Last Updated: July 25, 2006
Everett is a city of traditional vices, and this route takes you there via a pleasant ride that includes Greenlake, Meridian Ave N, and the full length of the Snohomish County Interurban Trail. The tour includes a trip by a popular strip club, a visit (with the help of one bus ride) to the sizeable Tulalip Casino, and after the day's riding is complete your choice of places for drinks. Stripping, gambling, and drinking: the classic sinner's trifecta.
Once you're in downtown Everett (i.e. after you reach the end of the Interurban Trail, and especially while traveling deeper into downtown via Colby Ave) you may prefer to use the sidewalk rather than the street. You may also prefer to use sidewalk areas on 128th St SE, 128th St SW, and Pacific Hwy (99).
It should also be noted that the Snohomish County Interurban Trail is a mixture of on-street bicycle lanes and paved trails. Look for the Interurban Trail signs and note the direction of the arrow to know which direction to go next, but even with this help it's sometimes easy to get confused (for example at 212th St SW, where you jog to the left onto the on-street bicycle lane on 63rd Ave W, then turn right onto 211th St SW). To avoid confusion, bring a copy of the map Bicycling in Snohomish County the first few times you ride this trail.
N 3rd Ave R Blanchard St L 7th Ave R Dexter Ave N C Fremont Bridge R N 34th St L Stone Way N C Greenlake Way N C E Green Lake Way N R Wallingford Ave N R N 92nd St L College Way N C Meridian Ave N L N 122nd St R Densmore Ave N R N 128th St L Meridian Ave N C 76th Ave W R 228th St SW L 73rd Pl W R 226th Pl SW L Interurban Trail to 128th St SE
The Interurban Trail follows 128th St SE briefly, then turns right to continue north into Everett. Instead of turning back onto the trail, continue west on 128th St SE as follows:
C 128th St SE C 128th St SW L E Gibson Rd R Gibson Rd L Pacific Hwy (99)
This leads you to Honey's strip club (12902 Hwy 99, open noon-2am Mon-Sat). As a dancer at Honey's explained it to me, their club is able to be much less "strict" than national chains such as the Deja Vu - a fact which may be more obvious with the higher-priced dances in their "VIP" area. The best nearby place to park your bicycle is the bike rack at the neighboring casino, and if you need more water or food there's a "Food Emporium" a few blocks further along on 99.
It's also worth noting that Lynnwood (just south of you) is home to the famed New Horizons Club, which is widely considered the finest swinger's club in the entire country: in other words, for straight couples who are attracted to the idea of sex with other straight couples as a social activity, it's basically paradise on earth.
In any case, once you're done exploring the businesses on 99, retrace your steps back to the Interurban Trail and continue on that trail heading north. When the trail ends, turn left on 41st St and right on Colby Ave (using the sidewalk as your comfort level dictates) to continue into downtown Everett.
At this point, to get to the area's big attraction (the Tulalip Casino) you'll need to take a short ride with your bike on mass transit: getting there by bike is far too uncomfortable by any reasonably direct route, but fortunately the busses in this area all have front racks that bicycles can be loaded onto. To get from the Everett Station at 3201 Smith Ave to a place close to the casino, take Community Transit "Smokey Point" routes 200, 201, or 202. Get off at State Ave and 88th St NE, and then continue west on 88th St NE. After you cross the I-5 freeway turn right on Quil Ceda, then bear right to proceed on Quil Ceda Blvd rather than Quil Ceda Pkwy, and continue for slightly under one mile to reach the casino at 10200 Quil Ceda Blvd. The last bus back currently leaves State Ave and 88th St NE towards downtown Everett at 9:37pm weekdays, 8:08pm Saturdays, and 6:59pm Sundays and holidays, and the casino is open 10am-6am Mon-Wed and 24 hours on other days.
It's worth noting that of the three biggest casinos in Washington State, the Tulalip Casino has far-and-away the best Vegas-style buffet.
Once you're back in downtown Everett, you'll probably find that the city's bars are the only real nightlife: in other words, you may wish to check into your hotel and do the rest of your tour on foot. With that in mind, one possibility for overnight lodging is the centrally-located Travelodge, on Broadway St just north of Pacific Ave (call 425-259-6141 for reservations).
Many of the city's bars are on either Colby Ave or Hewitt St, or else nearer the waterfront. The city's gay and lesbian bar (the Everett Underground) is located at 1212 California St by Marine View Dr, and is open until 2am Mon-Sat.
To get from the Travelodge to Everett Station in the morning for your return trip, head south on Broadway and turn left on 32nd St. The Sounder Commuter Rail toward Seattle currently leaves weekdays at 6:10am and 6:40am (board at one of the doors marked with a bicycle symbol) as well as at 9:55am and 8:54pm (those last two departures being provided by Amtrak, and which are also available on Saturdays and Sundays). Alternatively, the ride back via the bus routes Sound Transit 510 or 513 is surprisingly fast and pleasant.
N/S/E/W North/South/East/West L/R Left/Right BL/BR Bear Left/Right C Continues as
