Last week I described the first half of our walk around Lake Union known as the Cheshiahud Loop. We started at the north end of the lake at Gasworks Park. From the park we traveled east and walked along the east side of the lake. This week I will share about the rest of our walk as we continued back to Gasworks Park.
As we got closer to the south end of Lake Union, we came across a more industrial part of the lake. This was not a large section but did include areas that were definitely commercial. There were some large boats in this area as well as seaplanes. However, we didn’t see any of them flying out at this time of day.
We crossed a footbridge along the edge of the lake and looked out over an old dock which was no longer connected to the land. Above the road we saw the Fred Hutchinson Research Center and could also see St. Mark’s Cathedral up on Capital Hill.
The area changed again as we came to a section with restaurants and boat docks. This is definitely an upscale area. The largest restaurant was Duke’s Seafood. Passing Duke’s the path took us along the water’s edge which gave us nice views and photo ops. Here we also discovered a children’s playground. We were no longer on sidewalks here but on wooden walkways along the water, and the Cheshiahud Loop was well marked.
We eventually came to a dock that went quite far out into the water. I used my telephoto lens here to try to get pics of Gasworks Park on the other side of the lake. I also tried to get photos of the nearby hillside and St Mark’s Cathedral.
Following the Cheshiahud Loop around the lake, the next place we came to was The Center for Wooden Boats. I had heard of them, but didn’t know too much about them. Besides having a lot of boats on docks nearby, they had some other displays on land. They seem to have a lot to share, and the center would be a great place to check out in the future.
Next to the Center for Wooden Boats is Seattle’s Museum of History and Industry. The museum used to be near the campus of the University of Washington. I have not been to the museum since it moved to its location in South Lake Union in 2012. We were able to walk around the museum and see some historical boats that were docked there including the oldest wooden tug boat, the Arthur Foss. A future visit to check out all the museum is on the bucket list.
The Museum of History and Industry is part of Lake Union Park. The park is on the southwest corner of the lake. It has a lot of open space as well as a nice place for visitors to sit and enjoy the water. For kids a fun water spray runs through the park. Everyone in the family can enjoy the pool for model boats, but none were operating on our visit. The park is also a great place to get photos of the Space Needle.
At this point we were starting to wear down. We walked the Cheshiahud Loop along the western side of the lake, which was less interesting. On the opposite side of the street were large business buildings or large apartment complexes. There were a number of strip malls on the water side. It seemed they built fences along the way to keep people from getting views of the lake so it wasn’t particularly a scenic part of the walk. As we got close to the north end, the views opened up in a few places. We also saw some more houseboat communities here.
As we neared the north end of Lake Union we saw high above us the Aurora Bridge which crosses over the canal. Down near the water we were approaching the Fremont Bridge which is another drawbridge opening for tall boats going through the canal. Just before we got to the bridge I spotted a section of old railroad tracks along the shoreline.
Following the Cheshiahud Loop across the Fremont Bridge brings one into the neighborhood of Fremont. Over the years Fremont has had a funky and unique vibe. They refer to themselves as the center of the universe. However, in recent years the neighborhood seems to have become more gentrified with larger businesses moving into the neighborhood.
The neighborhood still has a few quirks, however, They have a number of popular art pieces. The first one visitors will encounter after crossing the bridge is Waiting for the Interurban. This installation shows people standing and waiting for the trolley. Often people will decorate or dress the people in various garb for holidays or celebrations. As we walked by, it was pretty much just the basic statue.
After turning right to return to Gasworks Park, walkers will come to a statue of JP Patches and Gertrude. These two characters were famous children’s TV personality back in the 60s and 70s. The statue was placed here to honor their contribution to Seattle and its children.
Another block down and directly under the Aurora Bridge one must turn north to see another famous Fremont landmark. However, stop a minute and look at the piece of the Berlin Wall that has been placed here to remind us of the Cold War.
After that serious note, continue up the hill to the statue of the troll. This popular attraction is a photo op for many and is always busy. The troll was built by four artists in 1990 as winners of a contest to create something under the bridge here. Since then it’s been a popular place to visit. The area next to it has even adapted the troll theme as well. In this past year more trolls have been built around the area. I hope to check them out as well.
With that it was just a matter of getting back to Gasworks Park and our car. We finished the Cheshiahud Loop tired but feeling good about our accomplishment. We had made a few extra detours along the way, but it didn’t seem that much so I think we were pretty close to walking 6.75 miles. It took us about five hours. The weather was good for exercise, and we learned more about Seattle in the process. All in all it was a worthwhile experience.
Have you been to Fremont or South Lake Union? Your experiences are what I like to hear about so feel free to share them in the comment box below. Next week we are off to Canada.