The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, known locally simply as “The Locks” make a great destination for a Sunday family outing. Why Sunday? Sunday is the day the nearby streets of downtown Ballard come alive with local farmers, artisans and culinary magicians for the Ballard Sunday Market. On Sunday parking is also free on the street in case you weren’t able to walk, bicycle or take the bus this visit. If you’re enjoying a Sunday drive, park downtown Ballard, or at the locks, and either way it’s a pleasure to walk between the two locations. It’s easily walkable in 10-15 minutes and the route takes you along the scenic waterfront of old Ballard. There’s even a gem of a pocket park with waterfront access that we discovered. Decommissioned railroad tracks offer a rustic “rails to trails” experience and a sense of pioneering adventure.

At the locks it’s fun to watch the pleasure cruisers face the challenge of tying up in the small locks. May through September the underwater viewing of the fish ladder affords unique views of spawning salmon’s upstream journey. In summer the terraces hillsides are perfect for picnic or visiting in the sun.

Before or after your stroll around the Locks, make sure to enjoy some delicious brunch or lunch from the market vendors. Our absolute favorite is Tandoozy, delicious Indian food crafted from mostly local organic ingredients (ie Nash’s organic flour makes the garlic naan cooked on the tandoori oven). It’s only $10 for the Vegan Everything, and a few bucks more for the marsala chicken addition. Everyone loves it in the whole family! Lake loves the chicken and the dahl! If you have any other treasured recommendations of Seattle that you think would compare in taste, quality and value, we want to know about it!