Pacific Northwest Trip 2017 Day 9 Monday July 24: Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond, Clyde Hill

 LAST UPDATED: December 23, 2025

This is the 9^th 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”.

I got up closer to 6 this time; got a decent night's sleep in. I walked to Olympic Sculpture Park (pretty self-explanatory). The two sculptress that stand out for me are one at the entrance called Father and Son, a fountain with a naked man and boy facing each other (I've long suspected that the sculpture name disguises the art piece's true intention) and Love & Loss, with its rotating ampersand on a pole. I visited Myrtle Edwards Park beside it before returning to the Sculpture Park. It does appear that it was Typewriter Eraser, Scale X I saw at Seattle Center as it was gone from this park. I walked along the waterfront to Seattle Ferry Terminal, then walked to Pike Place Market and saw Rachel the Pig. I couldn't find my itinerary so partly retraced my steps. Back at the hostel trying to find my backup copy I found my original.

[NOW: The hostel I stayed at was City Hostel Seattle, which appears to have closed.]

I took a 212 bus (King County Metro Transit) to Eastgate Park & Ride in Bellevue. I just missed a connecting bus (ironically had I gotten off two stops earlier I could have beaten my bus there and grabbed the connecting bus). I briefly got on another 245 that was going the wrong way. I quickly returned and caught the right 245 bus (King Country Metro Transit) to Crossroads Shopping Centre where I visited Half Price Books. A B Rapidride bus (King County Metro Transit) took me to Redmond where I got some DVDs at another Half Price Books. At Redmond Town Center I found a new bookstore.

[NOW: The bookstore was Brick & Mortar Books. I also visited the Comic Stop, which has since closed. In the original edit this appears to have accidentally deleted after typing. The start of the next paragraph should begin “I took a 545 bus…”]

(Sound Transit) to a freeway stop at or near Clyde Hill. My new shoes were  giving me blisters so I wasn't pleased that I had to go up and down a hill to reach my next destination in Bellevue. After getting a drink at a QFC in the same area, I bought DVDs at the Silver Platters that used to be in Crossroads. Returning to Clyde Hill and back to the freeway stop. I took a 542 bus (Sound Transit) to the U District in Seattle. A bit behind schedule (mostly due to the hills)  and not wanting to  spend much more than I  had a week ago, at the U District I limited my spending to lunch at Jack in the Box. Front counter lady was a bit rude, dealing with me and a drive through customer at the same time or close to it.

[NOW: The freeway stop is State Route 520 & Clyde Hill/Yarrow Pt Station a.k.a. Yarrow Point Freeway Station in Yarrow Point, though it’s true that I crossed over to Clyde Hill very soon after leaving the station. That Jack in the Box has closed.]

I took a 71 bus (King County Metro Transit) to near Warren G. Magnusson Park. You can see A Sound Garden that the rock band Sound Garden named itself after through wire fence. You can see it more directly but it's in a government complex to easier to just enjoy through the park fence. I crossed through the off least area to Lake Washington. I did a short swim and Lake Washington which further helped me pinpoint where my blisters are. I showed and dried off, then used a couple of Band-Aid equivalents that I had the foresight to back on the worst of the blisters.

I took a 75-becoming-32 bus (King County Metro Transit) to the University of Washington where I  decided to visit the nearby University Village, which has a Stonehenge fountain and some animal fountains like Water Break and Water Frolic (latter "spitting"  turtles).  Part of the reason for going there was morbid curiosity of the new Amazon brick and mortar bookstore. The deal I made with myself was to just go in, not buy anything. The biggest difference from a regular bookstore is that many books (all?)  have a review from an Amazon customer.

 

[NOW: Amazon Books has closed.] 

Back at the University of Washington I took a 78 bus (I think; King County Metro Transit) a little ways and revisited Drumheller Fountain. A duck, maybe the same one as last week was watching the fountain. I took a Link train (Sound Transit) from University of Washington Station to SoDo Station) and visited Seattle’s Silver Platters (got more DVDs). I took a 221-becoming-5 bus (King County Metro Transit) to near Seattle Center. I had dinner at the McDonald’s across from it then visited the center. As expected the International Fountain is closed.  It's usually closed for cleaning the Monday to Wednesday before the Torchlight Parade.

