UPDATED: February 5, 2022
This is the third of a
series of posts dealing my seventh trip to Seattle as an adult and second of two trips
that year. I’ve made minor corrections to these reports. Also, I’ve added
additional thoughts with the hindsight of two years later or to add further
clarification.
Addresses disappeared
again so using the copy and paste method. A bit hard to concentrate as
due to Skype (likely) someone's yacking at his terminal at a cell phone volume
voice.
[NOW: City Hostel Seattle no longer has computer terminals.]
Forgot to mention yesterday: at Seattle Center yesterday I saw a marching band I think rehearsing, likely for the Greenwood and/or Torchlight Parades.
Guy with laptop last night noticed I was trying to sleep so turned off the lights but then someone else walked in the room, turned on the lights, introduced him himself to the laptop guy and had a long conversation. Finally nodded off during this. Did hear laptop guy turn on his computer aorund 5ish.
Today it's Snohomish County, then the Greenwood Parade (not the main parade I'm here for, but a decent warm-up)
[NOW: The above was written in the morning; the rest I wrote in the evening.]
Forgot to mention yesterday: at Seattle Center yesterday I saw a marching band I think rehearsing, likely for the Greenwood and/or Torchlight Parades.
Guy with laptop last night noticed I was trying to sleep so turned off the lights but then someone else walked in the room, turned on the lights, introduced him himself to the laptop guy and had a long conversation. Finally nodded off during this. Did hear laptop guy turn on his computer aorund 5ish.
Today it's Snohomish County, then the Greenwood Parade (not the main parade I'm here for, but a decent warm-up)
[NOW: The above was written in the morning; the rest I wrote in the evening.]
Pardon typos, lots to
cover and I have an early day tomorrow (likely no morning edition)
[NOW: Hopefully typos
all removed.]
I started the day visiting Rachel the (piggy bank) Pig at Pike Place Market; she had balloons attached to her. I then took a bus to Ash Way Park & Ride in Lynnwood and from there took another bus the rest of the way north to Arlington. Arlington compares unfavourably to the prairies. Flat and lots of dead grass everywhere. Reader's Choice there wasn't yet open and Hollywood Video was gone (since May 20 apparently). I took another bus south to Marysville, along the way passing the one interesting thing I saw in Arlington: a fountain in the middle of a field.
I started the day visiting Rachel the (piggy bank) Pig at Pike Place Market; she had balloons attached to her. I then took a bus to Ash Way Park & Ride in Lynnwood and from there took another bus the rest of the way north to Arlington. Arlington compares unfavourably to the prairies. Flat and lots of dead grass everywhere. Reader's Choice there wasn't yet open and Hollywood Video was gone (since May 20 apparently). I took another bus south to Marysville, along the way passing the one interesting thing I saw in Arlington: a fountain in the middle of a field.
[NOW: The bus to Ash Way would
probably the 511 Sound Transit. The next bus would have been the 201 or 202
Community Transit; ditto the bus back from Arlington. Reader's Choice is now closed.]
In Marysville I got some DVDs at Big Kmart, had breakfast across the street at McDonald's, then took another bus to Hollywood Video (gone; starting to see a pattern), then Pawn X-Change, then I peeked quickly into the window of Pawn Plus, which was just about to open, but my bus was coming. I continued south to Lynnwood; a fly was on the window so I took a photo that should make it look like a giant bus. The bus had a stopover in Everett so I stretched my legs there. In Lynnwood I got off at Alderwood Mall, but before going there, being two hours ahead of my schedule, I made a last minute decision to visit the area of Bothell near Canyon Park & Ride, visiting Hollywood Video (gone, yup, a pattern) and Blockbuster before crossing a bridge across the highway to the other side of the Park & Ride. Half an hour after laving the mall I was back there to actually explore it.
