A peaceful stroll through Bloedel Reserve

Earlier this week, Dave and I headed to one of our favorite spots for a tranquil walk through nature, the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island.

Virginia and Prentice Bloedel bought the property in 1951 and owned it for more than 30 years, sculpting it into a magical place of forests, meadows, water and flowers. Now the home and surrounding nature are a reserve open to the public for strolling and contemplation.

I like that the brochure asks visitors to, "Silence your cell phone, minimize use, and keep voices low. ... Kindly use museum-like etiquette and allow all our guests, and the wildlife you may discover along the trails, to quietly enjoy the tranquility of the Bloedel experience."

It was a warm, sunny spring day, with light splashing through the trees and flowers in bloom.

Tucked throughout the reserve are moss-covered wooden benches in forest glades and along lush shorelines.

The first floor of the Bloedels' former house is open to visitors and affords a spectacular view over the water.

Volunteers create flower arrangements for each room, and I snapped our photo in front of this arrangement of lilacs and greenery.

In case you're interested, I've written other posts about spring and fall at Bloedel:

peaceful-stroll-through-bloedel-reserve.html

fall-color-in-northwest.html

Hope you enjoyed the scenery!

Have a colorful day