UPDATED: February 12, 2021
This is the 3rd 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”.
Someone turned the fan on again almost right away.
Maybe that's why I woke up at 2:30 and couldn't get back to sleep. I finally
gave up and got up around 4:40. I checked about leaving my stuff at the hostel
for the next stretch. No luck. I walked to the McDonald's across from Seattle
Center for breakfast; the sports balls in poles were gone. I overheard that the
remodelling was two years ago, so probably just after my last trip to Seattle.
[NOW: The hostel was City Hostel Seattle.]
I cut through Seattle and saw the view from Kerry
Park. There was just the slightest hint of sunrise in the background so Mt
Rainier came in clear. A woman was posing for another woman. I returned to the
hostel, checked out, and carried my bags to the International District. There I
visited Hing Hay Park and eventually located the Boltbus stop despite there
being no signage. One woman arrived just before the bus took off. Someone's
cell did that really annoying “text arriving” whistling sometimes.
Arriving in Portland I paid for my room but it was
too early to check in. I ate lunch at the nearby McDonald's on Burnside. I got
on a 12 bus (TriMet transit) and bought a daypass. The driver looked away when
I put my last dollar in but he gave me the benefit of the doubt. It was a short
trip east. I could have walked but the bus was there. I switched on at SW 6th
and Pine Station to the Yellow Line MAX train (TriMet) and took it to Delta
Park/Vanport Station.
[NOW: The hostel is Northwest Portland Hostel.]
The next bus never showed so it was a half hour
instead of 15 minute wait for the 60 bus (C-TRAN, which accepts TriMet passes).
I took the bus to downtown Vancouver, WA where I visited Lucky Loan and Cameo
Pawn Shop. I walked and took a Vine bus (C-TRAN) to I Like Comics. Too many 50c
comics to look through without stalling my trip but I did get a $4 trade.
[NOW: The two pawn shops are on the same block.
The trade was Vampire Tales volume 3.]
i took another Vine bus to Vancouver Mall, where I
visited f.y.e. I don't think I'd have found anything anywhere but I rushed
through when the music got cranked up. In the mall there was also a kid-sized
train.
I just missed a Vine bus and then had to wait an
additional 10 minutes for the one after next because I got confused on how to
enter this specialized bus from a starting location. I made it downtown. Oddly
the southbound 60 bus stop was on the northbound side. I took it back to Delta
Park/Vanport Station In Portland (the 60 does the opposite of the bus from two
years ago, stopping at Jantzen Beach Center on the way south instead of north),
where I switched back to the Yellow Line. Now they added a large extension to
the train since last time but whereas other trains pass through the downtown
core and keep their colour designation, the Yellow Line becomes the Orange Line
downtown. No idea why. Anyway I took the Yellow and Orange line to
Milwaukie/Main MAX Station in Milwaukie. I visited Things from Another World
and saw the exterior of the major comic book publisher Dark Horse Comics. I got
a soft drink from a grocery store. I was looking forward to visiting ACME-TV
which has some interesting stuff like movies for sale, but the owners are on
vacation until after I leave Portland. I passed by the park by the river then
took the Orange/Yellow MAX train back to Pioneer Courthouse Square MAX Station.
[NOW: The grocery store is Town Grocery &
Deli. The park is Milwaukie Riverfront Park. ACME-TV Movie Classics has closed.]
I briefly visited Director Park then had dinner at
a Subway. I visited Mill Ends Park, the world's smallest park. There's a nice
green lawn by the river and a potted plant in the middle of the crosswalk. The
greenery is not the world's smallest park; I've been to smaller parks than that
one. The potted plant in the crosswalk is. Unless it's a different plant, the
main plant has crown quite a bit in the last couple years. I attempted a photo
of myself with it. I relaxed for a little bit at Salmon Street Springs then
walked to Bill Naito Legacy Fountain. Along the way I saw a shirtless guy who,
uh, may be a plumber. I wanted to use a washroom near the Naito fountain but
there were too many orange drops on the toilet seat and some liquid on the
ground. I wanted to visited Powell's anyway so took care of both at the same
time.
I bought a Blu-ray at Everyday Music. A group of
guys gave me a minor hassle as I walked to Fred Meyer, despite my making a
point to scoot around then. I bought some drinks at Fred Meyer, then encountered
the same guys who became more confrontational, so I decided I better run away.
This is not the first time that I've felt that my life was in danger taking
photos in Portland so this may well be my final visit here despite my enjoying
a lot of other aspects. Burnside in particular seemed to be a really bad
street; in fact there's signing telling people to let pedestrians pass.
Fortunately I already made lots of plans for Portland this trip which will keep
me away from the greater downtown area so hopefully that will keep me safe.
But, and it's a shame since Portland has a lot to recommend it, has some more
dangerous street people than the norm.
[NOW: I mean street people in the broad sense, not
necessarily homeless. I’m a bit more open now to revisiting Portland
eventually, but I did indeed skip Portland in 2018 because I didn’t feel
safe in 2017. I had planned to return in 202 but then the pandemic killed that trip.]
I typed this in the 21+ area of the hostel where
people can drink. A woman was playing with her baby; my suspicion is the baby
is not yet 21.
No comments:
Post a Comment