IF YOU'RE FLYING IN:
ON A MAJOR AIRLINE:
If renting a car, get on I-5 NORTH from Sea-Tac Airport. Then use the FROM THE SOUTH directions. If your next leg is by transit, hop on the Central Line link light rail north to Westlake Station in downtown Seattle, then walk two blocks to 6th and Pike to pick up Sound Transit route 522. For additional details, see the VIA THE BUS SYSTEM section below.

VIA KENMORE AIR, PRIVATE SEAPLANE, OR ORBITAL DROP
to Kenmore Air Harbour (KEH/S60):
If flying yourself in, park your plane, spaceplane, star racer, or capsule at latitude 47.75662 North, longitude 122.25779 West, making sure to pay appropriate fees with Kenmore Air. Then leave the facility and walk along NE 178th Street to 61st Avenue NE, and turn right, walking up the hill. At Bothell Way, cross the street, and turn LEFT (west) along Bothell Way on the north side of the street, crossing 61st Avenue NE. You'll pass a small line of shops and a bus stop shelter. Continue walking one block to 60th Avenue NE, then use the FROM THE UPLAKE SIGN directions.

IF YOU'RE TAKING THE TRAIN OR GREYHOUND:
If you're renting a car: get on I-5 Northbound from the station. Then use the FROM THE SOUTH directions. If you're taking the bus system from either of these stations, go downtown to the bus stop at 6th and Pike. Sound Transit route 522 runs at least every half an hour until reasonably late. Board and take that to the 61st Avenue NE and Bothell Way stop. Exit the bus and cross both 61st Avenue and Bothell Way (in either order). Walk one block west to 60th Avenue NE, then use the FROM THE UPLAKE SIGN directions.

VIA THE BUS SYSTEM:
There are several routes that serve the intersection of Bothell Way and 61st Avenue NE (going eastbound) or Bothell Way and 60th Avenue NE (across the street, basically, and heading westbound). The most important of these are Sound Transit route 522, which runs no less than every half hour every day until late, and Metro route 372, which runs on weekdays only but is similarly good. Also notable, though with fewer runs in general, is Metro route 331. Yet more routes are also available (308, 309, 312), but they tend to be commuter busses with limited hours. Still, if you see one headed north, they'll all get you here.

SOUND TRANSIT ROUTE 522 is an express bus that serves several downtown stops (I recommend getting on it at 6th and Pike), stops in Lake City (at 125th and Bothell Way), then heads up to us. Towards the east, it has stops in downtown Bothell, and then goes on to Woodinville. If you're east of us, catch any westbound 522; if you're west or south, catch any outbound 522.

METRO ROUTE 372 starts in the University District at Campus Parkway, runs through campus (primary stops include one at the Hub), goes down the hill to University Village and then runs northbound via 25th to Lake City Way (with stops in Lake City) before heading north to us. Like ST522, it goes through to Woodinville, with stops in Bothell, so is a second good choice for anyone in those towns. Unlike the 522, it's weekdays-only.

METRO ROUTE 331 starts at Shoreline Community College (just north of Greenwood in Seattle), heads up through Shoreline on 3rd Avenue NW, stops at the Aurora Village Transit Centre (which is also next to the North Seattle Costco), then through Lake Forest Park via Ballinger Way before heading north on Bothell Way to Kenmore. It stops at 61st (eastbound) or 60th (westbound), like the other busses, before ending its route at the Kenmore Park-and-Ride a few stops later. People living in Greenwood and possibly Northgate can pick up Metro route 345 as an extension of this route - it turns into the 331, no bus change required.

IN GENERAL, any bus running on Bothell Way can be used to get to the stop at 60th/61st, so if you're near Bothell Way - such as most people in Lake Forest Park - you have a plethora of options. Any bus going in the correct direction will do.

ONCE AT 61ST, which is in the very lower right corner of the aerial photo above, walk one block west to 60th Avenue NE, then use the FROM THE UPLAKE SIGN directions. If the bus was heading westbound and let you off at 60th Avenue NE, you're saved a block of walking, but otherwise, do the same.

