Lakeside Wildlife Wonderland

Although the community is in a rural area, it is not too far from many activities and towns, and only 1 hour's drive from Seattle. We are located 10 minutes from downtown Graham, and 15 minutes from South Puyallup, 15 minutes from Orting, which has tons of fun festivals throughout the year.

Nearby Activities:

1. Day trip to Mount Rainier National Park: from our property, we recommend the SW corner of the park. And, bonus, this will have you going through Elbe, where the train restaurant is!

2. Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad: Recently re-opened. They offer tons of activities & events for both kid & adult demographics (note: these require ticket purchase ahead of time, so check out their website first!)

3. Rail Cycle Mount Rainier. (Note: This attraction is accessed from a different side of the park than mentioned above- as it is a very large park, I wouldn't recommend planning both this attraction and Elbe side in the same day.) Just opened during Summer 2023!!! It's like a quad bike that rides along the old logging tracks from Eatonville to MRNP. 
Website: Rail Cycle Mount Rainier

4. NW Trek: 15 minutes away, and a great day trip for animal lovers as well as kids. We like to think of it as a zoo that protects native species to the area. Plus they have a tram to ride too!

5. Go Karts: Puget Sound Go Kart Association is located in Spanaway, and is about 15 minutes away. 

6. Lake Kapowsin: There are "ruins" of the old high school and town that started this "electric" town, just 5 minutes away. The history of Kapowsin is very interesting, and it's really fun to walk the area and discover what remains! Lake Kapowsin has a parking lot and is just 5 minutes away. Lake Kapowsin in and of itself is interesting because of all the underwater trunks, but don't try boating here.

7. Pioneer Farm Museum & Ohop Indian Village: This is a fun place for kids to step back in time and explore. They have two different tours available, and the setting is great for an after-tour picnic. Website: https://pioneerfarmmuseum.org/public-tours/

Nearby Restaurants:

• This is a rural community, so most restaurants are a bit of a trek, but the drive is beautiful in just about all directions, so enjoy the trip not just for the food!
  
  1. Kapowsin Alehouse: This is the closest place to eat, and is just 5 minutes away. They serve a variety of pub-style food and pizza. If you're not from a small town, this one may be a bit of a culture shock, but the staff is very nice, and everything we've tried has been very good.

  2. Mt. Rainier Railroad Dining Co: A little farther out (but a great stop if you take a day trip to Rainier, and a fun place to take kiddos). 33 minute drive

  3. WaWa Teriyaki: Be sure to check their hours before heading over, as they are updated often. 15 minute drive

  4. Out & About Burgers: They are always busy! Fun (drive thru) food truck with delicious burgers. 33 minute drive
  
  5. Tim's Kitchen: The Best breakfast around, and really great fried chicken. If you are driving through Orting on the way up, consider stopping here (Orting also has tons of festivals throughout the year, you may consider looking up what's happening during your stay for a fun day trip!). 15 minute drive. Note, there is also one located on Meridian in Puyallup, roughly the same driving timing, but Orting has a nicer drive to and from, and less traffic.

  6. Don's Drive-In: This one's a bit far, as it is next to the state fairgrounds. But, they have a very large menu for a burger spot, and everything is so yummy! We often go to Puyallup just to stop here. 42 minute drive
  
  7. L&M Firehouse: Bar & burger food done right. Everyone is very friendly, and the vibe is very fun. They also have live music sometimes. 18 minute drive

Orting & Sumner Events:

The city of Orting puts on tons of events throughout the year. Check out their events calendar here. Sumner is just 5-10 minutes further than Orting, and has amazing Seasonal events- there are many farms who put on Harvest festivals and Halloween events, Winter holidays events, Sunflower festivals, and tons of other flower and Summer themed events! We recommend checking out the stretch of farms along highway 162, with the most well known among the bunch being Spooner Farms.

Seattle & Surrounding Metro Area:

If your stay at the Lakeside Wildlife Wonderland is being planned as part of a trip to Washington state, you’ll be delighted to know our lake house is only ~1 hour from Seattle, making Seattle a great day trip! Everyone knows about the fun to be had at Seattle's famous Pike Place, but there is SO much more than the market to be seen and experienced in the Seattle area!

(As a note: if you choose to day trip to Seattle, our recommendation is to route through Orting and Sumner (instead of through Puyallup), as it is not only a lovely scenic route  that takes the same amount of time, but there are many fun stops you could explore along the way (u-pick berry farms, frequent festivals, a cute little downtown, etc.)

Here's a handful of our favorite spots in the Seattle Metro area:

1. Chihuly Garden & Glass - one of the best museums in Seattle, and absolute mastery of art
2. Seattle Art Museum's Sculpture Park - Located along the waterfront in a gorgeous park setting, this space doesn't charge to roam through the huge works of art
3. The ferries - if you are traveling with kids, they'll love a ferry ride
4. Woodinville Wine Country
5. Kerry Park - perhaps the most famous viewpoint in Seattle, Kerry Park overlooks the water and Seattle's skyline from a small park
6. Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room - coffee lovers need to stop in! They have specialty drinks that are exclusive to this location, and you can sip your coffee in a setting that feels like a cross between a factory and a gastro-pub. 
7. Underground Seattle - fun historical tour of the streets below! Seattle was rebuilt in the late 1800s after a fire left most of the downtown destroyed. The original Seattle downtown was built too low and regularly flooded, so when it was rebuilt, they built the "ground level" two stories higher! 
8. Snoqualmie Falls! You can even take a (very short) hike to the bottom to get a more up close and personal view. Stop by Small fries in Fall City afterward for a delicious guilty treat (they are specifically known for their fries and shakes)

Tacoma & Olympia

The Tacoma area has a lot to offer, and is a super easy day trip!

