Bellevue is located directly east of Seattle, across Lake Washington.  When most people refer to Bellevue they are talking about the west half, which contains the downtown area.  Downtown Bellevue has some mid-sized skyscrapers, and more are being built all the time. It is like Seattle, but with a smaller town feel.

Things to Do:

 1.  Walk around Downtown Park, located adjacent to and south of Bellevue Square.  On a nice day you'll find people jogging, volleyballing, frisbee(ing), picnicking and sometimes tight-rope walking.

2.  Go shopping/eating.  The Bellevue Square Mall provides many large and small stores, and free parking.  From there you can cruise around the mall to the adjacent new Lincoln Tower area. The Lincoln Towers are nice, featuring outstanding restaurants that are surprisingly full almost all the time, a high end movie theater complex, an upscale pool hall, and the Westin Hotel. Many places to eat in a few square blocks, something for everyone.

3.  Go to the Bellevue Botanical Gardens. It contains seasonal displays and has a nice Japanese Garden populated by native plants, as well as an alpine garden, perennial display and natural water features.   There are some nice nature trails through a forested section with enormous mature douglas fir, maple and alder.  The shop includes photo displays of early logging and area history. 

 4. Jog or hike on the Lake-to-Lake trail,The marked trail meanders east and west through Bellevue between Lake Washington  and Lake Sammamish through many neighborhoods and parks.