Walking Downtown through the U District and Eastlake

On Monday, a friend and I took a 13.5 mile walk from the North End through Ravenna and the U District, over the University Bridge, along the shore of Lake Union to 9th Avenue, then along Bell to 1st Avenue and west to Macrina Bakery where we had a wonderful lunch before walking to the bus tunnel.

We crossed Ravenna Park at 20th Avenue NE and looked down on the paths below.

Then we walked to Candy Cane Lane

and Ravenna Boulevard,

admiring the gardens

and quiet residential streets before crossing University Bridge and watching the kayakers on Portage Bay.

We walked the Cheshiahud Loop along Lake Union and noted many small parks along the way (South Passage Point Park, Good Turn Park, Fairview Park and Community Pea Patch, Roanoke Street Mini Park, Terry Pettus Park and South Lake Union Park).

We spotted a "His and Hers" swing near a new houseboat community at Wards Cove and saw more house boats and condos than we knew existed.

We passed the Blue Ribbon Cooking Culinary Center and the Eastlake Bouledrome where it's possible to play Petanque, Pete's Super Market,

and a number of waterways where small, portagable craft can enter the lake.

Leaving the lake, we stopped into City Hardware and were impressed with the selection, then passed Bell Street Park before turning onto 1st Avenue.

This was a great walk with lots of discoveries.