Puget Sound Summer Bucket List Ideas

 

It's the nearing the end of July, which means we have about 1 month to check off items on our summer bucket lists and make memories. That might sound overwhelming or like a lot of pressure, but you can see and do a LOT in a month in our area. Here are some of our local, summer bucket list ideas to finish out the season strong!

• 



• Drive up to Lake Diablo/Diablo Dam in the North Cascades. The color of the lake is the stuff Instagram posts were made for. Go across the dam, dip your toes in the water, and even make a learning adventure out of it by checking out the North Cascades Environmental Institute nearby!
• Ride the ferry! It doesn't matter which ferry, really, because there is nothin more quintessentially Puget Sound in the summer than a ferry ride. If you want to "go big," take a ferry ride to/around the San Juan Islands from Anacortes. If you want something closer to home, take the ferry from Fauntleroy to Vashon Island.
• If you'd rather see the mountains in the southern part of the state instead of the North Cascades, nothing can beat a summer trip to Mount Rainier. Take in the wild flower fields, hike alongside rivers and creeks, camp under the stars. Mount Rainier is a must-do in the Pacific Northwest.
• If you want adventure, than white water rafting near Leavenworth might be perfect for you! You could easily make a day trip of driving up to this charming Bavarian village in the Cascades, battle some rapids via several guided tour options, and be home to sleep in your own bed that night!
• Point Defiance Park in Tacoma is always a great choice during the summer! This 5 mile stretch has incredible views, wonderful restaurant/shopping options, and, of course, the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium! It truly has something for everyone of all ages!

These are just some ideas to keep the good times rolling this summer. What are some of your bucket list ideas?

Toyota Debuts All-Electric SUV Concept in U.S.

 

• Toyota bZ4X BEV Concept includes new AWD system packaged in a sleek SUV design
• Electrified product portfolio to expand to around 70 models globally by 2025, including 15 new BEV’s
• Solidifies Toyota’s global commitment toward carbon neutrality by 2050

The Toyota bZ4X Concept touched down to make its North American debut at Toyota Motor North America’s headquarters.

Already a leader in electrification, the company has taken a major step forward with the introduction of the Toyota bZ4X Concept, the vision for the first of a global series of battery-electric vehicles to be introduced under the “Toyota bZ” brand umbrella.

“Roughly the size of a RAV4, with the versatility to stand apart from other BEVs, it will be well-positioned in the sweet spot of the market,” said Lisa Materazzo, group vice president of Toyota Marketing.  “And the best part is, it’s a Toyota – with the legendary quality, durability and reliability our customers expect.”

Jointly developed with Subaru, the Toyota bZ4X SUV Concept features the new e-TNGA BEV-dedicated platform. The concept conveys Toyota’s legendary quality, durability and long-term reliability (QDR) in combination with AWD capabilities to achieve a driving experience that is both comfortable and engaging.

The Toyota bZ4X SUV Concept features a long wheelbase with short overhangs, resulting in a distinctive design with ample interior space. The open-concept interior is designed to enhance driver comfort and confidence on the road. With every detail purposefully engineered, the low position of the instrument panel and the location of the meters above the steering wheel not only help expand the vehicle’s sense of space, but also increase visibility to aid in safe and secure driving.

Toyota envisions a future in which carbon neutrality is achieved through the practical marketization of a portfolio of products with advanced, alternative-fuel and zero-emission powertrain technologies.

Overall, Toyota plans to expand to around 70 electrified models globally by 2025. This future lineup will feature 15 dedicated BEVs, including seven carrying the bZ (Beyond Zero) brand moniker. In addition, Toyota intends to bring electrification to its pickup truck lineup in the near future. This diverse portfolio of electrified products will help propel Toyota toward its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.

More information on the production model of the Toyota bZ4X will be shared later this year, with sales planning to begin in 2022.

For additional upcoming Toyota product news, check out the Toyota New Product Showcase page.

