Lake Union

On Sunday, we took Ty’s friend and co-worker, Kinnan, out for a sail on Lake Union.   (Kinnan is also a fellow knitter, so of course we spent some time admiring eachother's knitware.)

We’ve spent many Sundays sailing the perimeters of Lake Union, pointing out various sights: the “Sleepless In Seattle” house, Ty’s favorite Tugboat company, and the floating planes taking off and landing seemingly on a dime.  But no matter how many times we travel the same route, I am in awe of our city as if it were the first time I’d laid eyes on it.  

From Ballard Mill Marina, we travel east toward the Ballard Bridge, past the working Fisherman’s Terminal where boats come in from Alaska and further away, unloading their haul.   At the beginning of the summer, we watched as many of these boats and their young crews headed out to spend the season working in the waters off the coast of Alaska, hoping for a prosperous haul of fish.

We keep heading east toward through the Fremont Ship canal, its close-by banks paralleled by recreational trails on either side.   Without fail, somebody will waive at us from the shore, which gives me a feeling of importance and belonging in our city, for what would Seattle be without boats travelling its many waterways?

Kinnan took to sailing right away, figuring out quickly when to turn Vicky toward or away from the wind.    This gave me a chance to sit back and enjoy looking out at the city.  From Lake Union, you can turn one direction and see the University, turn another and see straight into Downtown, and then back again along the ship canal at the towering Aurora Bridge and Fremont Bridge beyond that.

The Lake itself sits below many hills and feels like a protected inlet in the middle of a bustling metropolis. From Vicky, we can see the lights and cranes of downtown, the radio towers atop Queen Anne, and the traffic speeding past along I-5 and Aurora.  From her deck, it all appears more calm and orderly.