Ballard Lockes

This weeks field trip was to the Ballard Lockes. This was a fun and different place for us to go. With all this water around we are really experiencing some new things! The Ballard Lockes is a dam on the river that joins Lake Washington to the Puget Sound. The Lockes make it possible for the boats to travel from the low level of water on one side of the dam to the higher level on the other side of the dam. They say that the Ballard Lockes are unique because they join the fresh water of Lake Washington to the ocean salt water of the Puget Sound. So, here are the girls outside the Visitor's Center. We didn't get their early enough to really see much of the visitor's center before it closed. I guess we'll just have to go back again!


Here we are watching them get the water level ready for a boat that is coming from the Puget Sound into Lake Washington.


Here is fancy Yacht inside the Locke before they raise the water level. Josh and I were admiring this boat thinking it would be cool to ride in one of those!


Here I am with Jorgan. I wanted to carry him on my back so that I wouldn't have to worry about him trying to take a dive into the water. Good thing I did because he was definitely in love with looking over the side!


Here are Liz and Rachel looking down into the Fish Ladder. The have created this fish ladder to help the spawning Salmon get through the dam into Lake Washington. We happened to be past the season for seeing lots of fish... bummer... we'll have to come back next year in May!


Here is a panorama Josh took of the ocean side of the Lockes. I love the fall! It is so beautiful here!


This is a picture of Jorgan after he begged Josh to take his picture! He is so funny! I think he just likes to say "Cheese!"