We then took a ride on the Seattle Center Monorail, an elevated monorail that opened in 1962, also as part of the World's Fair.
We drove out to the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (or Ballard Locks), which are part of the Lake Washington Ship Canal. The canal connects the fresh water Lake Washington with the salt water Puget Sound. The ship canal project began in 1911 and was completed in 1934.
Along the far side of the canal were the fish ladders.
Fish ladders provide a way for adult fish to go around dams or man-made barriers on their journey upstream to their spawning grounds. This one was first built at the locks in 1917. In 1976, it was improved from 10 steps (weirs) to 21 steps, reducing the distance the fish had to jump. Tunnels were also added through each weir to make passage easier.
These slides help juvenile salmon, called smolts, pass safely through.
The fish ladders
Inside at the underwater observation windows... where a ranger gave a talk
Eventually I had to catch the ferry back, but we still had a bit of time to take in a couple more views.
North Beach
Golden Gardens Park
The ferry ride back to Bremerton
The fading view of Seattle... and a small pinpoint of light from a lighthouse
