If my fetish for ferries isn’t clear by now, this travelogue should dispel any doubts. But this itinerary isn’t just for transit junkies. Transit in British Columbia adds a lot to a trip. Besides, this route is much more comfortable and has fewer delays and stops than taking Amtrak or Greyhound through the awful Peace Arch border crossing. It also provides views of Mount Baker and other landmarks from a new angle.
I admit, I took this trip last summer and I’m not sure how much things have changed in the transit network. There’s apparently a new Skytrain line that makes for a more direct route from the ferry terminal, but I maintain (from perusing Google Street View) that the route I took provides the best introduction to the city.
So- on to it then!
From Anacortes: A ferry, customs, a bus, another ferry, two more buses and the Skytrain.
Now this trip can only be made from March through October, as the ferry does not run to Vancouver Island in the winter. There is still, of course, the ferry from Port Angeles; but just getting to the peninsula from Anacortes will add a day to your trip. But if it is spring, summer or early fall; take the 7:45 ferry from Anacortes. This ferry is generally all tourists, as it doesn’t make any stops in the intermittent ports. I’m sure there’s an explanation about regulations for the ferry to be in Anacortes overnight and has to rush to the West side of the islands to get the commuters to the mainland at a decent time, but those questions are best for a random stranger that will inevitably chat with you, especially if you’re traveling alone.
Customs in Sidney are the most agreeable security personnel you’re ever likely to deal with. It’s not the biggest consolation; as they’re still, by job description, tightasses. But at least they won’t be flipping through every page of the book you’re reading and the pictures on your phone. Little victories like this go a long way when crossing the border.
The town of Sidney is essentially a Canadian reflection of Anacortes, much to the chagrin of travelers like myself hoping for a seedy border town out of a Graham Greene story. From the ferry dock, just go a few blocks to Beacon Street where there are some cafes and several surprisingly good bookstores. Off on a side street is a Canadian Forces peacekeeping memorial; you know, just to remind yourself you’re in Canada. Of course, when you’ve seen all there is to see in Sidney (after about an hour) catch the bus at 5th and Beacon. Take care that it’s one heading to the Swartz Bay ferry terminal. Try to avoid giggling with delight when the bus pulls up and it’s an awesome double-decker like in the movies. If you catch the right one, it will drop you right at the entrance to the ferry terminal, a small point of efficiency that is lost on quite a few transit agencies. A ferry leaves for Tsawassen about once an hour.
There’s something refreshingly modern (or perhaps just a bit European) about ferries in British Columbia. They’re practically noiseless and make very sharp turns through narrow channels. If a ferry ride could be called exciting, that’s how I would label this one. There’s even a smoking section on the deck, where someone will inevitably be smoking pot. The views are absolutely beautiful and it’s interesting to see the islands and mountains from behind, so to speak.
Right outside the ferry terminal is a bus stop where you catch the 620 to Ladner Exchange. Once there, I recommend walking a few blocks north to the 7-11 across from the McDonalds and buying a transit day pass so you won’t have to be constantly inspecting and counting unfamiliar coins.
From Ladner Exchange the 640 heads to Surrey. This route gives a good cross section of the local population as it slowly takes on more commuters and is packed by the fifth or sixth stop. It heads up River Road past saw mills and an industrial area before reaching the Scott Road Station where the Skytrain leaves every four minutes or so to drop you right downtown.
Arriving in town by Skytrain makes the hassle of buses worth it. It’s fast, efficient and, if you’re lucky, you can sit in the front and pretend you’re driving. Last time I was in Vancouver I seriously spent four hours one day just riding around on the Skytrain. Maybe it was just a childhood memory of riding the Seattle Monorail for the first time and being excited that this monorail isn’t such a disappointingly short ride. The whole thing has an ultra-modern feel to it, as if all those science fiction TV shows filmed in Vancouver rubbed off a little on the city planners.
So this way you step off the train and into the bustle of Vancouver, you can easily avoid looking like a tourist and experience the walk to your hotel or whatever just like any other commuter.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Down The Left Coast
My goal to take all the ferry routes in Puget Sound is nearing completion. Last week the Port Townsend Ferry and the Bainbridge Island Ferry were untraveled routes for me. But as of last Tuesday I am happy to report that both lines are crossed off my list in one trip. So if some unlikely desire strikes you to travel from Anacortes to Seattle via Port Townsend, rest assured that such an itinerary is easily undertaken.
In the broad outline: Take Rt. 410 to March’s Point at 6:55 to transfer to the 411W. Take care that its heading to Oak Harbor, not Mount Vernon.