[NOW: Looking at my photo notes the first bus was indeed a 78. The Central Link train is now Line 1. That McDonald's has closed.]

I returned to the hostel and put my clothes in the wash; $2.50  US to wash and dry; ouch at current exchange rate. Had trouble connecting earlier, maybe due to AVG, so had to turn my computer off and on.

Pacific Northwest Trip 2017 Day 8 Sunday July 23: Portland to Seattle

LAST UPDATED: December 23, 2025

 

 This is the 8^th 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.

 

[NOW: BoltBus has closed.] 

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, which appears to have closed.]

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. While the Locks are officially in the Ballard district of Seattle, parts of it including the Fish Ladder are in the Magnolia district.]

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 penguin is now at University Village.]

Pacific Northwest Trip 2017 Day 7 Saturday July 22: Portland

 LAST UPDATED: December 23, 2025

This is the 7^th 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”.

Slower day by my standards. Woke up around 4:30 having had about 7 hours sleep, good for this trip. I considered sleeping more but someone was snoring and my pillow fell off the upper bunk (I hate having to sleep on upper bunks)

I got a daypass at Providence Park MAX Station then walked to Director Park (Teachers Fountain there was empty, though it was running later), Mill Ends Park and Salmon Street Springs (actually running despite the early hour). I crossed the Willamette River via Hawthorne Bridge and back. On the way back I saw a couple of "Draw Bridge" signs so I drew a bridge in my notebook and took a couple photos of the drawing and the signs.

Unlike last year the fountains at Ira Keller Park were working. I returned to the hostel and traded in a "breakfast" card for bagel and free beverage with refill. There was only one bagel left (orange pumpernickel I think it was). Rather than wait I accepted it and a tea. I overheard that the refill could be a different drink so I made the refill orange juice. Due to construction causing a bit of back and forth, I walked tomorrow's path most of the way to the BoltBus stop so I'd be prepared tomorrow when I'll be more weighed down.

 

[NOW: BoltBus has closed.] 

More walking then a B Loop Portland Streetcar (I believe the Portland Streetcars are owned by the city, though they accept TriMet daypasses). I took it to the stop across the water at Tilikum Bridge (I could have gotten off before Willamette River but was killing time to factor in when things open). I took the Aerial tram uphill and back. I should have probably taken more shots at the top before returning especially given the $4.70 price, which wouldn't be so bad if our dollar was better.

I accidentally got on a NS Line Portland Streetcar but realized my mistake before the next stop, doubled back, then took a B Loop train to the Vacuum Museum at Stark's Vacuums. In previous years this free museum was a thin corridor but it was very well packed. But it was reworked into a wall space with three rows and way fewer, albeit better described vacuums. Still given how fewer the range of vacuums are (with a big enough LCD screen you can get the entire museum display in one photo, I must say this new museum, well, sucks as figuratively as the vacuums use to literally. Even as a freebie I cannot recommend the reworked museum unless you happen to be in the area anyway,

I took a 6 bus (all remaining transportation this day TriMet) to Title Wave Books, a library bookstore. Like most library stores items are cheap. Unlike most library bookstore, you can find some really neat stuff there. I got some comic trades, a DVD, and an encyclopedia of the comics series Fables. To kill time heading to not yet open stores, I walked instead of taking the bus to the Mississippi shopping  area, getting a bottled ice tea along the way (partly to fill the bottle with water during later trips). On Mississippi, CD/Game Exchange was open early, and Bridge City Comics also opened just before 11 am start time.

 

[NOW: Title Wave Books, CD/Game Exchange, and Bridge City Comics have closed.]

I took the 4 bus downtown, thinking it eventually went along Hawthorne. I overheard the driver tell another passenger it didn't, so when he transferred to a 14 so did I. I got off near the hostel from my first Portland trip, then visited Hawthorne Blvd Books, another CD/Game Exchange just off Hawthorne (got more DVDs), Hawthorne's Powell's Books, then switching to Belmont, Movie Madness. I didn't find DVDs there at a price I was willing to pay at the current dollar strength but did take photos of movie memorabilia. 

