Snow day!

Neighborhood Saved!

When you are walking so slowly due to injury rehab you tend to notice things you might not otherwise see.

On one of these numerous walks on Kinnear Pl W, I noticed one of those square metal sidewalk cover things that had a jagged hole in it. A hole that went down about a foot or so and that had very sharp metal edges. This hole was downright dangerous.

I called the City of Seattle, and after numerous on holds and transfers I reported the incident and that was that.

Curiosity got the best of me and I repeated the same walk the very next day. Sure enough there was a big huge orange barricade surr

ounding and protecting the neighborhood! Look at that a city government actually springing to action to fix a problem! Amazing!

I feel good about saving the neighborhood from certain death, destruction and injury!

New Photos

Still have been wandering around this great neighborhood and I have to admit, I feel a sense of ownership over it. Like, yeah, I have seen all of you and I live here! Still have been taking photos as I wander around and thought I would share some new ones.

It is sort of nice to walk all these Queen Anne streets and say to myself (or anyone who happens to be with me), Galer - check, 4th Ave N, check, Comstock - check and on and on and on!

Observation Tower on top of the hill, Warren, right next to the fire stationCool tree on 3rd Ave N
West Highland Drive Historical MarkerAs a recent Facebooker I can say I can't agree more! On Warren

Queen Anne - Check!!!!

Today I completed every single street and every single staircase on Queen Anne! I feel like I have just completed a marathon!

I saved the best for last and finished on Queen Anne Avenue, right at the top of the hill. I was met with balloons, treats, water, stickers and some singing and I felt just like I had conquered the universe!

But, first, before we get to that I had to finish up two streets that were left unfinished. My dear friend drove me to Taylor, there was a piece I had not done between Garfield and 5th N. On the tail end of that stretch I realized there was one more sneaky set of staircases I had yet to finish (sorry about that lie from yesterday!). S8! It just so happened that I was with the very same friend the day we did that park and by the time we had gotten to S8 it was dark and scary and we decided to forgo the stairs.

Well, we did them today and what a treat! They lead from Trolley Hill Park to a trail that takes you all the way down to Aurora and has spur trails and illegal camping pads and trails going to nowhere. If you do the full loop you end up at MacLean Park! Who knew!?

Hopped back in the car for a quick downhill of Boston from 13th to 15th W. Nothing too exciting there.

Then, for the last street. Was dropped off at the water side of Nickerson on Queen Anne Ave N and we (boyfriend accompanied me) trekked up that hill, which is no great shakes! That is a huffer! Along the way, each street we passed I yelled out the name of the street, had a little memory about walking that particular street and yelled, CHECK! Galer, check, Armour, Check, Etruria Check.....

I could not believe I was actually finished!

The last half block my boyfriend ran up ahead and recorded that last few steps of Queen Anne Ave! My dear friend greeted me with a balloon, a Payday candy bar, Halloween stickers and a bottle of water. What more could I ask for!?

Oh, yeah, I could ask for Molly Moons! Salted caramel, here was come!

So, you ask, what were my favorite walks? My favorite staircases? Parks? Well, I have to say I really enjoyed each and every one of my walks. Not one was tedious or boring or just ho hum. Each one had its own unique memories. Its like asking which child do you like best!

I really encourage every one of you to take a look around your neighborhood, go walk that street that you always drive by and think, "Hey, I wonder what is down that hill!"

Thank you to Thomas who made this great map! Thank you to all my partners in crime on all my walks. Thank you to all the businesses who sustained me and nourished me.

Next thing you know, I will have run all these streets! Watch out Queen Anne!

Streets Completed: Taylor Ave N, Boston Ave W and Queen Anne Ave N!!!!!
Staircases: S8
Total time walked: 43 minutes
Memories made: Priceless!

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

2 for 1

A couple of days ago I went on two walks in the same day. The first was with my boyfriend, who was having a sore back problem and just wanted to get out and do a few minutes. Finished the top of the hill with him, Smith Street, McGraw, Boston. So, with that short 20 minute walk I completed the top of the hill!

I am getting deliciously close to finishing this entire project.

I still had more walking in me so I dropped him off at home and headed out to complete the northeastern part of the hood.

