Explore The Hidden & Restful Side Of Seattle This Year

Nestling on Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest, Seattle is surrounded by mountains, evergreen forests and water. Meanwhile, the city itself offers many green spaces in its many acres of parkland. The largest city in Washington State also hosts the Microsoft and Amazon headquarters and is famous for the futuristic Space Needle, its most iconic landmark. However, Seattle has other hidden and restful wonders to explore while on vacation in the city. These include a cat café and two very different gardens.

Seattle Meowtropolitan Cat Café, 1225 N 45th St.

Cat lovers have a real treat in store at the Seattle Meowtropolitan Cat Café. Mixing coffee and cats is one of the best ideas a café owner could have. While cat-friendly cafés can be found all over Asia, as well as in Paris, France, this was a new addition to Seattle’s coffee scene when it opened in December 2015.

However, don’t immediately go rushing to the café, as reservations are required. Having too many visitors in one go could be a “catastrophe” for the felines and only 10 visitors are allowed at any one time to keep the peace.

Once inside the café, visitors can enjoy coffee drinks such as the “catpuccino” and “meowcha” topped with a cocoa-dusted kitty silhouette or paw print. The delicious drinks are accompanied by a delicious range of cat-themed pastries. When visitors have their coffee and snacks in hand, they can then head into the cat lounge to find a table among the happy cats napping or playing on their platforms, suspension bridges and catwalks.

However, on the more serious side of Seattle Meowtropolitan Cat Café, should a visitor fall in love with one of the gorgeous felines, they are available for adoption. At any one time, there are between 10 and 15 cats in the café, all hosted by the café from the Regional Animal Services of King County in an effort to find their fur-ever homes. Find out more about the current felines in residence at the Seattle Meowtropolitan Cat Café on its website.

Kubota Japanese Garden, 9817 55th Ave South

Another beautiful and restful place in Seattle is hidden away in the Rainer Beach neighborhood. Kubota Gardens were first established by a Japanese gardener, who wanted to share the serene landscapes of his home country with Seattle. Fujitaro Kubota hailed from the Japanese island of Shikoku and moved to the city in 1907, establishing a new home for himself. The self-taught landscaper and gardener purchased a 5-acre plot in 1927 and started work on his dream while using traditional Japanese design techniques. Meanwhile, he created walking bridges, water features and stone decor for the perfect design. While it started out small, the garden covered 20 acres by 1930. As for the plants, he used those typical of Seattle and its surroundings.

Kubota Garden soon became a community for the Japanese population of Seattle and it would have continued to expand. However, World War II sadly saw Kubota sent to an internment camp and on his release, he had to rebuild his life. When he passed away in 1973, the landscaping business he had founded was passed to his grandsons, who continue to care for the garden in partnership with the City of Seattle. Visit the garden’s website to find out more.

A Sound Garden at NOAA

This one is a totally different garden experience, with sound and sculpture, rather than plants. Located on the grounds of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), A Sound Garden is a massive musical sculpture accompanied by other art installations. It was created by Douglas R. Hollis on a hill overlooking Lake Washington in Seattle.

Here, visitors can listen as the giant pipe structures, whistle, murmur and howl when the wind blows through them. Meanwhile, other art installations on the campus include work by Martin Puryear, Scott Burton and Siah Armajani. Readers can listen to the Sound Garden and its amazing “music” in the video included here:

The site is free to enter, but please note that security is tight. Visitors should ensure they have a photo ID in order to get a day pass. Moreover, after parking on the grounds, there is a half-mile walk to get to the art installations. On an interesting note, the Seattle band, Soundgarden, named themselves after this amazing place.

Explore these and more hidden and restful attractions in Seattle this year. Find out more on the city’s official tourism website.