In Marysville I got some DVDs at Big Kmart, had breakfast across the street at McDonald's, then took another bus to Hollywood Video (gone; starting to see a pattern), then Pawn X-Change, then I peeked quickly into the window of Pawn Plus, which was just about to open, but my bus was coming. I continued south to Lynnwood; a fly was on the window so I took a photo that should make it look like a giant bus. The bus had a stopover in Everett so I stretched my legs there. In Lynnwood I got off at Alderwood Mall, but before going there, being two hours ahead of my schedule, I made a last minute decision to visit the area of Bothell near Canyon Park & Ride, visiting Hollywood Video (gone, yup, a pattern) and Blockbuster before crossing a bridge across the highway to the other side of the Park & Ride. Half an hour after laving the mall I was back there to actually explore it.
[NOW: That Big Kmart and Blockbuster are now closed. Pawn X-Change is now Cash America. The bus back to Everett
was also 201 or 202 Community Transit. The bus to and from Bothell was probably
the 535 Sound Transit.]
I bought a DVD at Borders, visited fye, had lunch at a Cajun place, then left the mall brief to go to Crazy Mike's Video (gone). I returned to the outside of the mall only which has some interesting displays, then crossed the highway (overpass) to Best Buy, then Barnes & Noble. I walked south to Brier. Only managed to see a bit of residential area but now I can saw I've been to Brier, I headed west to Mountlake Terrace. Again, didn't see much of it, but did visit Albertson's and Blockbuster. Heading north back into Lynnwood I passed a black painted Statue of Liberty at a 76 gas station.
I bought a DVD at Borders, visited fye, had lunch at a Cajun place, then left the mall brief to go to Crazy Mike's Video (gone). I returned to the outside of the mall only which has some interesting displays, then crossed the highway (overpass) to Best Buy, then Barnes & Noble. I walked south to Brier. Only managed to see a bit of residential area but now I can saw I've been to Brier, I headed west to Mountlake Terrace. Again, didn't see much of it, but did visit Albertson's and Blockbuster. Heading north back into Lynnwood I passed a black painted Statue of Liberty at a 76 gas station.
[NOW: Borders is now
defunct as is Blockbuster except for one location. That fye is now closed. That Albertson's was rebranded as a Safeway.]
I made it to 196th St and headed west the way I've done in the past. I bought a pop at Big Lots, visited Jerry's Pawn (they didn't sell DVDs), Half Price Books, Reread Books.
I made it to 196th St and headed west the way I've done in the past. I bought a pop at Big Lots, visited Jerry's Pawn (they didn't sell DVDs), Half Price Books, Reread Books.
[NOW: Reread Books moved to Edmonds as Spangler's Books before closing.]
I got a drink at a 7-11 just in time to catch a bus west to where Lynnwood becomes Edmonds. I dipped into Edmonds, visited the Blockbuster right beside it (stuff spilled out of my fanny pack -- not my cameras but I noticed in time). I took a bus to Edmonds Community College (in Lynnwood, not Edmonds) where I nearly missed my bus because I was at the stop for the bus going the other direction. I took a bus to the north end of Shoreline, Aurora Ave.
[NOW: The buses above
were all Community Transit. Blockbuster is now closed. Edmonds Community College
has been renamed Edmonds College.]
There I visited Super Pawn, then a grocery store for more pop. Not feeling like taking the bus, I embarked on a 70 block walk south (bear in mind that the blocks are pretty short at times). I was going to visit Ronna's Video but it was... the wrong kind of video store. Aurora Video wasn't much better for me, only in this case it was Asian (but not Chinese) DVDs that probably didn't have any English. BTW lots of construction on Aurora in the Shoreline area; one store had a bear statue. I went south to Walgreen's and got Vanilla Coke there; bliss. I walked the rest of the way to Seattle (okay, I crossed the street) and headed south to Blockbuster. There I bought a South Park DVD game. They had other games for the 1980s and Simpsons but they cost more and were bulkier. I walked to Kmart, then decided, since I was now behind the schedule, to cut out a few places and take a bus to across the street from the Elephant on Aurora statue. I took a few pics without bothering to cross, then walked to the Greenwood area, where the parade was being set up. I cut out a few more places but visited Dreamstrands (not open but should have been), Squirrel's Buy & Sell (reverse of above, same as last parade), Balderdash Books (no cat this time), Walgreen's (more Vanilla Coke). I went to near the north end of the parade route and grabbed some pre-made burgers from a store (Barb's).
