This is the 14th of a series of posts dealing with
my 2015 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”.
I walked along the Torchlight Parade route a couple times,
seeing what was already set up. I did get hassled a few times by... people who
thought they were more of an interesting subject to me than the parade set up. The route took me to Seattle Center, the giant
popsicle sculpture, the main library,
and the temporary VIP stand at Westlake Center. I had breakfast at the hostel
before another couple trips along the route. I saw some floats heading to the starting
point. At one point I took a break at the international Fountain at Seattle
Center.
[NOW: The hostel I stayed at was City Hostel Seattle.]
I walked downtown and had lunch at McDonald’s before
entering the Downtown Transit Tunnel and taking the 71 bus (both buses this day
King County Metro Transit) to the University of Washington. I wandered around there to the Drumheller
Fountain, then I walked to the nearby University Village shopping area
northeast of the U District. There I saw
such fountains as Water Frolic (frogs and turtles "spitting") and a Stonehenge
fountain. I searched Office Depot and Bartell Drugs unsuccessfully for a case
for my memory cards. I walked back through the University of Washington. In the
U District I took a 43 bus to Capitol Hill. Some people were filming at the pop
machine with the mystery buttons so I visited Rite Aid and the new Phoenix
Comics to buy time. Finally I did
approach the filmmakers. They offered once of the cans they'd already gotten
but that would take the fun out the machine. So they took a brief break and I put
money in the machine. Before there were four "choice" buttons and two
mystery buttons; this time all six were mystery buttons. I got a peach citrus
Fresca. Not bad. Better than a cherry pop like I normally get.
[NOW: That Office Depot has closed. The pop machine is missing.]
Heading south I found a giant plastic laminated replica of
a US $1 on the ground and grabbed it but almost immediately began to wonder if
the original owner would want it back. I visited the Elliot Bay Book Company and
Everyday Music (got some DVDs) and saw two cats at Twice Sold Tales. Then,
since the $1 was wrinkled ins such a way as to suggest it was well used and
possibly well loved, I returned it roughly where I found it in the hopes that
it would be snagged by the original owner and not someone else.
I walked to Seattle Center and rested a bit at the
International Fountain. Someone there was handing out almost cranberry bars. Tasted
pretty good. I wandered the parade route again. More than a few sofas. Someone,
whom I think did something similar in past years had other household items like
a bunk bed for kids, a lamp, etc., but someone else took things once step
further and brought their pool table. I grabbed dinner at a Subway that was a
little tucked away thus minimal line even on a Torchlight Parade day. I
wandered the parade route some more; at one point people were, yes, playing
pool. I also got photos of a Ride the Ducks duck (amphibious tour vehicle) and horse
drawn carriage together at a red light.
I returned to Seattle Center; at Seattle Center Armory's
info centre I learned the pre-parade runners were at 6:30 so returned to the
international Fountain for a bit. Someone gave out cookies. I left for the
parade route by which point some roads were available to sit in the middle of.
I snagged a seat in one such road, spotting an opening.
The runners appeared first and then later there were
dancing senior ladies called the Red Hot Mamas. The last of the pre-show were
the motorcycle cops. Highlights once things began included horses (not the
first set of horses but later ones did a bit of a dance), a pickle mascot, the
whale float looking lethargic due to a leak, a potato van (sadly had to switch memory
cards as it was going past), fire fighter bag pipe players playing Amazing Grace (hope that isn't an indicator
of their success rate), King County Metro Transit people (snagged a free bus
ticket), the Seattle Seafair Clowns, a recycle mascot, the Seattle Seafair Pirates
(with the cannon firing ship) and Lincoln’s Toe Truck. The parade ended soon
after the latter but the pirates weren't far away so I got some more video of the
pirates' cannon firing before leaving the parade. I visited 2nd Avenue Grocery
(had a different name last year) before returning to the hostel.
[NOW: The earlier name of the grocery store was A'Jhang Market.]
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