Never mind Ballard’s “Missing Link” or the carved-in-stone yet unfunded promise of

Never mind Ballard’s “Missing Link” or the carved-in-stone yet unfunded promise of the Seattle Bicycle Master Plan. Part of the pleasure of being a regular cyclist in Seattle is the accidental discovery, the new route from A to B that saves you a few traffic lights or spares you a hill. Though it opened in late 2011, the $6.5 million, ¾-mile Ship Canal Trail Link was a belated find for me, as it joins the Fremont Bridge to the path past SPU and cleverly, safely slaloms beneath the Ballard Bridge—that continual source of terror for all cyclists—to Fisherman’s Terminal. From there, you can head west into Magnolia or south to join the bike/pedestrian path through Interbay that hooks up with Myrtle Edwards Park. From the Olympic Sculpture Park to Fremont, this now becomes a sheltered and secluded loop for cyclists (or runners or walkers) who want to stay away from cars. It may not have the commuter utility of the popular BGT, but its meandering marine route is part of the charm.