This is the second of a
series of posts dealing with my ninth and most recent trip to Seattle as adult. I’ve made minor corrections
to these reports. What few updates there
are are indicated by NOW in brackets.
I woke up off and on
during the night but turned in around 8:30 so I got pretty well rested. I
was woken up by a sound like a Facebook IM which is odd because my watch
doesn't make that sound, but it was none minute after the time my watch was set
to go off. Maybe that's how my dream state chose to alert me it was time to get
up. I got ready, took some photos, and then made by way to Gateway Transit
Center.
Ironically the Dungeness Line to Seattle was there but I resisted this pricier option. Instead I took the 30 Commuter (Clallam Transit) from Port Angeles to Sequim. Normally I have breakfast in Sequim during my trips in the area, but I didn't want to cut my connection too close (it was a shorter gap than usual because it was a 6 am bus to Sequim, not the 8 am) so I just walked from Sequim Transit Center to Seal Street Park (mainly concrete) and back.
I took the 8 bus (Jefferson Transit) to Haines Park & Ride in Port Townsend. Even though the 8 arrives there at 7:42 according to the schedule and the 11B Shuttle (to downtown) leaves at 11:40 according to the schedule, the 8 became the 11B. However, I couldn't wait for breakfast any longer so instead so I got off anyway and ate at the nearby McDonald's before walking along Water St downtown.
There was a free tour of a 1944 ship but not until 11 unfortunately and it still wasn't even 9 then. I got curious about the bare-chested woman statue in downtown Port Townsend (at the bottom of some steps and by a fountain) and this time looked for a plaque. I thought she looked like Aphrodite and i wasn't that far off: she's a Greek mythology sea nymph called Galatea. A bit unusual to find her in Port Townsend but it is a sea town.
I went up the steps and took a quick peak at the commercial area most identified by Aldrich Market, then went back down the steps and returned to Haines by way of Jefferson. While Water St curves a little, Jefferson's a bit more linear, but up and down a steep hill, so a good way to get aerial photos of downtown Port Townsend, not unlike 2nd St in Port Angeles. After a quick visit to the Visitor's Info, I took the 7 bus (Jefferson Transit, so no extra charge due to daypass) to Poulsbo.
Ironically the Dungeness Line to Seattle was there but I resisted this pricier option. Instead I took the 30 Commuter (Clallam Transit) from Port Angeles to Sequim. Normally I have breakfast in Sequim during my trips in the area, but I didn't want to cut my connection too close (it was a shorter gap than usual because it was a 6 am bus to Sequim, not the 8 am) so I just walked from Sequim Transit Center to Seal Street Park (mainly concrete) and back.
I took the 8 bus (Jefferson Transit) to Haines Park & Ride in Port Townsend. Even though the 8 arrives there at 7:42 according to the schedule and the 11B Shuttle (to downtown) leaves at 11:40 according to the schedule, the 8 became the 11B. However, I couldn't wait for breakfast any longer so instead so I got off anyway and ate at the nearby McDonald's before walking along Water St downtown.
There was a free tour of a 1944 ship but not until 11 unfortunately and it still wasn't even 9 then. I got curious about the bare-chested woman statue in downtown Port Townsend (at the bottom of some steps and by a fountain) and this time looked for a plaque. I thought she looked like Aphrodite and i wasn't that far off: she's a Greek mythology sea nymph called Galatea. A bit unusual to find her in Port Townsend but it is a sea town.
I went up the steps and took a quick peak at the commercial area most identified by Aldrich Market, then went back down the steps and returned to Haines by way of Jefferson. While Water St curves a little, Jefferson's a bit more linear, but up and down a steep hill, so a good way to get aerial photos of downtown Port Townsend, not unlike 2nd St in Port Angeles. After a quick visit to the Visitor's Info, I took the 7 bus (Jefferson Transit, so no extra charge due to daypass) to Poulsbo.
[NOW: Aldrich's Market is now closed. The Poulsbo stop at the time was Poulsbo Transfer Center. Now I connect with the next bus as North Viking Transit Center.]
I took a quick peak to Poulsbo Village's Rite Aid, arguably a mistake because the 90 bus (Kitsap Transit) arrived in the short interview, and the only window seats left were the back window of the bus. I took this bus to Bainbridge Island (it passed through the Winslow shopping area) and took the ferry to Seattle. While I had to make do with the crappy scratched camera, at least I arrived in Seattle the way I wanted to, with a view of the Seattle harbour and nearby buildings like Columbia Center and the Space Needle. Curiously the harbour now had a ferris wheel which doesn't look like it has as good a few as from the ferry. There was a grumpy person as I started to get off (I walked downstairs as she was coming from the lower level. She got annoyed at me and later at some other passenger.
I took a quick peak to Poulsbo Village's Rite Aid, arguably a mistake because the 90 bus (Kitsap Transit) arrived in the short interview, and the only window seats left were the back window of the bus. I took this bus to Bainbridge Island (it passed through the Winslow shopping area) and took the ferry to Seattle. While I had to make do with the crappy scratched camera, at least I arrived in Seattle the way I wanted to, with a view of the Seattle harbour and nearby buildings like Columbia Center and the Space Needle. Curiously the harbour now had a ferris wheel which doesn't look like it has as good a few as from the ferry. There was a grumpy person as I started to get off (I walked downstairs as she was coming from the lower level. She got annoyed at me and later at some other passenger.
