Location: South Seattle
Address: 9817 55th Ave. S.
Acreage: 34.2
November is the best time of year to visit one of Seattle’s best parks: Kubota Gardens. This park is such a jewel, it has its own foundation and board of directors to protect this amazing public space.
Visit this park with time on your hands. It is best experienced by strolling the quiet paths and letting your curiosity lead you around each bend and curve where you’ll find little surprises like sculptures, waterfalls and bridges. Although there are maps online and to pick up at the entrance, I think it’s more fun to wander with no objective. Most of the park’s gravel paths are stroller- and wheelchair-friendly, although some sections have steep inclines.
Late fall is magical at Kubota Gardens because the Japanese Maples are turning every gorgeous shade of red. On fall weekends you’ll share the gardens with gaggles of amateur photographers and perhaps even a wedding party also enjoying the beautiful colors. But, even on a busy day there are peaceful corners to find solitude, and the gardens are worth a visit any time of year.
Japanese immigrant Fujitaro Kubota created this garden on private land, cultivating it slowly for years. It was even left abandoned for several years while the Kubota family was interned during World War II. Thankfully, the Kubotas returned, eventually donating it to the city in 1987. It is now a historic landmark.
Japanese garden enthusiasts may want to check out the free monthly public tours.
#312 (Visited 11/6/11)