Seattle - Washington State - page 110

signs to the park. When you reach the park, follow signed trails down to the beach
and out to the lighthouse at the point. Although the lighthouse is not open to the
public, the views from the beach make this a good destination for an hour's walk.
The beach and park's bluff-top meadows both make good picnic spots.
Up on Capitol Hill, at East Prospect Street and 14th Avenue East, you'll find
Volunteer Park , 1247 15th Ave. E. ( & 206/684-4075 ), which is sur-
rounded by the elegant mansions of Capitol Hill. It's a popular spot for sunning
and playing Frisbee, and it's home to the Seattle Asian Art Museum (p. 109), an
amphitheater, a water tower with a superb view of the city, and a conservatory
filled with tropical and desert plants (p. 109). With so much variety, you can
easily spend a morning or afternoon exploring this park.
On the east side of Seattle, along the shore of Lake Washington, you'll find
not only swimming beaches but also Seward Park , 5898 Lake Washington
Blvd. ( & 206/684-4075 ). This large park's waterfront areas may be its biggest
attraction, but it also has a dense forest with trails winding through it. Keep an
eye out for the bald eagles that nest here. This park is south of the I-90 floating
bridge off Lake Washington Boulevard South. From downtown Seattle, follow
Madison Street northeast to a right onto Lake Washington Boulevard.
In north Seattle, you'll find several parks worth visiting. These include the
unique Gasworks Park , 2101 N. Northlake Way, at Meridian Avenue North
( & 206/684-4075 ), at the north end of Lake Union. In the middle of its green
lawns, this park holds the rusting hulk of an old industrial plant, and the park's
small Kite Hill is the city's favorite kite-flying spot. North of here, on Green Lake
Way North near the Woodland Park Zoo, you'll find Green Lake Park , 7201
E. Green Lake Dr. N. ( & 206/684-4075 ), which is a center for exercise buffs who
jog, bike, and skate around the park on a 2.8-mile paved path. It's also possible to
swim in the lake (there are changing rooms and a beach with summer lifeguards)
and picnic on the many grassy areas. For information on renting in-line skates or
a bike for riding the path here, see p. 122 and p. 121 respectively.
PUBLIC GARDENS
See also the listings for Volunteer Park Conservatory on p. 109 and Hiram M.
Chittenden Locks on p. 110.
Bellevue Botanical Gardens Any avid gardener should be sure to make
a trip across one of Seattle's two floating bridges to the city of Bellevue and the
Bellevue Botanical Garden. Although this 36-acre garden only opened in 1992,
it has matured very quickly to become one of the Northwest's most-talked-about
perennial gardens. The summertime displays of flowers, in expansive mixed bor-
ders, are absolutely gorgeous. There are also a Japanese garden, a shade border,
and a water-wise garden (designed to conserve water).
Wilburton Hill Park, 12001 Main St., Bellevue. & 425/452-2750. www.bellevuebotanical.org. Free admis-
sion. Daily dawn to dusk; visitor center daily 9am-4pm. Take the NE Eighth St. east exit off I-405.
Japanese Garden Situated on 3 1 ⁄ 2 acres of land, the Japanese Garden is a per-
fect little world unto itself, with babbling brooks, a lake rimmed with Japanese
irises and filled with colorful koi (Japanese carp), and a cherry orchard (for spring
color). A special Tea Garden encloses a Tea House, where, between April and
October, on the third Saturday of each month at 1:30pm, you can attend a tradi-
tional tea ceremony. Unfortunately, noise from a nearby road can be distracting.
Washington Park Arboretum, 1075 Lake Washington Blvd. E. (north of E. Madison St.). & 206/684-4725.
Admission $3 adults, $2 seniors and ages 6-18, free for children under 6. Mar-Nov Tues-Sun 10am to dusk.
Closed Dec-Feb. Bus: 11.