Tips for Getting the Most out of Your Ten Trails Outdoor Space This Fall and Winter 

The weather is getting cooler but that does not mean you have to stop using your outdoor backyard patio space! Many of the homes at Ten Trails have private outdoor space for residents to enjoy. Here are a few tips on how to upgrade your patio space to optimize use for the cooler, darker months.

Add More Lighting

Embrace the shorter daylight hours and light up outdoor patio or backyard space with soft twinkle lights, rustic electric lanterns, and faux flickering candles. These will not only add light, but will also create ambiance and a magical glow to your space. Ten Trails HOA covenants permit outdoor string lights on patios, but written permission is needed to attach any lighting to fences.

Add Heat 

Fall and winter evenings in the Pacific Northwest can be damp and chilly. Combat the cold by adding electric or propane outdoor heaters to your space. Choose ones that are decorative or that can be easily stowed away in your yard when not needed.  Another great option for adding warmth in your backyard space is to purchase a propane fire pit which will also create a nice backdrop for your outdoor socially-distanced gathering with neighbors.

Change Up Your Décor 

If you have backyard or patio furniture, change up the upholstery to reflect the seasons! Add outdoor pillows in warm fall tones of gold, orange, and deep red. As the holidays approach, liven up your backyard space with hints of seasonal colors like red, green, gold and silver. Do not forget to include a few warm blankets and throws for your family or guests to keep warm.  

Swap out Summer Plantings for Fall Flowers

Bring some fall color into your backyard space by adding seasonal plants like hearty mums and even some late-blooming dahlias. Both will show color until the first frost. Purchase evergreens and conifer plants and place them in brightly colored pots to bring cheer and greenery to your backyard patio space during the winter months. 360.469.4043 www.TenTrails.com

Fun Fall Activities for the Whole Family

This fall season is a great time to take the kids outdoors to explore something new! Why not plan an educational and fun outing to take part in one of these fall family-friendly activities soon?

Watch Salmon Runs

The rivers and creeks of the Seattle area come alive in the fall with the yearly salmon runs. Salmon spawn in local waterways, swim out to the Pacific Ocean where they live for a few years, then return to the river where they spawned to complete their life cycle. Salmon are an integral part of the ecosystem in our area, and their spectacular swim upriver is not to be missed. Ten Trails residents can view salmon runs in the nearby Cedar River in addition to many local creeks and streams. For a list of Seattle-area salmon run viewing spots, check out this website.

Search for Sand Dollars in the Tidal Flats at Dash Point

Head to nearby Dash Point in Federal Way during low tide and comb the beach for shells, kelp, and sand dollars. Dash Point State Park offers hiking trails, campgrounds, and unobstructed views of the Puget Sound. Kids will love splashing in the shallow tidal pools and building sandcastles in the 3,201 feet of shoreline.

Go Razor Clamming at Washington’s Beaches

Recreational razor clamming is one of the most popular licensed outdoor activities in Washington State, and razor clamming beaches on the Washington coast can be reached from Ten Trails in less than three hours. If you have not tried razor clamming, this fall season is the perfect time to give it a go! This family-friendly activity is enjoyed by children and senior citizens alike, totaling over 75,000 participants each year in Washington. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has just announced digs for this season. Check their website for dates and license information.

Take a Drive to the Cascades to See Fall Foliage

Pack your cameras and a picnic lunch and head out for a drive into the Cascades this fall to witness some truly spectacular fall foliage! Shades of red, gold, orange and yellow can be found in various locations throughout the Cascades with many varieties of deciduous trees putting on a beautiful show. Before heading out, plan your route and check this website for a map of active wildfire locations and road closures. www.TenTrails.com 360.469.4043    

Visit Nearby Pumpkin Patches this October

Pumpkin season is here and residents of Ten Trails have a lot of options when looking for nearby places to take their kids pumpkin-picking! Check out these local farms and make sure to tag us, @TenTrails on social media with your best pumpkin patch photo!

Thomasson Farm Pumpkin Patch

Thomasson Family Farm in nearby Enumclaw has a whole host of fall activities for families to enjoy this October! Head to the farm from October 1^st through the 31^st to experience their pumpkin patch, and take part in fall activities including tractor train rides, hay wagon rides, a petting farm, corn maze and much more! The farm is located at 38223 236^th Ave SE in Enumclaw.

Maris Farms

Located in nearby Buckley, Maris Farms has fall activities for kids of all ages including a corn maze, pig and duck races, and a haunted woods walk. Their pumpkin patch is open from September 28^th through October 30^th and features pumpkins and gourds of all sizes. Visitors can also purchase pumpkin-carving kits and cornstalks directly from the farm which is located at 25001 Sumner Buckley Hwy in Buckley.

Mosby Farm

Mosby Farm is a small, family-run farm located close to Ten Trails in the Green River Valley. Their pumpkin patch is open from September 28^th until October 30^th at 3104 Auburn-Black Diamond Road in Auburn.

Carpinito Brothers Farms Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze 

Just a few miles from Ten Trails in nearby Kent, Carpinito Brothers Farm has plenty of activities for the little ones in your family! The pumpkin patch and corn maze are open from September 27^th through October 31^st at 27508 W. Valley Hwy North in Kent. Take part in fall-themed kids’ activities at the farm while enjoying a majestic view of Mt. Rainier in the lovely Kent valley. 360-469-4043 www.TenTrails.com        

Head to Ten Trails for our Annual Hometown Harvest Event!

