UPDATED: February 12, 2021
This is the 5th 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”.
I got up early to plan for a bit of today. I walked to the
Capitol and walked up the steps of the main building. I took the usual path down to Capitol Lake
and glimpsed a rabbit. I crossed a bridge to the west side and back. Had a bit
more PTSD as I wandered the waterfront, where I saw many art pieces including a
giant knife with a giant form holding a giant Strawberry. I walked along 4th to
the Star Wars Mural and then doubled-back to Capitol St and worked by way back
to Ground Inn.
[NOW: Ground Inn has closed.]
I don't think I've gone into the history of this trip in a
group email. I was going to go to Spokane but no hostel there. Then it was one
day in Port Angeles, three days in Olympia, three days in Tacoma, rest of time
in Seattle. Only I couldn't get a firm commitment from a Tacoma hostel despite
multiple attempts. Instead I moved those days to Seattle and heavily revised my
itinerary, but a lot of the earlier plans remain. It's no coincidence that the
next three days will focus heavily on areas south of Seattle.
[NOW: The above was written in the morning. The rest was
written in the evening.]
I had breakfast at Ground Inn and then walked to Olympic
Transit Center, where I took a 603 bus (Intercity Transit) to Discount World in
Lakewood, which is being used as a temporary stop with the SR512 Park &
Ride in repairs. I took a 594 bus (Sound Transit) to Seattle, using a prepaid
daypass on my ORCA card; in Tacoma I managed to switch to the front seat.
Getting off by Westlake Center, I walked to City Hostel Seattle and checked in.
The room wasn't ready but I was able to store my baggage.
A bit ahead of schedule, I decided to take the 578 bus
(Sound Transit) half an hour earlier than planned to Auburn Transit Center in
Auburn to allow more time to wander there. Hills of Comics I knew wouldn't be
open when I got there, but unfortunately it appears that some sort of emergency
also closed for the day Comstock Books (it had a cat last I knew). It took a
while to find a Burger King I had been to before for lunch; before I found it I
visited Cascade Loan & Sporting Goods. I ordered to go at Burger King and
returned to Auburn Transit Center, where I took a 915 Dart bus (King County
Metro Transit) to Enumclaw.
[NOW: Comstock has since closed down.]
Enumclaw has a bit of a reputation due to an incident just
outside of the town limits. It seems that some people there... really love
their horses, and the fatal incident involving a guy calling himself Mr. Hands
that brought this to light... the human body can handle lots of force of
course, but not when the force comes from a male horse of course. If you are
not sure what i am getting at, Google "Enumclaw horse" but don't do
so at work.
The McDonald's there was under renovations so it's good
that I didn't try to eat there as planned. I got some 99c DVDs at Enumclaw
Bargain Center, including an Emmy submission set. Very hard to find and no idea how one wound
up in Enumclaw.
[NOW: The store above is also called Enumclaw Video and Pawn.]
The downtown core, where I got an Enumclaw guide book from
Visitor's Info, has a statue of a horse in front of public restrooms (I got a
laugh out of that given the unintended symbolism there). I visited Sequel Books
and Espresso. Now here's the plot twist: while I wouldn't have visited had its
reputation not made me curious, the downtown is actually very beautiful and the
buildings are the archetypal small town America. So I actually recommend
visiting here and will be back for sure. I'd have stayed longer, but the bus is
hourly and I had lots I wanted to do today. I would have stayed longer though
had the bus service been half hourly.
I took the same 915 bus back to Auburn Station, then
transferred to a 578 bus (Sound Transit) bus to Federal Way Transit Center in
Federal Way. I visited Action City Comics & Toys and took shots of the
space where Al's Music Games Videos used to be. It's still fenced off from last
year's fire but the debris is gone now. I visited West Coast Sports Cards,
decided to skip Barnes & Noble after realizing I had overshot it, then took
a 500 bus (Pierce Transit) to Fantasium Comics & Games. I wandered around,
having to wait a while for the next 500 bus. I would have tried dashing to the
next stop but there was construction.
It finally came and took it to Fife, where I got an ice
team from a 7-11. I wandered to explore the sections on both the north and
south ends highway in between) but there didn't appear to be any way for
pedestrians to do so. Another 500 bus heading to Tacoma went by sooner than
expected, but managed to snag one going the other way back to Federal Way
Transit Center, where I took the 578 Sound Transit bus yet again, to near
Westlake Center. Fife put me a bit on edge, didn't feel right so I wouldn't
attempt the north end again.
I took an E Rapidride bus (King County Metro Transit) to
near my hostel, where I got my key card and dropped off some things. I walked
to Seattle Center, where I took a quick look at the International Fountain
before having dinner at Mod Pizza in Seattle Center Armory. I returned to the
fountain and rested there a while, watching the water jet and enjoying the
music. Not many people there as it's been overcast all day. According to one
song the bluest skies you've ever seen are in Seattle. That may be true but they're often covered by clouds so it's hard to tell sometimes. Sitting there
I noticed a minor snag for tomorrow regarding an opening time but think I have
a solution there that won't radically alter my plans.
I cut through Center House and left Seattle Center, on the
way passing Sonic Bloom. The conceit is the giant flowers looking like
sunflowers make musical sounds; last trip I figured out that it's really the
discs beside the flowers. I walked to 7-11 then to Rite Aid, where i got ID'd
buying beer. I told the guy I like being ID'd now that I'm in my 40s. Arriving
back in the hostel, I found a woman sitting on my bed playing with her handheld
device; probably from the bunk above me.
She moved when she saw me but didn't apologize. I didn't press this even
though I found it was rude to sit on someone else's bed without asking. I did
spread things on my bed before heading downstairs to type this. Hope she takes
the hint.
[NOW: No further incidents with her.]
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