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Two ivy-covered dinosaur topiaries, which had formerly decorated the lawn near the Pacific Science Center at Seattle Center, now grace Fremont’s narrow Ship Canal Park. To save them from extinction, History House and a group of Fremont artists purchased these in 1999 for $1. The mother, 66-ft (20-m) long, and young apatosauri are now sanctioned by the city and fully integrated into the crazy quilt of what is virtually a neighborhood-wide sculpture garden.

The fenced-in area with benches and a roof sits right on the water, making it perfect for sunsets and bird- and boat-watching. Distant views include Salmon Bay’s dry-dock industry and the Olympic Mountains beyond to the west.

An entire neighborhood disappeared when Interstate-5 cut a trough at the base of Capitol Hill. The sliver of a community that remains is called Eastlake, named after the main thoroughfare. Today, it survives as a mixed-use residential community at Lake Union’s edge, popular with students, artists, and water-lovers as exemplified by the community of houseboats. REI’s flagship store (see Climbing Rock Walls) marks the beginning of Eastlake’s commercial area, and farther north, the neighborhood opens up with taverns, cafés, and stores that revel in the geography – halfway between downtown and the University District.

Tip your glass of red wine during a visit to Chateau Ste. Michelle, Washington state’s oldest winery. Their 87-acre wooded estate in Woodinville, 15-miles (24-km) north of Seattle, hosts tours and well attended summer concerts. It’s one of several outfits taking advantage of a climate that favors excellent grape varieties. Other producers of good quality wine include Columbia Crest, DeLille Cellars, and family owned and operated Facelli Winery.

The indoor pool is just one of many amenities for those with deep pockets.

There’s only one ferry from Seattle that gets you to pastoral Vashon Island, and that’s the Fauntleroy Ferry with its terminal at the end of Fauntleroy Way. Unlike the downtown terminal, this one is in a residential neighborhood, adjacent to scenic Lincoln Park. Allow some time to walk along the water’s edge to watch ferries come and go. For a memorable visit to Vashon, bring a bike, and look into u-pick berry patches in summer months.

The terminal provides moorage for more than 700 commercial fishing vessels and workboats. Because of the sheltered port and the area’s supporting industries and businesses, many Northwest commercial fishermen regard Seattle as the best center for maintenance and repair. The bronze and stone Fishermen’s Memorial sculpture, inscribed with the names of more than 500 local men and women, commemorates lives lost during the hard and dangerous work of fishing in Alaska. There are two seafood restaurants on the docks – one’s a carry out with dockside tables.

Lake Washington’s famous floating bridges, Interstate 90 and State Route 520, connect Seattle with Bellevue and the Eastside. Both highways resemble ordinary bridges except for the middle portions, which rest on the water’s surface above air-filled pontoons that support tons of traffic and concrete. Occasional windstorms push waves of water onto the road, creating back-ups for commuters.

The lowest of four bridges spanning the Lake Washington Ship Canal, this connects Fremont to residential Queen Anne and two main arterials to downtown. Because of the bridge’s low clearance, it faces frequent openings from sailboat, motor yacht, or industrial vessels. Neon art adorns a portion of the span, in the form of a golden-haired Rapunzel and her locks cascading down from the bridgeman’s tower.

A boater’s dream, the small passenger-only steamer plies the waters of Lake Union from its north shore in Fremont to the grounds along the southern shore near downtown during the July Wooden Boat Festival. A labor of love for captain, Larry Kezner, the ferry is strictly for sightseeing cruises along Seattle’s Ship Canal and adjacent lakes.