Sights to See

LOCKS WALK: We took a midday field trip to the Hiram M. Chittenden (Ballard) Locks today, and we're happy to report there was lots to see during our visit.

 We're always impressed by the water rushing through the spillway.

It's a lot quieter on the other side, looking toward the lake.

While I stayed up top with the dogs, the kids went down into the fish ladder's viewing area. They reported seeing a total of one tiny fish.

A smallish fishing boat was heading into the small locks (30 x 150 ft, 8.5 x 45.7 meter) when we arrived.

We crossed over into the park on the north side of the Locks. Some things, including ornamental cherry trees, are starting to bloom!

CJ wanted to go check out the Canada geese. Annabelle and I kept our distance.

We stopped to peer at the site's historic home for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officer in charge of the operation.

On our way back to the south side, a couple of big tug boats were coming into the large locks
(80 x 825, 24.4 x 251.5 meter), including the Arctic Titan.

 A second, even larger, one (Western Titan) came shortly thereafter.

We watched operations on board the Titans for a few minutes.

A large luxury yacht, Shadowfax, was also in the locks. An Islander '44, 100-foot Shadowfax was built in 1993 by Nordlund, and has carried many a charter according to what I saw online. 

We watched the Titan ships head out to Puget Sound under the railroad bridge.

But first, they had to wait for a train that was northbound.

On the south side of the locks, we checked out the heron nests that have been on site for years.

When we arrived, they were all empty, and we thought perhaps it wasn't 'heron season' yet.

However, as we walked back by, the herons started arriving.

By the time we left, the colony was filling up!

All in all, a lovely hour or so, just five minutes from home!