From Oak Harbor Rt. 6 will take you to the Keystone Ferry, whence you will sail into Port Townsend.
Catch Rt. 11 on Water Street to the Park and Ride and Rt. 7 will take you to Poulsbo.
Rt. 90 then heads straight to the Bainbridge Island Ferry Terminal. Pedestrian passengers to Seattle pay no fare.
While this seems like a straightforward list of bus lines and destinations; this itinerary encompasses all the confusions, boredoms and discomforts of public transit with a healthy dose of forced patience. On the other hand, it could be a crash course for all those aspiring Zen masters out there. Anyone who claims a Zen-like attitude toward life must prove it by spending forty minutes killing time in Oak Harbor before anything is open. That’s right, spending more than half an hour there is difficult enough when the bars are open; so imagine the only place open being a drive through espresso stand. Forty minutes of just you, Oak Harbor and your suddenly precarious sanity. Google maps shows a park just across the street, which is accurate in the loosest definition; but this park is too windy and cold to even take a cigarette break and the view is as lackluster as a waterfront view can possibly be.
So if you take that all in stride, you will be rewarded with… another layover! Yes, Rt. 6 drops you at the Keystone Ferry Terminal an hour and 15 minutes before the next one leaves. But take heart, for the terminal is a five minute walk from Fort Casey. In this way are you rewarded for your previous patience with an interesting layover. And if you go on a weekday in the colder season, you’ll have these crumble-down abandoned battlements all to yourself. If you’re lucky, the sky will be clear enough to see the Olympic Mountains across the sound. I wouldn’t plan on it, though.
So in good spirits will you board the ferry to Port Townsend. With a little luck you can catch Rt. 11 in time to take Rt. 7 at 11:20, but I would recommend stopping for lunch and catch the 7 when it next runs at 3:24. The Pharmacy near the terminal has a Soda Fountain and a fake 50’s diner down the street has a passable fast-food burger if that’s your thing. A little poking around reveals a nice antique store on Washington Street. Imprint on Water St. is a fine bookstore. There’s a great record store at Washington and Taylor. I spent the rest of my time at The Undertown, a nice, spacious coffeeshop that has decent bottled beer.
The rest of the trip is somewhat underwhelming, to be honest. Rt. 11 is a little confusing in that you catch it at Water and Adams when it is going East, away from the Park and Ride. Quite soon, though, it turns around and gets there in about five minutes. Catch it at 3:04 and then transfer to Rt. 7 at 3:24. If you need, there is a publicly available bathroom at the information center.
Rt. 7 arrives in Poulsbo at 4:27 and ten minutes later the 90 takes you to Bainbridge Island. The next ferry is at 5:30. If you find something to do near the terminal, let me know because I sure missed it. I looked around just long enough to feel I didn’t want to wait around an hour for the next ferry and ended up running back to the terminal and down the walkway. I was nearly late and the ferry crew had to unchain the gate to let me through. They answered my Sorries and Thank Yous with professionally disinterested nods.
Thusly will you arrive in Seattle via the Left Coast. Of course, at this point you are essentially stranded in Seattle. The closest to Anacortes you can get by public transit at this hour is Everett. Amtrak and Greyhound can get you to Mount Vernon or Bellingham, but you’ll be stranded there, too. Thus this trip will have to be a proper overnight one. So how you spend that night; whether at the mercy of friends nearby, finding a hotel or hoping to find a nice girl to put you up; is up to you.
In the broad outline: Take Rt. 410 to March’s Point at 6:55 to transfer to the 411W. Take care that its heading to Oak Harbor, not Mount Vernon.
From Oak Harbor Rt. 6 will take you to the Keystone Ferry, whence you will sail into Port Townsend.
Catch Rt. 11 on Water Street to the Park and Ride and Rt. 7 will take you to Poulsbo.
Rt. 90 then heads straight to the Bainbridge Island Ferry Terminal. Pedestrian passengers to Seattle pay no fare.
While this seems like a straightforward list of bus lines and destinations; this itinerary encompasses all the confusions, boredoms and discomforts of public transit with a healthy dose of forced patience. On the other hand, it could be a crash course for all those aspiring Zen masters out there. Anyone who claims a Zen-like attitude toward life must prove it by spending forty minutes killing time in Oak Harbor before anything is open. That’s right, spending more than half an hour there is difficult enough when the bars are open; so imagine the only place open being a drive through espresso stand. Forty minutes of just you, Oak Harbor and your suddenly precarious sanity. Google maps shows a park just across the street, which is accurate in the loosest definition; but this park is too windy and cold to even take a cigarette break and the view is as lackluster as a waterfront view can possibly be.
