Saturday, June 2, 2018

Pacific Northwest Trip 2017 Day 13 Friday July 28: Seattle, Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater

UPDATED: February 12, 2021

This is the 13th 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”.

Got up before 5 and got photos of the early morning blue sky gradually turning to daylight. I visited Rachel the Pig at Pike Place Market before taking a 594 bus (Sound Transit) to Tacoma Dome Station, Tacoma. I got on the 612 bus to near the Capitol in Olympia (all buses to/from/in Olympia Intercity Transit). I explored the Capitol before taking a winding path to Capitol Lake. I walked to and had breakfast at the McDonald's on Plum St.

I walked back to the downtown core, passing the Star Wars Mural. I crossed one bridge to the west side of Olympia and another back to the east side, then went to Olympia Transit Center and took a 62B bus to Lacey. In Lacey I visited Rite Aid (got some mini-Payday and Take 5 bars), Olympic Cards & Comics, and Boomerang Music & Videos where I got a DVD. Unless anyone buys it, Boomerang will close August 2018 when the lease runs out.

[NOW: Boomerang closed circa July 2019.]

I took another 62 B bus back to Olympia Transit Center, Olympia, and a 48 bus to Capital (sic) Mall. Heading south I visited Barnes & Noble and Half Price Books Outlet; got DVDs at the latter, some 25c. Returning to Capital Mall, I took a 48 bus back downtown.

I visited Browsers' Bookshop and Danger Room Comics.  I had lunch at Jack in the Box and then visited Last Word Books, Rainy Day Records (got DVDs; store guy recognized credit cards with chips as a Canadian thing), and Orca Books. At the latter location I bought a DVD as the store cat hung out, eventually jumping up on and curling up in the New Arrivals section.
 
[NOW: Orca Books has closed.]

I hadn't been to Tumwater in years and was curious to find out what Tumwater Square was so I took a 13 bus there. It turned out to just be stores like Safeway etc. scattered about. I took another 13 bus back to Olympia. Early on this bus ride my backup camera quit on me, forcing me to switch back to the camera that overexposes the right side.

I got off by Sylvester Park near the Greyhound terminal and wandered around in an anxious state, eventually taking a 603 bus back to Tacoma Dome Station; long ride due to traffic. I took another 594 bus (Sound Transit) bus back to Seattle. On the bus I figured out that if you switch to sports mode it compensates for the exposure issue. Not ideal because sports mode photos aren’t as good, but the photos will look better at night in particular than the overexposed on right photos.

[NOW: I later realized I was wrong about this trick.]

Why is night an issue? I'll be seeing the Torchlight Parade tomorrow. I wandered along 4th Ave to Seattle Center, noting that people already had their chairs ready over 24 hours before the parade starts. Not unusual for this parade. At Seattle Center I realized at the International Fountain. I went to the Seattle Center Armory and got a fries concoction from The Fries Guys and walked back to the fountain. As I was distracted by my favourite fountain music, a seagull got at my dinner. I managed to salvage most of it through means I won't go into. I relaxed some more and returned to the hostel. I found my missing book.

[NOW: At the parade, as it got darker, the overexposure issue temporarily went away. The hostel I stayed at was City Hostel Seattle. The Fries Guys is probably actually Cool Guys Fry Bar.]

Olympia by the way is a nice mix of shopping (many indie stores, many left wing) and scenery. I would say it's the best daytrip from Seattle.

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