Alki Beach, across Elliott Bay from downtown Seattle, is the city's most popular beach and is the nearest approximation you'll find in the Northwest to a Southern California beach scene. The paved path that runs along this 2 1/2-mile-long beach is popular with skaters, walkers, and cyclists; and the road that parallels the beach is lined with shops, restaurants, and beachy houses and apartment buildings. But the views across Puget Sound to the Olympic Mountains confirm that this is indeed the Northwest. Despite the views, this beach lacks the greenery that makes some of the city's other beaches so much more appealing. A water taxi operates between the downtown Seattle waterfront and Alki Beach. By the way, Alki rhymes with sky, not key.

For a more Northwestern beach experience (which usually includes a bit of hiking or walking), head to one of the area's many waterfront parks. Lincoln Park, 8011 Fauntleroy Ave. SW, south of Alki Beach in West Seattle, has bluffs and forests backing the beach. Northwest of downtown Seattle in the Magnolia area, you'll find Discovery Park, 3801 W. Government Way (tel. 206/386-4236), where miles of beaches are the primary destination of most park visitors. To reach Discovery Park, follow Elliott Avenue north along the waterfront from downtown Seattle, then take the Magnolia Bridge west toward the Magnolia neighborhood and follow Grayfield Street to Galer Street to Magnolia Boulevard.

Golden Gardens Park, 8499 Seaview Place NW (tel. 206/684-4075), which is located north of Ballard and Shilshole Bay, is our favorite Seattle beach park. Although the park isn't very large and is backed by railroad tracks, the views of the Olympic Mountains are magnificent, and on summer evenings people build fires on the beach. Lawns and shade trees make this park ideal for a picnic.

Several parks along the shores of Lake Washington have small stretches of beach, many of which are actually popular with hardy swimmers. Seward Park, 5902 Lake Washington Blvd. S (tel. 206/684-4075), southeast of downtown Seattle, is a good place to hang out by the water and do a little swimming. To reach this park from downtown, take Madison Street east to Lake Washington Boulevard and turn right. Although this isn't the most direct route to Mount Baker Beach or Seward Park, it's the most scenic. Along the way, you'll pass plenty of other small parks.