This is the 2nd 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”.
A bit sleep deprived (see below) so pardon if some of this
is hard to understand.
[NOW: typos hopefully all corrected before posting to
blog].
Oh, note to friends in 20s/30s: remember I'm a 44 year old
guy. So remember, anything I can do in a day you should all be able to too. Try
it!
[NOW: 49 now].
Last night, one woman was debating whether to visit
Victoria so I suggested using Google Maps street view to get a sense of the
city. She seemed to like that idea. The deer came back but by the time I got my
camera only got distance shots.
Unfortunately didn't get to sleep before someone who snored really loud
started up so that kept me awake most of the night.
[NOW: This was at ToadLilly House International Hostel.]
Just before 5 I started off and walked to Gateway Transit
Center, doing just a slight detour to get a few shots I wanted to get
yesterday. Most of the first four bus rides were trees, trees and more trees.
The first bus I took was the 14 bus (Clallam Transit) and it took me past the
huge (not Great Lakes huge but huge for this area) lake Crescent Lake. The bus
passed Sappho and the Lake Pleasant stop that was apparently in Beaver (don't
snicker; a beaver's a perfectly nice animal) before arriving in Forks (Forks
Transit Center). I asked the driver about breakfast at that time of the day and
another passenger suggested the nearby Shell Station. I nearly made it before
deciding it was cutting things too close and returned to Forks Transit Center;
saw a bit of Twilight stuff there so it hasn't entirely died off. The
numberless Olympic Connection bus (Jefferson Transit) was one of the small
"community" type buses. The driver had music on loud but understand
when I mentioned needing to make a connection. If you ride this bus, wear the seatbelts because
it's a bumpy ride. There was a brief stop at Koloch where people were allowed
to get off (timing point) though ironically we then fell behind about the same
amount because a wheelchair needed to get on and it's pretty involved with that
kind of bus. Nevertheless, while late, the bus made the connection at Amanda
Park.
[NOW: No disrespect intended for the person in the
wheelchair; these things happen. Due to the bus to Forks leaving later, it no
longer connects with the early bus to Amanda Park, with snowball effect. You
can still get to Olympia in a day from Port Angeles using this method; it’s
just a lot later.
There, I transferred to a 60 bus (Grays Harbor Transit, no
apostrophe). The bus passed Quinault, etc. before arriving at Hoquiam (Hoquiam
Transit Center). I could have connected directly with my next bus here or at
the next transit center (see below) but there was a long layover, so I got out
and headed east. A short bridge was temporarily closed to bikes and pedestrians,
so I had to detour a ways to a longer bridge but finally made it easily across
the river. I continued east and ate a late breakfast at McDonald’s. Going east
once more, I passed a Statue of Liberty and later visited a Rite Aid and then
crossed the street from Hoquiam to Aberdeen (there were a couple of places I
could have gotten a ride and I was weighed down but I was on the bus route
anyway and wanted to do the walk). I
visited a Visitor Info Center and grabbed some booklets. I made it to Aberdeen
Transit Center, but walked around some more and grabbed a seltzer from the Rite
Aid across the street. Rite Aid apparently changed their rewards system again,
but I didn't want to update things this close to my bus.
[NOW: The preferred bridge crosses Hoquiam River at Simpson
Ave; the detour bridge was at Riverside Ave.]
At Aberdeen Transit Center I took a 40 bus (also Grays
Harbor Transit). Among the places it passed were the now-unfortunately named
Montsano, Brady (I wonder what's its story), Satsop, Elma, and McCleary,
finally arriving at Olympia, where it got stuck in traffic a bit before
arriving at the Greyhound Depot. I wandered to the hostel (Ground Inn) and
dropped off most of my stuff.
[NOW: Ground Inn is now closed.]
I ate lunch at a McDonald's, passed the Star Wars Mural,
visited the new location of Last Word Books (took a bit to find because it's by
the 300 block but the address is 111 NE Cherry). I visited Browser's Books before heading to
Olympia Transit Center. I got on a 47 bus (all remaining buses this day Intercity
Transit) and got a daypass. I took the bus to the west end where I visited Half
Place Books Outlet (got some DVDs) and Barnes & Noble before heading north
to the Safeway by where the Blockbuster used to be. I got on the 37 bus, which
passed by Capital Mall (apparently the renamed Westfield Capitol/Westfield
Promenade). As it headed east I passed by a few places the 40 bus had passed, but
I didn't want to stop there earlier with all my stuff. Back at Olympia Transit
Center I switched to the 66 bus.
The 66 bus passed the cemetery near Phoenix Rd before
arriving in Lacey. I visited Olympic Cards and Comics, noticing along the way
that my next stop, Boomerang had moved nearly. Glad it moved to where I was
already walking. Boomerang is now closed
on Mondays.
[NOW: Boomerang is now closed.]
I took the 64 bus back to downtown Olympia where I visited
Orca Books (got a couple of shots of the cat that always sleeps except when
it's napping). At Rainy Day Records I got the blu-ray of Psycho (50th
anniversary). I considered a couple of comic trades at Danger Room comics
but the dollar now offsets most of the sale price and I wanted to minimize
books when I have too highway buses to come with their space restrictions. I
visited Heritage Fountain (jets from the ground) and cooled off there just
before the jets stopped for 90 minutes. I accidentally left my fanny back
behind in my sleep deprived state but managed to recover it.
[NOW: Orca Books has moved. Addenda from day 3: Passing the waterfront someone
had spray-painted "Everything is terrible." Oddly just before the
trip I watched a South Park episode on goths and emos. Wonder which the spray
painter self-identified as. One pub had a chalkboard sign in large letters
"free beer" but when you got close enough to read the smaller print
it was "Free Wi-Fi cold beer". The former addendum I’m not sure on
the timeline, but I’m pretty sure the latter happened right after this
paragraph].
Passing the Greyhound Depot and the later bus I had
originally planned to get to Olympia, I walked to a Subway for dinner, the one
where I normally have breakfast at during Olympia trips. I wandered the Capitol
grounds a little and then took a winding path to Capitol Lake; from the top of
the path you get a nice aerial view of the lake and vicinity. A fair was being set
up near the lake and Heritage Fountain, where I rested again briefly.
[NOW: Addendum from day 3: The fair being set up by the
lake is Capitol Lakefair.]
Around this time I noticed I had been taking more photos
than I thought judging from the number left on the card. I wandered downtown
and rested a Sylvester Park; the Greyhound Depot is at the north end. A dog
introduced itself to me. I wandered back to the fountain and got a few more
shots, waiting until it turned back on for a bit before leaving. I got a drink
from Capitol Lake Grocery and then returned to the hostel. Need to turn in
early I think.
[NOW: Addendum from day 3: Bus prices in 2015: Port Angeles to
Forks: $1.50, Forks to Amanda Park: 50c, Amanda Park to Hoquiam: $1, Aberdeen
to Olympia: $3, and Olympia/Lacey daypass: $2.50. Prices same in 2021 except Intercity Transit is now fare free,]
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