While in Seattle, my husband and I visited the arboretum, which is easy to get to by cab from downtown.  At this time of year, it’s the place to visit—far better than any market or museum.

It was raining lightly, which only freshened the colors of the new grass and the flowering trees.  The main path through the Arboretum is called Azalea Way, but March is too early for the rhododendrons and azaleas that will later put on a spectacular show.  I went hoping to see some of the earlier flowering trees: cherry trees, magnolias, perhaps.  The park was a quiet riot of the beauties of spring.  The Azalea Way was flanked with elegant old blooming trees.

The Arboretum dates from the early 1930s. The Olmsted Brothers designed the surrounding park and boulevard.  The University of Washington and the City of Seattle manage the arboretum, with the Arboretum Foundation providing additional initiative and private funds.

I liked these spindly-armed trees covered with moss.  Could they pick up bad children and give them a toss?

Having reached the end of Azalea Way, we paid a special admission to see the Arboretum’s Japanese Garden.  The mossy grounds, the beautifully pruned specimen trees, the raindrops falling on the koi pond gave us much to admire on a wet spring day.