1. Food! Tacoma has lots of great restaurants, and a quirky downtown core. Our favorite spot in Tacoma's downtown is McMenamin's (a PNW chain, but this is our favorite one in WA)- and if you have enough time, try to find their secret bar.

2. Union Station - a beautiful old train station that is now used as a federal courthouse. The Foyer  is open to the public and has stunning displays of Chihuly's glass art.

3. WW Wright Botanical Conservatory - seriously stunning greenhouse located in Wright Park. This huge Victorian greenhouse is on the national historic register, and houses hundreds of exotic plants.

4. LeMay's Car Museum - if there's a car fanatic in your group, this car collection is a must-see

5. Karpeles Manuscript Library - Museum entry is free! They hold thousands of historical documents on nearly every subject. The exhibit changes several times a year, so even if you've been before, you haven't seen it all. The collection is all encompassing, including handwritten literary transcripts from famous authors, to religious documents, to historical certificates and more

6. Washington State Capitol Building in Olympia -  they offer free tours. Washington's capitol is one of the more architecturally significant state capitols. You can also take a stroll along Capitol Lake, just below the Capitol building. There are tons of great restaurants, bars, and breweries in the Capitol area.

7. Mima Mounds - this nature preserve in Olympia is very unique. It is known for the bubbly mounds dotting the landscape of this prairie setting, and offers three miles of easy trails.

8. Lattin's Country Cider Mill - Farm with a petting zoo that sells their own freshly pressed cider and other fresh foodie treats! Best time of year to visit is early fall.

9. Food! Olympia is well known for their breweries, and the downtown area is fun to explore and brewery hop

What is the Cellphone service and internet situation?
Cell phone service is not great in the neighborhood. We have used T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T all with varying degrees of success depending on which phone was used. We have mostly been able to take phone calls on any of the major networks, but have poor data connection.
We provide guest Wi-Fi, and have fast Wi-Fi speeds.

Is fishing allowed?
No, this lake does not allow for private or public fishing, per HOA rules. This is monitored by the community, and guests found fishing will be fined.

Should we bring our own drinking water?
Our water is provided via a private well. The home is on a "whole-house 4-stage water filter" but, some who are not used to well water may find the taste off-putting, so we do recommend bringing bottled water.

What lake equipment do you provide?
We provide 4 kayaks, 2 paddleboards, and 1 pedal boat. Guests are free to use our boats during the stay. Please ensure each boat is placed back where it was found (kayaks and paddleboards on their respective racks, and pedal boats docked in the same location attached to the dock leash). Use at your own risk. Any damage will be charged to guest via Airbnb. We have several life jackets guests may borrow ranging from toddler to adult, but cannot guarantee that we have your size.

Note: Do not bring a motorized boat, our lake does not permit motorized boat activity.

Can we use the fire pit?
Yes. Guests may use either the wood burning fire pit or the gas fire table. Note: we do not provide firewood, so be sure to bring your own. For safety reasons, we do not provide an axe or other cutting tool, so be sure to pre-cut your wood and kindling before you arrive.
Follow Pierce County burn bans when in place - use this link to look up current burn ban alerts

Do you have cable tv?
We do not provide cable. However both TVs are Roku enabled, so you can log into any streaming services you subscribe to.

Do you provide coffee?
Yes. In an effort to reduce waste, our coffee is a steeped variety. It is prepared similarly to tea, by steeping the bags in hot water.

Is there a Pack N’ Play onsite?
Yes, we provide a Pack N’ Play. Guests clean up and put away (in the closet where it was found) the Pack N’ Play at checkout.

Can we bring our pet(s)?
No, we do have a strict no pets policy to keep allergens at a minimum. Pet dander can be very difficult (and expensive) to remove. If it is found that the guest did not abide by this rule, an additional cleaning fee of $200 will be charged by Airbnb to ensure proper allergen cleaning.

Other rules:
Absolutely no smoking anywhere on the property, including outdoors.
Absolutely no fireworks allowed on premises.
Quiet hours after 10pm

We request that guests use the "foot wash station" next to the deck after enjoying the beach. Sand is very difficult to remove/clean from the home interior, an extra cleaning fee of $50 will be charged for guests that don't follow this rule.

Security Cameras: there are security cameras at the driveway entrance and a front doorbell camera. There is also a security camera over the parking area. We only monitor these cameras if you ring the doorbell or if we are not expecting guests to arrive.

**Liability Waiver: Campfires, swimming, and the use of any watercraft are at your own risk. There is no lifeguard on duty and you accept full responsibility for any bodily injury arising during your stay at Lakeside Wildlife Wonderland and you hold the Property Owners, Host, and Outbound Holdings LLC harmless. You understand there are potential dangers that campfires, swimming, water proximity and watercraft may present to children who are not carefully supervised, as well as the danger to any person swimming or using watercraft if a person has health risks, or while intoxicated or using any kind of drugs or medication, or while pregnant. You agree to be fully and solely responsible for all accidents or injury that may occur inside or outside the home. You understand the risks discussed above and agree that you will assume all responsibility for yourself and for those in your party. You agree to waive any claim whatsoever against the property owners, the host, and Outbound Holdings LLC for accidents or claims regarding any and all incidents that may occur on the property. All Guests in your party acknowledge and agree that they have read and understand this waiver and they acknowledge that confirmation by booking this home constitutes a binding and enforceable contract between all Guests, the property owners, the Host, and Outbound Holdings LLC.