Going for Gold: Perseverance Leads Team Toyota to Tokyo 2020

 The 2020 Olympics start this week...after 1 year delay and with still some uncertainty as Covid-19 continues to plague the host country of Japan and some guest-country athletes. BUT, that isn't stopping the majority of driven athletes, including Team Toyota! We are definitely excited to have something to cheer about, so let's meet some of the Team Toyota and Team USA athletes!

Going for Gold: Perseverance Leads Team Toyota to Tokyo 2020

The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 are just a few days away, and the time leading up to this event has pushed Toyota’s Olympic athletes to the ultimate test – a chance to win gold.

Perseverance and resilience have been a theme for this year’s Games. When the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 were postponed by a year, Toyota reached out to its athletes right away to provide support and reconfirm their commitment to helping them reach their goals. As a mobility company, Toyota believes in helping others as they strive to go beyond the impossible.

Qualifying for Team USA is no easy feat, but the Team Toyota athletes have trained hard, pushed themselves to new limits and have emerged stronger than ever. And now they are ready for the big stage.

Here are the incredible Team Toyota athletes competing in Tokyo at the Olympic Games, scheduled to take place July 23 – Aug. 8, 2021. Keep an eye out for these unstoppable standouts as they realize their ultimate dreams.

Bookmark the Tokyo 2020 page on the Toyota Newsroom, to follow along as the Olympic Games unfold. For up-to-date athlete news, follow #TeamToyota on Instagram (@TeamToyota).

Meet the Olympic Athletes:

Alise Willoughby: Cycling (BMX)

Throughout her career, Minnesota native and BMX star Alise Willoughby has consistently overcome adversity and emerged stronger. She endured multiple surgeries, including knee and hamstring reconstruction, one year before the Olympic Games London 2012. She also underwent treatment for a broken tibia 12 weeks ahead of the 2014 World Championships, during which she won a silver medal. However, Willoughby’s medical setbacks didn’t stop her from achieving these remarkable accomplishments, including becoming the first woman ever voted Rookie Pro of the Year by BMXer magazine and being the youngest competitor to win the American Bicycle Association’s national title at just 15 years old. She also won the USA BMX Women’s Pro Series Title in 2014, the same year her mother passed away from late-stage melanoma. Willoughby excels at turning setbacks into opportunities. And she wants others to find their momentum and soar over any hurdles that may hold them back. Willoughby and her family converted an old, vandalized park in St. Cloud into one of the top BMX facilities in the country — Pineview Park BMX.

Quote: “Every athlete — every person — goes through a challenge in their life and it can be seemingly impossible to overcome that,” says Willoughby. “I think that’s what makes the strength you draw from those around you and everything leading up to that moment so important.”

You can learn more about Alise Willoughby by exploring her athlete biography page, here.

Daryl Homer: Fencing (Saber)

Born in the U.S. Virgin Islands and raised in the Bronx, Daryl Homer, a saber fencing champion, won an individual silver medal at the Olympic Games Rio 2016, becoming the first U.S. medalist in men’s saber since Peter Westbrook took home bronze in 1984. While still training for Tokyo 2020, Homer is helping introduce young athletes like himself to fencing. Homer believes that showing children how to fence is a way to teach them life skills, something he learned firsthand. In 1991, Westbrook began a nonprofit foundation in his namesake to bring fencing to young people from New York City, like Homer, who would otherwise not have access to the sport. The Peter Westbrook Foundation’s all-volunteer staff are primary Olympians, such as Homer, who serve as coaches and mentors to young fencers. As Tokyo approaches, Homer continues to give back to the foundation where he got his start, helping young athletes, even as he rigorously prepares for the Games.

Quote: “Fencing is literally your life put into a 20-second period,” he says. “Twenty seconds of pressure. It takes so much from you. You have to make the right decisions, keep your emotions tight and stay confident.”

You can learn more about Daryl Homer by exploring his athlete biography page, here.

