African Garden + woodland dreams

Fairy Tales in the Rain: the Bloedel Reserve
Could these be the berries the princess was told not to pick?

Forests are always magical places to me, but the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island in the rain was like stepping into a fairy tale. If Dragonfly Farms was Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, then the Bloedel was The Brothers Grimm come to life.

I was lured off the main path, into the woods, where I encountered strange creatures

and giants that had been turned to stone.

The mossy ground dampered the sound of my footsteps, and I was enveloped in a cocoon of silence broken only by the pattering of the raindrops on the leaves.

The path enticed me to venture deeper,

leading me to a clearing, where I found a charming little house.

Remembering the stories, I didn't go inside, but instead continued along the path. A bit further on, I encountered a parade of sorts

and wanted to follow. Beyond, I learned the fate of a fallen hero

and discovered a witch's tower.

Luckily, there was a magic portal to take me back to the real world,

and I found myself safely in an open meadow.

This could be a scene out of the Twlight saga.

Or was I?