Out of the Ordinary Dog-Friendly Activities in Seattle
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Maybe you’re trying to nail that first impression with a really creative first date. Or maybe you’ve just gone to the same three breweries and off-leash parks so much, you’re starting to crave a change of pace. Seattle is increasingly a, “where I go, my dog goes, too” kind of town, but even here, it’s still easy to feel limited by your out-and-about options.
Often the world forces us into a cruel Catch-22: do something unique and fun, but leave the dog at home; or commit to the limited same-old, but know the pup can come along. Before you hurl curses at the activities god, hold up! We’ve got you! We put together a shortlist of not-so-same-old things you can do around Seattle, where your wingman is totally welcome to tag along. Use this as your guide to break the bar & park monotony with some out of the ordinary dog friendly activities.
Mini Golf at Flatstick Pub
Flatstick Pub, the Puget Sound area’s refuge for adult mini golfing, has three locations, two of which are 100% dog friendly. The new South Lake Union location is service animals only, but both the Pioneer Square and Kirkland locations are wingman-approved at all hours, with a special Yappy Hour Monday-Friday from 6-7pm, and all day on Sunday. Flatstick really is the best of all worlds: all three locations serve food and the mini golfing and Duffleboard courses are genuinely fun, with local themes and “henry” mural touches to make you feel right at home. Plus, the tap list is no joke. Skip the same-old bar and come here instead. (Website)
Fremont Ice Cream & Brew Cruises
(Photo: Fremont Brew Cruise)
Nothing feels quite so “Seattle” as a boat trip around Lake Union. Whether you’ve lived here for twenty years or two weeks, cruising past houseboats, watching seaplanes takeoff and land, waving to kayakers— all with the Space Needle and Gasworks Park bookending your view— never loses its charm. Board “The Fremont Ave” and you can get all of that, plus a drink and a snack. The folks behind the Fremont Brew Cruise offer two different experiences in the summer: the first is a by-reservation (in my experience, easy to come by) Happy Hour cruise Monday-Friday, serving craft beers from Fremont Brewing. The second is the more family-friendly-oriented tour, serving ice cream treats and running on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. However, both tours serve alcohol and ice cream, and the tour guiding is no more or less 21+ because of the tour differentiation— just pick a day when the sun’s shining, and enjoy the water with your dog by your side! (Website)
Scenic Flight with Kenmore Air Seaplanes
(Photo: Ruff Guides)
Got some cash burning a hole in your pocket? Taking off and landing straight out of Lake Union, cruising over Elliott Bay— doesn’t sound half bad for an out of the box Saturday afternoon, right? Dogs are welcome on any of Kenmore Air’s scenic tours and destination flights and, if they’re lap-sized, they fly free. If you’ve got someone to impress, “I saw Mount Rainier by plane today, and my dog sat next to me” would be a pretty hall-of-fame date recap. (Website)
Watch RuPaul’s Drag Race or a Seahawks game at King’s Hardware
(Photo: The Seattle Times)
King’s Hardware is one of the very best dive bars in a dive-bar-loving town. The staff is down to earth, the drinks are stiff, the vibes are good, and they’ve got skee ball and Big Buck Hunter to boot. Well-behaved pups are welcomed anywhere in the bar. Oh, and their food is really good. So, just in general: go to King’s Hardware. However, back to the specific point of this article, which is not simply nice places to drink: King’s has a big projector they pull down for watch parties. Come to watch a Seahawks game with The People, or wait for next season of Drag Race for Thursday night viewings of all the sashaying action. (Website)