Join us for Hometown Harvest at Ten Trails featuring fun activities for the entire family on Saturday, September 14^th from 12 to 6 pm. Throughout the day, we will have bouncy houses, pumpkin painting, a beer garden, game truck, more than 30 craft vendors, face painting, balloon animals, food trucks, dessert trucks and a petting farm! All these activities will take place in our Civic Park and Village Green.

Tasting Tour at Our Ten Trails Model Homes

In addition to all the fun activities at our parks, we will also have a tasting tour at our model homes! There will but a shuttle service bringing guests to seven different stops at our models and Welcome Center with sample items to eat or drink at each stop! Featured vendor samples are from Farm Shed Wines, Bordeaux Wine Bar, Schilling Cider, Café Pacific Catering, Gracene’s Cupcakes and more!

Hometown Harvest Event Giveaways 

The Hometown Harvest event will feature a number of great giveaways including a Yeti Tundra 35 cooler, Mariner’s tickets, and a trip to Friday Harbor with a ride aboard the Victoria Clipper! To be entered to win any of our giveaways, grab a passport from our Ten Trails Welcome Center, get your passport stamped at our other six tasting tour locations, and turn in your completed passport to our Welcome Center or Ten Trails event tent at the Civic Park.

Relay Races, Live Music and Hot Air Balloon Rides 

From 3 to 4 pm in our Civic Park, we will have relay races with prizes and the Seahawks’ Blitz will be signing autographs and taking photos with guests! Stay at the Civic Park from 4 to 6 pm to watch a comedic dueling piano performance on our park stage. The event will conclude with hot air balloon rides, weather permitting. Don’t miss this day of fun at Ten Trails! www.TenTrails.com 360-469-4043  

Annual Salmon Spawn in the Nearby Cedar River

Right now is the time of year that salmon are embarking in their long journey upstream to spawn. The annual migration is one of the Pacific Northwest’s most awe-inspiring biological phenomenons and it can be viewed in person just minutes from Ten Trails!  Just a few miles from community, the Cedar River boasts Sockeye, Chinook, and Coho salmon–all of which can be viewed completing their migration. Within a short drive from the community, you and your family can learn from local naturalists about the annual travels that salmon take from the Pacific Ocean to the Cedar River to spawn.

Guided Tours with Local Naturalists

Aside from being fun to watch, the salmon migration offers a great opportunity for a learning experience for the entire family!  Naturalists are onsite at Landsburg Park in Ravensdale during the hours of 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on October 20, 21, 27 and 28. Visitors will have the opportunity to look for the brightly-colored Sockeye in the river and learn about the yearly migration from experts in the field. Interaction and questions are encouraged, especially from younger participants.

Walking Tours of Landsburg Dam

In addition, Ten Trails families can take a 40-minute walking tour up to the Landsburg Dam and learn about the Seattle area’s water supply as well as how salmon are allowed to pass above the dam. This is a free tour that is perfect for the whole family. To learn more about the salmon run at Cedar River, visit Seattle’s Child’s website. 

Directions to the Landsburg Park and Dam

The Landsburg Park and Dam is located at SE 252nd Pl. & Landsburg Rd. SE, Ravensdale WA 98051 Follow Hwy. 169 southeast from I-405. Shortly after crossing under Hwy. 18, turn left (NE) at light on SE 216th Way. Go about 3 miles. Turn right (S) on 276th Ave. SE. Go about 1.5 miles. As you drive downhill, Landsburg Park will be on your left. Parking is available on the left and right sides of the road. Please note, the last tour leaves at 3:15pm. www.TenTrails.com 360-469-4043

Autumn 2018 Newsletter

Read about all the latest news about Ten Trails in our Autumn 2018 Newsletter! 

Tips for Fall Gardening

Autumn is upon us, but that doesn’t mean your Ten Trails garden has to go dormant until spring! The Pacific Northwest has an ideal climate for fall gardening with a late frost and temperate winter climate. A little planning now will ensure you can enjoy your Ten Trails garden well up until the first frost and early in the spring season!

Evergreen Shrubs

The Pacific Northwest is known for its majestic evergreen trees, but is also the perfect place for growing a wide variety of evergreen shrubs. Some native evergreens that do well in our climate include: tall Oregon rapes, pacific wax myrtle, dwarf Hinoki cypress, and Siberian cypress.

Fall Produce

Fall is the perfect time for planting autumn and winter vegetables like kale, beets, cabbage and collard greens.  Hardy winter and root vegetables will thrive in the Pacific Northwest’s cool, autumn climate. Make sure to plant vegetables early enough in the autumn season to ensure harvest before frost. For the most abundant vegetable harvest, add organic compost matter to the soil before planting.

Plant Spring Bulbs

Now is the time to plant bulbs for early spring color. Daffodils and tulips do well in our climate and will bring much-needed cheery color in March and April. Plant before November to ensure proper blooming. Bulbs will even do well in container gardens on your back or front porch of your new Ten Trails home!  www.TenTrails.com 360-469-4043