So if you take that all in stride, you will be rewarded with… another layover! Yes, Rt. 6 drops you at the Keystone Ferry Terminal an hour and 15 minutes before the next one leaves. But take heart, for the terminal is a five minute walk from Fort Casey. In this way are you rewarded for your previous patience with an interesting layover. And if you go on a weekday in the colder season, you’ll have these crumble-down abandoned battlements all to yourself. If you’re lucky, the sky will be clear enough to see the Olympic Mountains across the sound. I wouldn’t plan on it, though.
So in good spirits will you board the ferry to Port Townsend. With a little luck you can catch Rt. 11 in time to take Rt. 7 at 11:20, but I would recommend stopping for lunch and catch the 7 when it next runs at 3:24. The Pharmacy near the terminal has a Soda Fountain and a fake 50’s diner down the street has a passable fast-food burger if that’s your thing. A little poking around reveals a nice antique store on Washington Street. Imprint on Water St. is a fine bookstore. There’s a great record store at Washington and Taylor. I spent the rest of my time at The Undertown, a nice, spacious coffeeshop that has decent bottled beer.
The rest of the trip is somewhat underwhelming, to be honest. Rt. 11 is a little confusing in that you catch it at Water and Adams when it is going East, away from the Park and Ride. Quite soon, though, it turns around and gets there in about five minutes. Catch it at 3:04 and then transfer to Rt. 7 at 3:24. If you need, there is a publicly available bathroom at the information center.
Rt. 7 arrives in Poulsbo at 4:27 and ten minutes later the 90 takes you to Bainbridge Island. The next ferry is at 5:30. If you find something to do near the terminal, let me know because I sure missed it. I looked around just long enough to feel I didn’t want to wait around an hour for the next ferry and ended up running back to the terminal and down the walkway. I was nearly late and the ferry crew had to unchain the gate to let me through. They answered my Sorries and Thank Yous with professionally disinterested nods.
Thusly will you arrive in Seattle via the Left Coast. Of course, at this point you are essentially stranded in Seattle. The closest to Anacortes you can get by public transit at this hour is Everett. Amtrak and Greyhound can get you to Mount Vernon or Bellingham, but you’ll be stranded there, too. Thus this trip will have to be a proper overnight one. So how you spend that night; whether at the mercy of friends nearby, finding a hotel or hoping to find a nice girl to put you up; is up to you.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
All Roads Lead to...Everett?
All roads lead to…Everett?
Yes! Everett! Would we call it anything at all if we could think of anything catchier than The Traffic Jam or The Messy Interstate Junction? So we settle with calling it by name and rest assured that the mystical quality of its name will instantly be met with a groan or a mental picture of a traffic jam. Have we ever been blessed with a lazier punch line? “Everett. Haha what a shit-hole!” But if, by some accident, you ever take a closer look and wander around a bit you’ll find it to simply be an overgrown Anacortes, with all that entails. Today I call for no disputation on the nature of Everett. I have no intention of giving the Everett Chamber of Commerce some unsolicited assistance. I offer only a few facts about our southerly neighbor:
- Everett is a proper transportation hub. Trains and inter-city buses leave in three directions from Everett. This may seem unimpressive, but in the Northwest a train station typically only offers two directions of travel. At Everett Station travellers quietly and disinterestedly mingle before setting off on trains bound for Vancouver, Portland, Spokane or distant points beyond.
- Everett is the closest place to get that big-city feel. While the skyline is undeniably lackluster, you can stand almost anywhere downtown and see a tall building with several behind it, giving the whole view a layering to it that small towns everywhere lack. If this sounds like a stretch for a reason to say anything good about Everett I sugges that next time you’re walking down Commercial you look skyward and try your damndest not to feel oppressed by so much sky in a downtown. If the wide main street and low buildings of our fine Anacortes send you scurrying under the eaves of the nearest building as if caught in a downpour, a jaunt to Everett is your closest fix for something taller than three stories to cloud your view.
- If you ever get familiar with Everett and find a few picturesque moments you’ll be blessed with the wonderful smug sense of superiority that, let’s face it, we all love. Your friends will go on and on with their uninspired critiques of traffic flow and strip malls and you have the pleasure of knowing that of all these amateur city planners you alone have actually ever set foot anywhere in Everett outside the jurisdiction of a McDonald’s and its parking lot.
