Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Garden — Attraction in Seattle

Green way paradise bordering the locks on the north side ,towering mature trees throw this canopy of cover, Very cool shaded central walk through Bldngs still stand that look like they were used extensively at one time for locks maintenance, kind of surreal There is a designated visitor center in one of these buildings, with information outside on a kiosk like stand about current or upcoming events Several nationalities from every corner of the earth we see walking along, like a meeting point of nations? its very shocking to have a pedestrian dam cross over so close to the crashing water flow as it makes its way to the ocean Recent rains had raised the water level in Lake Union significantly, the army corp had all but one dam section raised quite a bit, theres this water spray & then like misty fog, you walk through this as you make your way to the south end where waiting is one of the 1st fish ladders in this country to be voluntarily concieved, engineered & then instituted to make a major fishway access point from oceanic to fresh & is in active operation Several viewing windows in this beautifully laid out observation room gives one a instant eye full of possible aquatic movements, To have all this available daily as a resident of the of the local NW, its clearly incredible , 1st time viewing though can be off the charts, be prepared Did we mention, there are 2 through ways for ship traffic, the local ocean going fishing fleet is harbored just on the other side of the locks + there resides more marinas of every size, filled to the brim with ships, sailboats, sea planes & then this wonderful architectural flow of floating homes There are these cavernous dry dock structures that pull in the larger trawlers etc You might easily observe much of all of this as you make your way along this almost unexpected oasis The weather has cooled this afternoon, nw sea air smell in the gardens Sun is still up, and looking west through the sunset a train just makes its way north across the trestles towards Canada A ship makes it way under that same train cross over ocean bound, we saw this boat as it came into the locks, Octopus arms rise out on the west side of dam, then you notice the splashing as the fish ladder winds through. 08/21/2018 Update: fire air debris from the north has the seattle horizon choked up with a bizarre smoke fog, multiple fires burning in British Columbia & California is on fire-news: yosemite park has been saved!!@God bless...

One of the better botanical gardens around and completely free. The plants and trees are tagged for identification and the ranger staff is quite knowledgeable. The rose garden is particularly nice, with many varieties. The park area is large, and it's a great place for an outing, a picnic, or just to hang out. In the summer season they have a series of free concerts on the grounds too. The Canada geese can be annoying with their mess however, so watch where you step in the open grassy areas. It is on the grounds of the marine waterway locks for added interest. Both commercial and private boats pass through to go between lakes Union and Washington and the Puget sound, including the Alaskan crabbing (Deadliest Catch) and fishing fleets. There is a fascinating underwater salmon observation area there too. When the salmon are migrating, large numbers of the fish move through, with the occasional seals swimming around hunting dinner. In the spring, there is a resident population of heron that nests in the trees. You can watch the adults bringing fish to the young in their big nests, and you may even see a bald eagle or osprey (the original "sea hawk") fly by. Even if they are not nesting, it's fun to watch these majestic birds fishing. The park is completely ADA accessible, with restrooms and a visitor center on site. Public guided tours are available in season, and are also free. Limited paid parking is on site, but a public transportation stop is right next to the park. It is adjacent to the bikeway with various rental bikes...

This is part of the Hiram Locks located in Ballard. So besides viewing the park grounds, you can sit along the locks on park benches and watch boats go through the Locks heading into Lake Washington or coming from Lake Washington into the Puget Sound. The main building, over 100 years old, offers educational museum and historical presentation/slideshow viewings in small theatre. You can also go underneath/below the locks to see the salmon travelling through the locks. The park is beautiful for having a picnic, walking and touring...