For me, living
in Seattle is like entering heaven while I am still alive; like the prophet Elijah. I have been living here
since 2004, and I still cannot stop marveling at the beauty of the place.
Seattle, as a metropolis, is blessed with an incredible combination of both
geographical and human beauty. This combination is what makes Seattle such a
great place that keeps on blossoming. One example of this local combination is the Bloedel
Reserve.
In 1951,
Prentice Bloedel, the owner of a local timber company, and his wife
Virginia purchased their Bainbridge house on a 150-acre logging site. They
lived there for 30 years (until 1987), during which they transformed the
landscape in to the beautiful and serene gardens that it is today. In 1970 the
family donated the reserve to the University of Washington. Today the reserve
is a non-profit public garden.
When visiting
Bloedel Reserve, plan at least an hour and a half to walk around. Most of the
paths are shaded so it’s a perfect spot to spend on a hot summer day. My
favorite part of the reserve is the marsh. If you are a painter you will
appreciate the many visual beauties in this spot.
To get to the Bloedel
Reserve from Seattle take the ferry
from downtown to Bainbridge Island, and then drive on WA-305 N for about 12
minutes until you see the brown sign to the reserve. On weekends during the
summer time, if you go in a car, give yourself plenty of waiting time to get on
the ferry; you might not be able to board on the next leaving ferry. If you
want to avoid waiting time go early in the morning; when there is less ferry
traffic. Going on the ferry by bicycles or motorcycles does not require extra waiting
time.
Bloedel
Reserve admission fee is $15 for adults. Check the website for
different rates for seniors, military, students, and children. Regular visiting
hours are 10am-4pm. During the summer months the reserve is open from 10am-6am
from Thursday to Sunday.
Other things
to do on Bainbridge Island:
Visit downtown
Winslow for shops, restaurants, and the art museum.
We had a lovely brunch at Café Nola.
Getting there from the ferry is very easy – turn left at the first light; onto Winslow
Way E.
If you feel
like gambling, you can visit Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort
Golfers can find several golf
courses on the island.
And if you
want to enjoy more nature, the island has several parks.
Fay
Bainbridge Park is not far away from the Bloedel Reserve. You can walk
along the water there .
Gazzam Lake
Park is wildlife preserve stretched over 444.6 acres.
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