So you forgot to get mom a gift. It’s OK. We’re here to help with some ideas to spend some time with mom outside today. Just pick your type of mom, follow the directions and announce to her that you’ve got the whole day planned. Hopefully the weather holds up and is nice. If not, go buy mom an umbre
lla. Trust us, she’ll thank you.
Mom likes flowers
If mom likes flowers and things that are green and grow in the backyard you’ve got plenty of options. First take her to go look at some flowers. The Evergreen Arboretum (145 Alverson Blvd., Everett) is a great place to take a stroll and take in the view of the arboretum’s rock garden, conifer garden, Japanese maple garden and more. If you’re up north, head over to the Flower Festival in Arlington from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Garden Treasures Nursery (3328 Highway 530) and Foster’s Farm (5818 Highway 530) for farm tours, tea for mothers and other activities are planned.
If it rains, forget buying her flowers and get mom something she can enjoy for longer than a few days. Head to one of the many nurseries in Snohomish County, buy mom some plants, bring them home and plant them in mom’s garden. Here’s a list of some popular nurseries:
The Plant Farm, 15022 Twin Lakes Ave., Marysville
Flower World, 9322 196th St. SE, Snohomish
Molbak’s, 13625 NE 175th St., Woodinville
Mom likes a stroll
Maybe mom just wants to get out of the house, stretch her legs and go for a nice walk. Here’s a list of some of the best places to go for a stroll in Snohomish County:
Centennial Trail, which has trailheads in Snohomish, Machias, Lake Stevens, Marysville and Arlington, is an enormously popular recreational trail for walking, bicycling, hiking, and horseback riding accessible to persons of all levels of physical ability.
Lord Hill Regional Park in Monroe is 1,300-acre upland nature preserve with over six miles of designated trails. A day’s exploration of this unique wilderness park will include discovering many species of plant and animal life.
North Creek Trail in Mill Creek is a paved trail that runs behind the Mill Creek Town Center on its way to Bothell. The trail is accessible at McCollum County Park just east of the 128th St. exit off I-5.
If mom would rather take a drive to the mountains and go for more of a hike than a walk, take her up the Mountain Loop Highway and try the “Youth on Age” trail, a short, easily accessible and paved trail that winds through 500-year-old Douglas fir, Sitka spruce and western hemlock. If it rains, at least the drive will be pretty.
Mom loves the water
Forget the mountains, mom would rather stay at sea level. So take her to one of the waterfronts or how about a ferry ride to Whidbey Island.
In Everett, the Pigeon Creek Public Access Trail runs along Terminal Avenue at the Port of Everett and ends at a beach that is great for viewing wildlife like seals and cormorants.
In Edmonds, stroll along the waterfront and then hit the Waterfront Antique Mall. If moms a dog lover, take her and her pooch to the off leash dog area south of the waterfront.
In Mukilteo, take a walk along the Mukilteo Lighthouse Park and go see the Mukilteo Light Station. There’s also Japanese Gulch nearby that offers great nature hikes.
If it’s raining, jump on the ferry at the Mukilteo Ferry Terminal and head over to Whidbey Island, where you can find hikes at either Ebey’s Landing Bluff or Deception Pass State Park.
Mom catches fish
If mom would like to do more than just look at the water, take her to one of the number of local lakes that were recently stocked with trout for the April 30 low-land lakes season opener. Visit <a href="http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20110424/SPORTS/704249927/1008/SPORTS02
“>www.heraldnet.com/huntingandfishing for a complete guide to the lakes and the recent trout stocking.
If it’s raining, take mom to <a href="http://www1.co.snohomish.wa.us/Departments/Parks/Park_Information/Park_Directory/Regional_Parks/KayakPointRegionalPark.htm
“>Kayak Point Regional Park, where she can fish off the pier but you can also picnic under covered shelters.
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