WABI Walk Jan 15, 9 am in Historical Tukwila

Just in time for your New Year’s resolutions to get more exercise, meet new people, and explore mysterious lands — Tukwila! WABI Weekday Walkers will enjoy three Tukwila parks on Wednesday, January 15, the third Wednesday of the month, at 9 am. We’ll meet at Hazelnut Park (S. 147th St. and 59th Ave. S) and take in Macadam Winter Garden and Foster Memorial Park. The walk is about 2 miles, includes some hills, and should take an hour or so.

Date: Wednesday, January 15, 2020
Time: 9:00 AM. Please arrive 5-10 minutes early so we can start walking promptly at 9 am.
Meeting Place: Hazelnut Park/ Tukwila Heritage and Cultural Center, 14475 – 59th Avenue South in Tukwila.
Parking: Please DO NOT park in front of the fire station; leave this open for emergency vehicles. There is ample parking behind the station and in front of the historical society.

Driving directions from Burien: There are several ways to reach this address, so we suggest you use your favorite route-finding app. One way: Take Highway 518 to 405, then take Exit 1 and turn left (north) on Interurban. Turn left again at the first light, and head back west on Southcenter Blvd (not Southcenter Parkway) paralleling 405. Look for the sign to Tukwila Heritage and Cultural Center at 65th Ave. S, and turn right. Follow the main arterial up the hill. The park is behind the fire station at S. 147th St. and 59th Ave. S. Click on the image below to enlarge the map.

One driving route to Hazelnut Park.

Historical factoids about the walk:
Are there hazelnut trees in Hazelnut Park?
Yes. Tukwila means “Land of the Hazelnuts” in Chinook trade jargon.
What’s the building in Hazelnut Park?
There’s two buildings, one is the fire station. The other (older) building is currently the Tukwila Heritage and Cultural Center, where the Tukwila Historical Society is headquartered. Built in 1922, it was originally an early 2-room elementary school, then the Tukwila City Hall and then the Tukwila Library until 2010.
Who’s this Foster guy? (Foster Memorial Park, Foster High School, Foster Golf Links, etc.)
Joseph Foster was an early pioneer, arriving in 1852,. He donated the land for the first school in Tukwila and was the first school superintendent.
Who is Macadam Winter Garden named after?
Macadam Winter Garden is named after the road it’s located on, Macadam Road. Macadam refers not to a person but an early kind of paving. Macadam Road was the first macadam-paved road in the state of Washington. Today, I-5 splits the road into two parts.