Summer Science!!

Summer is a great time to go and DO science.  Here are some starter ideas for you.

• The Woodland Park Zoo, the Pacific Science Center and the Aquarium…. They have outstanding summer activities, workshops, day camps.  Give them a call and ask for the brochures.  Below are the ones that quickly came to mind, and there are many, many others!
  • Woodland Park Zoo:  http://www.zoo.org/
  • Seattle Aquarium: http://www.seattleaquarium.org/
  • Pacific Science Center: http://www.pacsci.org/
  • Museum of Flight: http://www.museumofflight.org/
  • Museum of History and Industry:  http://www.seattlehistory.org/
  • Burke Museum: http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/
  • Seattle Art Museum: http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/default.asp
  • Portland OR zoo: http://www.zooregon.org/
  • Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Portland: http://www.omsi.edu/
  • Washington State History Museum in Tacoma  http://www.washingtonhistory.org/wshm/
  • Jackson Bottom Wetlands Reserve (outside of Portland)-- http://www.jacksonbottom.org/
  • Goldendale Observatory-- http://www.perr.com/gosp.html
  • Friday Harbor Whale Museum-- http://www.whale-museum.org/
  • Gingko Petrified Forest-- http://www.parks.wa.gov/parkpage.asp?selectedpark=Ginkgo&pageno=1
  • Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument (Johnston Ridge is a MUST!)-- http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/mshnvm/  
• Another thing to do is go to various places that give tours.  The Ballard locks is one, and the summer runs of salmon will be going thru the fish ladder.  And the Renton waste water treatment plant does some outstanding tours.  A bit stinky, but really informative. 
  • Ballard Locks: http://www.nws.usace.army.mil/PublicMenu/Menu.cfm?sitename=lwsc&pagename=mainpage
• Rent a kayak at Northwest Outdoor Center (south end of Lake Union), or put in your own canoe or kayak, and paddle over to the arboretum.  We haven't done it yet, but that's one thing that's on OUR list for sure.  http://www.nwoc.com/rental/index.htm
• There are also various docent talks at assorted parks.  I think the different cities put them on.  Here’s a link for Discovery Park in Seattle – there are many others!  http://www.cityofseattle.net/parks/Environment/discovparkevents.htm
• Also, there is Carkeek Park in North Seattle—they have a wonderful beach (great for tide pools at low tide) and a new Environmental Center opening in July.  The address is: www.cityofseattle.net/parks/parkspaces/carkeek.htm
• Take an easy day hike?  Try: http://www.localhikes.com/MSA/MSA_7602.asp
• Rock hounding?  http://www.washington-state-rockhounding.info/rockhounds-index.htm
• Visitors to the Seattle area?  Try the City Search: http://seattle.citysearch.com/
• Parent Map for Seattle and the Eastside: http://www.cmiregistration.com/user/directory/index.jxp?letter=R&org=114
• Ellensburg CWU Primate Center http://www.cwu.edu/~cwuchci/
• Summer is also a great time to start a collection – pressed wild flowers, butterflies, etc.
• Or perhaps a new hobby – rock tumblers are pretty cheap and it sure is fun to collect a bunch of stones from a family trip and then polish them up in the tumbler.  Can you identify any of them?
• There are lots of books out now on the geology of the land as you drive through it.  The Roadside Geology series has books on Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana that are easy to follow and understand.  (I know – I own all four.  I’m a total geology nerd!)
• Grand Coulee Dam has a wonderful exhibit on how hydroelectric power is created, and their laser show every night at dusk is fantastic!  The Rocky Reach Dam, just north of Wenatchee, also has great tourist activities.
  • Grand Coulee:  http://users.owt.com/chubbard/gcdam/
  • Rocky Reach:  http://www.chelanpud.org/hydro/rr/ROCKY.htm
• The University of Washington has a fine observatory and telescope that is open every Thursday evening.  There will be graduate students staffing it and willing and able to answer any questions.  List of Washington astronomical observatories: http://www.seattleastro.org/washsites.html

If you have any other ideas, please let me know!  I’d love to add to my list.