By MATT MAURY

My wife and I enjoy driving to a local neighborhood, parking the car and spending a couple of hours on a Saturday or Sunday just wandering and looking at the houses.

It's one of the ways that we get creative ideas to use at our home. We may see fences, garden plantings, porch decor or window treatments that inspire us to go home and make a change. And we always note paint colors and roofing materials for the next time they'll be needed at our house.

Up until a couple of years ago, the one thing that we missed as we toured by foot was some historic information about the homes we walked by. Then, we found out about the Seattle Architectural Foundation's neighborhood tours. They last for two to three hours on a Saturday morning and are led by knowledgeable experts on the history and architectural styles of the homes.

One of the most popular walks is in the Wallingford neighborhood. The Foundation has scheduled two tours this year, June 29 and Oct. 5. The focus is on the many bungalows and craftsman homes in this area. To quote the Foundation's brochure: "With renewed interest in the American Arts and Crafts movement, these practical and structurally honest early 20th century homes have reemerged as desirable housing. People appreciate their informal plans, handsome woodwork, stone or river rock foundations and chimneys, broad overhangs and generous porches. It's no accident that so many bungalows exist in Seattle - Jud Yoho, a local developer, was also the publisher of the influential Bungalow Magazine from 1912-16 and owned The Craftsman Bungalow Company."

Besides the North End tours, some of the other neighborhood tours this summer are on Queen Anne and Capitol hills.

The Foundation also has tours of specific buildings around town. Two of this year's tours are on the University of Washington campus. On June 19, the UW's new Mary Gates hall will be shown as an example of how to harmoniously blend a new wing onto an existing building constructed in 1928. Then, on July 31, there will be a behind-the-scenes tour of the extensively renovated Hec Edmundson Pavilion. Lengthy trusses have replaced 20 pillars, which both held up the roof and blocked basketball court views from many seats. Both of these tours offer insights into how the architects kept the charm of the old building while adding the new elements.

There is a charge for each tour. For additional information and a complete listing of 2002 tours, or to make reservations, contact the Foundation's office in the Rainier Square Atrium. Phone: 667-9186.

For those just interested in gaining new perspectives and ideas for decorating your homes, I'd suggest a springtime stroll through the Wallingford, Laurelhurst, Blue Ridge, Green Lake or Ravenna neighborhoods, among others. Another option is along the Burke-Gilman Trail to the north from Matthews Beach Park.