Not long after we first moved to the Pacific Northwest we made a trip to Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island.  No surprise to know that there is a previous blog post from that visit and you can see that here.  As things have gradually reopened, the Reserve was open for visitors again under certain restrictions.  There were timed slots only for you to reserve and the main trail had been made one way to minimize the encounters with other visitors.  You didn’t need to wear a mask except when you where near to other guests.  (If you have an issue with masks, please feel free to not tell me about it.)

The visit this time was really nice.  Sure, it might be that we haven’t done very much in the last few months so the chance to get out and walk in pretty surroundings on a sunny day is welcome.  Bloedel is still just a nice place to visit.  The variety of grounds from mossy woodland to meadows to manicured lawns to Japanese gardens makes for a good visit.  An advantage of the one way system is that it ensures you visit all elements of the garden and don’t miss out on parts of it.  Some areas are closed off to visitors but, on the whole, you get a great experience.

The length of the walk around the main trail is not long.  It is just over two miles.  We were passed by a few groups of people.  I’m not sure why they were in such a hurry.  We wanted to enjoy the grounds at a leisurely pace to make the most of the effort to get there (the ferries are on a reduced schedule which doesn’t reflect the volume of vehicles making the trip) so took our time and savored the beauty of the location.

Bloedel Reserve is definitely a lovely location.  The fact that they found a way to open up – even if only in a limited way – is a good thing.  We were glad to be able to support them when things are clearly not easy for them and we obviously got the benefit of being out there on a lovely summer day in the Pacific Northwest.  Now just remember it is always raining up here so you don’t need to move here.