The Ballard Locks

The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in Ballard have been on my to-see list in Seattle ever since my Dad went during his visit here. His pictures were gorgeous and I wanted to experience the magic for myself.

So this past Sunday (which conveniently aligned with the Ballard Sunday Farmer's Market, where I bought the best squash I've ever tasted), I took a bus to Ballard and saw the locks, fish ladder and surrounding gardens.

The locks are on the canal that connects Lake Union & Lake Washington to Puget Sound. Since the Sound is salt water and the lakes are fresh, they need the locks to make the water safe for boats to pass through. The fish ladder does the same for salmon.

On the north side of the locks lies the most beautiful park I've seen so far in Seattle. It was packed with flowers and different kinds of trees and there was a jazz band playing a concert that grew a huge crowd. There is a hill that looks onto the water and I sat there for an hour watching the boats go by.

Major points to the Ballard Locks. It is probably the view I will remember when I think about how beautiful Seattle is.

Only 3 weeks left before my brief return to the east coast! I'm going to San Francisco this weekend (to hopefully see more of the city than the inside of a convention center), then 2 more weekends and I'm home! Countdowns aside, I'll definitely miss it here. On sunny days, at least. :)