Ballard is a neighborhood in Seattle’s northwest with a Scandinavian heritage, originally settled by northern European seafarers as a fishing community. Today, Ballard features a number of attractions including the Nordic Heritage Museum, which depicts and traces the lives of the early Scandinavian settlers. The museum recreates a farm in the old country and Ballard as it was in the late 19th century.[1]
The Fisherman’s Terminal in Ballard is home to the world’s largest fishing fleet of more than 700 vessels, most of them venturing into Alaska during the summer months to haul in salmon. You’ll see factories, gill-netters, and trollers at the terminal and fishermen busily painting and repairing their nets and boats. Aside from the terminal and scene of fishermen at work, the place is worth a visit if you are looking for a good seafood restaurant or some fish ’n chips.[2]
The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks is where the boats must all pass through, whether heading east or west. It is one of the most visited attractions in Seattle because of the constant show of boats floating in and out. Tourists crowd the railing and footbridges to watch the locks raise and lower. The parks that surround the canal provided perfect grounds for picnics. There is also an underwater fish-viewing window through which you can watch the salmon, trout, and steelhead swimming and migrating.[3]
References:
Lenhart, Maria, Ray Riegert, Joanna Pearlman, and Glenn Kim. Ultimate Washington, 2nd Edition. Berkeley: Ulysses Press, 1995. ISBN: 1569750327.
[1] Lenhart, 68
[2] Id. at 69
[3] Id. at 68-69
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