About Greg Barnes

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  What're the closest amusement park-style rides to the Seattle area?

  2 0 There's a carousel at Pier 57 on the Waterfront. According to http://www.rollercoastersofthepacificnw.com/currentcoasters.html , Wild Waves/Enchanted Village is probably your best bet. Remlinger Farms may be slightly closer, but seems about as inconvenient. To figure out carnivals, it would be helpful to know when your birthday is... Greg Barnes answered in Birthdays 13 days ago Answer, comment & read 2 more answers »

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  Are there any sushi making classes in Seattle?

  3 0 PCC Cooks has sushi-making classes pretty regularly. E.g., http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/pcccooks/classes/detail.php?id=1505 Greg Barnes answered in Cooking Tips & Tricks about 1 month ago Answer, comment & read 3 more answers »

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  Where is a good place to do some beginner level snowshoeing?

  0 0 Our family (including a couple of kids) did some snowshoeing near Paradise in Rainier last year, with minimal experience. We went from the Paradise Inn down to Narada Falls and back, but there are a number of other directions you can go from the Inn. Plus, hey: sledding and hot chocolate. At Snoqualmie, the ranger-led long snowshoe hike is up Commonwealth Basin, which I hear is very nice (but the avalanche forecasts did not cooperate the weekend we went up there). Greg Barnes answered in Regional Trips 3 months ago Answer, comment & read 4 more answers »

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  What should I do with all this Swiss chard?

  2 0 Fry it up. Plenty of oil and garlic. That's pretty much what we do with all our winter greens. And the gigantic leaves shrivel down into a small amount of greasy, garlicky goodness (that's good for you), so that ton of chard you think you have will be gone in no time. Also: your chard could easily survive a frost. It'd probably have to get down to around 20F for it to die completely. Greg Barnes answered in Cooking Tips & Tricks 4 months ago Answer, comment & read 8 more answers »

• Comment on IsadoraWing's answer…

  0 0 The Centennial Trail exists from just north of 'downtown' Snohomish to the southern outskirts of Arlington. Biking from Seattle to the end of the trail in Arlington and back makes for a nice century ride (with a stop in Snohomish for pie!). Greg Barnes commented 5 months ago

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  Is there a good way to bike from Vancouver, BC to Seattle without taking the I-5?

  1 0 There are multiple good ways. Cascade Bicycle Club does it (in reverse) every year: http://shop.cascade.org/content/events/rsvp-details I think their 2nd day route (Bellingham to Vancouver) is a bit too long and convoluted, probably because they head way east to avoid overwhelming the border crossings near I-5 and the western, more heavily-used Fraser River crossings. But their route from Seattle to Bellingham is solid. Between Bellingham and Vancouver, I'd just buy a Vancouver area bike route map and make it up as you go along (note: Vancouver area bike route maps cost money and are what you want; Vancouver city bike maps are free and don't get you to the border). Avoid heading south into Richmond, but any Fraser River crossing east of that is fine, and the route to the border should be easy to pick out from there). Use the Whatcom County bike map to get to Bellingham (https://www.whatcomsmarttrips.org/pdf/CountyBikeMap.pdf) then take the RSVP route from there. The ferry to Victoria/Olympic Peninsula route is more scenic, but much longer. I'd avoid it in favor of the land route, which is plenty scenic, particularly on Chuckanut Drive. If you were riding south from Seattle, I might advise the ferry route, as it's hard to avoid I-5 otherwise, but between Vancouver and Seattle it's easy to stay off I-5 and still see some nice backroads. Incidentally, riding Interstate highways in Washington State *is* legal, outside large metropolitan areas (and even legal then if there is no viable alternative route, like near Ft. Lewis). So you could take I-5 much of the way (I don't know if Bellingham or Everett count as metropolitan areas). Just FYI; don't do this, as the backroads are much nicer. Greg Barnes answered in Bicycles 5 months ago Answer, comment & read 4 more answers »

• Comment on Tracy M's answer…

  0 0 As a member of WSECU, I've used Group Health (now Salal) CU ATM's fee-free for a number of years (as part of the Co-op network). In any event, Salal currently advertises themselves as part of the Co-op network. Greg Barnes commented 5 months ago

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  Lopez for two nights

  0 0 Shark Reef (SW side of the island, no actual sharks but plenty of seals) and Spencer Spit (NE side) are the classic hiking spots. Neither is particularly difficult. Also, note that ferry travel between the islands is free if you are a pedestrian or have a bike. Friday Harbor on San Juan Island is an obvious place to go as a pedestrian. If you have a bike, almost any of the islands provides a nice ride (Lopez is the nicest biking destination of the islands, but San Juan has the historic parks, Orcas has Moran State Park, and Shaw's extremely peaceful and quiet). Greg Barnes answered in Regional Trips 5 months ago Answer, comment & read 2 more answers »

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  when are cherry blossoms in full bloom in Seattle

  2 0 It depends on how the winter goes. As early as mid-February if it's unseasonably sunny, as late as early April (this year, for example) if it's unseasonably cloudy and cold. Note: I'm talking about the Yoshino cherries in the UW's quad. Other flowering cherries can flower a few weeks earlier; I don't know of many that flower later, although there are certainly other fruit trees that flower even later (well into April). Greg Barnes answered in Whatever 5 months ago Answer, comment & read 2 more answers »

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  How should I thin the fruit on my summer squash?

  0 0 Squash around here usually die of powdery mildew, which comes on when the rains start in earnest in September and the sunlight lessens enough that the leaves can't dry out. Avoid hastening this process by watering the ground around them, not the plant itself. Squash were originally desert plants, and can find the moisture in the ground. As for thinning the fruits, I never bother. The squash I have grown seems to know when a vine has reached its limit, and just won't send the energy to a fruit, even if it's fertilized. By the way, you can hand-fertilize squash if you don't think you are getting enough pollinators. Female fruit have multiple structures in the center of the flower, and miniature fruits at the base of the flowers (adorably shaped like the squash itself; look at a butternut plant to see what I mean). Male flowers are more abundant, have only a single structure in the center (looks like a mini-penis), and have no miniature fruit. If you see a blooming female, pick a couple of the blooming males (there is usually at least one), and rub the pollen inside the male flower over the multiple structures in the female. Artificial squash insemination. Greg Barnes answered in Edibles & Herbs 5 months ago Answer, comment & read 2 more answers »

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