Alki Beach is a popular coastal community located in the most westerly point of West Seattle, jutting out into the Pudget Sound.   Alki is one of my favorite places in the city. During the morning hours you can grab a cup-a-joe from your preferred coffee shop and take a stroll along the boardwalk.  Or, sit on some driftwood lining the expansive beach and watch as the colossal ferries float by.

Sitting anywhere on Alki offers views of downtown Seattle and that of the iconic Space Needle.  I especially enjoy an early morning walk…as the sun begins to rise, the water is very calm and the tide is low.  In the distance you can hear seagulls squawk, baritone ferry and fog horns blow, with the lapping of the water on the shore—during this time of day you can help but feel a great sense of serenity. You’ll often see people meditating or performing some form of martial art exercise.

By the afternoon (especially on a sunny day and/or on the weekends) the area is hopping with activity, often with special or annual events, such as weddings, volleyball tournaments and competitive runs like the Alki 5k Fun Run.  There are a ton of activities to partake in…from biking, rollerblading, running, kayaking, scuba and a whole lot more.  There are several rental facilities to accommodate nearly any whim. If you’re into Frisbee or playing catch and the beach is too full, there is a large park just a block from the beach with two baseball/softball fields and plenty of room to play.

The Alki Beach boardwalk is two and a half miles long, providing outstanding distances for activities and exercise.   Only a small portion of that two and a half miles has a sandy beach, the rest is seawall. Naturally the beach portion of the area is the most crowded, so your best bet to find parking is on the extreme ends, or inland a bit. There is however a free shuttle that runs every 15 minutes or so, which makes parking beyond the beach much easier. The shuttle also allows you to explore other areas of Alki and West Seattle as it makes a big loop along the water and up and over the hill into West Seattle.

Seacrest Park, which is located on the far end of Alki, provides kayak, paddle board, scuba and other rentals.  Seacrest Park is also where you can catch a water taxi to take you to downtown Seattle to explore the waterfront district, Pike’s Place Market, Seattle Center, the stadiums and aquarium. You do not want to park in downtown Seattle, it’s a mess!  Parking and taking the pedestrian water taxi, then walking to your destination is your best bet.

While you’re at Alki Beach, you may also want to check out:

• Alki Point Lighthouse, which is one of only eight lighthouses on the Puget Sound open to the public.
• Log House Museum is the birthplace of Seattle and honors the Denny party who landed on Alki beach in 1851.
• Alki Bathhouse often has art exhibits and other activities.
• Many great local restaurants…one of my favorites is Cactus.  Cactus is a contemporary southwestern restaurant with outstanding food (I really like the seafood enchiladas) and a great open-air layout.
• Salty’s is something of a Northwest institution. The view is spectacular, and the romantic atmosphere can’t be beat.
• Phoenecia has a small, intimate setting with a great vibe.  The food is contemporary American served tapas style so you can try many dishes.  They also have artisan thin crust wood-fired pizza.
• If you’re not from Seattle, you simple must try some fish & chips…if it’s nice out…take them to the beach.  The Spud is a Seattle institution and has been on Alki Beach since 1934.  My Dad used to take me there when I was a kid…”Single with extra fish please” is what I’d order. I have very fond memories going there with my Pop!
• While the Spud is good, just two blocks away is a place called, “SunFish” which I think edges out Spud. SunFish only takes cash and the owners are a couple of old crotchety brothers…they remind me of the Soup Nazi in NYC. They’re good guys…it’s just customer service is not their forte…thankfully good food is.  The seafood skewer is outstanding too.

If you live or have been to Alki Beach, let my readers and me know what you like most by placing a comment below.  Click the following link to see more of my pictures of Alki Beach.  If you enjoyed this post and video, please click the “like” button to share with your friends and family.

Below are a few of the segments that aired.  Let me know what ya think…constructive criticism is welcome.

If you are out of the area or miss the live show, visit the ABC15 Now! website and you can see clips of the show.

All constructive criticism is welcome…post a comment below if you see me on-air and tell me what I can do to improve my on-air appearance.

• The Eclectic Village of Finn Slough
• Crater Lake – Deepest in the U.S.
• Pike Place Market – A Seattle Landmark
• Peak-2-Peak Gondola Ride in Whistler B.C.
• Hot Air Ballooning over Palm Springs
• Bodie Ghost Town

Bodie State Park is a well-preserved ghost town that dates back to the mid-1800s. By 1880, Bodie, California was a booming town with a population near 10,000, and some estimate that it was the 2nd or 3rd largest city in the state.  By 1917, after the railroad shut down and the tracks used for scrap, Bodie began its irrecoverable declension. After years of decline, the last known residents left Bodie in the 1940s and forever encapsulated the town.

If it were not for a thoughtful guest at the Chalet View Lodge (the resort I was staying) who overheard the direction I was traveling, I probably would not have discovered Bodie State Park. I’m always grateful for destination suggestions from experienced travelers…I’ve been to some wonderful places due in no small part to the experience of others.

As Bodie turned into a literal ghost town for some 20+ years, it was rediscovered in the early 60s and eventually preserved by the California State Park system in 1962.  In its heyday, Bodie had some 2000 buildings…today just 170 remain, although many still in good condition.  The odd thing about Bodie is that many of the buildings retain the furniture, belongings and artifacts…as if there was some sort of exodus prompted by the last remaining residents.

With so many buildings still in-tacked, containing period garb, it’s a true treasure for tourists to experience.  For example, the general store still has shelves full of canned food, the hotel casino has chips near the roulette wheel, and a dining room table is set in one of the homes—with 60 years worth of dust casting a patina on the belongings of a once thriving community.

Whether you’re into history, photography or perhaps painting, you’ll enjoy spending hours exploring Bodie State Park.  From sunrise to sunset, the day provides varying compositional light and shadows to cast a plethora of creative angles for the artistic to capture.

As I wandered the dirt streets taking some photos, there was a stillness in the air, then a moment later a light gust of wind…just at that moment I witnessed a tumble weed blow through town…it was one of those quintessential “ghost town” moments you see in the movies.  Speaking of movies, Bodie will make you feel like you’ve been transformed to an old western studio set…you can just imagine seeing John Wayne coming out of the saloon with guns-a-blazin’.

If you’ve been to the Bodie Ghost Town before, leave a comment below and let my readers and me know what you like best.  Click the following link to see more of my pictures of Bodie State Park. If you enjoyed this post and video, please click the “like” button below and share with your friends and family.

Bodie State Park Information:

Location: The park is northeast of Yosemite and 13 miles east of Highway 395 on Bodie Road (Hwy 270)  Note: The last three miles is a rough dirt road.
Map: Google Map – Latitude/Longitude: 38.2122 / -119.0111Park Phone: 760-647-6445
Hours: Open year around 9 am to 6 pm in summer (May 15th – October 31st) – 9 am to 3 pm in winter (Nov 1st – May 14th). Note: The park is closed during periods of inclement weather.
Prices: $7 for adults 17 and up  – $5 for children ages 6 to 16. Only cash or personal checks are accepted.  You will pay at the Parking lot using a dropbox system.
Weather: Click here for area weather