“Nature can live without man, but man cannot live without nature.” Prentice Bloedel has been refered to as the reluctant inheritor of his family’s timber industry. After making his living in it, he spent a lot of time and money making up for it. He believed that nature improves lives and created this lovely reserve to be shared.

We went house hunting in Washington State, in January. The worst time of the year to do so. After spending summer vacations there over the years, where my Mom is from, we decided to look for our own vacation home. Summers, we knew from experience, were gloriously beautiful. To be sure we wanted to invest in property, we decided to visit during the coldest, rainiest and shortest days Kitsap County had to offer. Our trip included reconnaissance of Kingston, Port Ludlow, Poulsbo and Bainbridge Island with Airbnb stays in the last two. During breakfast with a friend on Bainbridge Island, we learned about Bloedel Reserve.

Bloedel Reserve is on the Northeast side of Bainbridge Island, over looking Puget Sound. Within it are trails, foot bridges, benches, reflection ponds, a Japanese Garden and the fascinating evidence of what trees and their companions of nature – shade, moisture, clean air – can create.

There, you can walk peacefully for an hour or two, getting in some steps or forest bath.

You can explore the Japanese Garden, one of my favorite features and one of the best I’ve seen.

You can buy a day pass or become a member. Either way its worth the small investment to practice social distancing (once its no longer mandatory.) Because the reserve is temporarily closed, here is one last photo. You can also explore on line at https://bloedelreserve.org/

Demonstrating the “art of trees,” the roots of a very large tree serve as a backdrop to a restful bench. Have you ever been to Bloedel Reserve? What did you love about it?