Things to Do in Tukwila

At the age of 9, Bonnie Morris began a lifelong relationship with horses. By age 10, she was the proud guardian of her own colt and at 22, she set the wheels in motion to open her own training center. Today at Morris's Shadow Mountain Stables, she and her staff continue to bond riders and steeds within a five-acre haven that's beyond the reaches of the outside world and its persistent chorus of honking bikes. They foster interspecies rapport through various types of instruction, including lessons and summer camps that teach showmanship and horse care. Trail rides mosey through nearby woods, meadows, and grasslands overlooking Mount Rainier. Birthday parties include horseback rides or visits to the petting farm. The petting farm facilitates up-close encounters with fuzzy ferrets, giant bunnies, mini horses, and baby goats as well as the stable's fleet of horses and resident cow, Henry, who also answers to, "Look! A cow!"

As Seattle Food Tours takes you on a two-and-a-half-hour perambulation of Pike Place Market, they'll introduce you to their handpicked favorite restaurants, chefs, farmers, gourmet shops, and artisanal food purveyors. Depending on the tour, you might try award-winning local clam chowder, sample fresh English crumpets, or lick authentic Italian gelato made with fresh local fruit. Past tours have also included Chinese herb teas, locally produced cheese, alder-wood-smoked salmon, and a whole bunch of other James Beard award-winning chefs, organic seasonal fruits, international wines, and more. The surprise is much of the fun, so buy extra Groupons for up to three friends, and spend an afternoon telling each other, "Here, you have to try this."

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.

When Brian McInerney reflects on the humble beginnings of Wheel Fun Rentals, he points to his childhood passion for bikes. "As far back as I can remember, I had a real love affair with bicycles," he recalls. During a trip to Italy in 1987, Brian's affinity for cycling blossomed into a full-fledged obsession when he spotted locals' transporter of choice, the surrey. Inspired, he began importing the Italian four-wheelers to a rental business in the U.S. that eventually expanded into Wheel Fun Rentals, now a nationwide web of shops that also loans out bikes, electric cars and mopeds, and man-powered watercraft.

Atop bicycles and surreys built for solo riders or entire families, patrons embark on self-guided tours of major U.S. cities. Led by maps and lists of nearby sites of historical or cultural significance, riders zoom down bike paths and safe, lightly trafficked streets. Adventuresome athletes can also compete in activities such as surrey scavenger hunts and blindfold obstacle courses navigated via shouted instructions from a seeing teammate or exceptionally long rounds of trial and error.

Master storyteller Anthony McDonald has a gift for the supernatural that he has honed since his childhood in New Orleans, one of the most haunted cities in the United States. He led fearless guests on his first ghost tour through the French Quarter in 1984, and today he points out specters along the streets and alleyways of Pioneer Square. During the 72-minute tours, McDonald recounts historical yarns about the twilight-shrouded town and shares local lore including the legend of the singing rain and its long-standing rivalry with Gene Kelly.