Showalter's Outing to Union Bay & Washington Arboretum

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Team:

Showalter Middle School

Date:

Saturday, May 18, 2019

Trip Types:

Bird Watching, Canoeing, Hiking

Photos:

View slideshow

Plan:

8:30 - Kids arrive at Showalter, Introductions, Review plan of the day, Set expectations, Hand out gear
9:15 - Depart Showalter
9:45 - Arrive UW Waterfront Activities Center, Meet up with canoe-only leaders, Break into teams of 3-4 and rent canoes and rowboats, Review canoeing rules, Paddle around Union Bay for ~1.5 hours
11:45 - Drive to Arboretum
12:00 - Lunch break
12:45 - Get "Explorer Pack" from Visitor Center, Explore Arboretum for ~2 hours
3:00 - Depart Arboretum
3:30 - Arrive at Showalter, Closing circle, Return Gear
4:00 - Kids get picked up

Report:

We had a great outing with Showalter Middle School! We began the day by driving to the UW Waterfront Activities Center, split into groups of 3, rented canoes and rowboats, and paddled around Union Bay for about 2 hours. We had beautiful weather and saw lots of turtles, waterfowl, herons, and other birds. Next we drove over to the Washington Arboretum and had lunch next to the Visitor Center. After lunch, we went for a hike around the Arboretum, taking in views of the wetlands and lake as well as the variety of trees and blooming plants. Very beautiful! At the end of the day, we drove back to Showalter and had a quick Closing Circle. The kids' favorite parts were canoeing, lunch, and taking pictures of the flowers.

Suggestions:

The WAC doesn't take group reservations on weekends so get there early to beat the rush, especially when the weather is nice.

I tried to reserve an Explorer Pack from the Arboretum, but the person who assembles them was retiring and didn't have time to put one together (even with 5 days notice) so we just walked around the Arboretum instead.

Enterprise charged me for 2 extra hours even though I returned the van early and signed the register. I called them on Sunday and got the charge fixed, but when I expressed frustration with this on-going problem, they seemed more offended than sorry.