Lock, Yacht & Salmon?

Hoping to catch a concert in the park one sunny afternoon, we drove up to Ballard to the Crittenden Locks. This turned out to be a pretty fascinating place, even though one of the dock workers told us there wasn’t a concert that day. When boats transition from the freshwater of the sound to the salt water they must pass through the locks to avoid mixing the two types of water. A beautiful day draws quite a number and variety of boats, from million-dollar yachts to single-person ocean kayaks. Workers guide the boats into the locks based on size where they wait for water to either fill or drain, depending on which direction they are going. People are not the only one traversing the waters. Salmon struggle along in the strong current, their efforts visible from the many underwater viewing windows.