Our first stop after Seattle was Bainbridge Island. We caught a morning ferry and arrived in Winslow, a charming town, just as the stores opened. I didn't take any photos in Winslow, but I did do some shopping. I bought a lovely necklace which I wore to the wedding in Portland later in our trip, and a fabulous sling bag which I used nearly every day of our trip. It functioned as a purse and a camera bag with room for a lightweight fleece or rain jacket. Winslow has one of the nicest travel shops I've every encountered.
After a nice lunch at a diner in Poulsbo, we drove to the Bloedel Reserve which we had read about in our preparation for the trip. The pamphlet that accompanies the map describes the reserve as "a living work of art, a museum in nature." It was quiet the day we were there, and we had the walking trails mostly to ourselves. It is indeed, a "tranquil" experience and would be perfect as a spot for "meditation and reflection." We enjoyed it as a chance to stretch our legs before heading to the Olympic Peninsula and a lovely spot for some photographs. I originally intended this as a post for "5 in 5" for September, but had difficulty uploading photos to my computer on this trip.
This photo was originally planned for the Summer Scavenger Hunt: #9- a bridge, as well as #7- a curving path (of sorts.)
The Bloedel Reserve was originally owned by Virginia and Prentice Bloedel who owned the property for nearly 30 years, after purchasing it in 1951. This home, built in 1931 served as their residence fro 1951- 1986. Mr. Bloedel believed in the "restorative power of nature" and interestingly, was color-blind so was more interested in creating a scenery of textures rather than colorful flowers. The home is now used for concerts and other gatherings.
One of our favorites on the reserve was the Japanese Garden. This shows the sand and stone garden.
All along the paths were benches for sitting and reflection. I thought the tree roots that "framed the bench" were fascinating.
I liked this plant, but have no idea exactly what it is. I would have enjoyed having some signage that told the names of some of the more unusual plants. (Although, truthfully, they may only have been unusual to me!)
And a closer look.
The next stop on our road trip was the Olympic Peninsula-coming soon!