So now that you’re all planning a trip to the amateur metropolis of Everett, consider taking public transit. There are three options, which are here outlined if you can stand another list:
1. The Practical- This choice is the fastest and most efficient. Board the 410 at 10th and Q which drops you off at the March’s Point Park and Ride. There the 411 is waiting to whisk you to Mt. Vernon, where the 90X commuter bus leaves for Everett just as you pull in. Mention to the driver of the 411 that you need this connection and if they’re in a good mood they’ll radio ahead and the 90X will wait. Just be sure you step on the 411 headed for Mount Vernon, not Oak Harbor. The catch with this route is that the last 90X leaves at 7:30am and doesn’t run again until the afternoon, thus you have to catch the first 410 at 6:55 in the morning. There is some poetic value, though, in catching the last bus south. Cost: $3.
2. The “This’ll Do”- This route is only advisable if you miss the 90X or just really want to avoid the Interstate. It can also accommodate an unlikely desire to take a break midway through and explore Marysville. In the broad outline; from Mount Vernon take the 411C to Stanwood, the 240 to Smokey Point and run across the street to catch the 200 (or 201/202, it’s all the same) into Everett. This route has a bit of charm in the little-traveled roads it takes in the first half, but I hesitate to endorse it due to its multitude of headaches. For one thing, the 240 is the most convoluted bus route I have ever seen. When you arrive in Stanwood, the first bus labeled 240 that comes to the stop is by some mystery the wrong 240. The real one arrives 15 or so minutes later and immediately makes you think you’ve taken the wrong bus. It drives around Stanwood for 10 minutes before it finally heads south. Midway through its run it pulls into the parking lot of a retirement home which has some jackass’ car blocking the exit half the time. The 240 then gets back on the road and picks up steam just in time to hit the huge mess of poorly designed intersections that is Smokey Point. Keep in mind that the 240 is a route almost specifically designed to be late. So in the best case scenario you’ll get off just after the turn onto Smokey Point Blvd and sprint across the street to catch 200, which may or may not wait. Normally, you’ll be two jammed intersections away from your transfer stop when you see the 200 just leave, giving you 20 minutes to wait for the next one. That part isn’t so bad, because the best place to spend 20 minutes thinking about how your life has turned out is a bus stop next to a boarded up restaurant in Smokey Point. But from there the 200 will get to Everett easily enough; but it’s a major local route, so be prepared to deal with the Bus People of north Snohomish County. You’ll know what I mean once you overhear your slack-jawed neighbor’s “huh”-laden phone conversation in which the phrase “You can’t let CPS take that kid” is repeated several times. Anyway- Cost: $2.50 and a bit of your sanity.
3. The Scenic Route- This is the cheapest, most hassle-free and my personal favorite, despite it being the longest. From March’s Point take the 411, to Oak Harbor this time. From there the 1 leisurely drives down the island, passing through Coupeville and Freeland before dropping you at the Clinton Ferry terminal. You’ll get off the bus just as the ferry is boarding, which is free for pedestrians in this direction. The short ferry ride is as pleasant as any in Puget Sound, with just enough breeze on the front deck to make you feel adventurous. And on a clear day you’ll be shocked to realize that the pleasant-looking city in the distance with beautiful mountains as a backdrop is…wait for it…Everett! Just a few more steps off the ferry is the bus stop to catch the 18 into downtown Everett. Of course, by the time you reach Mukilteo, you’ll be a bit thirsty. Fortunately the universe has been kind enough to place the Diamond Knot Brewery next to the bus stop. Cost: $1.75 plus the inevitable beer.
Yes! Everett! Would we call it anything at all if we could think of anything catchier than The Traffic Jam or The Messy Interstate Junction? So we settle with calling it by name and rest assured that the mystical quality of its name will instantly be met with a groan or a mental picture of a traffic jam. Have we ever been blessed with a lazier punch line? “Everett. Haha what a shit-hole!” But if, by some accident, you ever take a closer look and wander around a bit you’ll find it to simply be an overgrown Anacortes, with all that entails. Today I call for no disputation on the nature of Everett. I have no intention of giving the Everett Chamber of Commerce some unsolicited assistance. I offer only a few facts about our southerly neighbor:
- Everett is a proper transportation hub. Trains and inter-city buses leave in three directions from Everett. This may seem unimpressive, but in the Northwest a train station typically only offers two directions of travel. At Everett Station travellers quietly and disinterestedly mingle before setting off on trains bound for Vancouver, Portland, Spokane or distant points beyond.
