Outdoor & Indoor Recreational Opportunities for Senior Men

As an example, the Greenwood Men's Group has many possibilities for various forms of recreation. They generally have at least one or two outdoor recreational activities every month.  

In addition to sports, exercise, walks, and trips, the Group is also interested in additional recreational opportunities:

Bird Watching

We think bird watching is great for your mental and physical health. It's relaxing and sharpens your observational skills.

One a favorite place for birdwatching is the Union Bay Natural Area, near the University of Washington. It's noted for its microhabitats, which attract a huge diversity of resident and migratory birds. Some 200 species have been seen here over the years. 

Heron Fishing in Union Bay Natural Area

Another favorite destination of the men's group is the great blue heron rookery located in Commodore Park. 

This year there are about 45 nests. If you correctly time your visit, you’ll witness courtship displays such as bill duels, neck stretching, feather fluffing and on-going nest building and remodeling. 

To learn more about the herons, visit Heron Habitat Helpers.

Heron Nests at Commodore Park near Ballard Locks

Kayaking & Canoeing

The group has done kayaking and canoeing in the vicinity of the Union Bay Natural Area, Foster Island, and Duck Bay.  They rented our equipment at the University of Washington waterfront activities center.  Loads of fun!

Kayaking in Union Bay

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Orienteering

Orienteering is the art of navigation, using a highly detailed map and perhaps a compass. It is defined as a competitive sport in which participants find their way to various checkpoints across rough country with the aid of a map and compass, the winner being the one with the lowest elapsed time.

However, senior men don't do it as a competitive sport since few are experienced and competitive orienteers. Instead, there are several self-guided orienteering courses in our area, where we can proceed at our own pace and practice our navigation skills.  And maybe get little bit lost in the process.

Using the map below, the Greenwood men's group recently navigated their way through a tricky course in Magnuson Park. They had a devil of a time finding one of the checkpoints, with everybody heading off in a different direction or going around in circles. Finally, one of the guys went down an obscure path and found the checkpoint.  Later, they encountered a checkpoint that was in a flooded area. Rather the slosh our way through ankle-deep water and mud, they decided to skip that checkpoint and move on. Orienteering is a great way to sharpen your observational skills and have fun collaborating with your friends as you try to find the correct way through the course.

On orienteering maps, a course consists of a triangle, circles, a double circle and sometimes connecting lines all in purple. The triangle is the start. The double circle is the finish. All the circles in between are checkpoints.

Self-Guided Orienteering Course in Magnuson Park

If you would like to do orienteering as a sport, check out the Cascade Orienteering Club.

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Trailhead Direct

Trailhead Direct is a seasonal bus service by King County Metro, in partnership with King County Parks and SDOT, that provides transit to hiking trailheads in East King County. It runs on weekends and select holidays, from late spring to early fall and offers a convenient and environmentally friendly way for people to access trails without having to drive.

Trailhead Direct offers multiple routes, including one to Mount Si, Mount Teneriffe, and Little Si, and another to the Issaquah Alps.

The service connects to various transit hubs, including the Capitol Hill Link light rail station and Mount Baker Transit Center.

It provides a much-needed transportation option for those who may not have personal vehicles or want to reduce traffic at trailheads.

Trailhead Direct is a valuable service that makes hiking more accessible, sustainable, and equitable in King County.

Other Outdoor Activities

The Greenwood Men's Group has talked about several other possible outdoor activities. 

• Bicycling - bike and trike. Several of us are regular bike riders while others can't. At least one of our members has a trike to traverse the local trails. Perhaps some men will try the trike idea and form a micro-group.
• Swimming. There has been some talk of going to the Colman salt water pool in West Seattle for a swim. 

Colman Pool in West Seattle

Indoor Recreation

Upon occasion, the Greenwood Men's Group will play some indoor games, especially during inclement weather.  One time each man brought his favorite board game and we had more than a half dozen games going on at a time. Lots of laughter, fun, commotion and conversation.

They also have access to indoor ping pong, cards & poker chips, darts, cornhole and more.

GMG Breakfast Group

Join us for our monthly Men's Breakfast chat and chew! Find out what's going on with the other guys, tell us a wild story about your past, or bring up a provocative topic of the day. Any senior guy is invited.

We meet in a local restaurant on the first Tuesday of every month at 9:30 a.m. Check our Upcoming Events web page for details.

Music, Photography & Art

The Greenwood Men's Group has quite a few members who are musically talented. There's been some talk about having jam sessions or musical presentations of some sort. Just talks so far. Maybe you're the one to make something happen?

The group also has at least one very accomplished photographer, as well as several artists.  In the past, they have shared some of their work with the group. We hope that will continue! If you're the artistic type, do you have anything you'd like to share? Or maybe form a micro-group of like-minded individuals?

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Do You Have a Recreation Suggestion?

Do you have any outdoor or indoor activity ideas that you think would be engaging and fun?  Please let us know in the form below!

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The mission of of seattleseniormen.com and greenwoodmensgroup.com is to provide a supportive environment where men from diverse backgrounds can foster camaraderie, develop friendships, share wisdom, enrich one another's lives -- and contribute to all Seattle communities, including Greenwood, Ballard, Crown Hill, Fremont, Green Lake, Licton Springs, Loyal Heights, Magnolia, Phinney Ridge, Ravenna, Sunset Hill, Wallingford, Wedgwood, Whittier Heights and beyond.

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