A bird has gotta stretch its wings or it dies.

A bird can take only so much of being bound and chained at the ankles until one of two events ensue: (a) insanity or (b) eating the high cost of gas, getting into the car and driving to the next nearest town.

That is my pickle and solution Sunday. I HAD to get outta Dodge and I did for a day.

Olympia, the state capitol, is, on a Sunday, a pleasant and easy 35-mile drive south. I’d been before for political rallies on the capitol steps and one pleasure trip. Sunday’s was the second and this time I took along the camera. No spectacular shots here, just this ‘n’ that that caught my eye …

The original historic Olympia is a straight shot a mile down the road from the capitol and Sunday’s a great day to go, the political buzz is quieted, traffic’s light and parking’s free.

The weather on the other hand …

Not so nice. Typical skies. Remember, we’re now in the heart of spring, weeks away from summer, and this is what we get!

Anyhow, I simply followed the main drag (Capitol) to wherever it led … and that was a dead end at the Farmers Market. Don’t see many weather-vane pigs about!

They were packing up just as I arrived; still afforded a glance at some of the goodies – the locally-grown fruits and veggies and crafts. Priiiicey but fun to look. Will hafta come down earlier next time.

The next pathway put me at:

Olympia’s port. The port plaza’s an ongoing project and they’re doing a pretty nice job, I must say. It has a more upscale feeling and appearance than Tacoma’s port, which I’m almost certain is larger and handles more traffic. That’s to be expected. Tacoma is Grit and blue-collar, Olympia’s the capitol, wealthy white-collar and a popular tourist destination. Olympia’s got the money and it pours beaucoup bucks into pleasing impressions.

I’m a climber, always have been, always will be, so when there’s an opportunity to go up …

Those residences look pretty lush. They can’t be cheap!

And yes, I waited for that gull to enter the frame. Off in the distance is the capitol. Here, I’ll zoom in:

‘Cause I liked the name:

In looks and vibe and charms, downtown Olympia reminds me a lot of Moscow, Idaho … with a touch of Boise, Idaho, on a smaller, more intimate and far more politically liberal scale … and some hippie from Eugene, Oregon. A very pleasant stroll indeed and many interesting little shops, including one amazing used bookstore, to waylay me one too many times along the journey!

Wherever I go — and going is what I LOOOOOVE — like a hound, I inevitably sniff out the newspaper office. The paper’s since up and moved. Vacant space if you’re interested:

More from the old Theater District:

I ended up in a little shop here that sells hippie posters, shirts, incense and the such:

Got to talking with the proprietor, an aging hippie guy who used to follow the Dead around. A really delightful fellow with gray hair who’d been around, a kindred spirit except politically. We must’ve chatted a good half hour! I left only because a tall lanky punky-hippie buddy dude in black with the requisite tats and a black cat on his shoulder arrived. I’ll know where to go on my next visit! Never did get the old hippie’s name …

Take 30 steps to arrive at this massive building (massive in relation to the single- and 2-story surrounding structures). Will you take a look at that detail along the roof!?

The walk’s not over but this is a good place to stop. While a brief daytrip barely scratched the wanderlust itch or satiated the love of and need for travel, any change of scenery is better than no change at all. I’m just warming up for the Big Move and Total Sweeping Changes next month! So stay tuned for more delights from downtown Olympia.

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