- Everett is the closest place to get that big-city feel. While the skyline is undeniably lackluster, you can stand almost anywhere downtown and see a tall building with several behind it, giving the whole view a layering to it that small towns everywhere lack. If this sounds like a stretch for a reason to say anything good about Everett I sugges that next time you’re walking down Commercial you look skyward and try your damndest not to feel oppressed by so much sky in a downtown. If the wide main street and low buildings of our fine Anacortes send you scurrying under the eaves of the nearest building as if caught in a downpour, a jaunt to Everett is your closest fix for something taller than three stories to cloud your view.
- If you ever get familiar with Everett and find a few picturesque moments you’ll be blessed with the wonderful smug sense of superiority that, let’s face it, we all love. Your friends will go on and on with their uninspired critiques of traffic flow and strip malls and you have the pleasure of knowing that of all these amateur city planners you alone have actually ever set foot anywhere in Everett outside the jurisdiction of a McDonald’s and its parking lot.
So now that you’re all planning a trip to the amateur metropolis of Everett, consider taking public transit. There are three options, which are here outlined if you can stand another list:
1. The Practical- This choice is the fastest and most efficient. Board the 410 at 10th and Q which drops you off at the March’s Point Park and Ride. There the 411 is waiting to whisk you to Mt. Vernon, where the 90X commuter bus leaves for Everett just as you pull in. Mention to the driver of the 411 that you need this connection and if they’re in a good mood they’ll radio ahead and the 90X will wait. Just be sure you step on the 411 headed for Mount Vernon, not Oak Harbor. The catch with this route is that the last 90X leaves at 7:30am and doesn’t run again until the afternoon, thus you have to catch the first 410 at 6:55 in the morning. There is some poetic value, though, in catching the last bus south. Cost: $3.
2. The “This’ll Do”- This route is only advisable if you miss the 90X or just really want to avoid the Interstate. It can also accommodate an unlikely desire to take a break midway through and explore Marysville. In the broad outline; from Mount Vernon take the 411C to Stanwood, the 240 to Smokey Point and run across the street to catch the 200 (or 201/202, it’s all the same) into Everett. This route has a bit of charm in the little-traveled roads it takes in the first half, but I hesitate to endorse it due to its multitude of headaches. For one thing, the 240 is the most convoluted bus route I have ever seen. When you arrive in Stanwood, the first bus labeled 240 that comes to the stop is by some mystery the wrong 240. The real one arrives 15 or so minutes later and immediately makes you think you’ve taken the wrong bus. It drives around Stanwood for 10 minutes before it finally heads south. Midway through its run it pulls into the parking lot of a retirement home which has some jackass’ car blocking the exit half the time. The 240 then gets back on the road and picks up steam just in time to hit the huge mess of poorly designed intersections that is Smokey Point. Keep in mind that the 240 is a route almost specifically designed to be late. So in the best case scenario you’ll get off just after the turn onto Smokey Point Blvd and sprint across the street to catch 200, which may or may not wait. Normally, you’ll be two jammed intersections away from your transfer stop when you see the 200 just leave, giving you 20 minutes to wait for the next one. That part isn’t so bad, because the best place to spend 20 minutes thinking about how your life has turned out is a bus stop next to a boarded up restaurant in Smokey Point. But from there the 200 will get to Everett easily enough; but it’s a major local route, so be prepared to deal with the Bus People of north Snohomish County. You’ll know what I mean once you overhear your slack-jawed neighbor’s “huh”-laden phone conversation in which the phrase “You can’t let CPS take that kid” is repeated several times. Anyway- Cost: $2.50 and a bit of your sanity.
3. The Scenic Route- This is the cheapest, most hassle-free and my personal favorite, despite it being the longest. From March’s Point take the 411, to Oak Harbor this time. From there the 1 leisurely drives down the island, passing through Coupeville and Freeland before dropping you at the Clinton Ferry terminal. You’ll get off the bus just as the ferry is boarding, which is free for pedestrians in this direction. The short ferry ride is as pleasant as any in Puget Sound, with just enough breeze on the front deck to make you feel adventurous. And on a clear day you’ll be shocked to realize that the pleasant-looking city in the distance with beautiful mountains as a backdrop is…wait for it…Everett! Just a few more steps off the ferry is the bus stop to catch the 18 into downtown Everett. Of course, by the time you reach Mukilteo, you’ll be a bit thirsty. Fortunately the universe has been kind enough to place the Diamond Knot Brewery next to the bus stop. Cost: $1.75 plus the inevitable beer.
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