Hit the Trails on Horseback this Summer at Local Horseback Riding Venues

Ten Trails enjoys a prime location, close to area outdoor attractions but also within convenient commuting distance to area employment centers. Ten Trails is also located within close distance to many horse farms that offer seasonal trail riding and year-round riding lessons. Check out these local farms this summer for a trail ride with the entire family!

Misty Acres

Located in nearby Ravensdale, Misty Acres has horses that are suitable for trail riding for beginner or first-time riders. Trail rides are an hour long, and must be arranged ahead of time. Misty Acres also offers lessons for riders as well as on-site pony parties.

Morris’s Shadow Mountain

Located in Auburn, Morris’s Shadow Mountain is just a quick drive from Ten Trails. The farm offers boarding, riding lessons and trail rides through the wooded areas adjacent to the property. Morris’s Shadow also has a covered riding arena for year-round riding.

Echo River Ranch

Echo River Ranch offers walking trail rides through private timberlands and the foothills surrounding the ranch. The property itself is five acres with miles of beautiful trails to explore on horseback. Echo River Ranch offers trail riding for visitors all year long, rain or shine, with a selection of steady horses suitable for beginner riders.

Pony Tail Ranch

Pony Tail Ranch in nearby Renton is a full-service equestrian facility offering an indoor, enclosed arena for lessons as well as access to Lake Youngs’ trails for trail riding. Contact the ranch to learn about their options for hosting birthday parties.

Deerfield Farm

Deerfield Farm in Issaquah is well-known for their world-class, competitive riding program. The farm, located in the beautiful Cascade foothills, offers horse camps for the summer months and during the school year. Riding lessons are available for kids as well as adults, and the farm has options for renting space and horses for corporate or other events. www.TenTrails.com 360.469.4043    

Make the Most of Summer with These Outdoor Activities

Summer is in full swing and now is the time to take advantage of outdoor activities! Ten Trails is conveniently located close to outdoor recreation sites and the community has many outdoor amenities as well as activities planned for the summer months.

Attend One of Ten Trails’ Summer Outdoor Movie Nights 

Ten Trails is hosting movie nights in our Civic Park throughout the months of July, August, and September. We will have food trucks parked at our Civic Park from 5 to 8pm on movie nights for a quick and convenient dinner, and the movie will start to play around dusk. Bring your own blankets and low-back chairs to enjoy the show!

See Live Music Outdoors

The Puget Sound area has many outdoor live music venues including summer outdoor concert series in the cities of Kent, Auburn, and Bellevue. Head to nearby Woodinville to Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery for their ticketed summer concert series events featuring nationally-touring performers. In addition, Ten Trails has live music scheduled throughout the summer during our Sunset Markets and at our Hometown Harvest event September 18^th. Follow us on Facebook for updates on all summer events!

Dine Outdoors

Get out of the hot kitchen and enjoy your meals outdoors this summer. Whether dining alfresco at a local restaurant, having a picnic at nearby Lake Sawyer or our Civic Park, or grabbing takeout from one of our food trucks that visit the community, eating outdoors is a simple summer pleasure that should not be missed!

Use our Community Sports Courts

Ten Trails has many outdoor community amenities that are best enjoyed while the sun is shining! Check out our bocce ball courts, basketball court and outdoor ping pong tables this summer. www.TenTrails.com 360.469.4043      

Head to Local Pick-Your-Own Blueberry Farms this Summer

A visit to a local u-pick blueberry farm is a great summertime activity for the entire family! Get outside, learn about plants and farming while bringing home nutritious berries for the whole family to enjoy. There are many farms within easy driving distance to Ten Trails that offer pick-your-own options throughout the summer. Here are a few to consider visiting:

Canter-Berry Farms

Canter-Berry Farms is a small, family-owned farm that has been in operation with one family since 1954. The farm once sold blueberries at Pike Place Market where they were famous with customers for their quality. These days, the family only grows blueberries for the u-pick season. Located just southeast of Auburn in the upper Green River Valley, Canter-Berry Farms is just around the corner from Ten Trails. For updates on when blueberries will be available for picking for the 2021 season, visit the farm’s Facebook page.

Blue Dot Farm

Located a few miles north of Enumclaw on SE 416^th Street, Blue Dot Farm has over 500 plants with sixteen varieties of blueberries that ripen throughout the summer months. Some of these varieties produce the largest blueberries available in the country. For details on planning a visit to the farm this season, check out their website.

