Chittenden Locks and Botanical Gardens

We took Mike lore to the locks in Ballard. The locks connect Lake Washington with Puget Sound. There is about 20 feet difference between the fresh water of Lake Washington and the salt water of Puget Sound. The locks are about 80 years old, and have been in continuous operation. The boats come in, tie up and raft all the way across - there must have been 20 boats in the lock when we were there and it would hold twice that. Next to the locks is the fish ladder. It allows salmon to swim through. They also have some glass so you can watch them swim by. Some were jumping 4 feet into the air trying to get up. The gardens adjacent to the locks are really nice. It’s a neat place to visit.