You could almost get lost paddling the bird-rich, turtle-crazy cattail corridors that surround Foster Island in the Washington Park Arboretum -- except for that damned floating freeway and its wheels-on-concrete- internal- combustion commotion.
Paddling a canoe or kayak around Foster Island -- deep into the Arboretum's wetlands -- is a decades-old Seattle tradition, and a fairly convincing demonstration that a flourishing, biologically rich ecosystem can coexist with rampant roadways and mass humanity.
By Greg Johnston | March 31, 2005
"Paddle. Paddle. PADDLE!"
Mike Tennant, who is leading me down the Powerhouse stretch of the lower Snoqualmie River, has turned his kayak to face me as he shoots backward down the drop so he can talk me through the rapid.
I can hear the words, but in my state of fear (in boating terms, I am "gripped") my paddle flails uselessly. The hard shell of my kayak swerves into the first crest and instinctively I thrust my paddle up in the air as if to ward off the impact of the waves.
Wrong.
"Paddle!"
By Carol Smith | May 8, 2003
Hike of the Week
The bloom is just beginning at lower elevations in the mountains, but you don't need to go far to enjoy flowers. The Washington Park Arboretum in Seattle has so many plants blossoming it will make you dizzy.
The 230-acre park, created in 1934 and jointly managed by the University of Washington and the City of Seattle with support from the Arboretum Foundation, is a great place right now for a stroll.
By Karen Sykes | April 10, 2003
Position your car (or bicycle) at the northern entrance to Seattle's Washington Park Arboretum and prepare for a lovely, in-city ride. Use Lake Washington Boulevard as your route south to Seward Park, about 15 miles.
The Arboretum ought to provide enough color of its own to keep you busy all day to say nothing of the Japanese Garden near its southern border, a must see. You can take the upper or lower roads (or both) for good fall viewing.
By Terry Tazioli | October 10, 2002
"Oh!"
It was the gasp of the connoisseur confronted with perfection.
"The tupelos," said Sarah Skamser, horticulture instructor at South Seattle Community College. "They're just starting to turn!"
In no time, "they'll be a shocking red," Skamser added as she drove her small Nissan through the Washington Park Arboretum, accompanied by a reporter, fellow college instructor Van Bobbitt and a king-size black dog, Max, who panted heavily and looked out the window, too.
By Nancy Bartley | October 11, 2001
· Norwegian and red maples early color
· Liquid amber mid-October
· Black walnut early color
· Larch late color
· Dogwood midseason
· Golden rain tree early to midseason
· Sumac late in season
· Kwansan cherry midseason
· Flame ash midseason
University of Washington
· Wide variety of deciduous trees turning throughout the season; pick up a tree guide at campus kiosk.
Seattle Pacific University
October 11, 2001
Take a Walk
Length: Several miles
Level of difficulty: Flat to sloping dirt trails and grassy lawns (often muddy); boardwalk on parts of Foster Island Trail.
By Cathy McDonald | April 12, 2001
