It was the late 80’s. Alaska Air offered $68 roundtrip airfare from SFO to Seattle-cheap. Just had to go. Walked around those areas and there were just a few homeless. Today I wouldn’t go to any of those cities. They were once great road trips where one could watch their favorite team when they were in town. Enjoy the fine cuisine at Hooters. I think it’s not just Hooters that paid the price for all these derelicts.
In the mid 70s, I worked in the PNW from Longview to Tacoma, from Port Angeles to Anacortes, from Seattle to Wenatchee. Loved it every minute. It was wonderful before the Long Slide began. It’s amazing how badly our “D” cities have turned to sh!t in less than one lifetime. Unfortunately, human memory of what it used to be like is disappearing.