Best Botanical Garden in Renton

"Army Corps of Engineers, the busiest set of locks in the United States allows water traffic to travel between the tidal waters Puget Sound and the Lake Washington Ship Canal. This waterway passes through Seattle’s inland freshwater lakes, via Lake Washington, Portage Bay, Lake Union and Salmon Bay, where it meets Puget Sound. The locks have permanently changed Seattle, lowering the water level on Lake Washington and Lake Union by 2.7 metres, giving rise to many miles of new land on the lakefronts."

"From here head over to see the Ballard Locks as the boats make their way through the locks. This was one of my favorite parts of visiting Seattle, it is such an interesting invention. A bonus is that the park and area around it are beautiful. If you are lucky, you may get to see a seal playing around in and around the locks."

"Learn about the annual phenomenon of salmon spawning at Seattle’s Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, known locally as the Ballard Locks, where three types of Pacific salmon pass through the fish ladder during the summer months on the way upriver to their spawning grounds.More"

"The Washington Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens is a 230-acre park full of interesting gardens and rare plant species. The arboretum is co-managed by Seattle Parks and Recreation and the Arboretum Foundation, as well as the University of Washington. The Arboretum is free (as it is a city park) and offers a small visitors center with restrooms, miles of trails, classes, tours, events, and venue rental."

"The University of Washington Botanic Gardens and the City of Seattle work together to maintain these magnificent 230 acres on the shores of Lake Washington. You can visit free of charge every day from dawn to dusk. Established in 1934, the Washington Park Arboretum has a top-notch winter garden, as well as world-class collections of maples, oaks and camellias."

"This wild and lovely park stretching from Madison Valley up to Union Bay offers a wide variety of gardens, a wetlands nature trail and 200 acres of mature forest threaded by paths. More than 5500 plant species... Top ChoiceMuseum in Queen Anne & Lake Union"

"The Volunteer Park Conservatory is a botanical garden with a multi-room display of cacti, tropical plants, orchids, and other species. Its mission is to advocate and encourage preservation, public participation, and education with respect to the Volunteer Park Conservatory and its plant collection. Friends of the Conservatory (FOC), a 501(c)(3) non-profit, plays an integral part in stewarding visitors, providing outreach and education though docent-led tours, plant sales, special events, and interpretative classes for adults and school children, as well as an "Urban Safari" summer camp for grade school youth."

"The best of the monuments in Capitol Hill’s Volunteer Park is a stunning conservatory modelled on London’s Crystal Palace and completed in 1912. This wrought iron and glass wonder is composed of 3,426 glass panels and houses the park’s collections of bromeliads, ferns, palms, cactuses/succulents and seasonal plants. The heat and humidity varies from area to area and is computer controlled, rising to 27°C in the cactus house."

"Modeled after the “Crystal Palace” of London, the Volunteer Park Conservatory is a stunning example of man-made architecture. Glass walls are fitted into steel and iron frames. Victorian-style decorations give an ornate flair to everything from the windows and trellises to the doorknobs and flowerpots."

"The Seattle Chinese Garden is a Seattle Parks and Recreation partner that offers free public access to a lush, beautiful garden within West Seattle. The garden is a traditional Sichuan-style Chinese garden, the only one of its kind outside China, that celebrates Seattle's rich Chinese heritage."

"Housed in the Denny Blaine Park, which is also called the nudist park, the Denny Blaine Beach is encircled by an old wall that was constructed in the year 1917. This grassy beach has plenty of areas for picnicking, sunbathing, and playing volleyball. Visitors can also take a short walk to the Lake Washington Boulevards nearby or visit Howell Park, Lakeview Park, and Viretta Park located a few miles away from the beach."

"4 km from city center 20 out of 191 places to visit in Seattle. Housed in the Denny Blaine Park, which is also called the nudist park, the Denny Blaine Beach is encircled by an old wall that was constructed in the year 1917. This grassy beach has plenty of areas for picnicking, sunbathing, and playing volleyball."

