Enjoying a day on the water with Seattle harbor cruise

Seattle’s harbor cruise gives visitors a great view of the area, beyond the skyline from Puget Sound’s Elliott Bay. The skyline view is truly impressive, mind you, but the chance to see more of the area adds to the enjoyment of the hourlong cruise.

I’m not a fan of water (kind of goes with not knowing how to swim). And Lisa will attest that there are times I can be truly wary of getting on a boat. But, I tend to surrender my fears and board boats. I usually end up enjoying myself on these types of cruises. So, to take a harbor cruise by myself was a personal accomplishment. It was one of two things I would normally be reluctant to do, but did on my own during the Seattle trip. The second was riding the Great Wheel, which is a slow-moving Ferris wheel. It’s a tourist must-do.

Argosy offers an interesting and enjoyable cruise. Our boat was nearly full on a chilly day. The guide shared stories about Seattle history or interesting anecdotes regarding sites along the bay. The view of the Sound is beautiful, regardless of the weather conditions.

The skyline offers a look at attractions, such as the Great Wheel, Seattle Aquarium, Olympic Sculpture Park and the Space Needle.

A large cargo ship was anchored in the bay, waiting to unload its shipment at an elevator and grain towers south of the city.

I really liked the view of the open water. It looked like it could go on for miles and miles.

During the cruise, the clouds parted, which allowed us a view of the Olympic Mountains. The snow-covered peaks were beautiful to take in. I don’t know many Midwesterners who scoff at the beauty of mountains. Later during my visit, we had a clear view of the forests and mountains as my daughter drove from Seattle to Redmond, where she lives.

As we cruised northward, we came across a group of California sea lions hanging out on a large concrete buoy. Our guide mentioned that they were probably male, as the dominant male will fend off others for control of his female partners. Thus, the defeated males tend to move to different areas along the coast.

As we entered the dock area of the Sound, we had the chance to watch large cranes at work. The crane operators climb more than 800 steps daily to sit in the cabin and handle moving storage units from the dock on to ships, and vice versa.

I enjoyed the Argosy harbor cruise. I recommend making it a must-do when visiting Seattle. In addition to the harbor cruise, Argosy offers seasonal tours to Tillicum Village. Visitors there get to learn about the local Native American tribe’s history and traditions.

For more information on Argosy cruises, check out www.argosycruises.com.

Disclaimer: My cruise was courtesy of Seattle CityPASS. However, all opinions and views are mine.