6/12-Starting Out Like I’ll Probably Ride

The day has arrived for me to get to Seattle. Had a nice send off this morning by my neighbors, Dawn, Kim, and Sheila. Linda arrived at 11:00. The car was loaded with my bags, and Wanda on the rack. Traffic was normal up to Seattle. 

Because the World Cup is coming very soon to Seattle, when I went to make a hotel reservation somewhere near the Space Needle, every hotel room was at least $300 for one night. Uh, no thank you! I knew there was the Green Tortoise Hostel. It’s literally across the street from Pike Place Market. Their website said they had bike storage. Okay! I booked a bunk in an 8 bed bunk room. $88 for the night. Expensive for a hostel, but at least not $300! I think it’s appropriate that it’s the Green Tortoise Hostel as I will be moving at the speed of a tortoise!

Linda dropped me off at a loading/unloading zone a block away. I loaded everything onto Wanda, and walked her to the hostel. The hostel is on the second floor of an older building (this I knew). It took me a moment to find the door. Immediately inside the door there are stairs. What to do with fully loaded Wanda while I check in??? I found a bike rack, took out my “slightly theft deterrent” lock and locked her up. Since I wasn’t sure if I could actually check in yet (it wasn’t 2:00), I left everything on Wanda, and hoped for the best (there did seem to be a fair amount of official looking security officers standing around).

My room was ready (upgraded to a 4-bunk room). I asked about bike storage. Yes, they have hooks on the wall in the common room, which is around the corner from the check in desk…on the second floor. Okay, guess I’ll be carrying Wanda up the stairs (oh yeah, did I mention, no elevator?). It took me three trips to get all the bags up to my room (that I had just put on Wanda). Surprisingly, Wanda was not that hard to get up the stairs (even with a frame bag). I found the hooks. There were already two bikes on hooks. The easiest hook for me to get Wanda on was in between the two bikes. A really nice person helped me get her up onto the hook. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get her off in the morning. 

Once all my stuff was stowed in my “locker” in the room (no one else is there yet), I could go in search of some lunch. 

I am in a top bunk. Not my favorite, but it will work. 

Of course I went over to Pike Place. So many choices. I ended up with a chicken gyro and a mango lemonade. Talked to a couple sitting across the table from me. They asked where I was from. I told them I was here to start a ride to the Washington Monument in DC. The older guy said he’s always wanted to do a cross country bike ride, but hasn’t been able to find the right time, the right tour group, etc. They were headed to the Glass Museum, then a WNBA basketball game.

I walked through a bit of Pike Place after lunch (mostly to scope out dinner).

View from the Market

Eventually, I made my way back to the hostel. There were just so many people, and it’s not like I can carry anything else (no need for shopping)! There’s music playing down below the hostel. 

Look at the paper lanterns. They are soccer balls.

Tomorrow will be an early morning as I will have to do the reverse to get everything down to the street. I think it will be Wanda first, and lock her. Once loaded, I’ll head the 1.1 miles to the Space Needle to start the GAWR (aka the “Pointy Thing to Pointy Thing”).

Funny thing…I was in Doha, Qatar just before the World Cup there too (on our way to Nepal). 

Later…

I decided on crepes for dinner. I figured crepes were not going to be something I would be eating as I make my way across the country. A little later I will go across the street for ice cream…something I’m sure I will have plenty of. 

So far, there is one other person in the room. It’s a guy. The bunks have privacy curtains, which is nice.