Recharge, Relax, Renton!

All moms--whether working in the home, out of the home, around the home, or somewhere not even related to the home—need a chance for  a break and a quick battery recharge. The focus of Great Escape is to explore some opportunities to do just that, and meet four simple criteria—on evenings or weekends, reasonably inexpensive, in Renton, and of course, kid-free!

With the weather and the light (or lack thereof) this time of year, indoor activities often provide not only an environment that is warm and dry, but somewhat safer than wandering the sidewalks after dark and trying to stay out of the way of inattentive drivers!

The Downtown Renton Library provides a nice opportunity for evening relaxation on cold and wet winter evenings. If you haven’t been there in a while, you might be surprised at the changes that have taken place within the past year—paint and furniture have been updated, the traffic flow patterns have been modified to open space up, and the book selection now includes access to anything in the King County Library System’s catalog. Simply go online to place a request for materials and have them delivered to the library of your choice, including either of the Renton ones.

The Downtown Renton branch is open until 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday—enough time to get the kiddos tucked into bed before heading down. Bring your own book or choose from the available selection. For maximum relaxation, find a table along the back window; this optimal positioning not only keeps you next to the heater on chilly evenings, but allows you to look down and meditate on the river as it rushes beneath you. If you’re there in the fall when it’s still light out, look for migrating sockeye salmon, easily distinguishable by their bright red coloring. Year-round you can see great blue heron, merganser ducks (they’re the small ones with the mohawks),and perhaps even the resident beaver rearranging habitat while foraging for new building materials.

As you head back to your car, pause along the railing outside the front door and take a moment to enjoy one of Renton’s marvels. The Cedar River overflows with tremendous environmental, cultural, and social significance. Although it flows underneath a major freeway, and past a manufacturing plant with critical international importance, it’s also a living resource that beckons passers-by to stop and watch nature at work. You just may see a heron spear a fish, or a beaver work on its dam. Relaxation can start and end with the small things, after all.