Finally some nice weather

Today turned out to be a really nice day. It warmed up to around 60 degrees. Tomorrow promises to be even nicer. We took the opportunity to go into Seattle today. We wanted to visit the 'Ballard Locks'. The locks are actually named after Corps of Engineers Major Hiram M. Chittenden. The locks were opened in 1917, built by the Corps of Engineers to connect Lake Washington and Lake Union to Puget Sound.





The boats go into the lock, the flood gates close and then the lock fills with water to raise them up with the level of Puget Sound. The whole process only takes a few minutes, the other gate opens and they are on their way!

On the way back from Seattle, we saw Mt. Rainier. This was the first time we actually got to see it, since it wasn't raining or cloudy. We didn't realize we were so close. Everyone in the area is hoping it continues to be dormant for a long time. They don't need another Mount St. Helens.



We really need to get back to Washington State sometime in the future. Next time it will be summer so we can see more of the area. But even with the bad weather it has been an enjoyable time spent with Sheila and Michael. Tomorrow we are going to watch another softball game and have a bbq with the team after the game.

Till later....