Travel
Summer Guide 2011: the Water Issue
Like the mountains that frame our city, water gives Seattle its identity. Life here is a life aquati
By Kristen Russell, Roddy Sheer, Michelle Lafrance, Nick O'Connell with Cayla Lambier, Sarai Dominguez and Jana Moseley July 19, 2011
This article originally appeared in the August 2011 issue of Seattle magazine.
From the briny smell of Elliott Bay wafting over downtown to the sight of sunlight sparkling on Lake Washington during a summer morning commute; from the lapping sound of waves against docks and kayaks to the taste of our drinking water—some of the purest in the world. And—we’ll say it—the feeling of warm rain splattering down our necks during an unexpected drizzle. (Then again, is any Seattle drizzle truly unexpected?) Water draws us together in fun—and in water-logged, ruined-picnic shared misery. But we know that what comes down on our heads also comes down on our lakes, rivers and streams, creating watersheds, unparalleled natural beauty and seemingly endless options for play.
Whether your preferred water spot is a remote or urban lake, a glacier-fed river or the Pacific Ocean, here is your guide to playing in, living on, eating from and celebrating Seattle’s abundant liquid assets.
Lakes
Puget Sound
Pacific Ocean
Rivers
Eat from the Sea
Creatures of the Deep
Owning a Boat
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A Stunning BC Beauty
Check out Manning Park. Just don't tell anyone about it.
During early spring, when the snowpack is deep in the Northwest, and the ski resorts are still buzzing with enthusiasts getting their last turns in before the season runs out, my wife, Kristy, and I like to head further north to Canada. Photo by Sophia Yip/Getty Images