Over/Under [bicycling]
Jan. 1st, 2026 11:26 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rebeccmeisterI am running behind on Important Seattle Vacation blogposts.
On Monday morning, my mom invited me to join her at the YMCA for a yoga class. I got to thinking it might be nice to add some cardiovascular exercise to the day, so I told her I would bike up to the Y. When I consulted the Oracle (Oogley-Maps), it suggested either a route through the Arboretum, or a route up Interlaken. I decided to try out the Arboretum route on the way up. The Arboretum section was, of course, delightful. Then the Bossy Lady instructed me to take a right turn onto Madison Ave, and shortly thereafter I began to question the Bossy Lady's understanding of the experience of topography when a person is on a bicycle. Thankfully, the Centurion's shifting mostly cooperated and all that rowing training paid off and I made it up Madison. There was even a witness walking his dog near the top who congratulated me on my success. (those who know Madison know it isn't the worst possible hill ever, but on the other hand, WTF Oogley??!!).
The sculpture assortment in the small park adjacent to the Y caught my eye.
But hey, why not?
That's a sawed-off Monkey Puzzle Tree on the left of the above photo, by the way. No idea what happened there.
I opted to take Interlaken for the return trip, in part so that I could ride across the Tiny Bridge again and take some Paparazzi photos while doing so.
I spent my youth biking and walking underneath this bridge, never over it, on my way up to my friend E's house. I never realized how cute it is!
You can also see in this photo how Seattleites approach the matter of raking up the fall leaves. Namely, Seattleites don't. The leaves are left in place, sopping wet, where they eventually disintegrate into a fine mush. I am not recommending this approach, mind you, just documenting it.
Anyway, the bridge is clearly a cousin to the Arboretum footbridge I've gone over so many times, but rarely under, just based on the lampposts.
Speaking of which...I had an errand to run in the U District, so rather than make my way home, I hopped onto Lake Washington Boulevard, and amused myself by traveling under the Arboretum footbridge, for a change.
--
I'm going to add a couple of photos from Tuesday morning, too. On Tuesday I took the bus back up to Madison Ave, and then walked up and over, towards Downtown Seattle on Pike, stopping to visit a handful of shops along the way.
I've been finding it refreshing to observe all the evidence of poster and sticker and rogue sculptural artwork culture in Seattle.
Actually, the subtle sculpture below is on the traffic circle at the intersection of McGraw and 25th, not on Capitol Hill.
During my walk on Capitol Hill, I paused for an eggnog latte and caprese sandwich at Victrola. A decent spot to lurk and think and scribble for a bit.
Then onward, to downtown.
This particular view of these particular things caught my eye on Tuesday.
That's the Faux Centre Pompidou building, back there. It makes me chuckle. Those columns have been there for a while, much longer than the Faux Centre Pompidou building, standing sentinel above the freeway and downtown Seattle, but Not That Long, really, because this city isn't really all that old. The parklet the columns are in is grim, grim, grim. All cement, occasionally homeless encampment.
The adventures that followed my downtown arrival deserve a separate post, so that's what they will get, when I can find my next window for blogging.
On Monday morning, my mom invited me to join her at the YMCA for a yoga class. I got to thinking it might be nice to add some cardiovascular exercise to the day, so I told her I would bike up to the Y. When I consulted the Oracle (Oogley-Maps), it suggested either a route through the Arboretum, or a route up Interlaken. I decided to try out the Arboretum route on the way up. The Arboretum section was, of course, delightful. Then the Bossy Lady instructed me to take a right turn onto Madison Ave, and shortly thereafter I began to question the Bossy Lady's understanding of the experience of topography when a person is on a bicycle. Thankfully, the Centurion's shifting mostly cooperated and all that rowing training paid off and I made it up Madison. There was even a witness walking his dog near the top who congratulated me on my success. (those who know Madison know it isn't the worst possible hill ever, but on the other hand, WTF Oogley??!!).
The sculpture assortment in the small park adjacent to the Y caught my eye.
But hey, why not?
That's a sawed-off Monkey Puzzle Tree on the left of the above photo, by the way. No idea what happened there.
I opted to take Interlaken for the return trip, in part so that I could ride across the Tiny Bridge again and take some Paparazzi photos while doing so.
I spent my youth biking and walking underneath this bridge, never over it, on my way up to my friend E's house. I never realized how cute it is!
You can also see in this photo how Seattleites approach the matter of raking up the fall leaves. Namely, Seattleites don't. The leaves are left in place, sopping wet, where they eventually disintegrate into a fine mush. I am not recommending this approach, mind you, just documenting it.
Anyway, the bridge is clearly a cousin to the Arboretum footbridge I've gone over so many times, but rarely under, just based on the lampposts.
Speaking of which...I had an errand to run in the U District, so rather than make my way home, I hopped onto Lake Washington Boulevard, and amused myself by traveling under the Arboretum footbridge, for a change.
--
I'm going to add a couple of photos from Tuesday morning, too. On Tuesday I took the bus back up to Madison Ave, and then walked up and over, towards Downtown Seattle on Pike, stopping to visit a handful of shops along the way.
I've been finding it refreshing to observe all the evidence of poster and sticker and rogue sculptural artwork culture in Seattle.
Actually, the subtle sculpture below is on the traffic circle at the intersection of McGraw and 25th, not on Capitol Hill.
During my walk on Capitol Hill, I paused for an eggnog latte and caprese sandwich at Victrola. A decent spot to lurk and think and scribble for a bit.
Then onward, to downtown.
This particular view of these particular things caught my eye on Tuesday.
That's the Faux Centre Pompidou building, back there. It makes me chuckle. Those columns have been there for a while, much longer than the Faux Centre Pompidou building, standing sentinel above the freeway and downtown Seattle, but Not That Long, really, because this city isn't really all that old. The parklet the columns are in is grim, grim, grim. All cement, occasionally homeless encampment.
The adventures that followed my downtown arrival deserve a separate post, so that's what they will get, when I can find my next window for blogging.
no subject
Date: 2026-01-01 06:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-01-02 04:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-01-01 08:24 pm (UTC)It knows that you've been training and wanted a challenge. Also, it knows when you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake!
The one-lane bridge is charming.
no subject
Date: 2026-01-02 04:19 pm (UTC)Charming bridges are the best!
no subject
Date: 2026-01-01 10:11 pm (UTC)I had not realized that monkey puzzle was another name for the Araucaria tree but I had to look it up because I thought that tree looked so familar!!! I learned about them when I was traveling in Chile in 2008, they are revered there and are a protected national treasure. They are prehistoric!!
no subject
Date: 2026-01-02 04:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-01-02 03:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-01-02 04:16 pm (UTC)