Pacific Northwest Trip 2018 Day 9 Monday July 23: Seattle, Redmond, Bellevue, Mercer Island

UPDATED: February 12, 2021 

This is the 9th of a series of posts dealing with my 2018 trip to Olympia, 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”.

Someone in the room was texting with the lights on, and at times having a loud conversation with a friend. Managed to get a bit of sleep before finally turning the lights off when he left the room at 1:15 am. Then at 3:45, a group of young women returned from partying but didn't stay long: I heard one say about one of her friends, "She puked on my bed". They weren't in the room when I got up before six.

I got up and walked to Seattle Center to see the initial clean-up of Take a Bite of Seattle, passing the Chief Sealth statue along the way. After sitting at the International Fountain for a bit, I withdrew some money from a Bank of America machine and then headed downtown, catching a 62 bus (King County Metro Transit) along the way. At Westlake Station, Downtown Transit Tunnel, I took the Link Train (Sound Transit) to University of Washington Station. At the University of Washington I relaxed a bit at Drumheller Fountain before taking the Link train back to Westlake Station, then a 24 bus (King County Metro Transit) to City Hostel Seattle.

 

[NOW: The Central Link train is now Line 1.]

One of the owners, whom I hadn't seen in years, recognized me. After breakfast I took an E Rapidride bus (King County Metro Transit) bus downtown. Waiting for my next bus a guy harassed me including swearIng for taking photos. Ironically i wasn't taking photos: my bus was late and as I told him I was using my camera as binoculars.

Finally the 545 bus (Sound Transit) arrived and I took it to Redmond. I got a couple DVDs from Half Price Books, visited Redmond Town Center (including the fountain with the bears), and McDonald's Book Exchange. It Redmond Transit Center I took a B Rapidride bus (King County Metro Transit) to Crossroads Shopping Center in Bellevue (bus was stuck in traffic and I accidentally got off one stop earlier). There I got a DVD set a Half Price Books. I took another B Rapidride bus to Montlake Park & Ride and then a 249 bus (King County Metro Transit) to Silver Platters, where I got a DVD after first getting some flavoured water from QFC. I walked to downtown Bellevue, where I visited Barnes & Noble and Downtown Park before heading to Bellevue Transit Center.  There I took a 550 bus (Sound Transit) to Mercer Island Park & Ride in Mercer Island. I crossed the highway to I-90 Sculpture Park, had lunch at McDonald's (had a muscle spasm and knocked my trip over) and visited Island Books before returning to the Park & Ride.

 

[NOW: The I-90 Sculpture Park is now the Greta Hackett Outdoor Sculpture Gallery.]

I took a 554 bus (Sound Transit) to Seattle's Pioneer District where I promptly caught a 21 bus (King County Metro Transit) to Seattle's Silver Platters, where I bought quite a few DVDs. I took a 50 bus (King County Metro Transit) to Seward Park. The bathroom stalls there don't have doors so I put my backpack just outside the cubicle to signal it was occupied. I swam at Lake Washington at Seward Park Beach (lifeguards on duty) before walking along the park, getting shots of the lake and Mercer Island. You can walk through the inside of the park but with the poison oak I'd rather not.

I took another 50 bus to Othello Station, where I took a Link train (Sound Transit) to Westlake Station, Downtown Transit Tunnel. I walked to Subway, returned to the hostel for quarters. I grabbed a seltzer from a nearby Rite Aid and then put my clothes in the dryer (actually I might have done the latter before Rite Aid; can't recall). I walked to a viewing area on a deck at the end of Bell Street, just past the Bell Street Bridge, and then returned to the hostel once more.

Pacific Northwest Trip 2018 Day 8 Sunday July 22: Seattle

UPDATED: February 12, 2021 

This is the 8th of a series of posts dealing with my 2018 trip to Olympia, 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”.

Mostly at the half way mark now. I think the actual half way mark is somewhere between 2 and 3 in the morning, but pretty close

I got up and walked to the Queen Anne area. One paper machine offered the Queen Anne paper for 50c but another for 25c. I went for the latter but it ate the quarter and the coin return button was gone. I  found another machine that offered at the same price and had the button so put in another 25c, then realized the door would open even without money. Since I had lost 25c in the other machine I tried getting the quarter back but the button wouldn't work, so I took a second copy, having paid for two copies. I later found a fourth machine offering it for free.

