Things To Do For An Afternoon Near Kent, Washington During A Pandemic

Kent, Washington is a city almost equal distance between Seattle, Washington and Tacoma, Washington. Its population is about 130,000 people. Even though it is placed between two hubs of activity, the offering of things to do near the city has been limited due to restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic. But, if you are planning a short visit to the city during these unusual times, there are still places to see and things to do.

Marine View Park

Just about 20 minutes from the center of Kent is Marine View Park — a bit of a hidden gem. After meandering down a steep, lush green trail, visitors will reach a wooden stairwell that will take them down to a beautiful beach.

This beach is incredibly picturesque, with its view of sailboats along the water, and interesting designs of washed up wood. There are also many washed up seashells around to be collected and even late in the day, you can still find shells on the beach. Plus, there are plenty of stones on this rocky beach, which makes it a great place to practice rock skipping on the water. 

Going down the trail to the beach is much quicker than coming back, so keep note of that as part of your timing. It is also important to remember that the parking lot at Marine View Park is fenced and there is a warning sign that the fence is shut promptly after the park’s closing time, so you will want to have your car out of there by then.

Kaibara Park

Kaibara Park is within walking distance from the center of Kent. This is probably the smallest of the many Japanese gardens in the Puget Sound area, but it is worth a stop if you are already in the city. It is a great place to bring lunch and have a picnic. Plus, you can see the selection of koi fish that swim in the pond at the park.

Seattle Chocolate

The beauty of the Seattle Chocolate Factory is not in its muraled exterior, but in the beautiful selection of chocolates housed inside. To me, the most beautiful part was the racks of $10 bags of overproduced chocolates — from which I selected champagne truffles and trail mix truffles. 

This factory also offers tours Tuesdays through Saturdays, but currently only limited spaces are available. This factory is only a 15 minute ride from the center of Kent, so it is within an easy driving range from the other activities on this list.

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Further Reading: If you are open to traveling deeper into the Seattle area, two additional places to visit are Neko Cat Cafe as well as the cherry blossom trees on the University of Washington campus.