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Unifying Seattle's various bodies of water, freshwater Lake Union was carved by
glacial erosion 12,000 years ago. Native American Duwamish tribes once subsis-
ted on its then-isolated shores, but 21st-century Lake Union is backed by densely
packed urban neighborhoods and is linked to both Lake Washington and Puget
Sound by the Lake Washington Ship Canal (built as part of a huge engineering
project in the 1910s). Not surprisingly, the lake is a nexus for water-sports enthu-
siasts - you'll regularly see kayakers, rowers and sailboats negotiating its calm-
ish teal waters. It also acts as a runway for seaplanes. Kenmore Air
( www.kenmoreair.com ) operates services to Victoria (Canada) and the San Juan Is-
lands from here. Houseboats have punctuated the lake since the 1890s, and it
still hosts one of the largest houseboat populations in the US (around 500). The
most famous houseboat is that of Sam, the fictional character played by Tom
Hanks in the movieSleepless in Seattle. Surrounding the lake on its eastern,
western and southern shores are the neighborhoods of Westlake , Eastlake
(dominated by the decommissioned City Light Steam Plant - now occupied by a
biotech company) and South Lake Union , the city's fastest developing
neighborhood-in-the-making.
DON'T MISS…
» Houseboats
» Kayaking
» South Lake Union
PRACTICALITIES
» MAP
Lake Union Park
»
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