by AMBER CAMPBELL, editor, Rainier Valley Post
[Ed. Note: This is the first of four guest posts by Amber, who is cross-posting this. We know you’re looking for excuses to ride Link, so here’s something for you to do.]
Mount Baker is a charming Olmstead neighborhood created by the Hunter Tract Improvement Company in 1907 and perhaps best known for its elegant homes and abundance of trees and green spaces.
The Mt. Baker station hugger has a wide variety of restaurants to choose from with The Original Philly right at the base of the station, a Starbucks directly across the street, and several authentic ethnic restaurants like Thai Recipe, Jasmine Provencial Vietnamese and more. There’s even a Domino’s Pizza, if you like that sort of thing.
The urban explorer will want to head east on McClellan for about a half-mile to Mt. Baker Park with its playground, public art and forested, quarter-mile path down to Mt. Baker Beach.
On the way, consider taking a quick detour (about a half-mile round trip) off McClellan to check out Franklin High School by turning south on 30th Avenue until you hit the “keys” right in front of the stately old building.
more after the jump.
Then come back to McClellan and continue walking east until you get to the intersection of Mt. Baker Blvd., where Mt. Baker neighbor and Rainier Valley Tour Guide Challenge winner Lee Stanton suggests swinging into MioPosto restaurant for a pizza, salad, ice cream, espresso or whatever. And don’t miss a look at the 100-year-old Mt. Baker Community Club, which sits just a few doors east. You might also stop by Urban Vines for a good, inexpensive bottle of vino. We suggest taking it down to the beach to sip while dipping your toes in the water and watching the traffic pile up on I-90.
One small warning: No matter how tempted you may be or how deep the discounts, it’s probably not a good idea to purchase a second-hand mower at the pawn shop at the base of the station.
Going tomorrow? Check out the 3rd annual free Park Tunes concert on Sun., July 26, at 4pm at Mt Baker Park.
Bringing your bike? Use the directions above to get down to the edge of Lake Washington where you can take an absolutely lovely one-and-a-half mile ride south down to Mt. Baker Rowing and Sailing Center or a full three-and-a-quarter miles all the way to Seward Park. Check out Bicycle Sunday when Lake Washington Boulevard will be closed to motorized traffic from south of Mount Baker Beach to the entrance to Seward Park from 10am-6pm (Aug. 16, 23 & 30; Sept. 6, 13, 20, 27).
A) Mt. Baker Station B) Franklin High School C) Mt. Baker business district D) Mt. Baker Beach E) Mt. Baker Rowing and Sailing Center F) Seward Park. Top three photos/do communications, inc.
What is in the “Mt. Baker business district?” It seems a little far by foot, but then distances can be deceiving.
Google is showing that it’s about a half mile from the station to MioPosto (roughly where the “C” is on the map).
You forgot to mention the Shuck’s auto parts store, Firestone tires, and a car wash.
Oh, and that there is, after all the complaining about parking, a park-and-ride lot – operated privately. My hunch is that people who want to privatize things that government is reasonably good at constitute a significant segment of those complaining when government doesn’t provide the parking.
There is also a good Vietnamese place just South of the intersection of MLK and Rainier as well as a Creole place. I think there is a BBQ joint near the station too.
Too bad the # 27 doesn’t run between the Lake and Mt. Baker station. It ends at the I-90 bridge on Lakeside.
Taking the bike all the way to Seward Park – that seems like a great idea, now that it’s easier, have to try it out.
You could also ride point-to-point from Mt. Baker Station to Seward Park and then to Rainier Beach Station via Seward Park Avenue and Cloverdale. It’s a relatively flat ride.
Funny, I live in Mount Baker and take this ride all the time. It’s an amazing ride, especially when they close down Lake Washington Blvd to vehicle traffic, which seems to be at least one day a weekend during the summer. It’s also a great little commercial district with the restaurant, yoga place, wine store, hair salon and dog boutique. Try it out!!
This sounds like a great little trip. I’ve been looking for an excuse to bike onto Link, and the beach looks nice!…I’ll have to give this a try.
I look forward to riding Link to new and favorite lunch spots throughout the Rainier Valley. From Mt. Baker Station it’s an easy 5 minute walk south on Rainier to the BEST Taco Truck ever, and if you walk a little further there is a wonderful Vietnamese restaurant immediately accross the street from the old Chubby & Tubby’s store. Oh, if only Chubby & Tubby’s had held out just a little longer, imagine the fabulous errands that one could have accomplished on Link in the RV!
FYI: While the likelihood of enforcement is minor… alcohol (including inexpensive bottles of vino) is not allowed on public beaches or in city parks. You can be ticketed, and it does happen on sunny days when such places are crowded.
Enforcement is very uneven. People who appear college age or younger or who appear to be homeless are much more likely to get cited or ordered to dump the alcohol than a group of older people who appear to be well to do. Behavior also has something to do with it, a loud rambunctious group is more likely to get noticed or cited than a couple having a quiet picnic.