Summer is pretty much here, and with it comes beautiful weather, and plenty of chances for you to get outside and take it all in.
If you’re looking for a good swim, the Bellevue Aquatic Center may be just the place for you. They have two separate pools, called the Blue Lagoon Pool, and the Warm Springs pool. The Blue Lagoon is 25 yards long and has six lap lanes, a diving tank, and a ten foot slide. The Warm Springs has an average water temperature of 91 degrees, and was built for therapy and rehabilitation, though it is open to public swim.
A lot of people enjoy rock climbing, but if you’re not up for the real thing, you can go to South Bellevue Community Center’s indoor climbing wall. The wall is 33 feet tall and sculpted to look and feel like granite. It also has three top-rope climbing routes with varying amount of difficulty, as well as a bouldering wall.
SBCC also offers a wide variety of classes, workshops, and supervised climbing sessions for all skill levels. However, if this sounds like something you want to do, you’re required to have a signed climbing wall waiver on file at SBCC.
Feeling an itch to spend a day on grass hitting a small white ball all over the place? Bellevue has two possible destinations for you: the Bellevue Golf Course, and the Crossroads Par 3 Golf Course. Bellevue’s Parks and Community Services Department keeps the courses up to par, while Premier Golf Center manages both clubhouse and driving range operations.
The Crossroads Par 3 Course has nine holes and is excellent for short game practice and beginners. For those looking more a more advanced game, the Bellevue Golf Course measures 6,013 yards for all tees, and golfers must negotiate tree-lined fairways combined with firm, fast greens to post low scores.
Sadly, for those looking for sporting leagues in Bellevue, the Parks and Community Services offers adult basketball, women’s basketball, and volleyball leagues every season of the year except summer. However, Spokane’s Hoopfest is the largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament on Earth. Over 6,400 teams will play on 400 courts that span 40 downtown city blocks.
Hoopfest, a two day event on June 27 and 28, is an outdoor festival that will also feature concerts, shopping, food, interactive entertainment, and every year features new attractions. While it’s too late to register to play in the Hoopfest tournament, volunteer opportunities are still available, and all are welcome to watch.
If competition isn’t your thing, then you might want to try your hand at nature trails. The Park and Community Services Department maintains more than 50 miles of trails through Bellevue. From Mercer Slough Nature Park Trail to Phantom Lake Walkway, a plethora of scenery is available to enjoy.
If kicking back in relaxing is your thing, there’s beaches from Newcastle Beach in Newcastle, to Alki Beach in Seattle, Meydenbauer Beach in Bellevue, to Houghton Beach in Kirkland.
Regardless of what you do, it looks to be one eventful summer.