Seattle - Washington State - page 109

Several parks along the shores of Lake Washington have small stretches of beach,
many of which are actually popular with hardy swimmers. Seward Park , 5902
Lake Washington Blvd. S. ( & 206/684-4075 ), southeast of downtown Seattle, is a
good place to hang out by the water and do a little swimming. To reach this park
from downtown, take Madison Street east to Lake Washington Boulevard and turn
right. Although this isn't the most direct route to Mount Baker Beach or Seward
Park, it's the most scenic. Along the way, you'll pass plenty of other small parks.
PARKS
Seattle's many parks are part of what make this such a livable city. In the down-
town area, Myrtle Edwards Park , 3130 Alaska Way W. ( & 206/684-4075 ),
at the north end of the waterfront, is an ideal spot for a sunset stroll with views
of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. The park includes a 1 1 ⁄ 4 -mile
paved pathway.
Freeway Park, at Sixth Avenue and Seneca Street, is one of Seattle's most
unusual parks. Built right on top of busy Interstate 5, this green space is more a
series of urban plazas, with terraces, waterfalls, and cement planters creating
walls of greenery. You'd never know that a roaring freeway lies beneath your feet.
Unfortunately, although the park is convenient, the isolated nature of its many
nooks and crannies often gives it a deserted and slightly threatening feel.
For serious communing with nature, however, nothing will do but Discovery
Park , 3801 W. Government Way ( & 206/386-4236 ). Occupying a high
bluff and sandy point jutting into Puget Sound, this is Seattle's largest and wildest
park. You can easily spend a day wandering the trails and beaches here. The park's
visitor center is open Tuesday through Sunday from 8:30am to 5pm. Discovery
Park is a 15-minute drive from downtown; to reach the park, follow the waterfront
north from downtown Seattle toward the Magnolia neighborhood and watch for
Fish Gotta Swim
It's no secret that salmon in the Puget Sound region have dwindled to
dangerously low numbers in recent years. But it's still possible to wit-
ness the annual return of salmon in various spots in the sound.
In the autumn, on the waterfront, you can see returning salmon at
the Seattle Aquarium, which has its own fish ladder. But the very best
place to see salmon is at Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, 3015 NW 54th St.
( & 206/783-7059; see listing above for hours of operation and directions
to the locks). Between June and September (July and Aug are the peak
months), you can view salmon through underwater observation win-
dows as they leap up the locks' fish ladder. These locks, which are used
primarily by small boats, connect Lake Union and Lake Washington with
the waters of Puget Sound, and depending on the tides and lake levels,
there is a difference of 6 to 26 feet on either side of the locks.
East of Seattle, in downtown Issaquah, salmon can be seen year-
round at the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery, 125 Sunset Way ( & 425/391-
9094 ). However, it is in October that adult salmon can be seen returning
to the hatchery. Each year on the first weekend in October, the city of
Issaquah holds a Salmon Days Festival to celebrate the return of the
natives.