Chris Walsh (chris_walsh) wrote,
Chris Walsh
chris_walsh

And at least one nice picture happened during it

Another free-ish day, and another I spent getting around thanks to my usual threesome: feet, buses, and trains. (Wait, what did you think I'd say?)

And because I'd wanted to finally finish what I'd hoped to do a week ago, I succeeded in riding the WES from Beaverton to its southern end at Wilsonville, wandered around Wilsonville for about 40 minutes, and got an early dinner at Sonic. On a nice day, a day I don't think I got sunburned in (thanks, sunblock!) but I'll see about that. Time to note stuff:

  • Riding the WES is civilized. Closer to a long-haul train than light rail is, close enough that I briefly flashed on that scene in Unbreakable. Saw a little more of how the line runs: it has three cars, all of which apparently spend the midday in Wilsonville then get sent north on a staggered schedule so that when one's leaving Wilsonville to return to Beaverton, a southbound WES passes within a few minutes and the third train passes in Beaverton. I also saw what look like two backup WES trains (different train design, with TriMet logos) on a siding about 50 yards to the northeast of the Wilsonville stop. And the views are nice: slight hills, woods and fields near Wilsonville, more developed north of there.

  • I'm really no longer used to suburbs. I committed to walking around a part of Wilsonville and that took a while, as it's spread out. And I just went to about half a mile south of the transit center where the WES stops. But it's a spread-out, mostly industrial (warehouses mainly) area, not really neighborhood-y. I don't know how close I was to places people actually live. I like stuff being closer in; another reason I'm in Portland. I haven't really lived in suburbs since high school, and I graduated in 1992. It's been small towns like Hermiston (11,000 and fairly contained), mid-sized cities like Eugene (population 50,000) and here. I must have the "walk somewhere" option!

  • *checks* Looks like I didn't have enough sunblock on my face. OK, skin lotion now...

  • A nicely random (for me) moment as I returned to Portland: while waiting at Beaverton Transit Center for a MAX light-rail train, I heard the drone of several prop planes. And looked up to see seven World War II-era planes fly over, eastbound, in formation. The one in the middle was larger, a bomber likely; probably not a B-17, though, as I didn't see a turret in the bottom of the fuselage.

    It was random for me because I'm sure the pilots knew where they were going. Still, don't see 70-year-old airplanes every day. Except 70 years ago.

  • And that was my afternoon. Some of it. I don't tell y'all everything. Deal.
    • Tags: peregrinations
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