July 1st - 8th - Here we go!

Welcome to my very first curated rec!

Welcome to my very first curated rec!

Some tunes to get you grooving while you hopefully enjoy this read!

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Like they say, Fourth of July is the true start of summer in Western Washington, and that is looking to be true, temperatures are rising starting this Friday and staying high throughout the weekend. Even the high alpine is hovering around freezing, with most of it honestly above that throughout the weekend.

What I'd do AKA The Top Hits

With the Fourth of July crowds in tow, I generally try to avoid crowds so here's my personal ideas of what I'd do.

Say you want adventure:

  • This weekend brings warm temps and clear skies meaning likely even more wildflowers are in town! If you'd like to go hiking or camping here are some zones with more clear skies. Note: mornings will start off cloudier and clear up as the day progresses:
      • Rainier will have the clearest skies going into the weekend, with Mt. St Helens also quite nice on Saturday
      • Come Sunday, you can't go wrong anywhere. Beautiful weather is forecasted for most of the state with clear skies. Have a hankering to go somewhere new, send it!
      • Great weather persists Monday and slightly backs off a little Tuesday, but still decent
      • Pro-tip: With the busy weekend and permits likely being difficult, consider Wilderness areas over National Parks
  • Hit the water! Most towns are throwing a fireworks show. Consider poaching your nearest paddle board or kayak and go for an evening paddle to watch some fireworks from the water. Just remember to wear a life jacket, warm clothing, and carry some headlamp/light source so others can see you.
Where to see Fourth of July fireworks in and around Seattle this weekend
Looking for the best Fourth of July fireworks around Seattle this weekend? The area’s most epic fireworks show will be lighting up Lake Union this Saturday night, but there are plenty of additional celebrations happening across the Puget Sound region as the nation marks its 250th anniversary.Here’s your guide to this year’s Fourth of July fireworks and celebrations happening around the Seattle area.Seafair Fourth of Julyvia Seattle Municipal ArchivesLake Union Park & Gas Works ParkSeattle’s biggest Fourth of July celebration is Seafair’s annual fireworks show over Lake Union. The free event runs from 3 to 11 p.m., with festivities at both Lake Union Park and Gas Works Park. Visitors can enjoy food vendors, live music and entertainment, plus a mix of free and reserved seating before the fireworks begin around 10:15 p.m. If you’re planning to go, expect heavy crowds and very limited parking. Arriving several hours early is your best bet for finding a good viewing spot.Bellevue Family FourthBellevue Family FourthBellevue Downtown Park You can take the Link light rail across Lake Washington to the Eastside’s largest fireworks display this Saturday. The fireworks will be synchronized to music performed by the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra. The free event runs from 3 p.m. to 10:45 p.m. in Bellevue Downtown Park on July 4. Fireworks begin at 10:05 p.m., and around 50,000 people are expected to attend.Tacoma’s 4th of July Summer BlastTacoma Summer BlastRuston Way Waterfront In Tacoma, this free Fourth of July event takes place at Dune Peninsula and Cummings Park on Ruston Way. It runs from noon to 10:30 p.m. and includes live music, beer gardens and food vendors. The fireworks display, starting around 10 p.m., can be seen from Dune Peninsula Park in the north, along Ruston Way Waterfront, and stretching to Jack Hyde Park in the south.Great Carnation Fourth of July Celebration at Remlinger Farmshttps://www.instagram.com/p/DL05RXSB3h_/?img_index=2Remlinger FarmsHead to Remlinger Farms for the Great Carnation Fourth of July Celebration, where fireworks are scheduled to begin at 9:45 p.m., weather and fire conditions permitting. The day’s community celebrations start early with morning activities such as a kids’ parade at 11 a.m. and the main parade at 11:30. The live music starts at Remlinger Farms at 4:30 p.m. Everett’s Fourth of July Thunder on the Bayvia City of EverettLegion Memorial ParkIn Everett, the Fourth of July Thunder on the Bay celebration will light up the skies over the Snohomish River and Port Gardner Bay. The free event starts at 3:00 p.m. at Legion Memorial Park and the evening concludes with Boeing Thunder on the Bay Fireworks around 10:15 p.m.—the largest fireworks show in Snohomish County.Fireworks at Celebration Park in Federal Wayhttps://www.instagram.com/p/DL0Uk0oog_b/?img_index=1Celebration Park In Federal Way, Fireworks at Celebration Park are set to begin at 10:15 p.m. as part of the city’s free Fourth of July festivities. There will also be live music and family-friendly activities starting at 4:00 p.m. Fourth of July fireworks in KenmoreLog Boom ParkLog Boom ParkLog Boom Park will host Kenmore’s annual Fourth of July fireworks show, with the 20-minute display starting at 10:00 p.m. This free event starts at 7:30 p.m. with music and food trucks plus free activities, games, and crafts. Kent’s Fourth of July SplashAdd captionLake Meridian ParkIn Kent, the city’s Fourth of July Splash celebration at Lake Meridian Park wraps up with a fireworks show beginning at 10:00 p.m. There will also be live music and food trucks starting at 5:00 p.m. Fireworks over Lake SammamishVasa Park ResortVasa Park ResortVasa Park will be open with free admission after 6:00 p.m. with music, food trucks, face painting, and more. At 10:00 p.m. the fireworks will be launched from a barge off the western shore of South Lake Sammamish about halfway between Vasa Park and Lake Sammamish State Park. Any spot along the southern part of the lake should be a great viewing point; just note that Lake Sammamish State Park closes at sunset.Fourth of July in Marysvillehttps://www.instagram.com/p/DaMNJoljpRI/?img_index=1Ebey Waterfront ParkMarysville’s free Fourth of July celebration includes a fireworks display starting around 10 p.m. There will also be food trucks, wrestling, and a scavenger hunt starting at 6 p.m., all at Ebey Waterfront Park. Snoqualmie Red, White & BoomAdd captionSnoqualmie Community ParkThe Snoqualmie Red, White & Boom celebration at Snoqualmie Community Park starts at 7 p.m. and will feature fireworks beginning at approximately 9:45 p.m. Expect food trucks, music, field games, vendors, and inflatables for kids.

