A Rainy-Day Walk through West Hylebos Wetlands

by | Nov 3, 2024 | fall, park, walking, Washington State | 22 comments

Brooklake, West Hylebos Wetland Park

It was my middle daughter’s birthday week, and the forecast was for rain. Daughter #1 brought a big chocolate cake with cherries and whipped cream frosting, and we’d chosen a dim-sum place for lunch. So we could have skipped the walk.

But we came prepared with rain gear. Why skip it? Besides, rain in Western Washington often means not much more than sprinkles. So, we went.

West Hylebos Wetlands Park, boardwalk

The boardwalk kept our feet out of the mud. On the other hand, it was a bit slippery.

slippery boardwalk, West Hylebos Wetlands

A wetlands isn’t the best place for fall color. There’s so much green, you hardly notice the color.

West Hylebos Wetlands Park

These fallen maple leaves must have been more colorful a week ago.

fallen leaves, West Hylebos Wetlands

Small but bright

West Hylebos Wetlands Park

Even on a rainy day our walk through the West Hylebos Wetlands was pleasant. The trails and boardwalks took us through only a portion of the 120-acre park owned by the city of Federal Way. At two miles, it wasn’t a long walk, but it was enough to give us an appetite.

The dim-sum was good. The chocolate cake was even better.

cake

22 Comments

  1. Mabel Kwong

    That’s fantastic you decided to take a walk in the wetlands and greenery. Guessing it wasn’t too big of a downpour – as you said too much more than sprinkles, and not like a big tropical downpour you get in tropical South-East Asia. Cake and dim sum sound like a treat for a meal. That chocolate cake looks fantastic. It even had candles! I hope middle daughter had a good birthday 🙂

    Reply
    • Nicki Chen

      Speaking of tropical downpours, I remember our first July in the Philippines. It rained for the biblical 40 days and 40 nights. And it was real rain, not sprinkles. They were rescuing people from treetops.

      My daughter’s birthday cake was delicious, but the dimsum was only so-so. My first complaint, they didn’t have carts, and the tables didn’t have a lazy-Susan. Also, each piece was too big. Am I being awfully particular?

      Reply
  2. Annika Perry

    Nicki, as soon as I saw the boardwalk I thought, please be careful – they are so slippery on wet days. Sometimes it’s just lovely to get out, and that sumptuous cake was waiting for you. Perfect for your daughter’s birthday and you all! 😀

    Reply
    • Nicki Chen

      You’re right, Annika. The boardwalk was slippery. I planted my feet carefully. Sunshine would have been nicer, but we had already made our plans, and it was pleasant to get out even in the rain.

      Reply
  3. Lani

    Hey, a nice slide of chocolate cake as your reward for walking in the rainy wetlands isn’t a bad trade off!

    Reply
    • Nicki Chen

      The dimsum was good too.

      Reply
  4. Johanna Bradley

    It was my birthday week too, and I was a bit put out to have a rainy day, Nicki, but we made the best of it too, and the sun did actually come out for a little while. No chocolate cake, though!

    Reply
    • Nicki Chen

      There’s a saying here: “There’s no bad weather, just inappropriate clothing.” It’s an obvious exaggeration but a good reminder not to let a little rain keep you inside.

      I hope you had a good celebration of your birthday.

      Reply
  5. Ally Bean

    A walk on a rainy day, a birthday cake, it sounds perfect to me. Yay you!

    Reply
    • Nicki Chen

      We’re not too interested in gifts anymore, so being together for a walk and cake is better.

      Reply
  6. nrhatch

    Rainy days + cake = perfect together!

    Happy Birthday to #2!

    Reply
    • Nicki Chen

      Yes. It was a perfect little birthday celebration.

      Reply
  7. MINDY HALLECK

    UGH! Now I want cake.
    looks like a perfectly delightful fall day.

    Reply
  8. Kate Crimmins

    Cake looks luscious! A proper reward after a walk!

    Reply
    • Nicki Chen

      That reminds me of an energetic blogger I follow, restlessjo. she takes the most beautiful walks every Monday around Portugal where she moved some years ago, and she ends each one stopping to eat some delicious looking cake or pastry.

      Reply
    • Nicki Chen

      It tasted better than it looks. It drooped a little on the way down.

      Reply
  9. Autumn

    I miss the rain and envy your damp walk, even more than the dim sum and cake. We got three light, short showers yesterday for the first time in more than 6 months.

    Reply
    • Nicki Chen

      Six months! That must be hard. Today I’m happy to see a few fluffy clouds in a beautiful blue sky.

      Reply
  10. L. Marie

    That cake looks delicious!! What a great reward (that and the the dim-sum) after a walk in the rain. Lovely photos, Nicki. It’s nice to see the pops of red, orange, and yellow amidst the green. 😊😊😊

    The wetlands were aptly named!

    Reply
    • Nicki Chen

      I love the green trees, but the pops of red, orange, and yellow were the spices my eyes were looking for.

      Dim sum is best when you have enough people to order a variety. Since there were five of us, and we’re all good eaters, we were able to choose a nice variety.

      Reply

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