The Rusty Plow

The Rusty Plow Farm also offers u-pick blueberries with five main varieties at the farm, each with its own unique flavor and qualities. The Rusty Plow Farm is family-friendly, and great place to bring kids for an afternoon of blueberry-picking. Located in nearby Enumclaw, the farm is just a short drive from Ten Trails. www.TenTrails.com 360.469.4043  

Ten Trails Offers Pea Patches for Residents as One of Many Community Amenities

One of the huge benefits of living in a master planned community is access to community amenities! At Ten Trails, we have a wide variety of amenities to suit residents of every age. From playgrounds to pea patches, our residents have their pick of community features to enhance their lifestyle.

Community Pea Patches at Ten Trails

Some of the most popular amenities at Ten Trails are our community pea patches! Residents can opt to rent a pea patch plot for the spring/summer season to grow fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers. With 2021 being the first official year our pea patches have been in use, it has been great fun to see all the different varieties of plants our residents are growing.

Benefits of Community Pea Patches

Our pea patches are a space where residents can come together to grow community and plan, plant, and maintain a piece of open space. As one of many gathering spaces in Ten Trails, our pea patches help strengthen the community by fostering connections and serve as a point of pride amongst residents.

More Pea Patches Coming for the 2022 Growing Season

Ten Trails will have more pea patches available for resident rental beginning early 2022. If you are a resident who is interested in renting a pea patch, contact your HOA manager, Jodi Kay, at hoa@tentrails.com for details. www.TenTrails.com 360.469.4043  

Take a Trip Close to Home this Summer and Visit these Local Getaways

Washington State is beautiful and full of diverse climates, scenic state and national parks and many fun cities and towns that make great places to visit when you are looking for a local getaway! Take a drive this summer and visit one of these four fantastic locations that are close to home yet offer uniquely different experiences!

Friday Harbor 

Known as the “gateway to the San Juan Islands,” Friday Harbor is a charming and historic seaport that is well known for its quaint shops, walkable downtown, and many restaurants. Located just a few hour’s drive from Ten Trails followed by a ferry ride, Friday Harbor is the perfect local summer getaway spot.

Leavenworth

Take a short drive into the mountains to the Bavarian-themed village of Leavenworth, Washington. The walkable downtown boasts countless shops and restaurants, many of which sell German food and goods. The village is surrounded by spectacular hiking trails offering sweeping views of nearby mountains, rivers, and lakes. Hikers can cool off at the end of the day with a float, raft, or paddleboard down the Wenatchee River.

Bellingham

If you are looking for a city getaway with plenty of activities to do but without the crowds of Seattle or Portland, head north to Bellingham! This city offers something for everyone with plenty of local breweries and restaurants, shopping, spas, museums, and access to the outdoors. Bellingham has some of the area’s best urban biking trails with several places to rent bikes locally. During the summer months, head to Bellingham for “Downtown Sounds” an outdoor summer concert series with live music located near the city’s historic Bay and Prospect Streets. Check the city’s website for updates on the 2021 concert series schedule.

Winthrop

Located in the sunny and breathtaking Methow Valley of Washington, Winthrop is a charming mountain town that is a great getaway on its own, or a wonderful stop along the North Cascades Scenic Byway. Winthrop’s old western theme, complete with antique boardwalks, is a must-see for locals who have not visited. The town also has great shopping boutiques as well as restaurants, and motels. Summer is a great time to visit to enjoy live music and a seasonal farmers’ market. 360.469.4043 www.TenTrails.com  

PopUp StoryWalk at Ten Trails

Ten Trails is happy to share that PopUp StoryWalk has an installation in the community June 3rd-20th! Come walk our trails and read The Bear and the Piano by David Litchfield. PopUp StoryWalk is a local program promoting literacy, health, and art appreciation using deconstructed children’s storybooks installed in outdoor community spaces. Begin a children’s story at the start of a trail, read posted pages along the way, and end the trial as you end the book. PopUp StoryWalk is empowered by the Arts of Kenmore.      

   

Visit the Community June 3rd-20th

The PopUp StoryWalk installation is in the community June 3rd-20th, located at the intersection of SE Stevens and Glacier Ave. Grab a map from our Welcome Center for easy navigation or follow the QR code directions on our website’s home page.