Michael Norman: Track & Field

After watching Usain Bolt set the world record in the 100 meters at the Olympic Games Beijing 2008, Michael Norman knew then and there that he wanted to be a professional athlete. The San Diego, Calif. native qualified to compete in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials when he was just 18 years old. While he didn’t advance to the semifinals in the 400 meters, Norman did take fifth place in the 200 meters, just two spots short of making the Olympic team. Norman believes that result gave him time to grow in college, both as a person and an athlete. Now that Norman has graduated, he is excited to no longer split his time between school and training. The accomplished sprinter remains focused on making his mark in Tokyo at his Olympic Games debut.

Quote: “Running is my job,” Norman says. “The training schedule is pretty rigorous, but I love what I do. I enjoy every moment of it. Some of the stuff becomes tedious, but it’s what you need to do to become the greatest person you can be.”

You can learn more about Michael Norman by exploring his athlete biography page, here.

Jordyn Barratt: Skateboarding

Skateboarding is making its Olympic Games debut in Tokyo this summer, and two-time X Games skateboarding medalist Jordyn Barratt is thrilled that she’ll be there as it happens, right at the heart of the exciting milestone. The Hawaii native, who now calls San Diego, Calif. home, looks forward to making history alongside her fellow Team USA teammates. In 2016, she became the first female to compete in both skateboarding and surfing at the VANS US Open in Huntington Beach, Calif., where she medaled in skateboarding. She views the skateboarding lifestyle as a blend between authenticity and athleticism. Now that skateboarding is taking a global stage as an Olympic sport, she’s delighted about the exposure. Still, she hopes the skateboarding world doesn’t change too much, especially its inspiring culture of inclusivity.

Quotes: “No matter what you do in your life, if you love it, I think you should do it,” Barratt says. “I was lucky to find that at a pretty young age.”

You can learn more about Jordyn Barratt by exploring her athlete biography page, here.

Caeleb Dressel: Swimming

Competitive swimming runs deep in the Dressel family, with not only Caeleb Dressel swimming but also his father and two sisters. The Green Cove Springs, Fla. native and two-time Olympic gold medalist is the son of Michael and Christina Dressel and has three siblings, Tyler, Kaitlyn, and Sherridon. Dressel credits racing to the shower for hot water against his siblings with helping him develop an appetite for winning. In 2016, he was named NCAA Co-Swimmer of the Year and later won the 2017 FINA Male Swimmer of the Year and USA Swimming Athlete of the Year. Dressel is widely considered to possess the best start “off the block” in history. The incredibly accomplished University of Florida graduate became the first swimmer to win eight medals at a single World Championships in 2019.

Quote: “I don’t ever want to take for granted the people I’ve met,” Dressel says. “I feel like everyone I’ve come in contact with along my journey has been a part of it. I don’t know where I’d be if one of them hadn’t been there. Every coach I’ve had along the way, every teacher, they’ve all played a part to some extent in getting me to where I am today.”

You can learn more about Caeleb Dressel by exploring his athlete biography page, here.

Simone Manuel: Swimming

Simone Manuel is the first African American woman to win an individual Olympic gold medal in swimming. Manuel’s parents enrolled her in swimming for practical reasons: They wanted their children to know how to swim so they’d be safer in the water. She immediately fell in love with the water. Manuel, who specializes in sprint freestyle, qualified for her first Olympic Games in 2016, and won two gold and two silver medals in Rio. As a result, she feels a little bit more prepared heading into Tokyo. The process to make the Olympic team still makes her nervous, but she’s proven successful twice now. And she’s proud to have a place on the world stage — possibly serving as inspiration for other children to get in the water.

Quote: “I’m a firm believer that representation matters,” she says. “I really want to inspire little boys and girls, especially minorities or people who have not always felt welcome, to get in the water. I want kids to be able to see themselves in me.”

You can learn more about Simone Manuel by exploring her athlete biography page, here.