BY BICYCLE:
The Burke-Gilman Trail intersects with 61st Avenue NE approximately 20 feet south of Bothell Way, down a short but steep hill. This is also very close to where the bus drops you off, and Kenmore Air Harbour. Get here first. To do so:

FROM THE WEST, Burke-Gilman runs through Seattle from the Ballard Locks, through Ballard, Fremont, Wallingford, Lake Union at Gasworks Park, and the University District before heading north through Laurelhurst, Sand Point, the northwestern shorefront of Lake Washington, Lake Forest Park, and Kenmore. It's approximately a nine and a half mile ride from Burke-Gilman at 25th Avenue NE (nine, from the back entrance of University Village) to the house, four miles from NE 125th Street (near Lake City), and one mile from Lake Forest Park Town Centre. The trail portion of the ride is paved and very flat - it's a former railroad right of way - with a slow uphill to the University District, followed by a slow general downhill slope towards Lake Forest Park and Kenmore. The ride is pleasant and mostly shaded, with parks and either groceries or water fountains approximately every two miles.

FROM THE EAST, take the Samammish River Trail north to Bothell. It connects directly to Burke-Gilman, just after Bothell Landing. The Sammamish River Trail starts at Marymoor Park, heads north along the Sammamish River through downtown Redmond, brushes by downtown Woodinville, and cuts through Bothell along Bothell Landing. Don't forget to watch out for the feral chickens! ^_^ Shortly after Bothell Landing, you will come to an intersection with Burke-Gilman, by a large bridge; turn RIGHT (east, the direction that the trail sends you on anyway, not over the bridge) towards Kenmore. This ride is very pleasant and paved the entire way, with a very slow downward overall slope towards Kenmore from Lake Samammish; it is mostly sunny in the Redmond-Bothell portion, then a mix of shade and sun thereafter. It is approximately four miles from Bothell Landing, six and a half from Woodinville, and fifteen from downtown Redmond.

IN EITHER CASE, once you reach the intersection with 61st, which will be a small, very curvy road up a steep hill at the eastern edge of a park, take your bike up the hill on the path to the left side of the road up to the crosswalk across Bothell Way. Across Bothell Way and to the west (your left) will be 60th Avenue NE and the brick UPLAKE signs. Then, use the FROM THE UPLAKE SIGN directions. This last portion is a mix of steep uphill and gentle uphill riding, but the steep portions are short enough that walking the bike is a reasonable option.

IF YOU'RE DRIVING:
FROM THE SOUTH:
Take I-5 Northbound to the NE 145th Street exit and turn RIGHT (east) on 145th. Follow NE 145th Street to Lake City Way/Bothell Way, which are two names for the same road. (The name changes at 145th.) Turn LEFT onto Bothell Way. Follow Bothell Way to NE 60th Street, on the left; look for a pair of brick-and-brass UPLAKE signs. Turn LEFT (north), then use the FROM THE UPLAKE SIGN directions.

FROM THE NORTH:
Take I-5 Southbound to the King County border. Exit at the Lake Forest Park/Ballinger Way exit, and head LEFT (east). Follow Ballinger Way to Bothell Way, then turn LEFT (north). Follow Bothell Way to NE 60th Street, on the left; look for a pair of brick-and-brass UPLAKE signs. Turn LEFT (north), then use the FROM THE UPLAKE SIGN directions.

FROM NORTHEAST SEATTLE:
Take Lake City Way north through Lake City and out of town. Lake City Way becomes Bothell Way at NE 145th Street. Continue on Bothell Way past Lake Forest Park to 60th Avenue NE, on the left; look for a pair of brick-and-brass UPLAKE signs. Turn LEFT (north), then use the FROM THE UPLAKE SIGN directions.

FROM BOTHELL, WOODINVILLE, AND EAST KING COUNTY:
Find State Route 522. SR522 is also Bothell Way or the Bothell-Woodinville Highway, depending upon how far east you are. 405 intersects with it, so if you're starting in Bellevue or Mercer Island, use 405 Northbound to reach the highway.

Once on 522, drive WEST towards Seattle. Follow 522/Bothell Way to 60th Avenue NE, and turn RIGHT (north) onto 60th Avenue NE; there will be a pair of brick-and-brass UPLAKE signs. Then use the FROM THE UPLAKE SIGN directions.

FROM SOUTHEAST KING COUNTY, BOSTON, AND SIMILAR POINTS EAST:
Find and get on I-90 Westbound. Drive west to I-5 in Seattle; merge RIGHT (north) onto I-5. Then follow the FROM THE SOUTH directions.

FROM THE UPLAKE SIGN:
this path is shown in orange on the aerial photo above
Go north on 60th Avenue NE to NE 182nd Street and turn left. 60th will veer into 182nd on its own, so this may seem to be a fork left at a Y. (60th continues north, on the right, after a jog; do not follow it.) Follow 182nd two blocks to 57th Avenue NE, and turn RIGHT (north). Follow 57th Avenue NE north two blocks to NE 184th Street and turn left. The house is at the end of the block, with a paved driveway that makes the street kind of look just like a continuation of the driveway. It's a grey-green house with four levels; the house number is to the left of the garage.

