Children are interesting creatures. A scientifically educational toy festooned with things to pull, push, twiddle and fiddle that drives you mad with every chirpy bell or digital sing-along invitation holds about a tenth of the fascination of throwing stone after stone into the water, until you begin to seriously worry about denuding the beach. Or possibly giving salmon fingerlings and harbor crabs a serious case of mass concussion. Luckily, anything they throw out the tides bring right back, that being the way of water.

It’s strange to think that in Seattle, of all places, it’s difficult to get to the water. I mean, right down to the water. Somewhere where wellies are more than a fashion statement. Alki’s aw-a-a-ay over there, and there’s a rumor of a beachlet at Elliot Marina or somewhere close to the docks over there, but in Seattle? Really in Seattle?

Well, there’s a reason that the cruise ships can park right next to the market, and it’s not a gently sloping shore. So kids have to hang over pier railings and look at water so near, and yet so off-limits. Or they used to. Now we have the Sculpture Park. Now you can take kids to the beach and sneak in a bit of culture on the way!

Whoever the genius was who said that if the park was on the water’s edge it had to have a beach deserves a medal. This little stretch of pebbles, rock and driftwood is a smile generator in the heart of the city. From a Mud Up! standpoint, it’s a little rocky, but it’s absolutely there in spirit, every time you hear a mother cry "Not IN the water, baby!" you know another spirit is connecting with the Sound in the best possible way – hands on.