traveldk.com

Stroll the Lake Washington Arboretum’s 230 acres of carefully cultivated landscapes and rare tree species. The gardens, a living page of Japanese history, were built in 1960 according to plans by Japanese designer Juki lida. These include a traditional sculpture, a stream, exotic flora, ponds, and a teahouse.

Both athletic teams and individuals hoist their racing shells into the flow from here. The club’s non-profit activities also include training lessons for beginners.

Officially completed in 1934, the Canal bisects the city and provides access to the sea for pleasure boaters, research vessels, and commercial barges alike.

Organizes activities, support groups, a youth leadership council, dances, and other events to inspire empowerment among 14–22 year olds. The center includes a full kitchen, living room, pool table, library, TV, games, and most important, people who will listen.

Owner-chef Bruce Naftaly offers professional service and classic French cuisine featuring unusual, delicious dishes such as rabbit liver paté and shrimp mousseline. The desserts are tantalizing.

Slovakian sculptor Emil Venkov found little interest in his 7-ton (6,350-kg), 25-ft (8-m) likeness of Russian revolutionary V.I. Lenin after the collapse of the Soviet Union. A visiting American, Lewis Carpenter, paid $13,000 for the work and had it shipped through the Panama Canal to his hometown near Seattle. After Carpenter died in 1994, Fremont artist and foundry owner Peter Bevis managed to have the bronze Lenin statue installed in the neighborhood. The incongruity of a Communist icon amidst flourishing shops and capitalist businesses is not lost on anyone. The statue remains a striking symbol that strives to put art before politics.

This elegant footbridge leads from Western Avenue to the Elliott Bay piers, providing stellar views of West Seattle and the Olympic Mountains.

Window shoppers find it hard to resist the rustic charm of this women’s boutique that stocks designer items by Rozae Nichols, Diane von Furstenburg, Nanette Lepore, and Trina Turk.