‘The Flight of the Monarch Butterfly- The Pollinator Project’ to Air on Discovery, Science Channel and Animal Planet

 

Most known for their winter and spring migrations spanning more than 3,000 miles, the monarch butterfly is a small but key component to the ecosystem in terms of food and its role as a pollinator. “The Flight of the Monarch Butterfly – The Pollinator Project” will explore the latest science, learnings and the species’ survival issues in its world premiere Sunday, July 25 at 8:30 a.m. (ET/PT) on Discovery, Thursday, July 29 at 5 p.m. (ET/PT) on the Science Channel and Saturday, July 31 at 8 a.m. (ET/PT) on Animal Planet.

With exclusive access arranged by the Mexican Minister of Tourism, the program highlights the monarchs’ dramatic journey throughout North America and examines scientists’ concerns about the species’ diminishing numbers due to pollution and climate fluctuations. It also addresses what the declining population could mean for the future of the broader ecosystem.

“Sustainability is at the heart of our decision making,” said Kevin Butt, Toyota Motor North America’s environmental sustainability director. “As we plan, build and manage our facilities across North America, we proactively learn about local species and study how to minimize the disruption of their natural habitats – environmental stewardship then helps drive a culture of conservation beyond our company walls.”

The program also examines what American companies have created in the pathway of the butterflies’ northern flight pattern – a habitat rich with milkweed plants – and issues a call to action for interested people to get involved through local and national clubs and organizations that make their journey easier.

Presented as one example helping to save, protect and nurture the monarch butterflies migration to North America, the program explores Toyota’s 17 pollinator gardens throughout its North American operations and shows how they provide food and shelter to critical pollinator species, including the monarch butterflies at various stages of their life cycle along the seasonal migration path.

Viewers will have the opportunity to see it on the following broadcasts. Check local listings:

Discovery: Sunday, July 25 at 8:30 a.m. (EDT & PDT)

Science Channel: Thursday, July 29 at 5 p.m. (EDT & PDT)

Animal Planet: Saturday, July 31 at 8 a.m. (EDT & PDT)

“The Flight of the Monarch Butterfly – The Pollinator Project” is produced by Bader Media Group for Discovery. Mike Leventhal is executive producer for Bader. Jay Foot served as producer/writer. Toyota funded the production.

Toyota Research Institute Reaches New Technical Milestones in Robotics

 Latest Advances Demonstrate Adeptness at Complex Tasks in Home Environments  

Today, Toyota Research Institute (TRI) unveiled new robotics capabilities aimed at solving complex tasks in home environments. Specifically, TRI roboticists were able to train robots to understand and operate in complicated situations that confuse most other robots, including recognizing and responding to transparent and reflective surfaces in a variety of circumstances.

As TRI demonstrates in a new video, this robust system allows robots to make generalizations in a range of scenarios, including in different homes. The video, released on National Selfie Day, takes a tongue in cheek approach to capturing these new capabilities on film, as the robot is seen recording itself as it proudly performs these new skills around the house.

“Our goal is to build robotic capabilities that amplify, not replace, human abilities,” said Max Bajracharya, vice president of robotics at TRI. “Training robots to understand how to operate in home environments poses special challenges because of the diversity and complexity of our homes where small tasks can add up to big challenges.”

While a human can easily differentiate between an object and its reflection, transparent or reflective items commonly found in the home befuddle today’s robots. Since most robots are programmed to react to the objects and geometry in front of them without considering the context of the situation, they are easily fooled by a glass table, shiny toaster or transparent cup.

“To overcome this, TRI roboticists developed a novel training method to perceive the 3D geometry of the scene while also detecting objects and surfaces,” continued Bajracharya.  “This combination enables researchers to use large amounts of synthetic data to train the system.”  Using synthetic data also alleviates the need for time consuming, expensive, or impractical data collection and labeling.

While no system is perfect, today’s announcement adds to the body of knowledge helping robots to reliably navigate and operate in home environments. This technical achievement enables a robot to quickly learn from “programmable data” — synthetic data to recreate and learn from past failures and is a promising milestone for TRI and roboticists everywhere

Toyota Mobility Foundation, Energy Systems Network, and May Mobility Inaugurate Free Autonomous Shuttle Service in Indianapolis

The Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF), Energy Systems Network (ESN) and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), have joined with May Mobility, a leader in autonomous vehicle (AV) technology and shuttle operations, to launch a free autonomous shuttle service in Central Indiana.  

