Ballard Locks (Hiram M. Chittenden Locks)

Weekends often find us at the Locks to hear a few tunes and check out the boats.

The locks can elevate a 760-by-80-foot vessel 26 ft, from the level of Puget Sound at a very low tide to the level of freshwater Salmon Bay, in 10–15 minutes. The locks handle both pleasure boats and commercial vessels, ranging from kayaks to fishing boats returning from the Bering Sea to cargo ships. Over 1 million tons of cargo, fuel, building materials, and seafood products pass through the locks each year.

It's fun to watch the water level change.

And of course visit the garden!