This is the 15th of a series of posts dealing with
my 2015 trip to Portland, Seattle, and vicinity. I’ve made minor corrections to
these reports (typos, bits I don’t feel like making public). Also, I’ve added
additional thoughts with the hindsight of two years later or to add further
clarification. These are indicated by
“NOW”.
Less than a day now before I leave Seattle and a day and a
quarter from now I'll be on the ferry back to Victoria. Of course tomorrow has
the most physically challenging part of the trip: lugging all my purchases back
home, and one of the most mentally challenging parts of the trip: getting said
purchases through Customs & Immigration.
I walked along the former Torchlight Parade route, getting
photos of what was left along the route: the litter, the remaining Honey
Buckets, fencing, police tape, etc. I stopped off briefly at Seattle Center. A
couple of seagulls were on top of the International Fountain. Resuming the
parade aftermath walk, I was surprise to find more litter still out than usual
in the downtown area. Usually it's mainly around Seattle Center that I see
litter after the parade. I didn't walk too far south this time before turning
back.
I left the parade route to visit Pike Place Market
including Rachel the Pig, the Victor Steinbrueck Park, then Pike again, then I
visited Target again to see if they had the memory card container I wanted. No
luck. I walked along the parade route some more back to the hostel. Sore
throat. Hope it's just the rainy weather bringing stuff up and not a cold.
[NOW: The hostel I stayed at was City Hostel Seattle. The
above was written in the morning. The rest was written in the evening.]
After breakfast I walked to Olympic Sculpture Park (see
last Monday for more on that), then the Olympic Sculpture Park Pocket Beach,
then Myrtle Edwards park next door, then back to Olympic Sculpture Park. I
walked along the waterfront a long ways south and then visited the outside of
CenturyLink and Safeco Fields. Passing the former again, I crossed over King Street
Station to the International District where I saw the two metal things I think
look like Daleks from Dr Who. I also visited Kinokuniya book store before
leaving the International District and passing the deli that can't let go of
the past, Kingdome Deli. I passed the former Lusty Lady which still has the
seeking relationship sign though it seems to be falling apart.
At Pike Place Market I visited First & Pike News,
Rachel the Pig at Pike Place Fish, Lionheart Books, BLMF Books, Holy Cow
Records, Orange Dracula (novelty shop that wasn't open before I left), Old
Seattle Paperworks. Beside and owned by the latter is a Giant Show Museum, actually
a peep show machine on the wall. There is one freebie that is always open
(clown shoes) two you have to pay 25c for and one 50c. The 50s shows a lot more
(shoes) and I recall it being the best when I tried it years ago so I did the
50c option. Before leaving Pike Place Market I visited Lamplight Books.
[NOW: Rachel is a giant piggybank. First & Pike News has closed.]
I visited Westlake Center then Pacific Place, in the latter
visiting the penguin made of scrap metal and Barnes & Noble. I headed north, passing a glass shop that
used to have glass around a live tree. It was gone from the tree but there was
still a nice display outside. I ate lunch at the sport motif McDonald's across
from Seattle Center and then walked to a 32 bus stop (both buses today King
County Metro Transit). I used the free pass from the Torchlight parade to take
it to the Fremont Troll. I asked for a transfer and it was for four hours. I visited the Troll and then crossed Aurora
Bridge south and then north, this time getting zoomed-in shots of Gas Works
park; since I was doing that and since I wanted to spend a lot of the day
relaxing I decided not to actually go to that park. I visited the Fremont Troll
one last time and headed west.
[NOW: That Barnes & Noble is closed. The penguin is gone. That McDonald's no longer has the sports balls due to a renovation.]
A tour group was by the JP Patches statue so in the
meantime time I revisited Waiting for the Interurban and crossed Fremont Bridge
and back (including gets pics of Rapunzel) before returning to JP. I passed the
Sunday Market to and from the plant dinosaurs, then the Fremont Rocket, then
the Lenin statue, then Jive Time Records, then Ophelia Books (more photos of
the cat and rabbits) and Fremont Antique Mall.
I took a 26 bus south to near Seattle Center where I
relaxed at the International Fountain a couple hours until it started raining.
I visited Mercer Street Books, Metropolitan Market, and Bartell Drugs partly to
stay dry, then revisited Kerry Park for views from its Viewpoint. Nice free way
to see the city. I visited a Safeway and then since it was close to 5 pm, Dick's
Drive In. At first I couldn't recall the main thing that turned me off before
and wanted to visit because it's a Seattle institution. Well, it turns out that
what I had forgotten was all the burgers have mustard or chopped pickles and
are pre-made so they won’t cook the burgers without the mustard or
pickles. Probably not the freshest
anyway if all the condiments are pre-added.
I returned to Seattle Center, passing the International
Fountain in the rain, eating dinner at Mod Pizza, then more rainy photos of International
Fountain. Thinking I was leaving for the day I walked towards the exit of the
center, passing an Hispanic music festival sponsored by McDonald’s. I packed at
the hostel, meeting a couple from Edmonton. I showered and packed some more and
then it was nice out again so I returned to the fountain... where the couple
from Edmonton was there. I relaxed there a while after they left (the woman
took a couple photos of me in front of the fountain with my camera) and leaving
the Seattle Center for this trip, on a whim visited 7-11... where I found a
blu-ray. So my last movie purchase this trip is apparently from a 7-11. I then
returned to the hostel. Tomorrow: the trip home! Victoria area residents: If
you want to meet let me know your schedule.
[NOW: I ended up getting more movies in Port Angeles the
next day.]
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