THE LOCKS

OK so here is a little educational lesson for you. First of all when I booked this little "cruise" I saw ARGOSY - The Locks, thinking Argosy was the company, which it is and "The Locks" being the name of the boat or something. Well as we were going on the cruise they would randomly says things about approaching The Locks and some off the wall fact about "The Locks". I looked at Vance many times in confusion and would say "What are they talking about?"

Well come to find out Lake Washington where we departed from, is Fresh Water and Puget Sound is Salt Water, where we arrive. So there is a place, called "The Locks" we go through to get from Fresh to Salt and vise versus!!! I'm sure your all saying "Well Duh Heather". Sorry I had no idea such a thing existed.

Here we are entering "The Locks"

This big Lock is huge and if you laid the Space Needle on its side you still have over 200 feet. So we enter into the Lock and they tie the boat to land. They fit as many boats that need to go to the other side. There is a gate closed up at the front and when we all fit in the Lock they close a gate behind us. Once that is closed they slowly open the gate in front allowing gravity to do its thing. Which is the water than lowers to whatever the tide is at!!!!! Can you believe that?? Here I am waiting for them to let the water go.

Here you can see the water level changing. Isn't that unreal?
So this is the final level it reached before we were allowed to go. The level of water on the other side of that gate is the same level as that first line of water at the top!!!!
This was a picture from the side of our boat.

This is Downtown Seattle's landscape from the Puget Sound. See the Space Needle is on the other side . hehe