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were squeezed between the rising and falling sea and the musky,<br />
low ceiling of the pier.<br />
Suddenly we were back into the sunlight and happy sounds of<br />
the bay. <strong>Paddling</strong> past the Edgewater Hotel mounted on pilings<br />
over the water, Whittaker pointed up. “That’s the room where<br />
the Beatles stayed in 1964 and fished from the window.”<br />
At a small pebbly beach just north of Pier 70 we pulled the<br />
kayaks ashore and walked to the newly built Olympic Sculpture<br />
Garden, behind which the Space Needle pointed elegantly<br />
heavenward. Wandering amongst modernistic sculptures, we<br />
no doubt looked out of place wearing water shoes and PFDs<br />
and munching on trail mix.<br />
Rested, we tackled the paddle back across the bay. A ferry<br />
powered past. A Coast Guard zodiac flitted here and there with<br />
its crew bedecked in orange safety suits. Soon, we pulled the<br />
kayaks onto the beach back at the starting point.<br />
As the sun dipped low in the sky, we climbed into our kayaks<br />
again and headed out to watch the sunset from Duwamish<br />
Head where Elliott Bay opens up into Puget Sound and the<br />
Olympic Mountains can be seen forming a ragged band of<br />
white across the western horizon. Behind us rush-hour traffic<br />
was inching, fuming across the West Seattle Bridge.<br />
The earlier sunny weather turned skittish and clouds careened<br />
across the sky like bumper cars. In the constantly changing<br />
light, sometimes the kayaks were silhouetted against dark<br />
clouds and other times illuminated in sunny blue patches. For<br />
a while, we were enclosed in gloom while across the bay the<br />
downtown towers were bathed in gold. Then a rainbow formed<br />
a colorful halo over the downtown skyline.<br />
As dusk embraced us and lights began to twinkle in the city,<br />
we turned homeward. “I love the richness of the harbor and<br />
how human activity and nature co-exist,” said Whittaker, “and<br />
there is no better way to enjoy it than by kayak.”<br />
LAUNCH SITES/TOURS<br />
The best launching place is at the Seacrest Boathouse pier<br />
at 1660 Harbor Avenue SW, also the location of Alki Kayak<br />
Tours & Rentals (www.kayakalki.com), free parking, public toilets<br />
and a crab and fish restaurant. If carless, the site can be<br />
reached from the ferry dock via Elliott Bay Water Taxi from<br />
May 1 to September 30.<br />
An alternate launch site is at Terminal 105 on the west side<br />
of the Duwamish Waterway just south of the West Seattle<br />
Bridge. Launching from the downtown waterfront is difficult<br />
because of lack of parking.<br />
ANOTHER URBAN PADDLE<br />
Lake Union and the connecting Lake Washington Ship Canal<br />
and Portage Cut offer a different insight into urban Seattle,<br />
with the calm waters of the lake surrounded by shipyards,<br />
houseboats, yachts, residences, eateries and shops. <br />
Information<br />
Seattle information: www.visitseattle.org<br />
Stay on the waterfront: Edgewater Hotel, 2411 Alaskan Way, Pier 67<br />
www.edgewaterhotel.com<br />
Stay near Lake Union: Hotel Deca, 4507 Brooklyn Avenue NE<br />
www.hoteldeca.com<br />
SUMMER 2007 WAVELENGTH MAGAZINE 35