It's not all roses and gardens!

As is so often the case with my walks, what I thought was going to be a simple stroll down the hill to fulfill my very strong craving for an oatmeal raisin cookie (yes, I have a wicked sweet tooth), ended up being an hour and a half trek! And let me tell you, Queen Anne has some unpleasant parts.

Planned out that I had to do one little section of Valley (where it splits into two seperate streets). So, down Valley I went, turned right onto 2nd and down to Roy. Now, while Roy is not the ugliest of streets, when compared to some of the grand streets I have been walking up on top of the hill, lets just say its not the best. Especially when you get down to stinky, noisy, dirty Aurora.

Up Mercer, also a distinctively gross street, and into the QFC, where I sat down with my beloved and completely satisfying oatmeal raisin cookie to plan my route back.

I was to walk up 4th, all the way up to Highland and then back down Nob Hill. I huffed and puffed my way up 4th. Turned left on Highland and came straight back down Nob Hill. As I am doing this I am thinking, "I am not the smartest cookie in the jar but at least I am having fun!"

Annoyed to see that Nob Hill doesn't have a staircase I had to make my way up Ward, down the stairs, and then back to Nob Hill, a good 3 minutes out of my way! Jeez! Only to find that what looks like a through street on the map is not! Ach! I am going to have to call Mr. Map Maker and give him a piece of my mind.

Eventually I made it home from my stinky walk with the most fitting of finishes. As I am Dashing across Queen Anne Ave to get home a filthy motorcycle whizzes by and leaves a plume of nasty carcinogenic air. Perfect!

All for a cookie that defeated the whole purpose of the walk itself! Ah, but it was so worth it!

What I got out of my walk today: A free sample of Starbucks Via Iced coffee, yum yum, a delicious oatmeal raisin cookie, a good huff and puff up and down some hills, the only sunny part of the city (I could see from Highland that Queen Anne was in its own little pocket of sunshine!) and an appreciation for the finer parts of Queen Anne.

Streets I completed on today's walk: Roy, Nob Hill and Valley!