Parked at 3rd and Fulton I trekked down to SPU, finished off all those lower streets.

I am saving Queen Anne Ave though, that will be my very last street. So, although I am close to finishing that lower Fremont part I cannot completely say I am done.

Streets Completed: Smith, McGraw, Boston, Dravus, Fulton, 2nd Ave N
Staircases: none
Total time walked, between the two walks: 59 minutes

Finally!

Today was a crazy day, just running from one thing to the next. On my way to an appointment in northern Queen Anne I had about 4 minutes. I whizzed past that one little dead end street in lower Queen Anne that was preventing me from calling Lower QA completed! I screeched to a halt and dashed down the street!

Finally! Lower Queen Anne, check!

Lee Street Terminus

Streets completed: Lee
Staircases: None
Total time walked: 1 and a half minutes

Photos

Only a fraction of the photos I take are put up in these posts. To see all of them you can find them here. I will be updating as I go, although, I am almost done with this whole expedition!

A long walk for only a few new streets

Decided to tackle the very few streets of Lower Queen Anne yesterday. I really did not feel like getting in the car to drive to where I was walking, so instead, old school style, I walked over to the few streets that needed to be done in southern Queen Anne.

From my house, walked down to Olympic to this little loop of a street that has been taunting me for a long time. Which is rediculous because on the map it looks like a big loop off of Olympic, when really its a tiny little thing that I could have knocked out when I first did Olympic.

Then up to 6th W and 7th W, between Kinnear Place and Olympic, also two little streets. Although, it was interesting, at the corner of 7th W and Kinnear Place there was one of those street markers in the concrete that said Epler Place. Could that have been the name of the street back in the day? Curious!

Then back up to 8th Ave W and staircase number 475 and 474. All the way over to Blaine, where I went down, just to come back up again and knock out 9th W and walkway 345. Damn those split streets that I have already done one half of but had to go back and do the other half!

Then all the way back to Olympic and did a circular sort of thing around Highland and Olympic.

All in all, theses streets that I completed all had only a tiny little section that needed to be walked, but it took me over an hour from door to door. Oh well, its all about the exercise, right?!

And, with all that said and done, I still have not completely finished all of lower/southern Queen Anne! I did not get to a dead end street on W Lee! Are you kidding me!?

Streets completed: 7th W, 6th W, Unknown tiny little loop of a street off of Olympic, 9th W, Blaine, 8th W
Staircases: 474, 475, P5 (yes, that is a private staircase, I did it anyway!), 345, 344
Total time walked: 1 hour 20 minutes

The Completion of a completed section, completely

Yesterday I finished off an entire section of neighborhood! I have come really close with the entire southern end of the hill but there are about three tiny streets that I just haven't gotten to yet (maybe today!). But, yesterday was the entire northwestern part of Queen Anne! Check!

Started on Daravus and went all the way down to Emerson (which we walked about 12 times in various directions to and fro). Along the way we saw this great mailbox.

There was not a whole heck of a lot to report other than that entire section feels good to check off. It was a cool section but also had its nasty bits near Nickerson. It did contain one of my favorite walkways of this whole expedition, 42, 175 and 43 up from Nickerson it cuts across the hill and dumps you at Ruffner, which coincidentally was one of my favorite staircases, the Ruffner Wilds.

All in all a great part of Queen Anne with unique views of the Ballard Bridge, the Olympics, Fremont and The Cascades. Not bad for a little quiet part of one neighborhood!

And, what could be bad about a neighborhood with this house in it!?

Streets completed: Emerson, 10th Ave W, W Ruffner, W Bertona
Staircases: 42, 175, 43, 105
Total time walked: 1 hour 11 minutes

Just Catching Up

Sometimes a walk is just a good excuse to catch up with a friend you haven't had much time with lately. Sure, we saw some lovely parks and streets and hiked a few hills and discovered some new places, nothing too remarkable really. But, the real reason was chatting, so I guess I didn't really notice much at all.

But, we did get some streets completed!

Streets Completed: Florentia, Mayfair Ave N, 2nd Ave W, W Fulton
Staircases: None
Total time walked and chatted: 44 minutes, plus 20 minutes swinging in the park!

