Flâneurs

Indeed, I ended up doing the third June Challenge in September, just as I did the second in July and the first in August.

From the options for Theme III, I ruled out the first two (lately I drive to work, plus if I used the public transit route I used to use, the results wouldn't be very interesting; finally, it was a weekend, so I didn't want to end up at work) and chose option D randomly. Starting from my apartment in downtown San José, I picked an hour for my duration, and went:

left on South 2nd St. to begin, passing by familiar scenery (the only urban density on the route)

right onto Paseo de San Antonio, a pedestrian corridor going past the Camera 12 movie theater among other things (hmm, "Red Hook Summer", I should see that)

left onto South 1st, right onto West San Carlos, left onto Market: this gets closer to the convention center area, with hotels and stuff, but also lots of empty storefronts with "For Lease" signs

right onto Balbach and left onto Almaden Ave., entering a residential area (the rest of the walk continued to be residential), after which I crossed under the 280 freeway (I had thought that starting this challenge from my apartment would be tricky since I live in a neighborhood that's completely encircled by four different freeways, but fortunately there are enough underpasses).

right onto Grant, passing a bakery that smelled really nice (but seemed to be closed), left onto Almaden Blvd. (not to be confused with Almaden Ave.), which became Vine; I passed by an apparent salsa dance class going on in someone's front yard, to the tune of a Spanish cover of "My Heart Will Go On"

right onto Oak, where I found a store to buy a new flavor of paleta (changunga), left onto Locust, right onto Willow, which had a brief spattering of businesses, including several yummy-smelling taquerias, left onto Palm, right onto Humboldt, left onto Lick. From here I could see Tamien Station, the next station south of Diridon, where I get off to go home if I'm taking public transit from work or San Francisco. Only a few trains actually stop there, so I'd never been before.

Right onto Alma, where I was convinced I saw a bear in the parking lot of a new-looking high-rise development, but it was actually a woman in a brown dress. My hour ran out just before I would have crossed under the 87 freeway and train tracks. Walked back to Tamien to catch the light rail to go home (only 11 minutes, as compared to an hour walk; for once, the light rail is good for something).

Also there are pictures.

I was busy in June, so I decided to do the June challenges in July. I don't expect credit or anything :-)

Theme I, option A says:

"Get on the first bus that comes along (and that you're able to get onto).
While travelling on the bus, look out of the window until you see something interesting.
Get off at the next stop, go back, and thoroughly investigate the interesting thing"

I started from home, in downtown San José, California. I live right on a transit mall street, so I literally walk out the door and see a bus stop with six or seven different bus lines. VTA buses are terrible, but even on a Saturday afternoon, where I live is enough like a transit hub that there are buses every few minutes. I only had to wait a minute or two before the 23 bus (destination: De Anza College, in Cupertino) arrived...
( Read more... )

This is a walk I did a couple of weeks ago, but I didn't get around to doing the writeup. For Theme III, I chose option (d): "First, choose the duration of your adventure; anything from five minutes to five hours. Start at your home or workplace. Take the first left, then the second right, then the first left, then the second right, etc, etc."

I started from the Mountain View public library at Franklin and Mercy in downtown Mountain View, California (two blocks from my workplace), and decided to walk for an hour, extending it for another hour if I was having fun.

( I didn't extend it. )