Traveling in the off-season often means that you do not have the ideal weather for your family travels, vacation or holiday. Generally you trade the ideal time for a more appealing price and less crowds, but in some parts of the world, that means you are going to hit less-than-ideal (and often rainy) weather!
The Pacific Northwest is one of those places. On our recent visit to Anacortes, Washington we did find ourselves out and about in some rainy weather.
Where is Anacortes?
Anacortes is a quaint town on the I20 (about 20 minutes off the I5 in Western Washington) and physically lies on Fidalgo Island. Although a short bridge connects it to land, it features some unique geography and plants, such as the beautiful arbutus trees, which thrive on rocky terrain. It has cute character and offers beautiful ocean views from many vantage points, on the steep hills around the town. Anacortes is a port city, and its largest industry is oil refining. Its economy is also based on shipbuilding and tourism. Anacortes is situated in what is known as the Olympic Mountain Rain Shadow, and it only gets about half as much rain as Seattle, which is less than 50 miles to the south. You can get much more information from the Anacortes Chamber of Commerce here.
Here is our list of 11 things to do in the Rain, in Anacortes, Washington
1. Drop into Toy Stories, the local, independent toy store, and check out their collection of toys and games. They also have amazing collection of books and also an assortment of infant clothing.
2. Enjoy the Anacortes Museum in the Carnegie Library Building
3. Visit the Anacortes Public library and read a few books
4. Enjoy one of the local eateries;… Commercial Avenue is full of them! We found Dad”™s Diner a Go-Go and The Island Café to be great spots to grab a bite and were kid friendly!
5. Catch a Movie at the Anacortes Cinema
6. Bowl a strike at San Juan Lanes and enjoy a meal at the full service Bar & Grille
7. Take a swim at Fidalgo Pool and Fitness Center, You can check the swimming schedule here
8. Drive around Washington Park. Now ideally, you would want a nice sunny day to be able to see the beautiful ocean views. But driving through the dense forest in the rain is a whole different experience, without having to get wet! The one-way road winds up and down along the coast, and emerges on a beautiful lookout, raining or not!
9. Stop into Johnny Picasso”™s for a cup of coffee and the “paint-it-yourself” ceramics! A unique experience for sure!
The rain never hurt anyone. Get on outside and try these ideas as well:
10. Put on a rain jacket and head over to one of the newer playgrounds in Anacortes: John and Doris Tursi Park. The Zip line is great for kids of all ages. The rest of the playground is best suited for about ages 6 and under but there is a great basketball court for older kids! There is a nice covered gazebo for Mom & Dad to stay dry, while the kids burn off some energy! If you want a bigger playground, check out John Storvik playground (or the “pirate ship” park as my kids have named it). It is a must every time we visit! You can read why we love it here.
11. Grab an umbrella and explore the Tommy Thompson trail to look for wildlife and geocaches. There are so many parks and outdoor areas to explore in Anacortes. check out some other ideas here.
Don’t let the rain get you down! this list of What to do in the rain in Anacortes with kids should keep you busy all day!
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Lindsay Nieminen hails from Vancouver, Canada and shares her love of travel on this website. She is passionate about showing others that they should not put off traveling the world just because they have children or are single parents. She aims to encourage them to seek out adventure, whether it is at home or abroad by providing information on how just about everywhere can be a destination to explore as a family.