I walked to Seattle Center to see what Take a Bite of Seattle (food vendor event) looked like between hours. I left the center and visited the statue of Chief Sealth (considered the founder of Seattle), then walked downtown, passing the giant red popsicle sculpture and visited a CVS. Downtown I visited Kress Supermarket (grocery store where you take an escalator to the basement) and Target. I visited Rachel the Pig(gy bank) at Pike Place Market and returned to the City Hostel Seattle for breakfast.

 

[Kress has closed down.]

I took a 24 bus (all buses today King County Metro Transit) to near Discovery Park, where I visited the Visitor Center and got a map. Despite the map I found getting around confusing as usual. One route took me out of the park but I did get some nice photos of Ballard across the water. Returning to the park I made it to Daybreak Indian Cultural Center (I know, Indian, but it's what it's called). There flying overhead was a raptor (falcon?) chattering excitedly about the fish it caught. It wouldn't surprise me if like a true fisherman it was exaggerating its catch. I had trouble finding a path to the north beach but finally did. Due to the tide it was hard getting to the lighthouse where the north and south beach meet. So I tried climbing rocks to try to get on a path only to find that bushes wouldn't let me pass so I had to carefully climb down the path. I gave up and just zoomed in on the lighthouse and then did a long trek out of the park.

I walked to the Hiram M. Chittendem Locks in Ballard.  I wanted to use the bathroom urinal there but a guy had his daughter with him and she was watching the other urinal. I went to the Fish Ladder there and got lots of photos of fish trying to get back to Lake Union. I also got some nice photos of the locks themselves; the locks raise and lower the water levels so shops can enter and exit Lake Union. I walked to Twice Sold Tales (Ballard branch; the cat posed for me) and Sonic Boom Records. I wanted to have lunch at KFC but found the prices too expensive so went to McDonald's across the street instead.

I walked to Fremont (by the way, all neighborhoods today are part of Seattle) where I visited Video Isle; used DVDs were a bit pricey which is probably why I didn't shop there much. I walked to Archie McPhee, crossing the street from Fremont to Wallingford. Archie McPhee is a novelty shop that now at the back has the world's largest rubber chicken and not far from it a small rubber chicken museum. The museum pays tribute to the  J.P. Patches Show, which featured Tikey Turkey, so technically a rubber turkey rather than a rubber chicken but I don't think it matters that much.

[NOW: Video Isle has since closed down.]

Returning to Fremont, I visited the Fremont Troll, then Jive Time Records, then Ophelia’s Books; Claudia to cat was in her favourite box on the top of a book shelf. I visited the Center of the Universe signpost, then a few other places only in search of a bathroom, which also covered my passing through the Sunday Market and the plant dinosaurs. The Fremont Rocket is in serious need of a paint job, while the larger than life size statue of V.I. Lenin still has the painted blood on its hands from last year. The Waiting for the Interurban statue was dressed up. Right behind it on the ground was an anti-Trump sign. I zoomed in to get shots of the Rapunzel image on the Fremont Bridge, then visited the J.P. Patches and Gertrude: Late for the Interurban statue.

I crossed over to Wallingford where I relaxed for a little bit at Gas Works Park, an industrial park turned public park on the north end of Lake Union. I left and climbed the zodiac themed Wallingford Steps and then crossed back over to Fremont, where I took a 62 bus downtown.

I visited the new section of the Pike Place Market which had opened last year but I hadn't noticed until my return home. It has its own giant pig(gy bank), not as nice looking as Rachel, but few pigs are. In the mall area I visited Golden Age Collectables, BLMF Literary Saloon, Orange Dracula (novelty), Rummage Around, and Lion Heart Books. On the outside area I visited the left wing new books store Left Bank Books. I walked to Pacific Place, where I noticed the scrap-metal penguin was gone, a key attraction to the area. I did visit Barnes & Noble in the mall before taking a D Rapidride bus north using a transfer.

[NOW: The other “pig” is Billie. That Barnes & Noble has closed.]

