around Lake Union is a one of a kind experience in Seattle that is open year round. The boats are filled with clean water after each group and does not require any boating experience or licensure. I’ve recently heard that there is competition now in the hot tub boat industry, but the link above is the company we booked through.

So, grab your swim suit, good drinks, and 5 of your friends, and take one of these hot tub boats out for a float and see Seattle and all the house boats from a unique perspective.

There are only three boats in circulation, so it is recommended you make reservations online up to one year in advance.

Exploring Pike Place

When you think of Seattle, you probably immediately think of the iconic Space Needle and Pike Place Market. The market is home to the infamous Gum Wall, Rachel the Piggy Bank, and the Original Starbucks. There are over 500 vendors in the market, and even more shops and vendors to check out within a couple city blocks of Pike Place. Visit the market expecting crowds, but keep your eyes and nose open or you might miss something really neat or tasty.

Whale Watching

Puget Sound Express is a family owned whale watching tour company that runs tours daily from roughly March to end of December. Tours are out of Port Townsend and/or Seattle/Edmonds, but not every tour runs out of each town every day. It is highly recommended to book in advance online.

I am sure all of the tours are marvelous, but my favorite tour is the all day tour from Port Townsend to Friday Harbor (San Juan). This gives you an entire day to relax on the charter boat, travel across the Salish Sea, take in the views, grab lunch on Friday Harbor, and then travel back. Being that the tour is all day, the chances of seeing whales and other wild life is that much higher. Several tours will provide a voucher to rebook if whales are not seen.

Tip: If you are susceptible to motion sickness, or you think you could be, take Dramamine before the tour begins. Better to be safe than sorry. I didn’t think I would get sea sick, but as soon as we were traveling on the Salish Sea that quickly changed. Sucking on ginger hard candies and sitting at the back of the boat will help.

River Floating/Tubing in Leavenworth

Leavenworth Outdoor Center offers equipment and transportation to the starting point for paddle boarding, kayaking, and rafting, but my favorite activity is the 4-mile tubing adventure down Icicle and Wenatchee Rivers. At the end of the float, you are just two blocks from downtown Leavenworth.

This is great fun for the whole family, to include your dog, and they offer cooler tubes for all your drinks. You’ll be told you cannot drink alcohol, but nobody is going to stop you either. Just pack out what you pack in, keep it discrete, and be safe.

Tubing runs from mid-June to September and the river speeds and depths will vary depending on the time of year. Usually by the end of the season, Icicle River becomes too shallow and the only tubing option is the 2-mile route down the Wenatchee River. If you want to float down both rivers, go mid-June – July.

Reservations can and should be made online in advance.

Note: NOBODY is graceful getting in and out of the tubes regardless of shape and/or size. If you are anxious or self-conscious, I get it, but don’t let it stop you from trying this super fun activity. You will get stuck in shallow areas, and if you are short you will struggle with getting unstuck because your legs are not long enough to touch the bottom of the river. Had I known this in advance, I probably would have bought my hiking pole to help me get unstuck so I didn’t have to keep getting up and out of the tube.

Scoot Coupe around Friday Harbor

In Friday Harbor you can rent a moped or two person scoot coupe to drive around the island through Susie’s Mopeds. Although this is a very fun activity, it can be stressful when actual vehicles are near you. It is very apparent that the scoot coupes and mopeds are annoying to the locals since you drive them on the main roads. The views are breathtaking though and the wind blowing in your face is so relaxing.

They can be a little challenging to get used to, but after a while they become pretty simple to drive. Before you leave the lot, you are instructed on how to safely drive your rental. I personally never got used to breaking quickly, and I almost crashed a couple times into ditches or into another scoot coupe when pulling over to let vehicles pass. As long as everybody drives carefully and doesn’t stop immediately upon a corner it should be okay.

Visit a Washington Beach

There are many beaches in Washington and the perfect time to visit is during the summer. The beaches in Washington are still going to be windy, a bit chilly, and generally are not built for surfing. They are however perfect for setting up a little barbecue, flying kites, building sand castles, and running around with the dogs.

Most of the coastal towns have events throughout the summer, but the most famous is the International Kite Festival during the month of August in Long Beach. Another honorable mention is Westport is home to the International Mermaid Museum.