Location: University District Address: 3501 N.E. 41st St. Acreage: 90 The Washington Park Arboretum gets a lot of attention for its fantastic gardens, pleasant trails and wetlands viewing. Much less visited, but also excellent, is the University of Washington’s Center for Urban Horticulture directly across Union Bay. This treasure for the university serves as an… Continue reading UW’s Center for Urban Horticulture
Category: trails
Lake Wenatchee State Park
Location: Eastern Washington Address: 21588 State Route 207, Leavenworth Acreage: 489 On a winter Seattle day it’s nice to daydream about a sunny summer vacation. Turquoise water, the smell of pine trees and bright blue skies make Lake Wenatchee the perfect place to let your mind water to. I stopped by Lake Wenatchee on my… Continue reading Lake Wenatchee State Park
Pioneer Park
Location: Mercer Island Address: Island Crest Way and S.E. 68th St. Acreage: 113 Smack dab in the middle of Mercer Island is a trail runner’s paradise. Lush, quiet forest and flat trails make Pioneer Park a wonderful urban run or stroll. The park has three quadrants that total more than six miles of trails. The… Continue reading Pioneer Park
City Hall Park
Location: Normandy Park Address: 801 S.W. 174th St., Normandy Park Acreage: 7.85 Sometimes what parents with tots under age 5 really need is not the most exciting, state-of-the-art playground to occupy their kids but just a fully enclosed worry-free space. Normandy Park’s cute City Hall Park (attached to City Hall itself) is a great space… Continue reading City Hall Park
Mercer Slough Nature Park
Location: Bellevue Address: 1625 118th Ave. S.E., Bellevue Acreage: 320 Most people zip through the I-90/405 interchange in their cars without realizing that beneath the concrete jungle is a peaceful green jungle teeming with plants and wildlife. Mercer Slough Nature Park spans more than 300 acres of parkland in central Bellevue and is a dream… Continue reading Mercer Slough Nature Park
Newcastle Beach Park
Location: Bellevue Address: 4400 Lake Washington Blvd. S.E., Bellevue Acreage: 29 A summer birthday party brought me to Newcastle Beach Park, the biggest beachfront park in Bellevue. Park in the large parking lot and take the winding path around the huge lawn to the beach. Along the way you’ll pass a great playground, which includes… Continue reading Newcastle Beach Park
Bellevue Botanical Gardens
Location: Bellevue Address: 12001 Main Street, Bellevue Acreage: 53 Enjoy a peaceful stroll through 53 acres of incredibly varied gardens at the Bellevue Botanical Gardens and take your time examining the diverse plant groupings. Or, take my lead and do it the less peaceful way and bring along three kids under the age of 5.… Continue reading Bellevue Botanical Gardens
Cama Beach State Park
Location: Camano Island/Island County Address: 1880 S.W. Camano Dr., Camano Island Acreage: 433 Cama Beach State Park’s long stretch of gorgeous waterfront is worth a day trip. But you can do even better and rent a rustic cabin on the beach and take the time to really enjoy this great park. Most of Cama Beach… Continue reading Cama Beach State Park