Pacific Northwest Trip March 2010 Day 4 Monday March 15

UPDATED: February 5, 2022

This is the third of a series of posts dealing my sixth trip to Seattle as an adult and first of two trips that year. I’ve made minor corrections to these reports. Also, I’ve added additional thoughts with the hindsight of two years later or to add further clarification. 

A slight delay getting to sleep because someone was working on their laptop in their room instead of all the non-sleeping places here, but not too bad.  No tickle in the throat this time so I got a very good night's sleep.  Oddly while more rested I'm also sleepier today.

Clocks on the computer terminals still on PST.   

[NOW: The above was written in the morning; the rest I wrote in the evening. Time switched from Pacific Standard Time to Pacific Daylight Time Saturday night. City Hostel Seattle no longer has computer terminals.]

I'd like to apologize that I've been extremely neglectful of late, staying on one place for most of the day and not giving you what you've all (except the newbies) have come to expect from one of my trip reports.  I trust you'll find that this trip report is closer to what you've been looking forward to reading.

I had a nice chat with the manager this morning (no, not that kind of chat, just shooting the breeze) then took the bus to Ballard.  For some reason driver wasn't accepting money including Orca cards.  I went to my sole Ballard destination this trip, the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, which adjust the water level to allow ships to travel to/from the sea and freshwater.  I noticed a couple of things: First off, the path this time was set to maximum walking, which was okay because I got some nice shots.  There was also a lot of construction.  And the ferry that was heading into freshwater was a Clipper.  Maybe for maintenance or storage. 

 

[NOW: All buses this day were King County Metro Transit.]

I went to the fish ladder to watch the fish travelling either to or from Lake Union, but this time there weren't even any babies.  I guess the salmon had heard about Leonard Nimoy's prices and were asking a similar amount to put on a show.

I took a bus to the Fremont area, visiting in short order the summer Fremont Outdoor Cinema location (that one was by chance), the "dinosaurs" (wire frames with plants inside), the Fremont Rocket (I'd been a bit neglectful of that in past trips so I made sure I got some good shots this time, then the statue of VI Lenin, which is still for sale at $250,000.  Unfortunately the Taco del Mar was replaced by a vegan place, so while it's still in front of fast food restaurants, it's no longer in front of a fast food *chain*, reducing the level of irony somewhat.   I then visited the Center of the Universe (yes, the Center of the Universe is in fact in Fremont; I have plenty of picks of the marker to prove it), then since the stores were not yet open, visited the Waiting for the Interurban statue (which was dressed up for the birthday of someone named Rachel, completed with teddy bear), then the statue JP Patches & Gertrude: Late for the Interurban (JP Patches was a clown who was the star of a popular children's show from the 1950s to the 1980s; the main actor is one of the few such hosts who's still alive).  I then went up Troll Ave (under Aurora Ave) and visited the troll (actually a Volkswagen with a statue built over it). 

 

[NOW: Chris Wedes, who played JP, has since passed away, as has Bob Newman, who played Gertrude.]

Heading into Wallingford I visited Gas Works Park, an industrial complex in the north end of Lake Union that got converted into a family park, which probably isn't quite what's meant by "recycle, reuse"; alot of the old complex is still there.  Then I went up the Wallingford Steps and walked to the University District.

At this point I'll mention that for any shops, if I don't mention buying anything, assume I didn't; this is going to be a long report as it is.

My first stop in the U District was the Wall of Death, spikes holding up a sign that says "Wall of Death".  I took a pic of myself frowning but not actually mugging; it got the desired effect.  Then I visited Half Price Books (bought some books and DVDs), Cinema Books, Scarecrow Video, Dreaming Comics (turned out to be closed on Mon), Al's Music (bought 3 DVDs for $10), then Twice Sold Tales.  The cat there for once seemed excited about things going by, sitting at a window.  A little after I entered the cat headed my way but it (and I stress, the cat, not the storekeeper) had a no petting policy.  Then I visited Zanadu Comics, Neptune Records, then the University Bookstore.

[NOW: University District’s Twice Sold Tales closed before reopening in Ballard. The University District’s Half Price Books, Cinema Books, and The Dreaming are closed. The University District’s Zanadu Comics became a Comic Stop before closing.]

At the University Bookstore there was a little diner so I bought two Vanilla Cokes and a sandwich, saving a Coke for later. Then I visited Bulldog News and Magus Books.  Well ahead of my itinerary, I visited the university proper, including Drumheller Fountain and the Husky Union Building's own University Book Store.  Then I visited the University Village north of that, including the frog/turtle fountain, Barnes & Noble, and the Stonehenge-like fountain.  I quickly visited the Blockbuster across the street, returned briefly to the University Village, then went to 45th St.  I was pleased with myself because 45th turns into a bridge around here and after a few years I finally found the entrance to the street this time so I could return to near the shopping area, i.e. where the bus I wanted was.

[NOW: University Village’s Barnes is Noble and the Blockbuster across the street from the Village are now gone.]

I got on the bus I wanted, effectively returning to my itinerary, then went to Broadway. I visited Broadway News, Broadway Market Video (bought DVDs), Gruv (bought a DVD), the went off Broadway briefly to the Mystery Pop Machine, where you can pick four items or one of two mystery buttons.  I pressed one of the mystery buttons of course and got Coke Zero this time.  I visited the Jimi Hendrix statue and then headed east to the new location of Everyday Music, which unfortunately is still being built in thus not yet open.  Heading west I visited another Twice Sold Tales, the one with three cats including a cute and sweet white one with black sports.  Then I visited another Half Price Books and bought a cheap game.

[NOW: Broadway News, Broadway Market Video (after relocating), Gruv, and the First Hill Half Price Books are now closed. The pop machine has disappeared. Seattle's Everyday Music’s new location opened up but relocated yet again across the street before closing down.]

I again abandoned my itinerary, this time to visit the park I hadn't been to before, Lynn Street Mini Park.  It has some cute, colourful benches and an okay view of Lake Union.  I probably won't revisit but I'd been curious to check it out for some time and was glad to have my curiosity satisfied.  I opened the other Vanilla Coke but forgot it had been shaken so it did an impression of an explosion; still managed to save most of it.  I then visited Pete's Supermarket because it was right there, then tried to visit Video Quest.  A sign said "Back in 5 minutes" but after more than 5 minutes the bus was coming so I took it part of the way and walked the rest of the way to Seattle Center, watching the International Fountain for a bit.  Then I walked to Kerry Park Viewpoint and got some decent shots, including of Mt. Rainer in the background.  Heading to the main shopping area in Queen Anne, some idiot shouted at me from across the street for taking pics of him even though I was taking pics in a completely different direction and wasn't the least bit interested in taking a pic of him.  I visited Blockbuster, Underdawg Records, and Mercer St. Books; the latter used to be another Twice Sold Tales but is now kitty-less).  I then tried to visit KCTS 9 Book Store, but they closed early.  I returned to the International Fountain, grabbed a dinner in a place in Center House inside Seattle Center, then back to the fountain.

[NOW: Video Quest, Queen Anne’s Blockbuster, Underdawg Records, and KCTS 9 Book Store are now closed. Center House is now Seattle Center Armory]

 

I walked to the downtown proper where I visited the scrap metal penguin from a distance and Barnes & Noble in Pacific Place (not Park Place as mentioned last e-mail).  Then I visited Borders, Rachel the metal Pig at Pike Place Market and Kress Supermarket where I bought a drink.  Then I returned to the hostel.

[NOW: The entire Borders chain is now defunct. Pacific Place's Barnes & Noble and Kress are now closed. The penguin is no longer there.]