Seattle Double Dutch is Awesome. That is All.
Last spring I went to a double dutch class, and here is what happened: I loved it so much that I joined the instructor Andrea's team, On The Double (Dutch)! We will be doing public performances beginning in Spring 2009.
The Seattle adult women double dutch class I attended was recently featured on Kiro TV news. You can get information about double dutch classes for children or adults at NW Double Dutch. If you are worried about bad knees or stiff bones, I would like to mention that the floor at Community Fitness (the location of the adult women class and some of the kid classes) is a cork floor which is easier on the bod than the pavement you used to jump rope on at recess as a kid. Also, double dutch is not as difficult as you think it is, and Andrea can usually get everyone doing at least one trick in the ropes by the end of the first class. Andrea is heading down to Mexico to teach double dutch for a couple of months so classes will start up again in Seattle in February.
Weekend Getaway: San Juan Islands
I'm going to a good friend's wedding on Lopez Island this weekend and I am thrilled to have this opportunity to go to the beautiful San Juan Islands. The San Juans are a great place to visit for a quick weekend getaway. It doesn't take long to get there; it's a 2 hour drive from Seattle to the ferry in Anacortes, and then from there it's a quick ferry ride to the island of your choice.
The San Juans are famous for being a great spot for whale watching orcas, but I have never seen an orca there or gone on a whale watching tour, but I guess lots people see them. It's also a great place for kayaking, bicycling, hiking, and just plain relaxing and getting away from it all. A little known fact, too, is that San Juan Island has an amazing skatepark.
Every time I have been to the San Juans I have been lucky enough to stay with my friend (the one who is getting married this weekend) but I hear there are some nice places to stay, including hotels, bed and breakfasts, and campsites.
There are 3 main islands that make up the San Juans that have ferry access: Lopez Island, Orcas Island, and San Juan Island. Lopez Island is my favorite because it's known as the "friendly island" and the locals all wave to each other when they pass each other while driving on the road.
It's good to plan ahead for your trip to the San Juans and be prepared to wait awhile to load onto a ferry if you are driving as they fill up quickly on summer weekends with great weather. I suggest leaving your car at the ferry terminal in Anacortes and bring your bike and walk on the ferry because you'll be likely to get on the ferry with your bike, but it's not so easy with a car because there is limited space for vehicles. It costs about $35 to drive on the ferry to get from Anacortes to the San Juan Islands in the summer, and it's about $14 for an adult walk-on fare.
Seattle City Chase: Seattlites Continue to Be Outdoorsy/Adventurous/Silly
They are doing the Seattle one this Saturday, Aug. 9. Register now if you want to race.
Location: Start/Finish at Westlake Park 401 Pine Street Seattle, WA, 98101
Date and Time: Saturday, August 9, race begins at 10am (team check-in 8am - 9:15pam)
Entry Fee: $190 for team of two
Ride Green Build Green Bicycle Trip
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Planning is fully underway for this summer's Ride Green Build Green (RGBG) bicycle trip. From July 25th to August 25th, 20 bicyclists will make the 1,000+ mile journey from Seattle to San Francisco to raise funds and awareness for affordable green housing.Prior to the ride, each participant is raising a minimum of $2000 each to support LEED certification for a home built by Habitat for Humanity of East King County. Fundraising will include benefit concerts, T-shirt sales, and donation solicitations. All donations will be tax deductible through Habitat for Humanity. Riders also plan every aspect of the trip, including the route, nightly stop locations, work days at affordable housing sites, community forums, and bicycle and gear procurement.
Along the way, riders will also have opportunities to visit sites and organizations devoted to affordable and green housing and thus gain a greater understanding of the different methods, techniques, and plans for making both affordable and sustainable buildings and housing. Stops might include housing for the homeless, green affordable-housing projects, self-built green homes, and meetings with advocacy organizations to learn about their work.
Among scheduled stops: Olympia Habitat for Humanity (7/26), Cowlitz County Habitat for Humanity (7/28), and Olson Woods Community Partners for Affordable Housing (7/30).
RGBG believes that some of the biggest impacts we have on the environment lie within the structures we build to accommodate our lives. Buildings in the US account for:
- 40% of total annual US energy
- 25% of water use
- 20-30% of municipal solid waste stream
- 30-40% of wood and materials use
- 25% of greenhouse gas emissions
RGBG is seeking financial and volunteer assistance and additional riders. Please visit the RGBG website for more information.
Double-Dutch Class for Adult Women
Wow. Not bad for white girls. The video, performed by SF double dutch troupe Double Dutchess, has totally inspired me to want to double dutch jump rope. I was on a double dutch team briefly as a kid, and now I'm curious to see if I still have any skills.
There is a double dutch class for adult women 18+ this Friday, June 6, at 7:30pm at Community Fitness in Ravenna. I know nothing about the class other than the fact that it exists and the instructor is from Northwest Double Dutch, so I'll check it out and give details of what the class entails after I take the class.
Come out on Friday and take the class with me, if you are brave enough to risk potentially tangling yourself in ropes. Sorry boys and underagers, I guess this class is not for you, but you can find plenty of other classes on the Northwest Double Dutch class schedule.
Location: Community Fitness (map)
Date and Time: June 6, 7:30pm
Price: $5.95 drop-in
Kickball Season
For those of you who are like me and can't commit to more than a day, you have the option for a single day of kickball: The Red Rubber Showdown on July 12. It's an all day event, but the event managers to make sure there is a proper "bar break" so people can get much needed bar food and beer to fuel up. There are two divisions you can enter:
Midcore Division
"Hey, did we win or lose just now? Where's that bar shuttle at... there it is! woohoo."
Hardcore Division
"We're going to win this thing, yo! Where's the trophy at? That thing is gonna be OURS! Oh yeah, we're going to the bar, too..."
Better start practicing now, because kickball is more difficult than you think.
Red Rubber Showdown
Location: Lower Woodland Ball Fields - Greenlake
Price: Team $350, individual $30
Date and Time: July 12 10am - 8pm
