Awesome family walks for Seattle families this spring.
The question on every parents mind come Friday night. What do we do with our kids over the week-end?! I've found that for my girls, they love a good treat at the end of a walk. So here are three tried and true walks that we enjoy doing as a family that include treats. You can do the entire walk or part of the walk...whatever works best for the little legs in your family.
Activity #1: Center for Urban Horticulture + Doughnuts
Two things make for a successful family outing in my book. Walks with a view and doughnuts. The Center for Urban Horticulture by the UW has a beautiful garden space. Park in the public lots off 41st St, explore the gardens and walk the loop trail. If your kiddos tire out easily, just do the portion of the walk along the water. You'll see wildlife (ducks, heron!) and also views of Lake Washington. Parts of the loop trail can get muddy, especially with allllll the spring rain so wear rain boots!!! General Porpoise doughnuts is a 7 minute walk from the public lots off 41st St. I am a big fan of the lemon and berry filled ones along with their matcha lattes. First do the walk to get doughnuts and then eat them on one of the benches along the water OR reward yourself afterwards, by walking to get donuts.
Activity #2: Seattle Arboretum + Bakery
The cherry blossoms at the Seattle Arboretum are such a gorgeous way to welcome spring! Usually, when people think of cherry blossoms, they think of the University of Washington's Quad but that location is small and PACKED. Unless you want to go at 7am, the Quad will otherwise be a zoo. The Seattle Arboretum is only a 10 minute drive from the Quad and is fantastic because you have space to spread out. This walk will take you to see the pink and white cherry blossom trees. On the way back, make a detour to get some baked goods at Oxbow...their Seawolf sourdough is some of the best sourdough bread I've ever had. Cherry blossoms peak in late March - early April!
Activity #3: Bellevue Botanical Garden + Coffee
While not in Seattle, the Bellevue Botanical Garden in Bellevue is so pretty to explore! There's a map here of all the fun things you can see...my girls love #9 (the ravine experience) and #11 (night blooming). Every season you go, there'll be different flowers in bloom and bonus, it's FREE to enter. They have a coffee shop open Wednesday-Sunday 10am-2pm and a super cute gift shop open Tuesday-Sunday 11am-4pm. Actual garden hours are dawn-dusk every day of the year. I wish every garden space had a coffee shop....it's such a brilliant idea to be able to sip a matcha latte while surrounding yourself with flowers.
A little about me...
Thanks so much for reading part I of my series! I'm Ling Ling, a wife, girl mom and family photographer for Eastside and Seattle families. I've explored and made memories in so much of the greater Seattle area... I walked the Center for Urban Horticulture after an overwhelming undergrad job fair. I took my little babies to see the cherry blossoms at the Arboretum. During the pandemic, when online school got out, we ran over the suspension bridge at Bellevue Botanical Garden to find garden gnomes. I hope you love these walks as much as I do/did!
Consider ending your walk with a family photo session.
Kids love to wiggle and play make believe! The genuine smiles come out when parents shower kiddos with attention, play games with them and let them freely explore. My approach to family photos is a relaxed one. We get the posed, everyone-looks-at-the-camera shot right at the start, when the kids are still a bit shy towards me. Then we get to walk, run, and play our way through beautiful locations in the greater Seattle area. Parents can whisper words of affirmation to their kids (because what kid or parent doesn't love praise) and play a silly game of red light green light together. 60 minutes sounds like a lot of time, but it gives me time to build rapport with your children so they're comfortable with me and my lens.
My session info:
Families who book the full session receive a comprehensive client guide. In it, are tips to prepare for your session, locations I've pre-scouted and love and access to a personal stylist. Half the headache (or half the fun?) can be choosing what to wear so I want to make it easy for you! If you'd like the help, families can fill out a few questions, including the brands, colors and style you're drawn to and my personal stylist can provide a few options for you! See the transformation from outfit round #1 to the final result below. It makes such a difference!
Families also fill out a detailed questionnaire, where I ask your likes, dislikes and dream shots. This helps us get on the same page and create those photos that you'd want framed on your walls. My pricing is a 3 tiered approach so families only pay for the photos they love. All info on my portfolio, pricing and process can be found here.
Frequently asked questions:
- Are we a good fit? I work well with clients who are laid back, fun and trust me with the flow of the session.
- How do we pick a location? I have a list of locations I've pre-scouted and love. Depending on the location, I can photograph anywhere from 3 hours to right before sunset.
- What if it rains? After all, it is Seattle! On the day of your family photo session, I'll monitor the weather! We may move our session up or down a few hours depending on the period of dry weather forecasted. I'll be in touch by email in the days leading up to the session and on the day of, will be in touch via text message.
- How do I book a session? You can book directly on my website or if you have any questions, can email me at linglingzhengphotography@gmail.com
- Why should we take family photos? I've been in your shoes and know the effort involved in prepping for a family photo session. Will my kids behave? What should we wear? Where do we go? I don't look like a model and my phone has tons of selfies already. Isn't that enough? I'm here to tell you after we get our family photos done (yes, even photographers do it!), I've printed them out, hung them up and smile when I see them. My kids love seeing themselves on the walls too! Artistic, joyfully captured photos of me with my loved ones is something I value over most possessions I have. Yes, it takes time and effort but I've created guides and will help you with every step of the way. If this sounds good to you, I'd love to work with you!
Thanks so much for reading. See part II here!
