Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Insider Tip
University of Washington campus parking is expensive on weekdays and
Saturday mornings, so try to visit the Burke Museum or Henry Art Gallery
on a Saturday afternoon or a Sunday, when parking is free.
Washington campus, this museum benefits from large, well-lit gallery spaces
illuminated by pyramidal and cubic skylights that can be seen near the main
museum entrance. There's also a cafe here and a small sculpture courtyard. Park-
ing is often available at the Central Parking Garage at NE 41st Street and 15th
Avenue NE. Expect the unexpected and prepare to be challenged in your con-
cept of what constitutes art.
University of Washington, 15th Ave. NE and NE 41st St.
&
206/543-2280.
www.henryart.org. Admission $8
adults, $6 seniors, free for students and children under 14. For $1 more, you can get admission to the nearby
Burke Museum. Free Thurs 5-8pm. Tues-Sun 11am-5pm (Thurs until 8pm). Closed July 4, Thanksgiving,
Christmas, and New Year's Day. Bus: 70.
Hiram M. Chittenden Locks
There is something oddly fascinating about
locks. No, not the locks on doors, the locks that raise and lower boats. Locks
don't provide panoramic views and they aren't nearly as dramatic as waterfalls,
but for some strange reason, a lot of people are intrigued by the concept of two
side-by-side bodies of water on two different levels. Consequently, the Hiram
Chittenden Locks are among the most popular attractions in Seattle. These
locks, operated by the Army Corps of Engineers, consist of a large lock and a
small lock. The latter accommodates barges, large commercial fishing vessels,
and the like, while the small lock stays busy shuttling small private boats
(including sea kayaks) between the salt water of Puget Sound and the fresh water
of the Lake Washington Ship Canal, which connects to both Lake Union and
Lake Washington. It's a slow process locking boats back and forth, but none of
the onlookers seem to mind, and people on shore and those on the boats often
strike up conversations.
When the gates of the lock are closed, it's possible to continue to the far side
of the ship canal to the fish ladders and fish-viewing windows that provide
opportunities for salmon viewing during the summer months. The chance to see
salmon in a fish ladder is as much of a draw as the locks themselves, and in the
past the fish runs have also attracted hungry sea lions, which have become reg-
ular salmon-swallowing pests.
Also here at the locks, you can stroll the grounds of the Carl S. English, Jr.
Ornamental Gardens, a city park filled with rare and unusual shrubs and trees.
There are free tours of the grounds on Monday and Friday at 1 and 3pm and
Saturday and Sunday at 11am and 1 and 3pm.
The locks are located a 10- to 15-minute drive north of downtown. To reach
the locks, follow Elliott Avenue north along the waterfront from downtown
Seattle; after crossing the Ballard Bridge, drive west on NW Market Street.
Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, 3015 NW 54th St.
&
206/783-7059.
Free admission. Daily 7am-9pm; visitor
center daily 10am-6pm. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. Bus: 17.
Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI)
If the Underground Tour's
vivid description of life before the 1889 fire has you curious about what the city's
more respectable citizens were doing back in those days, you can find out here,
where re-created storefronts provide glimpses into their lives. Located at the north
end of Washington Park Arboretum, this museum explores Seattle's history, with
