I took the day off from work today. Given my appreciation for the city, interest in getting to know it better, and love of walking, I figured it would be great to go for a walk on my day off. All day. I left home before 7:00 with Lesley and walked her to work. I walked all day and then arrived back at her work to walk home with her at 4:00.

The point wasn't to stay moving all day or stay on my feet, but just to stay out all day. I wanted to walk in areas that I like to spend time in and take some photos. I visited an awesome art gallery, relaxed at a park, and used the monorail to help me get back downtown more quickly.

The map to the right shows the basic route I took, but when walking through downtown, Pioneer Square, and the International District, I did a lot of zig zagging and backtracking. My route was so complex that Google Maps wouldn't let me map it all - at about the 49th stop it wouldn't let me add any more destinations. So, I actually walked farther than the map shows. I'd say I walked about 17 miles today.

Walking for that long is kind of a crazy thing to do, but I think it was a good idea. I really enjoyed it, it was good exercise, it was cheap, I got to know the city better, and it's something interesting that I'll remember forever. It was definitely a better use of time than staying at home today. Over the next few days, I'll be sharing some of my photos, experiences, and highlights from my walk.