Alright listen.

We wouldn't have decided to live here (and wouldn't be dragging you across the country for our wedding) if Seattle didn't happen to be the most beautiful goddamn place on the face of the planet.

If you can afford to stretch your visit by a day...or two...or seven...here are a series of dreamy things to do around Seattle and Puget Sound.

If you'll be coming to the Farewell Brunch at Carkeek Park on Sunday, consider coming a little early or staying later to fully enjoy the park—especially if you won't be in Seattle for long!

Carkeek Park is a perfect dose of Pacific Northwest nature within the city limits.

The beach, accessible via a pedestrian bridge over the train tracks, is great for sunbathing, and has great bird- and seal-watching. Very rarely whales pass by. Puget Sound is generally too cold for swimming...but cold plunges are fun. Stay late enough, and the sun will set into the Olympic Mountains in the west.

The Piper's Creek and South Ridge Trails (on AllTrails here) are accessible from anywhere in the park, and run through a beautiful little Puget Sound forest with ravens, banana slugs, and occasional barred owls and coyotes.

And since beavers moved into Piper's Creek wetland last year, you can go check out a beaver dam that is so enormous it has engulfed park benches and entire trails. Sightings of the beavers themselves are rare but do happen.

For a map of Carkeek landmarks including parking, click here.

Want to see salmon? Unfortunately the Carkeek Park salmon run is later in the year, but see "Seattle City Hangs", below, for another option.

Worthwhile things to do:

In Fremont: Visit the statues of The Troll and Lenin. Eat at Local Tide / Aslan Brewing, Made in House, Mini Bar, Dreamland, Kin Len Thai Night Bites, Lupo, SeaWolf Bakers, Old Salt Fish & Bagel, The Whale Wins, 19 GOLD Taiwanese, and Kamonegi (or...anywhere. You can't go wrong.) Drink at Fremont Brewing and Fremont Mischief. Walk around. See the bridge.

Wanna see a freakin' SALMON RUN?!: Peak King run is in late August!!!! Go to the Ballard Locks. Walk around. Go to the fish ladder viewing area. Wander around the locks, you might see a seal ripping a salmon up which is a very gnarly thing to see in the middle of a city! Ballard Locks is adjacent to a botanic garden and many fun restos & bars.

Pike Place Market: You should go to Pike Place. No really. It's very fun. Just wander. Buy some flowers. Get lunch at any of the fabulous interchangeable bistros, or at O-Mart. Or buy fruits, breads, cheeses, etc., hop the ferry to Bainbridge Island, and have a ferry picnic. Or consider stepping aboard the Seattle Great Wheel for killer views.

City Parks: There are waterfront beaches or forest parks basically anywhere you go in the city. Notables include Carkeek Park (where our Farewell Brunch will be), Golden Gardens, Gasworks, Discovery Park, Alki Beach, Ravenna, and Seward Park (which has the oldest-growth forest within the city).

Museums: Dude it's summer in the most outdoorsy city in the country don't go to museums. But if you must, there is a room in Chihuly Garden & Glass that's so freakin' beautiful it made Megan burst into tears once.

...a day trip:

You've come to the right place. They're everywhere. Book a boat out with Puget Sound Express in nearby Edmonds, WA.

Get thee to the Olympic National Forest: Make sure you have a Northwest Forest Pass in hand, then drive to Edmonds and hop on the Ferry to Kingston. Grab breakfast sandwiches at Butcher & Baker provisions. Drive across the Hood Canal Bridge to the Olympic Peninsula. Hike the very easy and very beautiful Ranger Hole Trail to the Duckabush River. Look out for bald eagles and unidentifiable mushrooms. Go get a late lunch at the legendary Hama Hama Oyster Saloon. Then make your leisurely way back to Kingston for the ferry home.

Expert variation: If you have a couple days, Olympic National Park is on the far side of the Olympic Peninsula and is truly one of the most beautiful wild places on earth. But this easier day-trip to the National Forest will get you a taste of the same ecosystem.

The fictional town of Twin Peaks is actually North Bend, which is our gateway to the Cascade mountains. Drive east and choose your hike based on energy level:

I am so goddamn tired all the time: You go girly! We deserve views too. Hike Garfield Ledges. Bring a Northwest Forest Pass.

I like a challenge: Look at you go! Hike Little Si. Bring a Discover Pass.

I have Alex Honnold on speed dial and you have badly underestimated me: Hike up Mount Si (pictured), a mountain so visually striking that in Snoqualmie myth it is literally the moon fallen to Earth. If you can do this hike carrying 30 lbs in under 2 hours you are considered fit enough to climb Mt. Rainier. Bring a Discover Pass.

...an overnight:

Some of the best whale watching in the world, both by boat and on shore, is on San Juan Island.

Book ahead with the fabulous whale watch company Maya's Legacy.

From Seattle, drive north to Anacortes and get on the car ferry to San Juan Island. Plan on a whale watch the afternoon you get in, or early the next morning before the ferry back.

If you book with Maya's Legacy, you are virtually guaranteed to see whales and many other very cool things. If you want to go the more DIY route, Lime Kiln State Park may be the best place on earth to see whales from shore. Bring a picnic and binoculars, and also look out for marine birds, seals, otters, and foxes.

You can't go wrong with either inns or AirBNBs on the island. Friday Harbor is the best home base. Our favorite fancy restaurants are Duck Soup and Coho Restaurant. Our favorite little grocery for picnics is the San Juan Food Co-op.

(Note: As of this year, Mt. Rainier National Park has instituted a timed entry reservation system, which may make this itinerary much more difficult; we have not had a chance to trial the system.)

Go pay your respects to Mt. Rainier / Tahoma. This is our ideal Mt Rainier National Park itinerary for people at our level of fitness (read: not very!):

Book lodging in Packwood and spend a night there.

Early the next morning, hike the Naches Peak Loop Trail for stunning views of Rainier, small alpine lakes, and a high-elevation biome that only exists here. Listen for elk bugling.

Next, drive up to the Sunrise Visitor Center for just about the most up-close-and-personal look you can get at this enormous volcano without actually climbing it yourself.

Then make your way back north to Seattle, stopping for lunch on the way.