Went to the Ballard Locks today. It is pretty accessible by public transit (though I drove). Bus 44, which runs through University District, does bring one to the Ballard Locks.
The Ballard Locks, also known as the Hiram Chittenden Locks, includes a garden, and is a series of canal locks. It somehow manages boats/ships trying to enter from the Puget Sound into Lake Union. They have some explanation as to why it’s the case, but eh, I was too lazy to take notes. 😛 Go read it yourself! It also connects pedestrians from Ballard to Queen Anne, that’s across the lake.
Apart from seeing the locks open for boats, another attraction of the Ballard Locks is the Salmon Ladder, where you can see salmon pass from sea water to fresh water. There are different types of salmon passing through this area in different times of the year. You can try spotting the different types of salmon, based on the explanations they post over there.
Salmon is not the only sea life available. We also saw a pretty big seal, which was quite a tease for those of us trying to take a shot. Just when you thought you knew where it was headed, it’ll appear in another spot, and before you can take a shot, it’ll be gone. We also saw red jellyfish swimming around. The Ballard Locks is definitely a great activity for a sunny day.
After all that, consider eating around there. We ate at Lockspot, which was pretty decent. I’m not a huge fan of their clam chowder, which was saltier than what I am used to, but the fish and chips were decent. I had the salmon version of it, which was very nice and moist.
The Alaska Titan waiting for the lock to open
The canal lock opens
Salmon Ladder
Salmon and chowder
Wanderlust 