Hood Canal

By: Mike Fredson

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Synopsis: Fjord-like Hood Canal channels beneath the snowcapped Olympic National Park, creating a summer paradise of warm days and inspiring scenery as well as a haven for marine life and watercraft. For eons, Twana Indians crisscrossed in canoes that sliced through water like salmon. The canal's first tourist, Captain Vancouver, sailed a launch down the scenic route in 1792. For the next century, a mosquito fleet of tugboats, stern-wheelers, fishing boats, and barges ferried the men who came for logging or land. By 1889, lumberman and legislator John McReavy promoted Union City as "Venice ofthe Pacific." In the 20th century, canal use shifted from logging to recreation as wealthy Easterners, San Francisco expatriates, and artists founded hunting lodges, fishing resorts, and even an artist colony. The Navy Yard Highway introduced automobile tourism, and new resorts, including Alderbrook, soon dotted the shoreline. After World War II, families bought summer homes and ski boats. Now, in the 21stcentury, kayaks and personal watercraft skim across the waters, and the canal is more popular than ever.