UPDATED: February 12, 2021
This is the 8th of a series of posts
dealing with my 2017 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”.
At the half way mark now. Woke up at 1:50 but couldn't get back to
sleep (4 hours). Shortly after I woke up
some drunks wandered in. The one below me was hiccuping. My pillow fell off my
bunk again. Got up after 4:30, grabbed some discarded brochures, and had
breakfast at the nearby McDonald’s. I checked out and lugged my stuff to the BoltBus
stop.
Mid trip the driver told me that on Greyhound and
affiliate buses including BoltBus you're not allow to record even out of
windows due to people abusing the system. So, no you’re not allowed to take a
photo of horses on a field. Had an Asperger's related panic attack so I was
soon able to resume. I was advised that if I tell them about my disability they
should be able to accommodate. Driver didn't know about Greyhound Canada's photo
policy.
[NOW; I checked after and the site said you’re not
supposed to photograph the driver or bus exterior but I found nothing that said
you couldn’t take a photograph out a window.]
There was a notice of long delays at Lacey but we
passed early enough to avoid be impacted. In Seattle I took a 7 bus downtown
and got a transfer which I used on a 13 bus (all non-BoltBus buses King County
Metro Transit). After paying for my room and getting my bags stored (to my
amusement a receptionist asked me if it was my first time in Seattle) I took a
D Rapidride bus to Ballard.
[NOW: The hostel I stayed at was City Hostel Seattle.]
Passing the Sunday Market, I visited Sonic Boom Records
but they weren’t selling any DVDs this time. Found the new location of the not
yet open Ballard branch of Twice Sold Tales. I visited the Hiram M. Chittenden
Locks, where they raise and lower water levels to let boats travel to/from the
sea and Lake Union. But the main reason I was there was to see the Fish Ladder,
where you can see salmon returning home
to spawn or at least trying to get at the current home. One had battle scars.
[NOW: I found a small DVD section at Sonic Boom
Records the following week.]
I walked to Ballard's McDonald’s for lunch. I took
a 44 bus back one stop, noting my transfer had been lost. At the now open Twice
Sold Tales the house cat sniffed my bag. I walked to Fremont where I saw the dinosaurs
made of wire and greenery, Fremont's own Sunday Market, the badly faded Fremont
Rocket (on the side of a building), the larger than life statue of VI Lenin
(someone had added a noose and painted a hand blood red), Jive Time Records, Ophelia’s
Books (didn't see the cat, just its food
bowl), The Center of the Universe signpost, Rapunzel (I zoomed in on the art of
her on the Fremont Bridge), Waiting for the Interurban statue (decorated), and
the JP Patches & Gertrude: Late for the interurban state (JP fade looked
freshly painted and someone added flowers). I walked uphill to the Fremont Troll
under the Aurora Bridge on Troll Ave; used to be a Volkswagen until concrete
added). I crossed over to Wallingford (note: Ballard, Fremont, Wallingford are
all areas of Seattle) and saw the Wallingford Steps before walking to Gas Works
Park, an industrial complex turned family park. Had to wait to use the
bathroom: there were no cubicle doors so only wanted the farthest one). I dropped
my camera on concrete but it rolled and is okay. A woman who was part of an
event noticed I was taking pictures and called out to me, but it was fine: she
just asked that I identify the event on any photos I post to social media (Flow
Fest).
[NOW: Given later events there appears to have
been a delayed reaction to the camera drop.]
I took a 32 bus to near Seattle Centre. I visited
Mercer St Books, then the International Fountain at Seattle Center. It was
crowded due to Take a Bite Out of Seattle.
Having a fresh transfer I took a bus part way
downtown where I visited Zanadu Comics. There was a hole in one of the shoes I
bought about two weeks ago and the other shoe wasn’t much better so I bought
new shoes from a shoe store.
[NOW: It was a 4 bus. Zanadu Comics has since
closed.]
I walked to Pike Place Market; there I visited Left
Bank Books, then saw Rachel the Pig from a slight distance. Golden Age Collectables
(comics), a novelty shop I hadn’t seen before, BLMF (bookstore), Holy Cow
Records (no DVDs this time), and Orange Dracula (novelty shop), It seems that
Lionheart Books has closed. I went to First & Pike news and then left Pike Place
Market for McDonald's.
[NOW: The novelty shop is Rummage Around. I later
found Lionheart Books in a different location in the market. I think it may
have moved within the market. First & Pike News has closed.]
I had to pick one of two lines. I picked the slow
line and finally left. I went to Westlake Center for food but the food places
had closed around 5 and the mall smelled of Lush, too strong for me.
I walked to Pacific Place where I took photos of the
scrap metal penguin art piece and visited Barnes & Noble. Heading north, I passed
the giant red Popsicle sculpture and had dinner at the Subway in the KOMO
Plaza. So busy day by others' standards, a quiet day for me.
[NOW: That Barnes & Noble has closed. The penguiin is gone.]
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