Water Highways

In Puget Sound, there are a lot of islands, and The Olympic Peninsula to Seattle’s west. One of the fastest ways to get across the water is by boat. In much the same way First Nation’s People have traveled up and down the sea kelp highways in canoes, ferries bus cargo, vehicles, and folks from shore to shore. Great numbers of people and goods float across x̌ʷəlč, a complex estuary overtaken by human industrial abuse and colonial legacy of toxic layers, still poisoning the land and people, as well as wildlife and wonderland that remains. Water highways continue to pollute, but there are long term visions of electric hybrid motor transport in future. Right now, the fastest way to get around in Puget Sound is by boat, so I hopped on The Edmonds Ferry and headed to The Olympic Peninsula. Even after connecting in Kingston, it would be another bit of driving over Hood Canal Floating Bridge to get to the mainland of that peninsula.

Reaching out to the western side of Seattle will most likely involve our water highways. I sometimes forget how mush access there is to the west if you’re willing to take a short boat ride. I’d not recommend trying to ride them with a vehicle in summer without a reservation. Lines can be horrific, especially during holidays. Think of these as traffic jams like any others on major through ways during peak travel times. Winter schedules are much less crowded, and there are still many beauties to enjoy along the way. Whale sightings are not uncommon on your crossing, keep a lookout along the rail and carry binoculars if you can. Though the noise pollution, leaking fuels, and constant movement through the waters can be disruptive, there is still important feeding territory for many aquatic species in the sound.

From Seattle, and a few other ports, you can ride on water highways up through Canada into Alaska, and that’s a heck of a journey, taking several days. I’ve got that adventure on my bucket list, but it’s surprisingly expensive. If you want a room, you’re looking at several hundred dollars, for a ferry ride. I prefer my $20-30 ticket for a half hour connection. I’ll sleep near the beach or at a camp site in the forest. On a rare, special occasion, a two night trip to one of The San Juan Islands can be a great reward that feels remote, but takes only a few hours to get to with a scenic ferry ride. If you find yourself with a day or two for adventure, hop onto our water highway system and take a step further into the wilds of western Washington.