 

[NOW: CD/Game Exchange has closed.]

I mostly walked, partly took the bus to Sandy Blvd. There before reaching my destination I had lunch at a Jack in the Box where the bus stopped. i walked to Cosmic Monkey (comic shops) and then took a 12 bus back downtown, where I visited Floating World Comics and Cameron's Bookstore.

I relaxed a bit at Salmon Street Springs, walked to Bill Naito legacy Fountain where there was a Saturday Market, returned to the Springs and cooled off briefly there. Someone had the wrong idea of why I was there and was unlikely to believe the truth so to avoid any further conflict, I walked to Mill Ends Park, then Ira Keller Fountain, Director Park, Target, the Everyday Music on Burnside (the one I visited on Tuesday), the Saturday Market again, and Mill Ends Park one final time (due to how early my bus is tomorrow I'm unlikely to visit tomorrow).

[NOW: I was right about not being able to get to Mill Ends Park the next day. That Target has closed.]

I had dinner at the Fifth Ave Subway (same one as Wednesday) then visited Powell's (sneaked in a couple of indoor shots that I think represent the layout of the store pretty well) then Director's Park. I took a Red Line MAX train back to Providence Park MAX Station. I briefly wandered some more then returned to the hostel. Earlier in the day I found that for breakfast cards you can use then for $3 off items but not cumulatively. So this time I checked and you can use on $32 or less items, and used a second card for a free cookie.

I reworked my bags. While I bought a lot of DVDs etc. in Portland, not as much as two years ago so I should be okay for the BoltBus. Someone had tossed my beer bag but left the beer in the fridge but I found the bag at the top of the recycling bin and retrieved it. As I was typing this in the drinking area, a guy talking to some women went through a period of laughing loudly at his own words but he quieted down.

[NOW: I wanted that bag as a trip souvenir, as there is no Fred Meyer’s in Canada.]

Pacific Northwest Trip 2017 Day 6 Friday July 21: Portland, Gresham, Boring, Sandy

 LAST UPDATED: December 23, 2025

This is the 6^th 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”.

I slept soundly for three hours until 12:40. I went to switch batters but noticed that two had been knocked off charger and I couldn't locate the charger with batter that was plugged in separately (someone had plugged something else in there). Then I noticed that my pillow had been knocked off my bed when I got up and  I didn't want to wake the guy below me. Front desk didn't have a spare pillow but I finally clued in that the person below me was outside the room so I managed to get the pillow back and later got some more sleep.

I woke up around 4:30 and soon after someone turned on the light to pack up and leave. I rested a bit more and then got up for the day myself. With the light on I found the missing charger and started charging that battery again.

I walked to McDonald's for breakfast. I considered having breakfast elsewhere but wanted a bit of light when I rode the train. So after McBreakfast I got a daypass and rode the Blue Line MAX train (with one exception all transportation today TriMet) to Gresham Central Station in Gresham. There an earlier 84 bus than I'd planned to take. I took it to an area south of Gresham that I don't think is technically in a municipality.

At this point I should mention that less than a week before my trip I spent $35 to get what I’d hoped were a better than usual pair of runners from Walmart and they started falling apart even before I left town. So bear that in mind below. I began a long trek that I would do once at the most if I didn't really like the destination, as it was lots of up and down hill into an area with no buses.

I finally made it to the core area of the town of Boring (surname of town founder; they're aware of the name's main meaning and have partnered with Dull Scotland). I took a picture of myself at SE Andy St, visited Green Food Mart, passed Boring Mini-Storage, the new Boring Brewing, Boring Square Garden Center, and,  across the street,  the Not So Boring Bar & Grill. I got a soft drink from Boring Shell. Since I had an itch to scratch I decided to walk to Boring Industrial, further west than anything else. Unfortunately the sign at the turn off was faded. I did however walk to nearby Damascus very briefly before re-entering Boring. I then ran downhill and eventually made it to my favourite place in Boring: Boring Middle School.  I took photos of myself there. 

