Summer’s great escape

Everett’s manmade jewel is ready to shine for another summer.

Jetty Island, the city’s 2-mile retreat just a quarter-mile off the Everett waterfront, began its season Wednesday and remains open through Sept. 5.

Opening weekend activities include a look at the island’s wildflowers on Saturday and Kite Day on Sunday, where kids can learn to make and fly their own kites.

But it’s every day that the park provides a nearby escape with sandy beaches and countless educational programs for kids and adults.

Beachgoers who don’t have their own boats or rafts to get them there rely on the free ferry, which runs virtually every 30 minutes from about 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The park is open Wednesday through Sunday.

“Some people are intimidated because they have to take a ferry, but that’s what kind of creates a better experience,” said Wendy Becker, Everett’s parks and recreation cultural arts coordinator. “It’s like a vacation. It feels like going somewhere without having to go any place.”

Despite depending on the ferry, parents don’t need to worry about being stranded on the island with sick or sunburned kids. Becker said exceptions to the ferry schedule can be made when needed.

In addition to a simple escape, Jetty Island offers a range of city-sponsored programs and activities to meet most anyone’s needs. The island is also a hot spot for kite boarders, who count on the easy access to desirable wind conditions for their sport.

“We’ve got a whole habitat out there,” Becker said. “(People) can go around on nature walks with the rangers and they show them all of what it means to preserve and advocate for that nature sanctuary out there.”

The daily walks complement the island’s Discovery Hut, which this year features taped footage of an osprey on her nest among many other exhibits.

The hut has background on the estuary wildlife, including shorebirds, clams and sandworms, and the grasses and plants found on the island. The display also includes a whale’s rib bone and parts of a sea lion skeleton.

This year’s special programs include activities for kids and adults.

There are puppet shows at 2:45 p.m. every Thursday, nature crafts on four Sundays and a “Hug-a-Bug” program where kids can learn about the insects that reside on Jetty Island. Other programs teach kids about salmon, sharks, plankton, snakes and many other creatures.

Sunday morning harbor cruises highlight marine wildlife and Everett’s history, and there are four sunset harbor cruises that are offered in conjunction with four late-night campfires every other Saturday, starting July 17.

Reporter Victor Balta: 425-339-3455 or vbalta@heraldnet.com.