Seattle Trip Day 2006 Day 4 Monday July 31

UPDATED January 7, 2021

This is the 4^th of a series of posts recalling my first annual trip to Seattle. Unlike later Seattle reports, the hostel I was staying at charged for Internet use so I wrote the reports from notes I’d written after returning home.  I’ve made minor corrections to these reports. Also, I’ve added additional thoughts with the hindsight of five years later or to add further clarification; I “NOW” to denote such cases.

I bought a couple board games and a 2006 movie guide at Borders for $1 each.  Briefly got had trouble finding an exit in the mall Borders was in but took a few nice pics.

[NOW: I think I confused Borders and Barnes & Noble here and possibly in earlier reports. If so, the photos I took were probably of the penguin statue made of scrap metal, which is no longer at Pacific Place, where Barnes & Noble was. Both the Borders franchise and the Pacific Place barnes & Noble are closed.]

Did a tour of the Underground (reduced price because of a hostel deal) which mentioned some of the colourful history of Seattle (needing ladders to go from street to street, items sometimes falling on you from more upper streets, seamstress tax used to tax prostitutes).  Was fun enough that I bought a couple related books.

[NOW: The full name of the tour is Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour.]

I briefly visited their space-age looking library, then buses to Discovery Park.  Miscalculated and didn't realize there was no lunch place near the park.  Walked around the beach and the pathway that went past trees and through grassy areas and fortunately eventually stumbled upon another bus stop, a little ways past an Indian centre.  Went back downtown and had a much needed lunch at McDonald's.

[NOW: The buses I took this day were all King County Metro Transit. The fancy downtown Seattle library was only recently built when I visited.  Discovery Park is in the Madrona area and the centre there is the Indian Cultural Center. Not sure which McDonald’s I’m referring to].

Relaxed again at the fountain near the Space Needle then went back downtown.  Visited the Seattle Aquarium because I learned that while late in the day, people already in could stay a bit longer.  Second battery for camera started dying and spare was back at the hostel just two blocks away.  So near yet so far (once I exited that was it).  Saw playful sea otters, a small but still impressive looking shark, octopi, a sea horse, etc.

[NOW: The next time I visited the shark was no longer there.]

Wanted to eat at a 1950s theme restaurant but they were closed for the day so ate at a nice burger joint called Turf instead.  Real good burger (apologies to the vegetarians reading this).

[NOW: The 1950s restaurant was the now-closed down downtown Seattle branch of Johnny Rockets. Other locations still exist. Turf is also now closed.]