Shameless (non- commercial) plug of a local treasure

I'd like to recommend a rich local resource, especially for those of us on the east side of Puget Sound; The Bellevue Botanical Garden

http://www.bellevuebotanical.org/

with the amazing perennial border by the Northwest Perennial Alliance

http://www.northwestperennialalliance.org/

Every so often I wind up with an hour to spend there while I wait for one or another of the kids' appointments.

Last Wednesday was a great case. I was in a very well earned snit and practically spitting tacks at one particularly balky teenager. It is no mean feat to wrestle a bad tempered bear who towers over you when standing, out of his den and into a car for an appointment he no longer cares to keep. After that, fuming in a waiting room seems a poor choice compared to a one minute drive to the BBG. I had a lovely ramble and discovered something utterly wonderful (not like it's a secret- it's right on the site map- but I'd not noticed before). There is a narrow path right through the center of the border, and it is at it's enchanting best this month. So in forty five minutes I'm head over heels with several new plants and far less inclined to throttle anyone.

I also went back this weekend with my husband for a hour tour in which a charming docent will lead you through and identify practically everything.

They are well into the daunting task of databasing their collection, so even if it is out the way for a casual pop in, there is a lot of info on their web site.

I'll second Kyra on her recommendation. When my husband and I moved to WA from CO we quite randomly picked Bellevue to live in and even more randomly picked an apt off the internet that over looks the Bellevue skyline and was only blocks from the gardens.

We went there often, even running there and back on our more ambitious days. I remember one evening we walked there just at dusk and listened to a huge chorus of frogs for an hour.

Definitely a fantastic place to stop and let the rat race go on without you!