Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Mountains. In the aquarium, the
Rocky Shores
exhibit features marine mammals,
including beluga whales, and the
Jewels of the Sea
exhibit sheds a new light on
jellyfish. Other exhibits include a northern Pacific aquarium, a tropical coral reef
aquarium that's home to more than 40 sharks, an aquarium of deadly sea crea-
tures, and a new seahorse exhibit. At the farm zoo, kids can pet various animals.
The zoo's biggest event of the year is its annual Zoolights program, which each
December turns the grounds into a fantasy of Christmas lights.
5400 N. Pearl St.
&
253/591-5337.
www.pdza.org. Admission $7.75 adults, $7 seniors, $6 children 4-13,
free for children under 4. Daily 9:30am to between 4-6pm (hours vary with season, call for details). Closed
3rd Fri in July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
TACOMA AREA PUBLIC GARDENS
Lakewold Gardens
Formerly a private estate, this 10-acre garden,
designed by noted landscape architect Thomas Church, includes extensive col-
lections of Japanese maples and rhododendrons. There are also rose, fern, and
alpine gardens that include numerous rare and unusual plants.
12317 Gravelly Lake Dr. SW.
&
888/858-4106
or 253/584-4106. www.lakewold.org. Admission $5 adults,
$3 seniors and students, free for children under 12. Apr-Sept Thurs-Mon 10am-4pm; Oct-Mar Fri-Sun
10am-3pm.
Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection
Assembled by the Weyerhaeuser Com-
pany in 1989 to honor trade relations with Pacific Rim nations, this bonsai col-
lection includes more than 50 miniature trees from Japan, China, Korea,
Taiwan, and Canada. This is the most impressive public bonsai collection in the
state. There are free guided tours of the collection on Sundays at noon.
33663 Weyerhaeuser Way S., Weyerhaeuser Corporate campus, Federal Way.
&
253/924-5206.
www.
weyerhaeuser.com/bonsai. Free admission. Mar-May Fri-Wed 10am-4pm; June-Feb Sat-Wed 11am-4pm.
Rhododendron Species Foundation and Botanical Garden
Cover-
ing 22 acres, this garden has one of the most extensive collections of species of
(wild) rhododendrons and azaleas in the world. More than 2,100 different vari-
eties of plants put on an amazing floral display March through May. Also
included in these gardens are collections of ferns, maples, heathers, and bam-
boos. For serious gardeners, this is one of the Northwest's garden musts.
2525 S. 336 St., Weyerhaeuser Corporate campus, Federal Way.
&
253/838-4646
or 253/661-9377.
www.rhodygarden.org. Admission $3.50 adults, $2.50 seniors and students, free for children under 12.
Mar-May Fri-Wed 10am-4pm; June-Feb Sat-Wed 11am-4pm.
W.W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory
Constructed in 1908, this ele-
gant Victorian conservatory is one of only three of this kind on the West Coast
and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. More than 200 species
of exotic plants (including plenty of orchids) are housed in the huge greenhouse,
Wild Waves & an Enchanted Village
Recently acquired by the Six Flags theme-park company,
Wild Waves/
Enchanted Village,
36201 Enchanted Parkway S., Federal Way (
&
253/
661-8000;
www.sixflags.com), is a combination water park and amuse-
ment park that has been kicked up a notch with the addition of a large
wooden roller coast. When temperatures heat up in July and August, the
water slides here are the cool place to be. Bring your kids here on vaca-
tion, and they'll never forget their trip to Washington.
Kids
