Maple Valley 4th of July Fireworks

If you’re tired of sparklers and bottle rockets in the cul-de-sac and are looking for something different to do this year- close to home for the 4th of July, why not head over to Lake Wilderness Park?  The City will be holding it’s annual Independence Day Celebration & Fireworks Show this Friday from 4-10:30pm.

Break out Aunt Betty’s pie recipe and enter it in the Homemade Pie Baking Contest between 4:00 and 6:00 pm…there is no fee to enter and you might go home with a prize! In addition to the PIe contest, there will be numerous activities; sack races, balloon toss and a slow pitch softball game.

At 10 PM the Fireworks show will begin, accompanied by music from the Maple Valley Youth Symphony.

Lake Wilderness Park

In the heart of Maple Valley, comprised of 117 acres is Lake Wilderness Park. It’s the hub of many Maple Valley annual activities, including Maple Valley Days, Concerts in the Park, the Fishing Derby and 4^th of July Celebration and is where many youth sports teams can be found in the Fall & Spring!

 

The lakeside beach is a popular spot on hot summer days (yes, it does get hot here especially in August).  There are Lifeguards on duty during posted hours and a concession stand for hungry swimmers.

 

The Lake itself is 67 acres and is 38 feet deep at it’s deepest but has a median depth of 21 feet. The park is really one of my favorite places to spend time in Maple Valley, especially on a beautifully sunny day. There are acres and acres of play areas, grassy coves along the banks of the lake for a quiet picnic or private fishing experience- expansive areas for badminton and bocce ball  

 

Larger parties can use one of the several picnic shelters which are available for rent from the City. On the North Western edge of the lake is the Lake Wilderness Lodge which is available to rent for Weddings, Receptions and Corporate events.

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Winding through the park, is Jenkins Creek which helps provide wetlands and habitat for many wildlife, both of the aquatic nature and otherwise.

Creating Family Traditions Around Seattle at Christmas

 

My husband and I had our 3 boys fairly closely in age….(we had 3 under the age of four to be exact, what were we thinking? ) One of our favorite things to do during the holidays when they were small was to load them into the mini-van and head out to look at Christmas lights. Lake Wilderness Country Club here in Maple Valley was one of our favorite spots, driving through the neighborhood oh so slowly, headlights out…oooohing and ahhhhing over the elaborate displays. Of course my husband couldn’t refrain from letting us know there was NO WAY he would ever live there because he would never have that much Christmas Spirit!! (Scrooge)

There was definitely some magic in those moments; being together, feeling safe and loved.  

Of course the boys are older and our traditions have changed…not to mention we don’t have the ole’ mini-van anymore.  We now do a Family shopping day at Belle-Square with an early dinner and the last two years we have delighted in the Christmas Drummers & Snowflake Lane Performace at Lincoln Place.

We all felt that Christmas magic the very first time we saw it. You may want to check it out, it’s worth it!

Zoolights:

There’s nothing like Christmas lights at night to put you in the holiday spirit. Point Defiance Park’s Zoolights was always a favorite with our boys when they were younger. If you’ve never been, I highly recommend it! The zoo is transformed by over 500,000 lights. It’s a fun outing and something your visitors may really enjoy…..take an umbrella though, just in case! They are celebrating their 20th Anniversary this year.

Leavenworth Tree Lighting:

I’ll admit, this is something my husband I and have never done, but it’s on my list for next year! Leavenworth is about a 2 hour drive from Seattle (depending on Pass conditions and weather in general), but a destination well worth the trip! This little Bavarian Village offers unique shops year round, but at Christmas I’ve heard it’s just magical. The Tree Lighting happens this weekend, December 7-9 and next weekend December 14-16. If possible, try to stay over Friday night when the town “is dark” for the lighting on Saturday. More information on Leavenworth.

Candy Cane Tours!!!

My Assistant, Andrea, actually told me about this one…The Elegant Gourmet Candy shop in Woodinville has the most darling, hand crafted holiday candies and cookies. On the weekends they host Candy Cane tours which demonstrate the making of these hand pulled confections.  

If the your palate leans away from Candy and Cookies, the St. Michelle Winery is just around the corner…perhaps a glass of Riesling to complete the day?

 More information on The Elegant Gourmet 

 Like things the Old Fashioned Way? I do!

This sounds like so much fun, I can’t wait for a nice cold sunny day….ok. Nice cold, non-rainy day

How about a horse drawn Carriage ride through downtown? Emerald Country Carriages offer short carriage rides (usually 10-15 minutes) throughout the holidays, but longer rides are available by reservation. This would be a fun addition to a day of Shopping at Westlake Center.

If you have any places , traditions or “to-do’s” you’d like to share, feel free to comment!

From my home to yours….Happy Holidays!

Colleen “Fish” Fischesser

http://www.colleenfish.com/    http://www.maplevalleyrealestate.com/

RE/MAX Select Real Estate