Despite it costing three dollars more than I had previously paid, I had a meal at KFC to avoid another McDonald's meal. I visited Mercer Street Books en route to the International Fountain at Seattle Center. More live music and food vendors. After a brief visit to Seattle Center Armory I returned to the fountain. After the last song of the evening, the emcee asked for applause for the last band. After the muted applause he said, “Well, that's it then”). The fountain worked for a little longer, then it stopped and the police came along to get everyone out so the cleaning process after the Take a Bite event could begin. Presumably as per previous years the fountain will be working again Thursday, but other parts of the park should resume operation tomorrow. Both last night and tonight, Christians were holding signs. Judging from the signs they may be the same group that disrupted the Greenwood and Torchlight Parades last year.

I visited 7-11, Dan's Belltown Grocery, and 2nd Avenue Grocery, which had no prices shown on its soft drinks, before returning to the hostel. My bank account still shows no suspicious activity on my Visa card.

[NOW: My missing credit card never turned up but has since expired.]

Pacific Northwest Trip 2018 Day 7 Saturday July 21: Seattle, Sumner, Puyallup

UPDATED: February 12, 2021 

This is the 7th of a series of posts dealing with my 2018 trip to Olympia, 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”.

Woke up in the middle of the night a bit sore from my injuries, plus I felt a liquid from my elbow. Don't know if it was blood or puss. Around 3 went to the main floor of City Hostel Seattle to surf the Internet in the dining area. The worker suggested downstairs again but a couple was making out there so surfed from the lobby instead before getting a bit more sleep.

I got up and briefly visited the off-leash park Regrade Park, then went to Westlake Station (Downtown Transit Tunnel) for some bus schedules. I visited Washington State Convention Center and then Freeway Park; the fountains weren't on this time. I visited Seattle Ferry Terminal which in the past had schedules and other booklets but they had removed them. I visited Rachel; the Pig(gy bank) at Pike Place Market before returning to the hostel.

After breakfast I grabbed more schedules from Westlake Station and then revisited Pike Place Market, including the now open First and Pike News. Most stores were not yet open but at this time of the day I was still able to wander the lower levels, including the "Giant Shoe Museum" which is a coin operated shoe peep show. I didn't pay this time.

 

[NOW: First & Pike News has closed.]

Leaving the market I took the 578 bus (Sound Transit) to Sumner and walked along Main St, including a visit to A Good Book. With a long delay before the next bus I walked to Puyallup, having lunch at KFC. Only one biscuit instead of two but otherwise same deal as Aberdeen. I wish I had ordered to go because there was a vintage car show. I could have taken the next bus but service is hourly on Saturday. I took another 578 bus back to downtown Seattle, fighting sleep on the ride (I was more than awake enough to tell that people were trying to cheat the bus driver to no avail), then after a bit of a delay took a 2 bus (King County Metro Transit) to the east side.

I saw Howell Park, which proved to be a very small nudie park. Given I didn't plan to join in I didn't linger long. Another park Denny Blaine Park was more anything goes, one or two picnicking families, some in swimsuits like myself, and others, yes skyclad. But this park was more spacious and more people wearing something so I felt more comfortable here. A bit tired and sore from my spill yesterday, I rested here a few hours, swimming in Lake Washington. Very laid back, the skyclad people didn't hassle those of us who had clothes on. It's a beautiful park and wish I could have taken more photos there, but given the nature if the park, I think it would have ceased to be laid back had I attempted to photograph it the way I normally do parks I visit. I felt less sore after leaving so my body probably needed the recovery.

I took another 2 bus to near Seattle Center. At the International Fountain, there was still live music from the Take a Bite Out of Seattle event. I left briefly to see if anyone had moved into the old location of Silver Platters, hoping that another music and video store had moved in. Instead it was demolished. I grabbed dinner to go at McDonald's and returned to Seattle Center and the fountain. Paramedics were helping a kid while the police watched. People including a kid nearby were blowing soap bubbles. Due to the latter girl I managed to get some nice shots of bubbles coming at me with the fountain in the background.

 I returned to the hostel and had internet connections and in fact the internet went down entirely. After I was finally able to login after about twenty minutes (another woman was having the same issues), I confirmed that the only Visa purchases today were from my backup card with the stripe worn off, so no one's been using the card as I wait until Monday to find out if Sound Transit has it.

[NOW: My lost credit card never turned up but has since expired.]