Want to kickback:

  • The major cities in the Sound from Tacoma up to Bellingham are being graced with some daytime negative tides from Wed-Saturday these first two weeks of July! Find some nearby rocky shoreline to explore during those times and maybe you'll get to see some cool critters.
    • If you scroll down to The Coast section, you'll see the notable low tides

A Deeper Look

The Coast

Tidepooling

The moon has blessed us with some wonderful windows for tides. Sadly, many may be working Wednesday and Thursday. Luckily Friday and Saturday could be nice!

Seattle
2026/07/01 Wed 12:29 PM -1.77 L
2026/07/02 Thu 01:06 PM -1.57 L
2026/07/03 Fri 01:43 PM -1.13 L
2026/07/04 Sat 02:21 PM -0.36 L
2026/07/05 Sun 02:59 PM 0.76 L

Tacoma
2026/07/01 Wed 12:32 PM -1.84 L
2026/07/02 Thu 01:09 PM -1.65 L
2026/07/03 Fri 01:46 PM -1.20 L
2026/07/04 Sat 02:24 PM -0.41 L
2026/07/05 Sun 03:02 PM 0.76 L

Bellingham
2026/07/01 Wed 12:45 PM -1.49 L
2026/07/02 Thu 01:22 PM -1.29 L
2026/07/03 Fri 01:59 PM -0.91 L
2026/07/04 Sat 02:35 PM -0.30 L
2026/07/05 Sun 03:12 PM 0.56 L

Bioluminescence

Like seeing the stars in the sky, the stars of the water also demand similar conditions. So sadly, it will likely not be the most ideal conditions for viewing bioluminescence as the dimmest the moon gets is 50% illuminance. This will change in the subsequent week so I look forward to updating you then.

Snorkel & Diving

Visibility has been mediocre throughout many spots at the state. Shallows are generally being reported at a few feet. Dropping deeper such as 30ft can yield improved visibility around 20ft. Again, not great but a dip down under is always nice!

Surfing

Swell is in town however wind generally is spotty. There a few days that could be cleaner however you'll have to do your due diligence about wind check ups. I'd stick to around Ruby beach and Northward the Olympic coast. If you have a day in mind, reference Windy.com and Surfline for days where winds are in single digit knots for cleaner conditions.

The Mountains

Wildflowers

With this year's poor snowpack, it's not great from a drought perspective or for our state's glaciers. As a result, wildflowers are blooming left and right! What a switch up there hahaha. As long as you stay off from the highest of peaks that are retaining snow, sub alpine environments are bound to be abundantly colorful!

A notable feature of trails with great wildflower density generally coincides with less dense tree coverage. This usually means: more open slopes, meadows, and generally around/above tree line. Usually this will coincide naturally with elevation bandwidths of around 3k or more, but this can vary from place to place. Albeit, it is a very strong starting point to filter for trails on a tool like AllTrails. Use that elevation to filter for trails to help choose your desired hike and ensure your vehicle will make it to the trailhead via reading some reviews incase your car is low clearance.

Backcountry

It's no better time to get out there! Temperatures are still cool enough but summer weather is seriously on the horizon. In all honestly, it is already here. With the alpine lakes thawing out, remember to bring BUG SPRAY! I use Picaridin based repellent as it is less corrosive on my gear.

Skiing/snowshoeing

It'll be an early start for anyone wanting to get out on any steeper slopes to harvest some corn (a type of snow texture). It's going to be hot and ready as you likely already know.

For those on foot. I would advise you start earlier than later. If you end up on any steeper slopes, there is risk of wet avalanches with such warm temps even if a spring snowpack is a much more stable snowpack. If you feel as though you are entering a precarious situation, make sure to play it safe and honestly don't venture into areas you don't have the experience or knowledge to safely recreate in. Paradise is always a safe option!

The Stars

This week sadly the stars will not be as good as they could be. However, in my next weekly update that'll be rapidly changing as we begin to approach a new moon.

Foraging

Coming soon . . .