A Historic Day

Today was a historic day, not only because it was the first day of fall but because of what we saw along the way.

So, I didn't make my summer cut-off, so what!? Today was the first day of fall, and perhaps one of the warmest days so far this summer. It was muggy and hot and I felt good that nature was telling me it was still summer, so according to nature, I am good!

Tackled 6th Ave W, 8th Ave W and a few others today. The sun was shinning and a couple of times, particularly when walking up a big hill I was actually sweating. It felt amazing.

Started out on Comstock and 6th W, where we immediately ran into an interesting house, designated by the Queen Anne Historical Society as a historic house. All we could really see from the street was the ornate fountain and a bunch of "No Soliciting" signs. I am sure its a gorgeous house from the inside!

Continuing north we came across a bus shelter, painted by local kids and I had the realization that there are not a lot of these around Queen Anne. Queen Anne is a particularly walking and car friendly neighborhood. So, I snapped this picture. It brought me back to my days as a high school kid, I had a part in painting one on Mercer Island. Ah, memories.

Not much else to report on 6th W, I mean, its a nice enough street and I enjoyed the walk, but nothing too exciting. Turned down Smith and hooked a left onto 8th W where we came across yet another historical marker on the side of the sidewalk.

Apparently this tree that we were standing in front of was the first Copper Beech tree planted in Seattle!? Who knew!? Today it is pretty covered with other plants, trees and bushes, but I am sure it was quite a thing when that was planted! It was marked with a small plaque and it made me wonder, what was I missing on the other sides of all those streets I had walked. Had I been on the other side I would have never known and my life would be that much less rich with knowledge. Should I go back to every single street and walk the other side?! Ha! Well, maybe!?

It is also a historic day because I am realizing that I am very close to being finished with all these streets and stairs and it is making me wonder what I will tackle next.

Streets completed: 6th West, 8th West
Staircases: none (its a rather flat part of the hill)
Total time walked: 1 hour 5 minutes

I'mmmm Back!!!

It felt so good to get back out there today! Granted, I was walking a little bit slower than normal, granted I kept a close eye to the ground to avoid those nasty cracks that come up and bite you, granted I was noticeably more tired, granted I only did flat streets, I still managed to get back out there and it felt great.

Started out on Nob Hill, right below the eastern most radio tower, going north. I hit a few side streets, back and forth I went. Cut through the lovely P Patch over to Boston and then basically back down 3rd.

I remembered that it was still technically summer when I saw the still green tomatoes on the vine in the P Patch and in people's gardens. Although I also remembered that fall is right around the corner when I saw the great pumpkins getting plump in the garden. Although I don't think I am going to be completed with this crazy task by Friday I am going to keep on going.

Interesting things I saw today; An amazing house, with a Russian looking spire on Nob Hill (see right); Lots of interesting garbage, it was garbage day today (OK, I sort of have an unhealthy obsession with garbage, it's a long story, don't ask); An almost rainbow, it started raining big fat drops while the sun was out and a ghost of a rainbow peaked out, although my camera did not capture it at all; some really interesting weather veins on the corner of Blaine and 4th; A great bench made out of old skis (which is somehow funny that skis are what brought me to this journey in the first place); And the amazing flatness that can happen when you are just perched on top of a hill.

Streets Completed: Newton, 3rd Ave N, Nob Hill, Lynn
Staircases: S9
Total Time Walked: 1 hour 13 minutes

Uh-Oh

So, I guess I am a klutz, I never really classified myself as being particularly accident prone but I guess that view of myself is changing.

A few days ago some friends and I were at the Puyallup Fair, having a grand old, barn stompin' time. We were on our way out, and the next thing I know I am flying through the air. I landed, get this, square on my, get this, good knee! For crying out loud!? Really?

To make a long story short, I ended up with a badly bruised right knee and pain while walking. The X Rays did not show anything, but if the pain and swelling and leg weakness remain then I have to go back in for an MRI.

The upshot of which, I am sad to announce that I do not believe I am going to finish Queen Anne staircases or streets before the end of official summer, which is next Friday. Do not get me wrong, I am still going to finish because I love it so much. But, its not going to happen before next week.

