seattle
Free First Thursdays at the Seattle Japanese Garden
The Japanese Garden in the Washington Park Arboretum is one of several locations that has long been on my list of Seattle places to visit, but I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. Part of the delay is because there’s an admission fee, and though it isn’t huge, it means going on a day I where I am feeling really good so I can make the most of my time. No ditching halfway through and counting on a return visit to finish up. (This happens more often than I care to admit.)
Last year the garden tried a Free First Thursday pilot program, but somehow I missed hearing about it. The program was a great success. The intent was to make the garden accessible for those who may not otherwise be able to visit due to the cost of admission. Over 3,000 people visited on the free days from spring through fall.
The free day program returns this year, starting on the first Thursday in April. Admission is free from 3 pm until closing on the first Thursday of each month. If you’d like to read more about it see this Parkways blog post. Maybe I’ll finally get there this year!
Teaser
After not leaving the house for three months this winter, I’ve been making the most of several of the sunny days we’ve had more recently, starting the second week in February. I’ve visited twelve different new parks and viewpoints! (Plus I’ve been to some of my regular parks in between.)
American Wigeon at Matthews Beach
Matthews Beach is one of the best spots in Seattle to observe American wigeons. They hang out here in large flocks this time of year, grazing on the lawn and dabbling for water plants. On this trip I even saw a male Eurasian wigeon mixed in, but didn’t get a clear photo of him. (The Eurasians are uncommon visitors all the way from Siberia.)
Park Preview 