I want to take you through a day in the life of an urban adventurer. And by “urban adventurer,” I just mean… well, me, I guess. Someone who’s always poking around the city, trying to find the hidden gems, the overlooked details, the stories hiding in plain sight. You know, the kind of day where you don’t really have a plan, but you’re also not totally aimless—if that makes sense.

Alright, so, my day usually starts with coffee, because, well, it’s Seattle, and coffee is basically a religion here. I’ll head to one of my favorite spots—sometimes it’s a big-name place like Starbucks, but more often it’s one of those little hole-in-the-wall cafes. There’s this one in Capitol Hill, kinda tucked away on a side street, and they do this cardamom latte that’s just… wow. If you’ve never had cardamom in coffee, trust me, it’s life-changing.

Anyway, I grab my coffee, and then I just start walking. That’s the beauty of urban adventuring—you don’t need a car, and you definitely don’t need a destination. One of my favorite things to do is head toward a neighborhood I don’t know super well. Like, the other day I ended up in Georgetown. If you’ve never been, it’s this cool mix of old industrial stuff and quirky artsy vibes. I stumbled on this tiny bookstore—it didn’t even have a sign, just a chalkboard outside that said “Books, open till dusk.” Inside, it was like stepping back in time. The shelves were crammed with these old, yellowed paperbacks, and the guy behind the counter was just sitting there reading, not even paying attention. I picked up this random book about the history of Seattle, and now I’m weirdly obsessed with learning about how the city used to look before all the regrades and construction.

After the bookstore, I decided to follow the train tracks for a bit. This is one of those things I love to do—not in a sketchy way, just, like, finding where the tracks go. There’s something kind of romantic about it, right? Walking alongside the tracks, imagining all the places they lead to. Anyway, I ended up at this old abandoned-looking warehouse, and it had all this amazing graffiti on it. I’m not a graffiti expert or anything, but some of the art was seriously impressive. I spent a good twenty minutes just walking around, taking it all in. It’s like finding a gallery, but outside, and totally free.

Around lunchtime, I usually try to find a new place to eat. This time, I ended up at a food truck park. I love food trucks because they’re like little micro-adventures in themselves. I tried this Ethiopian truck I’d never seen before, and oh man, the injera was so good. That’s another thing about urban adventuring—it’s not just about what you see. It’s about what you eat, what you smell, what you hear. The whole sensory experience.

After lunch, I’ll usually take a little time to sit somewhere and people-watch. Parks are great for this. I ended up at Gas Works Park that day, which, okay, I know it’s not exactly a hidden gem—it’s pretty iconic—but it’s got these weird industrial structures that I never get tired of looking at. Plus, the view of the skyline from there is just unbeatable. I like to sit with my notebook and jot down random observations. Not anything deep, just stuff like, “Saw a dog wearing a sweater” or “The clouds look like marshmallows today.” It’s funny how writing down even the simplest things makes you notice more.

In the afternoon, I try to dig a little deeper—literally, sometimes. I’m really into finding stairways. Seattle is full of these hidden staircases that connect different neighborhoods, and they’re so much fun to explore. Some of them are covered in moss, and you can tell they’ve been there for decades. Others lead to the most unexpected places, like tiny pocket parks or overlooks you wouldn’t know were there unless you happened to climb the steps.

Toward the end of the day, I usually find myself near the waterfront. There’s something about water that feels like the perfect way to cap off a day of exploring. I’ll walk along the piers, maybe grab a cup of clam chowder if I’m hungry again. And then, if I time it right, I’ll catch the sunset over the Olympics. That’s the kind of moment where you realize just how lucky you are to live in a place like this. The city, the mountains, the water—it all comes together in this way that feels so alive.

By the time I head home, I’m usually a little tired, but it’s the good kind of tired. The kind where you’ve been walking all day, taking in the world, and you feel like you’ve really been somewhere, even if you never left the city.

so, today I want to talk about something I’ve been really into lately—exploring hidden trails in the city. And, you know, Seattle is kind of perfect for this. It’s one of those places where you can be in the middle of downtown and still somehow stumble onto a little patch of green that makes you feel like you’re out in the woods. I love that about living here.

Anyway, I was out last weekend, just kind of wandering around, and I ended up in Ravenna Park. Now, I’ve been there before—like, everyone knows Ravenna, right? It’s not exactly a secret. But what I didn’t realize is just how many little offshoots there are from the main trail. I mean, I’ve always stuck to the big, obvious paths, but this time I decided to follow one of the smaller ones. And oh my god, it was like entering a completely different world. You get these little pockets where the trees are so dense it feels like you’re deep in a forest, and then you hear a bird—or maybe it’s just a squirrel—and it’s like, yeah, this is what I needed today.

What really surprised me, though, was how quiet it was. Like, you’re in the city, right? You’d think you’d hear cars or construction or, I don’t know, someone yelling about the Seahawks. But no, it was just… peaceful. Well, mostly peaceful. There were a couple of joggers who kind of startled me, but I guess that’s the price of sharing the trails.

Anyway, that got me thinking: how many other little trails like this are out there? So I did some digging—figuratively, not literally—and I found out there’s this spot over in Interlaken Park. Have you been? It’s technically part of Capitol Hill, but it doesn’t feel like it at all. It’s so quiet, and the trails are super narrow, kind of winding through these big trees and ferns. Honestly, it’s the kind of place where you half expect to see a deer pop out, even though, realistically, it’s probably just going to be someone’s off-leash dog. But still, it’s got that vibe.

Another one that blew my mind is over in West Seattle, Schmitz Preserve Park. Like, I knew it was there—I’d heard about it—but I hadn’t actually checked it out until recently. The thing about Schmitz Preserve is that it’s not just a park. It’s an actual forest. And the trails are kind of rough in places, which I love. It feels wild, even though you’re technically in a residential area. You can literally walk out of this lush green wonderland and be back on a sidewalk in, like, two minutes. It’s surreal.

One thing I’ve been doing, by the way, is bringing a little notebook with me when I explore these places. I’m not, like, writing poems or anything—I just jot down stuff I notice. Like, last time, I saw this really cool moss growing on a log, and I don’t know why, but it made me want to learn more about moss. Is that weird? Probably. But hey, it’s the little things, right?

So, yeah, if you’re in Seattle—or honestly, anywhere—my advice is to get off the beaten path a little. Check out the smaller trails, the ones that maybe aren’t on Google Maps. You’d be amazed at what you find when you stop following the main path and just… wander.