OH SHIT, WHERE AM I?
If you're on I-5 Southbound and come to the NE 145th Street exit, you missed the Ballinger Way/Lake Forest Park exit. That's okay; exit I-5 onto 145th, and turn LEFT (east). Then pick up with the FROM THE SOUTH directions.

If you were on I-5 Northbound and suddenly see mounties, you are probably in Canadadadadada and are now on 99 to Vancouver. Head southbound back to the border, apologise for crashing through the flexpass gate on the way north, and hopefully use the FROM THE NORTH directions.

If you've gotten off the bus and can see a large shopping cluster made of brick, a Starbuck's in a standalone building near the highway, or you're across the street from a fish-shaped drinking fountain, you've gotten off at one of the three possible Lake Forest Park stops. You may be on Ballinger Way, or you may be on Bothell Way/SR522; if you were on the 331, you're probably on Ballinger, otherwise, you're probably on Bothell Way/SR522. Walk to the nearest bus stop that is on the east (lake) side of Bothell Way; if you're on Ballinger, that's about one block southeast (towards the busier road) and across the street. Catch whatever bus stops next going towards Kenmore, and get off at the very next stop. That's the 61st Avenue NE stop previously described; then pick up with the FROM THE UPLAKE SIGN directions.

If you've gotten off the bus and are near the "Kenmore Town Centre" strip mall - you should be able to see a bunch of shops including an oil change facility, a Safeway, a shipping centre, and other, similar stores - then you've probably gotten off at 68th Avenue NE, but are still on Bothell Way/SR522. This is where Kenmore's downtown used to be, before the highway turned Main Street into a autodystopian disaster, and near where there's a big project to try to make a new Main Street a block north. (I like the plan, it might work.) Make sure you're on the north (away-from-lake) side of the highway, and catch the next westbound bus to the very next stop, at 61st NE. Then pick up with the FROM THE UPLAKE SIGN directions. Alternatively, walk an extra block north to NE 181st Street, turn LEFT (west) onto 181st, and follow 181st to NE 60th street, and do the same. That adds about half a mile to the walk, but if it's a nice day, why not? There's a nice comic book store on the way, kind of hidden behind Corner Books, on the left.

If you think you're on 60th but you see a sign saying "Briar" or "Snohomish County," you're actually on 61st and have gone way too far north. Turn around, drive south back to Bothell Way, turn RIGHT (west) onto Bothell, then immediately again RIGHT (north) onto 60th Avenue NE, which is where the brick Uplake signs are. Then follow the FROM THE UPLAKE SIGN directions.

If you see any sign labeled, "For a Day or For a Lifetime," run. And for the love of god, don't eat anything. Eating anything while in Bothell without special protection traps you in Bothell forever. It's kind of like that whole pomegranate thing.

All these apply once you've found the Uplake signs:

If the street you are on has come to a dead end at "Aqua Club" signs, you veered right at the 60th/182nd intersection instead of left. Turn around, drive back down to 182nd, and turn RIGHT. Then pick up at 182nd on the UPLAKE SIGN directions.

If you are on a one-and-a-half-lane goat trail road, you kept going on 182nd past NE 57th Street. You probably also passed a barricade saying "NO THROUGH TRAFFIC." If you passed around the barricade, and if you can turn around, do so; you'll find yourself on 182nd again. Turn LEFT on 57th Avenue, and pick up the directions as before. If you cannot turn around, continue driving to the Y intersection and veer left; I don't know the name of that street, but veer left anyway. At the stop sign, turn RIGHT. At the next light, turn LEFT; that will be Ballinger Way. Follow Ballinger Way to Bothell Way (the next light) and turn LEFT. From there, try again following the FROM THE NORTH directions.

If you are driving and ran over the barricade and your car is still drivable, pick up any parts that fell off your car, put them in the trunk or truckbed, and leave a note so the police can contact you. If your car is not drivable, apologise profusely to the police and try not to mention our names.

If you are on 60th Court in any form: may the gods help you. There are at least three of them that I know about and they don't intersect. One has a single exit to 60th NE near the Aqua Club; if you're on that one, turn left back onto 60th, then right onto 182nd and continue as per the UPLAKE SIGN directions. The other exits onto NE 181st Street; if you're on that one, turn right onto NE 181st, then right onto 60th NE, and pick up from those same directions. If neither of those things are true, well, I hear SnoHOmish is kind of nice. Have fun!