[NOW: The ferry from Bainbridge Island Ferry Terminal to Seattle Ferry Terminal was Washington State Ferries. The Ferris wheel
is called the Seattle Great Wheel.]
I walked to 2nd Ave and walked to the hostel from there, noticing from a distance that the Space Needle's top was now orange. At the hostel they gave me a 4 bedroom room instead of a 6. I plugged in some batteries and headed out.
[NOW: The hostel was City Hostel Seattle. References below to Metro Transit are in full King County Metro Transit.]
I had two itineraries set up, one for nice weather and one for overcast weather, trading places with Friday for some activities. It was overcast so I went with the latter itinerary, but went even further than that because I was heading back out sooner than planned, cutting into even more of Friday's plans.
I took the the 578 bus (Sound Transit) to Puyallup (not Federal way as originally planned) and grabbed a late lunch at McDonald's; I ordered to go but had the whole ice cream cone eaten by the time my burgers arrived. I wandered around taking photos of all the great sculptures there (Old Man Catching Birds With His Beard, Life's Shower, Miocene Mink, some nude woman statue, etc.) By Life's Shower there was a sign saying "On this Site in 1897 Nothing Happened"; good to know. An antique store's sign admitted they may have "Nothing Your (sic) Looking For" but suggested people browse anyway; I didn't get to that. I did visit a newly opened book store called A Novel Idea as well as Ace Pawn & Loan.
I had two itineraries set up, one for nice weather and one for overcast weather, trading places with Friday for some activities. It was overcast so I went with the latter itinerary, but went even further than that because I was heading back out sooner than planned, cutting into even more of Friday's plans.
I took the the 578 bus (Sound Transit) to Puyallup (not Federal way as originally planned) and grabbed a late lunch at McDonald's; I ordered to go but had the whole ice cream cone eaten by the time my burgers arrived. I wandered around taking photos of all the great sculptures there (Old Man Catching Birds With His Beard, Life's Shower, Miocene Mink, some nude woman statue, etc.) By Life's Shower there was a sign saying "On this Site in 1897 Nothing Happened"; good to know. An antique store's sign admitted they may have "Nothing Your (sic) Looking For" but suggested people browse anyway; I didn't get to that. I did visit a newly opened book store called A Novel Idea as well as Ace Pawn & Loan.
[NOW: The nude woman
statue is called Salutation. Most of the sculptures are now gone. A Novel Idea is now closed.]
After a few more
sculpture scavenger hunting I took the 402 bus (Pierce Transit) to near
Fantasium Comics in Federal Way. In the interest of
time I passed on the pawn shops in the area and instead just dashed to Al's
Music Games & Videos (bought a DVD) and Action City Comics before taking
the A RapidRide bus (Metro Transit) to Angle Lake
park in SeaTac. A few people were actually swimming but I decided it was
getting a bit late in the day for wet clothes, so I went back to the bus stop
and took another A bus to Tukwila International Blvd Station, where I switched
to the 140 bus (Metro Transit) bus to Burien. I tend to arrive too early
in the day to visit the comic shop there and hoped to get to it this time, but
it was closed on Mondays.
[NOW: Al's closed after a fire burned down the building. You can now take the faster L:ine A/Sound Transit train to Tukwila International Blvd Station.]
I wandered around the nice downtown area of Burien a little and then took the 140 bus (same driver) heading the other direction, this time to Westfield Southcenter in Tukwila. I bought a DVD set at fye (I found fye while looking for the map to find it) and had dinner at Johnny Rockets. Leaving the Mall, I visited a newly opened used video store and then walked to Tukwila's Half Price Books, where I bought a DVD set. I visited Tukwila Pond Park and then took a 150 bus (Metro Transit) back to downtown Seattle.
I walked to Seattle Center. Where the amusement park used to be there is now a glass museum of sorts based on Chihuly's works; I wonder if it's intended to complete with the Museum of Glass by the same artist in Tacoma. Still, I think the mini amusement park was more fun. I then did a walk through the Seattle Center Armory. Not as exciting as it sounds; the Armory is just a somewhat refurbished Center House.
[NOW: The Chihuly
place is Chihuly Garden and Glass.]
As I half expected, the International Fountain was undergoing the renos that happen this time a year so I didn't miss anything by arriving late. I walked to Silver Platters and bought some weird DVDs (no Troma DVDs there beyond the ones I already had). I think I left my itinerary there. I have a spare but I'll check tomorrow and hope they didn't throw it out.
[NOW: I retrieved it
there the next day. That Silver Platters moved to 1st Ave S.]
I bought some drinks at QFC plus a lemon cream Slurpee at the 7-11, both by Seattle Center.
Oh, and my busy day today is actually part of a plan. I'm trying to force myself to slow down and relax after the weather improves if it does, beyond days that are "locked in". Let's see if this happens.
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