Saturday, October 6, 2012

Pacific Northwest Trip Summer 2011 Day 10 Wednesday August 3

UPDATED: February 1, 2021

This is the tenth of a series of posts dealing my eighth trip to Seattle as an adult. 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. 

Working off steam the day before did its trick because I was able to go a bit more low key this day.

I walked to Freeway Park.  Unlike the two trips last year, the fountains at the park, built over a freeway as the name implies, were working again.  I returned to the hostel for breakfast and then went down to the waterfront and walked to the ferry terminal, figuring I'd have more time to look around there than when I actually use it for transportation.  Got some decent city photos there because it hangs out over the dock a bit.  I left the waterfront and headed further south to the Pioneer Square District, reaching Waterfall Garden Park, an enclosed park in the middle of the concrete jungle with, yes, waterfalls.  I then went to the Pioneer Square branch of the Downtown Transit Tunnel and took the 72 bus to the University of Washington.

[NOW: All transportation this day was King County Metro Transit.]

Most of the construction there from last year is now finished and I was able to find Drumheller Fountain a lot easier this year.  However, the Husky Union Building is still being reconstruction.  I headed northeast to University Village, a cute shopping area.  Took photos of the small frogs and turtles fountain, visited Barnes & Noble, ate lunch at Johnny Rockets (good burger, mediocre service), and visited the Stonehenge-shaped fountain.

[NOW: The frogs and turtles fountain is called Water Frolic. University Village’s Barnes & Noble and Johnny Rockets are now gone.]

I walked to the main shopping area of the University District where I took the 30 bus to Warren G. Magnuson Park, where I swam at the main beach, which unfortunately has rocks instead of sand.  For dog lovers they have a great off leash area.  I almost overlooked A Sound Garden, but as I was walking to leave I recalled it; probably my subconscious heard the sounds (basically a series of large pipes) before I consciously heard it.  The rock band of the same name derived its name from these pipes.  The pipes aren't actually music but some would argue the same about some modern singers' output.  They're in a government complex, but unless you need to touch them, you can see/photograph them easily from Magnuson Park.

I took the 30 bus back to Gas Works Park, dissatisfied with my previous rainy visit.  This time worked a lot better and I actually spent around 4 hours there.  The industrial complex stuff isn't took pretty of course, but it's at the north end of the Lake Union and has some hills, so you get some spectacular views of the city there, including float planes taking off over the lake.  Plus you get to see various ships, including the amphibious Ducks tour vehicles.
 
[NOW: Ride the Ducks is now closed.]

I went to the 26 bus stop. I couldn't find my ORCA card so I paid cash and got a transfer.  I arrived downtown, ate at McDonald's, and then using my transfer rode South Lake Union's streetcar north a ways.  As most of you know from previous trip reports it was going to be called the South Lake Union Trolley, and the acronym has stuck despite the name correction.
 
[NOW: I think the McDonald’s above was the one on 3rd St.]


I walked to the International Fountain for a short while, then bought a couple cheap DVDs at the nearby Silver Platters before returning to the hostel.

[NOW: That Silver Platters has moved to 1st Ave S.]

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