I was hiking through Discovery park in Seattle last week with my daughter Tiffany and we were soooo delighted by the first signs of spring. Especially on the heels of our very long, wet January.

The white sweet delicate buds of Indian Plum were everywhere. And not to overstate, but we were actually thrilled by the clumps of blooming Dwarf Lilyturf. As I squatted to get photos so I could look up its name, I was feeling excited about the coming months. I was thinking, full on spring will be here before I know it, so I better get some day trips on my calendar.

For me, one of the best and easiest ways to jump into the spring season is to explore a local urban park. Most big cities have dozens of these with easy access and listings on their websites. Here in the Puget Sound Region, our local parks are abundant. All interesting, unique, and fun to explore. Views of the Puget Sound, beaches, gorgeous ravines, beautiful gardens, stair climbs, scenic paths, lake shores, and more can be found in these parks.

Here are my posts about nine urban nature parks in the Puget Sound region for you to check out including, Hiram Chittenden Locks, Mukilteo Light House Park, Bellevue Botanical Gardens, Kubota Garden Park, Washington Park Arboretum, Richmond Beach Salt Water Park, Volunteer Park, Green Lake Park, and my latest, Gas Works Park.

Read How to Get the Most out of Your Urban Park Visit.

HAPPY EXPLORING AND HAPPY SPRING!!