"The Mount Baker Beach is housed within the Mount Baker Park situated on the shores of Lake Washington. This recreational spot is perfect for a weekend, as it offers several outdoor activities along with enjoying the cold waters at the beach. There is a playground for the kids, tennis courts, and a wide-pathway that leads to Lake Washington Boulevard."

"12 km from city center 19 out of 191 places to visit in Seattle. The Mount Baker Beach is housed within the Mount Baker Park situated on the shores of Lake Washington. This recreational spot is perfect for a weekend, as it offers several outdoor activities along with enjoying the cold waters at the beach."

"This charming spot on South Capitol Hill near Seattle University (open since 2007) offers full coffee service featuring Caffe Vita, house-made pastries, affordable French wines, a full bar open daily until 2 a.m., a newsstand of various magazines and newspapers and a menu of "casual Parisian cafe classics." Patrons feast on options from baguette sandwiches and French onion soup to cod filet, crispy duck leg and vegetarian Raclette. Weekends at Cafe Presse mean soccer matches featuring teams from America, Europe and around the globe in the bar up front. Cafe Presse is open every day from 7a.m."

"Kaleigh Embree, Food52’s Customer Care Specialist, is a fan of this low-key French restaurant located in the First Hill neighborhood. A friend of mine who lives in Seattle told me I need to come visit for this place because "When the atmosphere, staff, and food are all at the same amazing quality, then I know I've found my new favorite haunt."

"Serving classic, simple French food, Cafe Presse is proof that restaurants can be both upscale and unpretentious. Full coffee service and house-made pastries make this a great spot to cozy up and spend a rainy day, too. Cafe Presse: 1117 12th Ave; (206) 709-7674"

"A lakeside restaurant at Carillon Point, with a Franco-corporate sheen and sweeping views over the marina. All the bistro staples are here—coq au vin, moules frites, bouillabaisse..."

"One of the most cosmopolitan lunch and dinner stops in Seattle, its packed bar and plummy fixtures and soaring sight lines making it feel like a great party in a gloriously unaffordable home. The huge room has plenty of seating options, romantic (the corner table in the bar should have a room number) to solo to life of the party, from which to sample the classic food of seasoned chef Thierry Rautureau (and his staff from the former Rover’s). Look for careful execution on short, well-chosen menus of both French classics (terrific fish dishes, seared foie gras) and accessible everyman food, like the killer 16-buck rib-eye burger, at prices below what you might expect amid this much style."

"Chef Thierry Rautureau (known as the Chef in the Hat for his ubiquitous chapeau) is the sort of chef you can’t help but love, and the same goes for this charmingly indulgent corner restaurant downtown. Named after Rautureau’s hometown in France, the menu features all the classic French favorites—a simple herb omelet, croque madame, foie gras, the best onion soup—with his personal twist. And while the food will surely woo a date or business exec, it’s the décor that remains something special here: sparkling chandeliers, high-backed leather banquettes, and neon “LOULAY” over the kitchen make even a midday respite a meal to remember."

"Soaring, lushly appointed, luxuriously open day and night, pinned to a prime corner of downtown—Thierry Rautureau’s three-level showpiece with the vivid walls and white booths and the buzzing bar is one of a very few dining destinations in the downtown microclimate around Sixth and Union. Which is why it will surprise some that in addition to the prettily composed French plates, it’s mostly down to earth, with locavore priorities, a meaty $18 burger, and a come-as-you-are welcome from the restaurateur who invented it. Seattle Met’s 2014 Restaurant of the Year."

"A Japanese sushi spot with Latin influence, their sushi rolls feature unique twists on the classics with the addition of flavors such as mango and cilantro. The combination of Japanese and Latin influence leads to some of the most delicious sushi combinations available in the Seattle area. We recommend you try the Salmon Sampler, which features King and Sockeye Salmon."