Penultimate Walk - Fall has Fallen

Yesterday was my penultimate walk, although I wasn't planning on it. I had two sections left of the hill, the top, near the cemetery I had about 5 or 6 streets that I had not completed tiny little sections of and then I had 13th and 14th W, crossing the hill. I decided while doing the top, near the cemetery that I was feeling good and I wanted to do it all.

And let me tell you, fall has fallen. The leaves were turning and falling, Halloween decorations were popping up, pumpkins were big and fat in the P Patch and there was a gray chill in the air. I was almost tempted to leave flyers for my upcoming Run Scared 5K that I am planning at all the houses with Halloween decorations, but I thought that might be a little weird.

Started on Etruria, right next to one of my favorite walks, The Cross Hill Extravaganza. Hooked my way up to Barrett, then up 9th W, with a few spur streets to complete, then down Westview to 13th W, all the way to W Howe and then back around 14th W.

This walk contained a lot of completed streets and my very last staircases, 55 and 56. I have now officially done all of the staircases of Queen Anne! I gotta tell you, its definetely bittersweet. I feel great about accomplishing this pretty big goal, with sticking with it but I am sad its over, what am I going to do next? Perhaps next I will be able to run again soon and return to my normal Crown of Queen Anne run, but will I be able to do that knowing how many great streets I could be running on!?




I have patronized a lot of great businesses on Queen Anne during this whole expedition and I would like to thank them by giving them a shout out here.

Queen Anne Books (where I bought the great map)
Menchies (Yum refueling station)
Metropolitan Market (both the top and the bottom of the hill)
Starbucks (for that great oatmeal raisin cookie I was craving and an iced coffee pick me up)
Tullys (for my mid really long walk break)
Stells Burgers (for another iced coffee pick me up and some great art)
Trader Joes ( a frequent stop on the way home from a walk)
Elliott Tire (for my forced walk, they did a great job replacing my belts)
Malenas Tacos (for a great fish taco)
A & J Meats (surprisingly, not for their meats but they have a great new produce stand)
Kens Market (for a scone craving that would not go away)
Icebox Market (for some really great deviled eggs and Gatorade on a hot walk, strange, I know!)
Orrapin (for a great Thai dinner mid-walk)
Le Reve (For heavenly treats, makes my mouth water just thinking about it)
Queen Anne Farmers Market (for some great summer produce)
Four Corners Hardware (for a mid-walk stop to pick up a drain snake, fun)
Bartell's (for so many things, I cant even remember them all)
The Mini Mart on the corner of Roy and Queen Anne Ave N (for lottery tickets that never seem to win)
Pho Tan Brothers (for a cheap warm up on a cold day)
Sushi Land (for a tasty dinner)
Cafe Vita (to meet a friend for coffee)
Tup Tim Thai (our favorite local Thai place)
Toulouse Petit (for a yummy birthday breakfast for the boy)
Queen Anne Medical Associates (you can fill in the blanks there)

Do you see a theme emerging? I think this list is about 90% food related items! I am sure I am forgetting some businesses, if so, you know who you are, well, I guess you wouldn't.

Please support these local businesses!


Streets completed: Etruria, W Barrett, 9th Ave W, W Armour, Newell, W Raye, 13th W, 14th W, W Newton. Phew!
Staircases: My very last staircase to finish: 55 and 56
Total time walked: 1 hour 14 minutes