Thursday, August 21, 2014

Ballard Locks Adventure

This week has been a bit different for the Olson Four. Our wonderful summer nanny is on vacation for part of the week, so we're doing the Shuffle and Juggle approach to childcare. My mom very graciously watched the kids on Monday and Tuesday (and is probably still napping to recover from the ordeal. Today, Eric is home with the kiddos.

Yesterday was my day with the kids, and I wanted us to do something fun together. We started off our fun-ness (yes, that IS a word!) by having lunch with Eric. The kids love going to restaurants, so we treated them to lunch at the newly remodeled Red Robin in our area. The kids loved it... mostly because they got balloons after lunch. They're so easy to please at times!

After lunch, the kids and I headed to the Ballard Locks. I've been wanting to take them there for quite awhile, but wanted to wait until they were old enough to really have fun there. Taking an infant or squirmy toddler wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable, but yesterday seemed ideal. It was a nice day without being too hot, and it was a weekday, which meant we'd encounter smaller crowds, which would ensure better vantage points for us to watch the boats.

Once the kids got over the initial disappointment that we weren't going to a place with bouncy houses (sigh!), they seemed to have a grand time. Watching the boats was fine for the kids (I was wowed by two huge tug boats that were going to Alaksa, I must say), but what they really liked were the grassy hills (perfect for rolling and running down) and the fish ladder. I remember visiting the Locks when I was a child only because I recall the fish ladder, so I guess they come by it honestly!

We spent about an hour and a half wandering around, watching boats, waving at people on the boats, and looking at the fish as they navigated their way from the Puget Sound into Lake Union via the fish ladder.

It was a lovely afternoon together, and one I hope we can do again one of these days.

Annika and Conor at the locks

Waiting for tall marine traffic to go under
the Salmon Bay Bridge

Bye, bye sailboat!

Fill 'er up!

"Mama! Take my picture!!"
(Notice Conor running away... yeah, that's how he spent a lot of of the afternoon)

Tugs on their way to Alaska

Rollin', rollin', rollin'

Down he goes!

We'll call you "Smiley"

Swirly artwork

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