Pacific Northwest Trip 2018 Day 6 Friday July 20: Seattle, Tacoma, Parkland, Spanaway

UPDATED: February 12, 2021 

This is the 6th of a series of posts dealing with my 2018 trip to Olympia, 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”.

Typing this in Notepad due to connection issues, possibly caused by AVG. I got up and visited Kerry Park Viewpoint, probably the best free place to get a few aerial shots of Seattle. I then Walked to Olympic Sculpture park, along the way seeing a sculpture of a giant hand holding a paddle ball paddle. At Olympic Sculpture Park I saw the usual subjects, including Love and Loss, with its rotating ampersand. and the Father and son statue. Since the father and son facing each other are naked, sometimes obscured by water, and the sculpture is realistic looking, I suspect that the name of the art piece hides the real point of the piece.

[NOW: I started out for the day from City Hostel Seattle.]

I dropped a few things off at the hostel, then walked to Pike place Market and saw Rachel the Pig(gybank). At Target I got black Lightning season 1 on Blu-ray; for some reason it doesn't seem to be available in Canada but it was on sale at Target. I returned to the hostel for breakfast.

I took a 62 bus (King County Metro Transit) bus back downtown and then a 594 bus (Sound Transit). One person got on without paying at first, then another guy got on the bus but got off when he asked if he had to pay and was told yes.

I got off the bus at Union Station Tacoma, and visited the Bridge of Glass, which isn't made of glass but does have glass displays. Someone made a tribute on the bridge for someone they hadn't met, completed with flowers, so I suspect they might have seen someone jump sadly. I visited the University Bookstore, then walked up and down the stairs of University of Washington Tacoma.

[NOW: I checked later and my suspicions were confirmed unfortunately.]

I took a 1 bus (Pierce Transit) a little ways until it  ran out of water and broke down; the guy in front of me  had a cop with images of gun and bullet holes with "I don't call 911".

I walked to my next stop, American Pawnbrokers; the next bus passed me when i was two blocks away. I walked some more, finding at one bus stop a Chick Tract (comics that promote a fire and brimstone version of Christianity).  I jogged ahead some more stops to kill time; just before a stop I was going to stop at anyway, I tripped and fell, protecting my camera and backpack with backup camera, but getting a bit bloody in the process.

I took another 1 Pierce Transit bus to All in One Jewelry and Loans where I got a couple movies.  I visited a Cash America (chain that used to be Pawn X-change) and E-Z Loans (latter not open when I arrived), then took a third 1 bus to Topkick Loans in I think Parkland. More walking then a fourth bus to Spanaway Park in Spanaway. I debated whether to visit but it's partly a golf course so I decided to just walk to Godfather Pizza for a lunch buffet; they gave me some adhesive bandages.

[NOW: Topkick is in fact in Parkland.]

I bought more DVDs at nearby Home Video Express than I would have otherwise because it turned out to be closing. I took a fifth 1 bus back north to near parkland Transit Center, probably in Parkland, where I took a 55 bus (Pierce Transit) to Tacoma Mall in Tacoma. I cut through JP Penny and got pics of a life-sized Batman statue at fye. Leaving the mall I visited Atomic Comics. For one intersection the walk signal buttons were in the middle of the road, but still managed to cross to a shopping area where I visited Dollar Tree (got a pop) and Half Price Books (got lots of DVDs).

I took a 57 bus (Pierce Transit) to downtown Tacoma.  I walked to Destiny Comics and Kings Books; I petted the cat who meowed at me first. I took a 13 bus (Pierce Transit) to Backstage Video, then took the same bus the other way to Tacoma Dome station. I visited Tacoma Book Center and then took a 590 bus (Sound Transit) to downtown Seattle, where I noticed my credit card was missing. I have no phone access but a friend is helping me investigate, but if was dropped on a bus in Tacoma, on the 590, or at Tacoma Dome station might not know until Monday. I took a C Rapidride then 5 bus north and got dinner at the McDonald's across from Seattle Center.

[NOW: The credit card never turned up but has since expired. Backstage Video has closed.]

I  relaxed at the International Fountain at Seattle Center, but didn't take as many photos as usual, a bit tired from my injuries and distracted by the credit card thing. Live music and food trucks all over due to the Take a Bite Out of Seattle event. I returned to the hostel. Had to restart computer because AVG was interfering with my internet connection.