
Garden of Delights
Arching high over a bark path, bamboo fronds make lace of the early-summer sun. The tall groves at Redmond’s Bamboo Gardens of Washington not only are serenely elegant, they also illustrate the variety this highly specialized grass can achieve. The bamboo is just one highlight of a day trip to Redmond and the Snoqualmie Valley east of Seattle.
Set in a pastoral valley just five minutes east of downtown Redmond, Bamboo Gardens (196th Ave. N.E. at State 202 east; 425/868-5166) is a nursery that welcomes visitors to simply stroll its quiet paths, marveling at timber bamboos that can soar upward of 50 feet.
Bamboo’s not the only thing going (or growing) in Redmond. The Redmond Saturday Market (9–3 Sat; 7730 Leary Way, on the northwest corner of the Redmond Town Center; 425/556-0636) offers everything from begonias to canned smoked tuna. And any day of the week, you can get fresh-roasted coffee beans and homemade pastries at Victor’s Coffee (7993 Gilman St.; 425/ 881-6451), a much-loved coffee shop with Dada-esque tables and chairs.