Here I am signing out for what I hope is only a few days. Send me good healing knee vibes! Queen Anne is a' waitin'!

Yowza!

I only have 11 more days until the official end of summer. Yikes, I got some walking to do!

Old Friends

Yesterday's walk was filled with old friends, some painful reminders and some pleasant surprises.

Started out at the bottom of Garfield and wanted to finish it off, which meant the series of staircases leading up Garfield to the top of the hill. But, I have to admit some of these staircases were very lovely, in particular 343, which splits and comes together at the top of the two staircases, very elegant. See right. Just above 343 was a series of staircases that my friend and I used to run, back in the good old days.

Then, as we crested the hill we literally ran into an old friend of mine, from back in my running days, she had been a captain of a team at the same time as I was captain and we caught up and explained the whole saga of my knee and this mission.

We hit the library staircases, which the map maker qualifies as public staircases, which makes sense really. I love our little library, it is so sweet and they took fliers for Run Scared 5K for their board. So nice!

Then down 5th W, which has now been completed! We saw this great little house with what looked like a menu holder on the sidewalk. As we approached it held a side of the road poem. How lovely! Turned around at Smith and Halladay and headed back up 9th, where I ran into another old friend, this time in the form of a hill. Well, a bowl really. 9th W, between Crockett and Blaine forms this perfect bowl, two steep hills with a dip in the middle. Back in the day, when I was first starting to run I used to use this bowl to do my hill training. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

From Blaine onward was another memory lane. This time it was what me and my neighbor friend like to call "Deep Freeze 08", when we had that really big snowstorm that was like a little piece of heaven? Well, I have very grand memories from that time, and one of them was walking home from her house, in the middle of the night, after an exhausting day of sledding and sliding and hot chocolate, walking up that hill in that deep and quiet snow. It was so gorgeous and peaceful and I wish it would snow like that again!

Eventually headed down the end bit of Galer, which we had sledded just this past mini snowfall.

I guess this is what happens when you live in such an amazing neighborhood for years, the memories pile up on top of each other. This summer of walking is sure to add a whole other complex layer as well.

Here's to old friends!

Streets completed: Garfield, 5th W
Staircases: 126 (actually a pathway), 127, 343, 125, 56 (the library staircases), P3
Total time walked: 1 hour 6 minutes

Elevated Walk

Man, I am so elevated today! Not really, just talking about some really great elevated sidewalks. I do not think there is any other neighborhood with quite as many elevated sidewalks. There is just something about them, I can't quite put my finger on it, I feel so, elevated, man, when I walk up there! Today's walk had a few elevated sidewalks, and some wild parts too!

Today we (boyfriend and I) attacked the northwest corner of Queen Anne. Parked on a little street called Prosch W, I had never even heard of it before. A charming little circular street cut in half by a great walkway and staircase, which we took down to 15th W. (picture to left is staircase 29, and the graffiti on it has the very appropriate quote "The steps with which we walk are often built upon the steps we have taken") Now, for any of you faithful readers who know that I recently completed 15th, you will surely say to yourself, well, she already completed 15th W? I have, but there are two places where 15th W splits in half and I felt I completed 15th by walking the entire length of it, but not really wholly complete because of these splits. So, splits now done.

A brief stop on the way to drop off flyers at the coffee shop on Dravus and 15th for an upcoming event I am organizing (check out Run Scared 5K) and then up to the Ruffner Wilds! So fun! This was one of those staircases that has a fun name, do not know if it's map maker derived or city derived, but I like it nonetheless. It was indeed an overgrown staircase. See picture to right. We even saw a HUGE spider eat a ton of bugs, some bamboo, a plum tree, a goodly number of blackberry bushes, some weeds and just a lot of vegetation. An aptly named staircase.

Then came the elevated walkway along 13th W, including staircase 366 right in the middle of it. I couldn't help but think of those poor shlubs who live in the middle of these sidewalks, hauling up their groceries.

Back down to Nickerson, hooked a left and all the way back up 14th W to the car (with some sidestreets and staircases along the way). Other cool things we learned? That the Polish Archbishop prayed in the church on the corner of Dravus and 14th W in 1993. How do we know? There was a shrine erected. Also, someone on Ruffner and 14th W is selling Ferrets, should any of my readers be in the market.

