Have you ever lived in an area and not played tourist by checking out nearby towns?? Well thanks to Visit Kent we were able to get away for a 24-hour staycation to Kent, WA, they provided us with locations to visit, meals, and lodging in exchange for our honest opinion. I have to say I had been to Kent a couple times, we have seen the Globetrotters at Showare Center there and I have picked up run packets at the shoe store at Kent Station but that’s been it. Now let me share with our What To Do In 24 Hours In Kent, WA and how we can’t wait to go back again.
Now let me share with our What To Do In 24 Hours In Kent, WA and why we can’t wait to go back again.
Since we live right off of Hwy 512 so it was less than a 30-minute drive from our front door to our first stop the Kent Farmers Market. We ate a quick breakfast at home, packed our sandwiches, and grabbed our bags to hit the road. The kids had no idea what was in store for the for the day so it was a blast to see how excited they got at each destination.
Now we love the farmers market and its one of our favorites to check out in a new town. I love to see the cities culture shine thru at the local markets like this, it’s always on our list to hit when we travel. The kids love to visit the Farmer’s Market as well. I always love to see the homemade crafts, Bella loves to find new products, Michael is all about the desserts and Kylie is all about the flowers. Head on over -> here to see more about the farmers market.
What You Will Love About Kent’s Farmers Market:
- Flowers
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Pasta
- Crafts
- Flowers
- Fresh Drinks
- Live bees and local honey
- Fresh Food
- Spray Ground
From the farmers market, we took some time to walk around and check things out! We found a couple of fun stores on the side streets and this cool penguin near the market. The kids loved he was made out of silverware!! Since we had packed a lunch the kids decided it was time to head to our next destination!
Our next stop was Lake Meridian Park, it was less than a 15-minute drive from the Farmer’s Market!! This was the highlight of the kids day and we could honestly spend a whole day there alone! I shared a post -> here last week about our time at Lake Meridian Park, also check out their site -> here for more specifics. I was amazed at how much there was to see and do while we were there.
What To Do At Lake Meridian Park:
- Play at the playgrounds
- Have a cookout or picnic
- Go Swimming with on duty life guards
- Go boating
- Go fishing
Our next stop was Van Doren’s Landing Park since it was a bit further we took advantage of a drive thru to grab some ice cream on the way there. We were truely blessed with such amazing water. I loved being able to see more of Kent on the drive there and it went fairly quickly as well.
Our favorite part was the Conservatory trail, the kids loved walking the trail and looking for wild life. It was the perfect change of pace after the busy Lake Meridian Park. When we were there a huge party was going on including blow up houses and a DJ, perfect place to have a get-together! You can see more about the park -> here.
What To Do At Van Doren’s Landing Park:
- Explore the Green River Trail
- Host a party
- BBQ
- Playground
- Conservatory with trail and towers
- Bike or walk the Green River Trail
Our next stop was right down the road to the Best Western Plus Plaza by the Green to check in for the night. We don’t stay at hotels very often so the kids were excited about the stay. Our check-in was smooth and our room had a view of the Riverbend Golf Complex. My favorite part was the balcony, I loved being able to sit out there while the kids dozed off so I could get lost in the land of Pinterest while I was relaxing. I have to say we were all exhausted from being so busy we even slept in, which is a rarity for Michael.
Perks Of Best Western Plus Plaza:
- Black out curtains in room -huge perk when traveling with kids or on business
- Comfortable beds
- Easy location
- Wi-Fi in the rooms
- The Workout room full of equipment and a gym, plus the view (wishing I had packed work out clothes)
- Full-size bathrooms with toiletries and blow dryer
- Desk to work at
- Fresh fruit and coffee all day in the lobby
- Fresh baked cookies after 6:30 pm (kids favorite part)
- Free breakfast in the morning
After freshening up we head out to Mama Stortini’s for dinner, and I have to say we were in heaven with the food! This was less than a 10-minute drive from our hotel. Kylie and I had cheated and looked up the restaurant the night before knowing we would walk in famished. I ordered the Chicken Parmasigna, and she got the Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo off the menu; Bella picked out chicken tenders and Michael got the cheeseburgers off the kid’s menu. We loved the bread before the meal, and the food was amazing! (Be sure to scope them out online ->here) Plus it was right in Kent Station so we walked around there a bit after dinner.
Next, we were off to our last stop on a busy day in Kent. We headed off to the Kent Valley Ice Centre to do mini golf. The kids had recently been mini-golfing with their grandparents so it was a treat to do it with just the four of us. Now I was truly surprised I hadn’t heard of this place with how much there is to do. We loved the game of mini golf, my favorite part was the limit of five strokes per hole with three kids we have had games with 25+ strokes since the kids can get overzealous
Now not only do they have mini golf Kent Vally Ice Centre has:
- Batting cages
- Ice Arena
- Ice hockey lessons
- Ice skating lessons
- Fitness centers
- Birthday parties
After crashing at the Best Western Plaza By The Green for the night we headed on over to Maggies on Meeker for breakfast, ironically we had been right to the restaurant when we were at the Farmer’s Market and didn’t even realize it! You can’t miss it, it’s right by the fun penguin.
This was a huge treat for us, we typically do a big breakfast at home on weekends instead of eating out so the kids were excited!! We also tend to not stray far from our normal so everyone had a blast trying bites of everyone’s different breakfast. Kylie had the pancakes, Bella got french toast, and Michael and I both got waffles, while we shared a side of bacon. Everything was amazing, plus we also shared a fruit bowl as well while we waited for our food! We are already planning another breakfast back to eat there before going to Lake Meridian Park again.
Why We Loved Maggie’s on Meeker:
- Large servings
- Laid back dinner
- Friendly server
- Chocolate milk made with tons of server (Kids favorite part)
- Lots of kids activity to pick from while waiting
- The affordable prices
Now we can’t wait to explore Kent, WA again. The kids loved how much fun the whole 24 hours was while we were in town, I am bummed it took us so many years to visit the town. Head on over -> here to see everything Kent has to offer. What would you do in Kent? Have you been before?
robin rue says
I have never been to Washington before. If I ever find myself in Kent, I know what to do! Sounds like a fun place to visit.
Heather Johnson says
I have yet to visit Washington. The farmer’s market looks super fun. My kiddos would really enjoy checking out Lake Meridian Park.
Nichole says
That looks like a 24 hours well spent! The farmers market in Kent looks amazing!
Brandy says
Kent, WA looks like a great place to visit! How amazing it would be to get there some day. I know we want to travel more and further away, so this is a great idea to add Kent, WA to our list. Beautiful photos!
Lisa says
I’ve never been to Washington but this sounds like a great place to stop in the state. Especially when vacationing with family!
Emily Erson says
I absolutely love checking out anything local and unique to towns. You gave me a bunch to look into.
valmg says
You found a lot to do in 24 hours. It sounds like a fun day. That silverware penguin is just neat, I’ve never seen anything like that before.
Annemarie LeBlanc says
I’ve been to Washington but not in Kent. I think I should pay it a visit the next time we drive there. The Farmer’s market looks interesting. Oh, so do the water activities!
Janella Panchamsingh says
Kent looks like a really great place to visit in the summer, im curious to know what the winter months have to offer
Terumi says
Love staycations! We have so many neat places to visit in the pnw too!
Jen says
This sounds like a great visit to Kent! We’ve not spent a lot of time in Kent, but sounds like we need to visit some of these places & I’ve really been wanting to take our girls to Lake Meridian, too!