Today's walk started at the Northgate Target store. Across from the store is a park. It replaced an old Park and Ride lot and is perfectly flat with grass but very little shrubbery. After passing an Assisted Living Facility, I came to Northgate Way and walked east. 24 Hour Fitness is still there but I can't remember if the big Total Wines & More store was there 12 years ago. I only counted two mattress stores where there had been three. Coming to Northgate Village, I noted that a Halloween Store occupied the space that had been Pacific Fabric.

I checked out the TJ Maxx store and I'm guessing that it had less clothing than it once did. There seemed to be a lot of suitcases though. Next, I walked north to check out the big hole in the ground where Display and Costume once stood. The owners wanted to retire and found that the property was more valuable than the business. Across Roosevelt Way, I spotted a large new residential building (pictured above) then walked into the medium-sized QFC which hardly seems big enough for all the housing that has been built nearby. In the parking lot, I noticed security cameras that are powered by a solar panel. This morning, I read that Kroger which owns QFC and Fred Meyer may be buying Albertson and Safeway stores. That would be quite a change.
East of the QFC parking lot is a small natural area with a few gravel paths. I walked around and took a path back to Northgate way where I passed Idris Masque before coming to ...

... a fence which illustrates that not everyone misses blackberry patches as much as I do.

Veering onto 24th Avenue NE, I spotted a sign indicating that there was no parking on the walkway. It was nice to know that I was on a walkway because it looked more like a parking strip.
Reaching Lake City Way, a noted a Used Car lot (inventory in these lots appears to have decreased) and a Cannabis shop (there seem to be more of these around). Across Lake City Way, I saw staircase down to 105th Street but I walked north to 107th observing the progress on converting an unfinished furniture store into housing. Along 107th, I spied air conditioning units in apartment windows, this is pretty new for Seattle.

At Ravenna Avenue NE, I spotted Nathan Hale High School and the Meadowbrook Gardens and Orchard. I walked along side the gardens then ...

... up the hill to the orchards. I wound my way to Alicia Park and ...

... found a footpath at 98th and 40th that offered me a shortcut to 97th Street.
Along my 5 mile walk, I spotted one Little Free Library which contained paperback novels.


Later in the day, my husband and I enjoyed beer and "Boats" at Tangle Town Public House. I was glad that I had walked off the calories first!



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