Capitol Hill North and West of Volunteer Park

Maybe it didn't rain but the sun didn't shine either as I returned to Volunteer Park intending to walk the neighborhood north of the park.

Stairways leading down to Lakeview Blvd E were too tempting and I wound up changing my intended route to follow a few of the staircases.

I started and ended my walk in Volunteer Park; the map below shows the loop I took.

I started north along 15th Ave. E and turned west onto E Howe Street where I discovered a Civil War cemetery, called the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Cemetery, just north of Lake View Cemetery.

While walking the street where Howe dead ends just west of 10th, I noticed a staircase leading down to Broadway. A winded runner was recovering from ascending the stairs so I decided to take a walk down and discovered that the stairway continued on the other side of Broadway.

I decided to walk the Broadway dead end before heading down and was delighted to happen upon Streissguth Gardens. Some of the trails were open so I climbed the steep hillside and was rewarded with great views of Lake Union.

I took a long staircase on E Blaine Street down to Lakeview Blvd E where I passed St.Mark's Greenbelt and the Egan House.

The noise from I-5 was ever present as I walked by condos and other homes along Lakeview (noticing a garden protected against the possibility of a slide) but was a little muffled once I turned up Belmont Avenue E and around to Summit Avenue E.

Summit is the home to a small park which is a gift to the neighborhood from a private owner.

I wound my way to E Prospect Street and back to the park, viewing many large and beautiful homes along the way.

This 4.2 mile walk turned up so many new surprises that I couldn't believe that I have lived in Seattle so long and never known about them before.