Things to Do in Issaquah

At its core, Adventura is a “jungle gym built for grown-ups.” But more than that, it provides visitors with an escape from the everyday drudgery of stuffy offices, boring paperwork, and tedious leg-walking. For the park’s creators, the lush Pacific Northwest countryside that stretches out around the park is the office. They’re a band of adventurers themselves, and they designed Adventura as a way for others to experience the growth, laughter, and connections that seem to bloom naturally outdoors.

Of course, Adventura puts its own spin on spending time outdoors by filling Woodinville Wine Country with a series of sky-high exploits. With the park typically booked 45 days in advance, visitors can be found leaping from decks, balancing precariously on cables 45 feet off the ground, or scaling cargo nets throughout most of the year. In 2013, the park plans to expand by adding up to 40 new elements, including four new ziplines, in an effort to up the ante on adventure.

Seattle Scenic Flights' skilled pilots offer you a chance to see the city in a brand-new way: from the clouds. On flights ranging in duration from 30 minutes to 60 minutes, you'll get a bird's-eye view of landmarks such as Lake Washington, Safeco Field, Qwest Field, and Fisherman's Terminal. Enjoy aerial freedom like a sparrow on parole as you soar above the Space Needle, downtown Bellevue, and the University of Washington.

Seattle Scenic Flights can also set up aspiring pilots on an introductory flight lesson to the San Juan Islands. You and a friend will commandeer a Cessna Skyhawk with an FAA Certified Flight Instructor for a flight to the islands, where you'll then deplane for two hours to shop for souvenirs, savor the local fare, or snap pictures before heading back toward the mainland. Your flight counts 100% towards the FAA requirements for pilot training and will be documented in an official pilot logbook.

For sand to turn into glass, something must heat it to more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit—something like a meteor crashing into the earth, a volcano erupting, or lightning striking a beach. At Redmond School of Glass, sculptor Corey Hubbell and his team of instructors take care of the heating part, dipping into a chamber for dollops of molten glass that students turn into pieces of art. They lead one-time sessions as well as six-week courses—which maintain a student-teacher ratio of 2:1—imparting their expertise through projects that involve crafting ornaments, vases, and dishes. And they've stocked their studio with all the necessary tools, such as wooden blocks for shaping and jacks for cutting.

By sharing their craft, Corey and his team continue the storied glass-art heritage of Seattle, which once sustained more than 300 glass shops. The area's world-renowned scene claims sculptor Dale Chihuly, the Pilchuck Glass School, and the Museum of Glass; so definitive is glass, in fact, that four out of the last five mayors were made of it.

As part of nationally performing salsa team Somos el Son, Salsa N' Seattle Dance Studio instructors Victor Chavez and Julia Krasnov spin, step, and shimmy so quickly that videos of their performances almost seem to have been sped up. Though their fancy footwork may appear impossible for mere mortals to replicate, their classes break the dance down into easy-to-follow steps that pay off in the first class, with moves that can be instantly transported to club floors and slow-moving grocery lines. The studio also pulses with the beats of other excitement-driven styles, from the workout parties of Zumba to the swagger of hip-hop to the expressive gestures of North Indian classical dance.

As a nonprofit organization rather than a sailing club or boat-rental shop, Sail Sand Point floats an enriching nautical experience over come-and-go boating. The five-use open boating punch card grants access to SSP's sailboats, kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards for a quintet of 90-minute excursions during open boating hours through October 27. Although only the vessel's captain has to fulfill all five of SSP's open-boating requirements and pen a Whitman-worthy schooner sonnet, any passengers must complete a medical/liability waiver. The craft-curious can get a taste of sailing in the adult two-hour intro course before deciding to commit to a wardrobe of lifejackets and whale pants. After learning some sailing 101 from a US Sailing–certified instructor, students board a boat and practice newly-learned techniques on the waves of Lake Washington.

TechCity Bowl offers a fusion of modern and classic entertainment, as 170-inch high-definition screens hover above the center's 32 lanes. The facility hosts open-bowling hours throughout the week, and allows customers to earn redemption tickets that may be redeemed for video games, radio-controlled helicopters, cameras, and more. They also offer league opportunities for adults and children, as well as interactive bowling games such as Rocky Road Race. Every Friday and Saturday night, TechCity Bowl takes on fluorescent hues and black-lit lanes for Cosmic X-Bowl. Laser lights and fog machines fill the alley with special effects, and a live DJ spins dance-worthy tunes that are broadcast on the high-definition screens. In the adjacent arcade, players can test abilities on air hockey and video games, and the onsite sports bar fills empty glasses with classic libations and seasonal microbrews. Bowlers can refuel in between rounds at the center's grill, which serves a full menu to keep hungry players from cracking open their bowling balls onto frying pans.