The free service, a part of TMF’s Together in Motion Indiana, began June 1, and serves the downtown Indianapolis and Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) communities. Together in Motion is an initiative bringing stakeholders together to test the interoperability of mobility innovations and facilitate the efficient movement of people and goods. The autonomous shuttle service supports the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Sustainable Cities and Communities goal (No. 11) and Toyota’s commitment to providing Mobility for All. 

“At May Mobility, our mission is to bring safe, accessible and reliable mobility solutions to communities around the world,” said Edwin Olson, co-founder and CEO of May Mobility. “We’re excited to bring AV technology to Central Indiana through our partnership with the Toyota Mobility Foundation, Energy Systems Network and IndyGo.” 

The Together in Motion AV shuttle service runs through Nov. 19, 2021 and operates Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The service is available to the public and features five Lexus RX 450h vehicles and one wheelchair-accessible Polaris GEM shuttle equipped with May Mobility’s autonomous technology. 

There are nine designated stops in Indianapolis, each identifiable by a sign providing route information and a scannable QR code leading to the Together in Motion Indiana website. Through the QR code, riders can learn more about May Mobility technology and the shuttle route. Shuttles arrive in 10- to 15-minute intervals on a rotating loop. The route was designed to increase mobility options by providing a connection from the Vermont Station – along IndyGo’s Red Line – to areas west of downtown. Additionally, the route circles the IU Health University Hospital and the Riley Hospital for Children campuses. Riders can plan their trips on Google Maps and see live updates of a shuttle’s location.   

“IndyGo exists to connect our community to economic and cultural opportunities through safe, reliable and accessible mobility experiences,” said Lesley Gordon, vice president of Communications and Marketing at IndyGo. “We will continue to lend our knowledge and expertise with the team at May Mobility and to work alongside these industry leaders as they seek to improve Central Indiana’s mobility ecosystem.” 

To ensure riders’ health and safety, masks are currently required for all passengers and fleet attendants. Shuttles will carry only one household per ride, and all shuttles are equipped with partitions and UVC disinfectant lights that will clean the shuttle interior between rides.  

The AV shuttle service is part of the Together in Motion Indiana initiative announced earlier this year by TMF and ESN. It aims to foster innovation through industry partnerships and propel research and development in advanced mobility technologies in Indiana. The initiative supports the deployments of various mobility solutions to better serve the transportation needs of the local communities, to understand the changing ecosystems surrounding these needs, to potentially expand such initiatives into other communities, and to establish networks for the sharing and leveraging of key learnings. As each mobility solution is developed with local community input, this human-centered approach facilitates the implementation of valued activities and the commercialization of an array of cooperative options.  

“Indiana is the ideal location to launch the first Together in Motion initiative because of the strong local partnerships with Energy Systems Network and the local communities,” said Ryan Klem, Director of Programs, Toyota Mobility Foundation. “They have facilitated May Mobility’s integration into the local transportation offerings, and we look forward to learning about local use and impact so we can transfer and scale this knowledge to other locations.” 

Prior to opening the shuttle service to the public, May Mobility provided Indianapolis residents and Indy 500 race week guests free 10-minute-long rides along a special demonstration route near the Indiana Statehouse. More than 60 attendees experienced the AV shuttle service in a Lexus RX 450h equipped with May Mobility’s autonomous technology.  

“Bringing innovative mobility solutions to Indiana with partners steeped in advancing autonomous technology positions the state as a leader in this in-demand and growing sector,” said Dave Roberts, chief innovation officer, Indiana Economic Development Corporation. “Engaging with ESN, Toyota Mobility Foundation and May Mobility to assist in this effort shows the commitment to finding the best technology partners to provide additional transportation resources to residents throughout the state.” 

In the next phase of the initiative, May Mobility will operate an AV shuttle route in Fishers, Indiana. This service is slated to begin in November 2021.