A couple times a year I travel to Seattle, WA to visit family. Although I’ve been to Seattle many times over the past 15 years, I’m always surprised to find a new piece of the city that I hadn’t discovered before. One such place is the Washington Park Arboretum nestled on the shores of Lake Washington.
The 230-acre arboretum is co-managed by the University of Washington and the City of Seattle. It’s free to the public to explore unless you want to visit the Japanese Garden located on the south end of the park. Many people probably wouldn’t think to visit the park in the winter when there’s not a lot in bloom, but in fact, the Winter Garden, located in the arboretum, is a wonderful place to get lost even on the dreariest of days. From late November through the end of March, the Joseph A. Witt Winter Garden comes alive and is located only a short distance from the visitor’s center. With gray, dreary skies lingering over Seattle, the garden provides a nice pop of color to brighten the day. Plants such as the Sarcococca give off a sweet smell mixed up in the crisp air. The park will surely act a sanctuary from the winter blues.
The second place I finally visited over the holidays was Kerry Park. The small park, located on Queen Anne hill and famous for one of the best shots of the city, didn’t disappoint. It’s often difficult to catch a clear day in a city known for excessive rain, but when the sun shines, it’s hard to beat Seattle’s surrounding scenic backdrop. With Mt. Rainer to the south, the Olympic Mountains to the west and the adjacent Sound, Seattle, more and more, feels less like a giant metropolitan city and more like a recreational playground.
As the sun dropped lower to the horizon over the water, it was hard not to fight the cold to see the last few rays of color hitting the city skyline.
The pink sky hid behind the iconic space needle.
Even though I visit Seattle often, the city never seems to get old no matter what time of year it is. In Seattle, there’s always a section of the city waiting to be found; a different angle or light to view it in. I can only wonder what I’ll find next!
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