 

[NOW: Not So Boring Bar & Grill has closed.] 

I visited Boring Station Trailhead Park and McCall's store. Before heading out I revisited Green Food Mart and Boring Middle School. Lots of amusing signs in Boring of course. Heading east I passed the Boring Postal district. Unfortunately the Boring fire District was now Clackamas Fire District, so the tower and vans no longer proudly proclaim Boring Fire (the tower might have said something similar but the vans said that in 2015). In smaller letters both sides of a sign do however say Boring Community Fire District.  I passed Boring Bark & Landscaping as a Boring Bark truck was leaving. Some signs say Boring  Oregon City.  Having been to Oregon City in 2015 I quite agree.

 

[NOW: I liked Oregon City a bit more in my only subsequent visit.] 

Time for another long trek, leading south, mostly all downtown. I  made it to Sandy where I visited a Dollar Tree and then got a large $1 pop from McDonald's I then got some DVDs from Blockbuster Video, hence my not so subtle remarks a couple days ago. When the core business folded there were 50 left because the owners licensed the Blockbuster named but they weren't  owned by them. According to a Blockbuster tracking site there are 10 left: 6 in Alaska, 3 in Oregon, 1 in Texas. I did a brief bit of exploring of Sandy, passing AntFarm Café, Sandy Chain Saw(!), and Sandy Bicycle. I visited the Visitor's Info Center then passed Sandy Liquor before getting a SAM/Sandy Area Metro bus, which doesn't stop in Boring, back to Gresham.

[NOW: The Sandy branch of Blockbuster is now closed. Only one is left in the world, in Bend, Oregon.]

I got some DVDs from CD/Game Exchange, took a Blue MAX train from Cleveland MAX Station to Gresham City Hall Station.  At Big Kmart I got some more DVD sets. Returning to the latter station I got off at Beaverton Central Station in Beaverton; places visited Things from Another World before lunch  at McDonald's which was being renovated in 2015. I prefer the old look. I visited Powell's Books, got a DVD at Everyday Music,  then happened upon a 62 bus to Kmart. This Kmart (unlike the others I visited this trip lacking the Big Kmart designation) has horrible Yelp reviews. I found some DVDs and did find it odd that the cashier has to set the debit/credit machine to closed between customers, but no problem  buying the DVDs. I walked to Millikan Way MAX Station and took a Blue MAX train to Pioneer Square North station. At TriMet Visitor Info got some bus schedules. I would have been behind schedule but had done the Milwaukie part of the day Tuesday so was ahead.

 

[NOW: CD/Game Exchange, both Kmarts, and that Everyday Music have closed.]

I took a Red Line MAX train to a park across from Lloyd Center. At the center I visited Barnes & Nobles and saw the new version of the center’s ice rink; smaller and rounder. I visited Suncoast Motion Picture Company and got some DVDs. As it's owned by f.y.e. it's essentially the same store. I passed the milk company with the giant rotating cartoon on the roof and made it to east Portland's Everyday Music. I then walked to the comic shop Future Dreams. There were multiple places to enter to get to the store. Since the owner was an older guy I told him to his amusement it reminded me of the opening to Get Smart.

[NOW: The park is Holladay Park. The giant rotating milk carton was at Sunshine Milk, now closed. Suncoast Motion Picture Company and that Everyday Music have also closed.]

I walked west and crossed the Burnside Bridge across the Willamette River. I then walked to Bill Naito Legacy fountain and then worked my way to Salmon street Springs. Being a really hot day I walked into the water jets and cooled off. I rested a while and then walked to Mill Ends Park, then Director's Park. I had dinner at Pieology, another “build your pizza” place. It was the first time I tried cranberries on a pizza; not bad. I took a Blue Link Max train to near the hostel. I found that the one battery had been knocked off the charger but it seems to have been mostly charged. 

 

[NOW: That Pieology has closed.]

This concludes Oregon except for Portland, which I still have lots to explore and I think I've covered all the Kmarts I plan to.

 

[NOW: Kmart is now defunct.]