Saturday, August 23, 2014

Houseboats in Seattle - Saturday Snapshots

Everyone has seen the movie "Sleepless in Seattle," right? But maybe you haven't been to a houseboat neighborhood like the one where Tom Hanks and his on-screen son lived. Several years ago a friend visited me and asked if we could see the houseboats on Lake Union. So off we went! Here are my photos from our adventure.
(Click on photos to enlarge.)



Access to the homes is via ramps like this one or by boat.
Can you imagine walking out your back door and
hopping on a boat to go out to dinner?
View of the Lake Union houseboat community from the opposite shore.
Taken from a kayak on my one and only kayaking adventure on Lake Union.


    Photo of me, taken by my friend Gina, who took me
kayaking as a thank you for feeding her pets.

The houseboat community is on the east side of the lake, off of Fairview Ave E. -- those little rectangles jutting out into the water on the map.




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23 comments:

  1. I'm so envious! Whenever my husband and I visit my home province, I love the opportunity to get as close to the water as possible. Whether it's to rent a house by the water or to go out on a boat tour. Here in the Midwest where we live, we're not really that close to water. Thanks for sharing your experience!

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    1. We don't go to the Sound or to the ocean as often as we should. I always enjoy it when we do.

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  2. So nice to have your friend take you kayaking!

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    1. I'd fed her pets many times while her family was on vacation, so this was her thank-you. I enjoyed it a lot but haven't added kayaking to my list of activities.

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  3. I was just thinking yesterday as I drove past Lake Union how beautiful the lake is on sunny days and how special it would be to live on it. Thanks for sharing. MY SSS

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    1. I'm not sure I'd like to live in a houseboat full time, but I'd sure like to spend a vacation there. Like you, I'm usually driving past Lake Union or Lake Washington on the way to somewhere else.

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  4. Yes I have seen the movie - so thank you for sharing your photos of this area - I love seeing a movie scene in real life and exploring all the angles and off-scene areas. I would keep looking for Tom Hanks to stroll by!

    The best part is when you rewatch the movie and you have all this extra knowledge about the area because of your visit.

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    1. I agree! I've seen Sleepless in Seattle a couple of times since I kayaked on Lake Union, and my enjoyment of the movie has been enhanced by having been there.

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  5. I loved the houseboat featured in Sleepless in Seattle! I have also read books set in Seattle in which some of the characters lived in houseboats. Like the Sarah Jio book Morning Glory, or the Deb Caletti book He's Gone.

    In the movie, we had a nice visual, and in the books, we had our imagination. But I love your photos! Such variety and lovely settings. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. I'll add those two books to my TBR list. I'm glad you enjoyed the houseboats photos.

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  6. That would be fun to see. I have seen houseboats before but only the ones that you rent for a family holiday.

    Sean at His and Her Hobbies

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    2. This is definitely a permanent houseboat neighborhood. And although the houseboats are small, the prices aren't!

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  7. I loved Sleepless in Seattle! My husband used to kid he wanted to live on a boat and I'm not fond of them, so believe me, if we had the money, this would be a great compromise :) Thank you for sharing all of these.

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    1. You're welcome.
      I can't imagine living on a boat. I'm a quilter, and that takes up a lot of room for the fabric stash alone. I'm not ready to give that up.

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  8. Now that's the life. I'd love to live on one of them

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  9. Marvelous photos. Thank you so much for sharing. It's a treat seeing them.

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  10. I'd forgotten the house boat aspect of Sleepless in Seattle. It looks a lovely area, and how nice to go kayaking- something I rarely do.

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    1. I probably should have disclosed that this was a two-person kayak and my friend did most of the work! This was the only time I've been kayaking, but I wouldn't mind trying it again.

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  11. I've seen a few of these communities...interesting but I always think.. not for me:) Great photos Sandy...and I love that your view was from a kayak!

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    1. Not for me either. My kayaking adventure provided a different perspective for me.

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  12. Sandy, Interesting shots. I've only seen these neighborhoods on House Hunters. Would love to be able to go kayaking at the drop of an oar, so to speak.

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  13. Sandy, those pictures are so amazing. Looks like an awesome place to kayak.

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