I know because I'm a native. That's why I'm letting you in on top local secrets of a city that's been "underground" for some time now. But there are indeed places the guidebooks miss - even the alternative guidebooks - which miraculously remain Seattle secrets. I'm going to reveal five here. Just don't tell anyone I told you.
Entire books have been written on Seattle and its stunning environs, so for brevity's sake I'll stick within the city limits in this article. Here are five places you probably haven't heard of, but are must-sees for a "real" Seattle experience.
Shilshole Marina and Golden Gardens Park
Housing more boats than you can count (craft for craft, the largest private Marina on the west coast), Shilshole Marina is a great place to just sit and take in the nautical scene that characterizes Seattle. Boats from the smallest kayaks to multi-million dollar yachts splash by one another on an hourly basis here. The best place to view the comings and goings is on the wharf near the channel leading to Puget Sound. It's also a great place to watch fishermen pull up everything from crabs to sturgeon to giant, 100-armed starfish. (The starfish usually get thrown back after a minute of gaping by awe-struck passers-by.) Rows and rows of boats bob in the wind coming off Puget Sound just beyond a protective seawall. The marina also houses Ray's Boat House, a Seattle staple seafood restaurant. Meals are a little pricey, but worth it for the fresh fish and stunning views of the boats, Puget Sound and the not-so-distant Olympic Mountains.
Adjacent to Shilshole Marina is Golden Gardens Park, virtually unknown among tourists. It's surprising the guidebooks haven't pushed this place (I'm glad they haven't.). I suppose that's why it retains its local flavor despite its large size. A walking trail, a railroad line and a leafy green hillside flanks the east side of the park. To the south lies the Shilshole Marina wharf. To the north and west as far as the eye can stretch, lie some of the most stunning views of Puget Sound and the Olympics you'll find anywhere in the Pacific Northwest. I n between is a sandy beach popular among windsurfers, sunbathers (live like the locals do and take out your swimsuit when it reaches 70 degrees) and volleyball players. A grassy area, a duck pond, barbecue huts and a teen center round out the park's main offerings. But the best place in the park is at the far north end, where the sand gets a bit rocky and the sparse crowd thins out to virtually no one at all. Here you can stop and breathe in some salty air, peek under rocks for tiny sand crabs and occasionally catch the Native American drummer beat out a song among the dune weeds.
