Northgate and Bitter lake

Aurora Avenue was today's destination and I walked 7.5 miles in the neighborhoods immediately east and west of Aurora from N 98th to 130th Street.

This area is largely commercial and industrial with lots of truck yards and building storage areas. I noticed a number of fabricators, a large Comcast installation, the City of Seattle's Haller Lake Maintenance Facility, the Puget Sound Blood Center, the Seattle Milk Fund building, lots of car dealerships (and some former car lots now for sale), lots of motels, fast food outlets, auto-related businesses, adult businesses, two golf shops, Lowe's, Home Depot (where day laborers approached every car that slowed down) and Oak Tree Village (with its multiplex cinema, Asian food market and other shops).

Evergreen Washelli Cemetery is located in the middle of this stretch of Aurora and adds a nice touch of greenery to an otherwise paved area. I was impressed by the veterans' memorial cemetery within this cemetery (I've read that it was hoped it would be the Arlington of the West) with it's neat rows of too many stones and cannons that were once on the U.S.S. Constitution (Old Ironsides).

One or two block off Aurora, this neighborhood turns largely residential and some newer, denser housing has added sidewalks and a more tailored look (but this is the minority).

Streets adjacent to the cemetery are quiet and treed and some are really nice. I was impressed with the dead end streets just west of Evergreen Cemetery until I noticed a sign indicating that this was a prostitution and drug watch area and license numbers were being recorded.

The Interurban North Trail runs along the west side of the cemetery

Haller Lake Community Club is located just off 128th and Ashworth and has a large lot in the back with a sign indicating parking for renters and members only.

This area is home to Cyndy's House of Pancake (in business for 53 years), Fire Station 31,

Birhane Hiwot Eritrean Church,

a Burgermaster Drive In (which instructs the drivers to turn their lights on for service), two Aurora Avenue pedestrian overpasses

and a mural welcoming the traveler to historic Highway 99.

There were many things to see on this walk.