A sunny Saturday is a day waiting to be seized; so we got ourselves up, out and onto the water early for a paddle along Alki beach. We headed toward the Alki Point Lighthouse, taking in views of downtown Seattle, freighters, ferries, the Space Needle and Mount Rainier on our way. Shockingly enough, this was our first time taking out single kayaks. Normally, we instinctually take out a double, since there is two of us, but I think it is safe to say that singles are the way to go for us. No disgruntled paddlers and you have the freedom to go where you want at the speed you want, with the expectation that each must pull their own weight. I enjoyed the increased agility and movement of the single, although it is a little less stable, I am happy to report there were no overturned boats at the end of the day.
Killer views of the city while kayaking. In the distance you can see it is cruise ship season here in Seattle.
Between ferries, sailboats and freighters, it is amazing what a busy waterway this is.
Hugging the shore on the way to the lighthouse.
A little apres kayak lunch in keeping with the water theme we ate clam chowder and fish.
Another first, we decided to ride the West Seattle Water Taxi into the city, so we could roam around Pike Place, pick up the all important peonies I was dreaming about and eat cheesecake at The Confectional. Their summer feature is White Chocolate Key Lime Pie, which is well worth the calories, I promise.
In all, it felt like a day on vacation rather than just a weekend. It was nice to break the routine of going hiking each Saturday in place of a fun filled day on the water.