There I visited Super Pawn, then a grocery store for more pop. Not feeling like taking the bus, I embarked on a 70 block walk south (bear in mind that the blocks are pretty short at times). I was going to visit Ronna's Video but it was... the wrong kind of video store. Aurora Video wasn't much better for me, only in this case it was Asian (but not Chinese) DVDs that probably didn't have any English. BTW lots of construction on Aurora in the Shoreline area; one store had a bear statue. I went south to Walgreen's and got Vanilla Coke there; bliss. I walked the rest of the way to Seattle (okay, I crossed the street) and headed south to Blockbuster. There I bought a South Park DVD game. They had other games for the 1980s and Simpsons but they cost more and were bulkier. I walked to Kmart, then decided, since I was now behind the schedule, to cut out a few places and take a bus to across the street from the Elephant on Aurora statue. I took a few pics without bothering to cross, then walked to the Greenwood area, where the parade was being set up. I cut out a few more places but visited Dreamstrands (not open but should have been), Squirrel's Buy & Sell (reverse of above, same as last parade), Balderdash Books (no cat this time), Walgreen's (more Vanilla Coke). I went to near the north end of the parade route and grabbed some pre-made burgers from a store (Barb's).
[NOW: Super Pawn is now Cash America. Aurora Video, Ronna's Video, that Kmart, Squirrel's, Balderdash Books, Greenwood's Walgreen's, and Barb's Mini-Mart are now closed. I most likely also visited the Greenwood area Blockbuster which is also gone. The bus I took on Aurora
was probably the 358 King County Metro Transit.]
The parade...,even last year in didn't win speed contests but it really packed 1 1/2 hours into 2 1/2 hours this year! Early on, my main camera started to die so I switched camera and accidentally hit the off button... resulting in two cameras with zoom errors!
Fortunately a few things were on my side: parade slowness, my being on the north end, and even the kind of breeze caused by walking tending to fix camera problems. So I just went south along the parade route until I had a working camera again and didn't miss anything.
A horse pooped on the route and some teenage girls cleaned most of it but ignored one piece. Someone put a napkin over it and later a car drove over the napkin. I forgot to check for the story's conclusion :)
I eventually got bored and headed north again to fast forward through the parade, which ends with pirates firing a cannon. Got some nice smoking cannon shots.
I headed south again, passing Lincoln’s Toe Truck (sic) and headed to the nearest bus stop.
Here I actually saw the highlight of the parade. Just south of the parade the Seafair Clowns, having finished their part of the parade, were sitting in the patio of a pub talking about free Jell-O shots.
The bus took forever but finally arrived. Took the bus to near Seattle Center. Went to the International Fountain and got some night shots of Seattle Center before returning here.
The parade...,even last year in didn't win speed contests but it really packed 1 1/2 hours into 2 1/2 hours this year! Early on, my main camera started to die so I switched camera and accidentally hit the off button... resulting in two cameras with zoom errors!
Fortunately a few things were on my side: parade slowness, my being on the north end, and even the kind of breeze caused by walking tending to fix camera problems. So I just went south along the parade route until I had a working camera again and didn't miss anything.
A horse pooped on the route and some teenage girls cleaned most of it but ignored one piece. Someone put a napkin over it and later a car drove over the napkin. I forgot to check for the story's conclusion :)
I eventually got bored and headed north again to fast forward through the parade, which ends with pirates firing a cannon. Got some nice smoking cannon shots.
I headed south again, passing Lincoln’s Toe Truck (sic) and headed to the nearest bus stop.
Here I actually saw the highlight of the parade. Just south of the parade the Seafair Clowns, having finished their part of the parade, were sitting in the patio of a pub talking about free Jell-O shots.
The bus took forever but finally arrived. Took the bus to near Seattle Center. Went to the International Fountain and got some night shots of Seattle Center before returning here.
[NOW: The bus to Seattle Center was the 5 King County Metro Transit.]
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