   

Hidden Treasures Along the Trails

While children read along the trail, we will have some hidden treasures that correlate with the book’s theme for them to spot along the way.  PopUp StoryWalk will be at Ten Trails for three weeks so there is plenty of time for families to visit the trail more than once and see how many fun new things they discover on each visit.   www.TenTrails.com 360.469.4043  

Head to the Coast for Low Elevation Spring Hikes 

Get a jumpstart on the summer hiking season by heading west to the Washington coast for some spectacular low-elevation hikes that offer stunning views with no special snow gear required.

Oyster Dome Trail 

Oyster Dome Trail is one of the area’s most popular hikes and for good reason. Located in the Chuckanut Mountains where the Cascades meet Samish Bay, this 6+ mile hike has it all: views, challenging terrain, boulders, and glimpses of wildlife. The difficult hike is worth the trip. At the top you can catch views of the San Juan Islands, Olympic mountains, and you can see all the way to Vancouver Island on a clear day.

Leadbetter Point Loop Hiking Trail

Located on the northern tip of the 28-mile Long Beach Peninsula, the Leadbetter Point Loop Hiking Trail is the perfect place to go if you are looking to get away from it all. Leadbetter Point is a protected habitat as part of the Willapa Bay National Wildlife Refuge and is home to the endangered snowy plover. This 3.8-mile loop weaves through sand dunes, tidal flats and dense brush forest.

Cape Disappointment 

Cape Disappointment is in the most southwestern part of the state where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean. At this state park, visitors will find many trails to hike including the Cape Disappointment North Head Trail. At just over 3 miles out and back, hikers can spot views of the majestic coastline and the Cape Disappointment lighthouse. This hike is ideal during the months of May through October as the trail can get muddy in the winter months. Leashed dogs are allowed on this hike, and a Discover Pass is required for visiting the park. www.TenTrails.com 360.469.4043

Three Ten Trails Community Amenities You Should be Using this Spring 

Ten Trails has many community amenities for residents and the public to use including our award-winning Civic Park and miles of trails to explore. Here are three Ten Trails amenities that you must check out this spring:

Ten Trails Community Fire Pits 

Something magical happens while sitting around a fire with friends and family that does not happen in other situations. In this time when there is a huge emphasis on virtual connections and reliance on technology for socialization, an old-fashioned fireside chat with family and neighbors is the perfect low-tech way to reconnect. Ten Trails has fire pits for residents to use scattered throughout the community.

Ten Trails Community Ping Pong Table

Did you know Ten Trails has an outdoor ping pong table for residents to use? Grab a ball and some paddles and challenge your neighbors to a game! Ping Pong is a great activity to keep you fit, get you outside this spring, and is by nature a socially-distanced activity to do with others.

Ten Trails Community Bocce Ball Courts

Ten Trails’ bocce ball courts are located in Civic Park near the performance pavilion. If you are not familiar with the game, there is a sign posted next to the courts with instructions on how to play. All you need for a great time outdoors this spring is one other player and a bocce ball set www.TenTrails.com 360.469.4043

Break out of the Routine this Winter and Try Something Completely New

The Covid-19 pandemic has upended lives across the country and many of us are struggling to find ways to break out of the monotony that can come with many days spent at home, with limited options for socializing. Here are a few ideas of new things you and the family can try this winter to help break up your normal routines!

Go on a Dogsledding Adventure 

Northwest Dogsledding Adventures offers one-hour, seven-mile tours through snowy wilderness with their eager team of 12 dogs. The pack can run up to 20 miles per hour while guests kick back under blankets and enjoy the ride and views. Northwest Dogsledding Adventures is now taking reservations for weekend-only tours through March 31^st, 2021. The cost is $165 for adults and $110 for children under 80 pounds. For more information, visit their website.

Take a Virtual Cooking Class

Cooking is a wonderful skill for anyone to master, and it is a great idea to foster a love of cooking in kids from a young age. Even if you are an adult who is well-adept at cooking, there are always new skills and recipes to learn to keep things interesting in the kitchen! Famous Seattle restaurateur, Tom Douglas, is now offering virtual cooking classes through his company for families or larger groups. Seattle Cucina is also offering virtual classes geared specifically for kids of all ages. You can browse their many class offerings on their website.

Try Sprouting Seedlings Indoors

While we wait for the warmth and sunshine of spring, bring the outdoors inside by starting seed sprouts indoors. When the threat of frost is over, the whole family can enjoy transplanting the new baby plants to an outdoor garden or to a rented garden space in Ten Trails’ pea patches! Some plants that are among the easiest to grow from seed are pumpkins, sunflowers, lettuces, and squash. For information on how to start seeds indoors, check out this website. 360.469.4043 www.TenTrails.com