On a hot, sunny day, I paddled across Elliott Bay in Seattle. With the Seafair Fleet Week in town, there was a lot of boat activity, so even though the wind was mild, the wakes were tossing me up and down all afternoon.
I paddled from West Seattle across the bay to the downtown waterfront, paying special attention to the Seattle Aquarium, the concrete structure in the pictures below. It was fun to paddle right up to a place that I normally only visit by land.
Route map. Seacrest Park in West Seattle is not the most convenient drive from my home in Ballard, but it is a great launch point.
Mount Rainier over Harbor Island. Mount Rainier is the tallest of Washington’s five volcanoes and the most visible from Seattle.
Seattle skyline from Seacrest Park. There’s no place prettier than Seattle on a summer afternoon.
Tug and barge. Unlike Seattle’s lakes, which are mostly given over to recreational users, Elliott Bay is still a working waterfront.
Approaching Seattle’s downtown waterfront, Great Wheel and Bainbridge/Bremerton ferries visible.
Under the pier. A mysterious watery world lies beneath the feet of the unsuspecting pedestrians overhead.
Under the Seattle Great Wheel. I was “local color” for the tourists in the gondolas.
Russell Investment Center, Washington Mutual Tower, and Highway 99 Viaduct. The latter was subsequently torn down, eliminating one of the prettiest drives in Seattle.
Seattle Aquarium at low tide. The marine life grows denser and healthier on the outside of the aquarium walls than inside them.
I liked seeing the big Navy ships in town for Fleet Week. There was a massive amphibious assault ship up by the Smith Cove Marina, but it was too far to photograph with my little waterproof camera.
I did paddle up to the USS Howard, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, just north of the aquarium. The harbor police patrolling nearby told me it was OK to take pictures, but they kindly asked that I stay 100 yards back from the ship.
USS Howard, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, docked in Seattle. One of our Aegis ships.
Harbor police defend the Howard from my kayak. Everyone was polite but firm that this was as close as I needed to come to the ship.
I was expecting a quiet, solitary paddle, not half the US Navy. There’s always something unexpected to see in the city, especially when you are exploring by boat.
—Alex Sidles