Schmitz Park Preserve is a quaint, just over 50-acre park located in West Seattle that offers an old growth forest filled with walking paths, hiking and nature galore. Sure, it sounds like many of the parks in our area, but the hidden gem in this preserve is the Alligator Tree—a fallen tree cut and painted to resemble a huge, you guessed it, alligator! It’s perfect for a photo op (stick that head inside like Captain Hook!).

Just north of Denny Blaine Park, on 39th Ave. E. and E. Harrison St is a low key, community-improved public beach. It offers beautiful views and a serene place to take in the lake life. The Harrison Street beach also offers a sand beach, plus a place to wade, have a picnic or watch the sun go down.

This artistic little shopping area is something you won’t want to pass by. Built in 2010, this teeny retail oasis is home to vintage travel trailers that house independent shops filled with local artsy items. Here you’ll find eclectic goodies such as planters, jewelry, ceramics, art, vintage clothing, vinyl records and home decor. And come hungry! The super scrumptious Lowrider Baking Company has mouth-watering homemade cookies for purchase.

This 19-foot, 700-ton, 14,000-year-old gneiss rock in Ravenna that was left over by glacial drift during the last ice age. Go check that huge sucker out, and have a picnic while you’re there, too. And while you're there, head over to the Wedgwood Duck House. Approximately every month, the owners of the house, arrange rubber duckies in the most elaborate formations in their yard.

Located in the High Point neighborhood, inside the Commons Park P-Patch, this educational spot is where you can have a close encounter with your favorite honey makers. The bees are viewed in their natural habitat from behind clear plexiglass walls of an adorable enclosure. Take a self-guided tour of the garden, and don’t forget to read the posted signs to learn a few new tidbits about these little stingers while you are there.

This 40-story building in the middle of downtown Seattle hardly seems to be a ‘hidden’ towny treasure, but it’s the seventh floor rooftop that sets this building apart from the surrounding high rises. On this clandestine rooftop sits a secret public garden! This low-key, yet lush retreat is perfect for checking out the views of downtown and taking a gander at Puget Sound. If you and your fam are in the area, it’s a great insider spot to relax and soak in the jewels of the city.

Ah, just when you thought the days of traveling by train and eating in a dining car have been rendered archaic, in comes a little-known Seattle fave you and your little engineers will go loco-motive over. This unique eatery is housed in seven railroad cars, including one car that was the private travel car of President Franklin D. Roosevelt during his presidential campaign of 1944. OG fixtures, décor and photographs still fill the restaurant, so it provides a fun slice of history as well.

Known as the Up house, the Edith Macefield House has quite the legendary story. Homeowner Edith Macefield, who was already in her 80s, refused to sell her farmhouse for a million-dollars to commercial developers. She has since passed, but the house remains. Her whimsical, 100-year-old home still sits wedged between the looming, modern buildings that were built around her. When you visit this amazing piece, bring a balloon. Many people leave them on the fence in honor of the Pixar movie.

You could come to Ballard Corners Park for the walking path, the abstract jungle gym, the rain garden or the interpretive park entryway, but the real funky jewel of this pocket park is the stone living room. Built as an homage to a corner book store, this concrete couch and loveseat set is perfect for the kiddos to climb all over and it looks super cute to boot. Bet you never knew you would be encouraging your Littles to jump on the furniture, did you?