There was an amazing sunset last night and I thought I would throw in a picture from Betty Bowen lookout, where we stopped on the way home. There is no place like Seattle in the summer! Enjoy, man!

Streets completed: W Prosch
Staircases: 30, 28, 29, 264 (otherwise knows as Ruffner Wilds), 366, 362, 50
Total time walked: 1 hour 13 minutes

Hill Yes!

My god, today I did a total of 12 hills, up and down and up and down I went! Since this journey has begun there are certain places around the hill that I have been dreading. I conquered one of those areas last week, the stinky streets of 15th W, Nickerson, Mercer and Aurora. The other area I have been dreading is the huge steep hills coming down from 5th W including Barrett, Fulton, Smith, Raye....Well, they are all done now.

You know its steep when your feet are at a 45 degree angle to your legs, ok, perhaps I am exaggerating! I only wish I had one of those fancy altimeter watches. I felt like I climbed thousand feet. It was tougher than some of the hikes I have taken. Good thing it wasn't too hot today, nice breeze helped to both keep me cool and feel like I was hiking in the mountains!

Started out by SPU and spent my first street walking down 7th W toward Fremont. Passed this very appropriate SPU building on 6th, it was all very foreboding for what was to come! Hooked a right and then started climbing up to staircase 341. Up 5th, down Armour, Up Newell, Down Raye, up Raye, down Smith, down 5th, down Barrett, then back up Barrett. Phew!

I am starting to get nervous about finishing this entire quest. It is the last day of August, where has this summer gone? I want to finish before the first day of fall, which is Friday, September 23rd, that is 23 days away! Ack! I better start getting a move on. I would say I am 65% done but there are still huge swaths I haven't even attacked yet. I hope I make it!

Streets Complted: W Raye, Irondale (which was really just an alley), Humes Pl
Staircases: 341
Total time walked: 1 hour 23 minutes

Cemetery Walk

Not only did I learn today what I want for a grave site when I die, but I learned how I want to be when I grow up, before needing that grave site!

Today a friend and I did a walk through Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. I never knew how big it actually was. It was gorgeous. Not a soul around (no pun intended) and we had the place to ourselves.

It was interesting to see all of the graves, and little did I know there is a whole Jewish area within the cemetery (I am Jewish, which is why it is of particular interest to me) and saw some familiar names.

What perhaps was most intriguing was the mix of really old graves with newer ones right next door. Who must have planned that? We discussed in earnest what kind of grave markings we wanted and did a critique of all the headstones we saw. We both determined that bigger is better!

We looped around the entire cemetery and noticed that the office of the cemetery looked a little too much like a motel near a national park, with an office sign dangling outside. Strange indeed.

Later in the walk, something caught my eye, a sparkle in the sun. I looked up just in time to see a mirrored jacket slip into a car. Was I imagining things? Was it too hot? Had I not had enough water? No, just then the woman wearing the jacket got back out of the car and in fact someone else in a brightly colored outfit was coming down the stairs! They looked so festive, we wanted to go where they were going, which turned out to be a Bingo night at the senior center! I asked if I could take their picture, they laughed and posed and as we walked away we heard them claim that they were having twice as much fun even though we were half their age! I want to be like that when I grow up.



Streets Completed: Pleasant Pl, W Bothwell
Staircase: 227
Total time walked: 58 minutes

Pacman

Today I felt like Pacman, going street by street, doubling back and winning a prize when I got to the end of a street. If only I was really eating treats as I went! It would have been frustrating had it been an ugly part of the neighborhood, or not such a great evening. But, the fact of the matter was it was a lovely warm summer evening, just before sunset in Lower Queen Anne. And, this walk got me oh so close to finishing all of Lower Queen Anne. I am within two tiny little streets of finishing! Perhaps I just need to go bust those little streets out next time I walk. Did feel a little silly walking past Laredo's about 3 different times! Oh well, I got a lot of streets done!

Streets Completed: Ward St, Ward Pl, Aloha, 5th Ave N, 6th Ave N
Staircases: none
Total time walked: 54 minutes