By David Hampshire

Did I tell you I know of a way to get from SeaTac to the Anacortes ferry terminal for $3.50? That’s right, three dollars and 50 cents.

Interested? If not, go to the next story. But if you’re still with me, there are a few things you need to know.

First, I am an unabashed cheapskate. Second, I’m a mass-transit junkie. Third, I’ve only done this on weekdays. Fourth, I travel light — carrying only a large backpack and a canvas briefcase. Fifth, I’m retired, so taking an extra hour or two doesn’t bother me a bit. Sixth, my daughter thinks I’m crazy. And seventh, I’m a card-carrying senior citizen and take advantage of reduced fares, so you could be paying more — maybe seven or eight bucks. But that’s still a screamin’ deal, right?

Don’t get me wrong. The Bellair shuttle is comfortable, and I’ve ridden it several times. But as we all know, its schedule doesn’t match up with the ferry’s arrival and departure times. Ditto with the flight times at SeaTac. So you could be waiting an hour or more for the next bus. Plus, it’s boring. And did I tell you that I’m a cheapskate?

So it wasn’t long before I started looking for alternatives. And this is what I learned.

First, getting from SeaTac to downtown Seattle is a piece of cake. It’s a bit of a walk from the terminal to the Link light-rail station, but there’s a free airport shuttle that will take you there. We’re counting, so let’s make that vehicle number one.

At the Link kiosk, you choose your destination — Westlake — and buy a reduced-fare (senior) ticket for a buck. The train runs every 10 minutes, at least during business hours, so the wait isn’t an issue.

To make this transaction legal, you need to buy an ORCA Regional Reduced Fare Permit. I think I paid three bucks for mine at the Westlake Station information desk. It has paid for itself many times over. As far as I can tell, the permit doesn’t expire until I do.

Anyway, Link takes you to Westlake in about 40 minutes. It can get a little crowded during peak times, but hey, that’s why it’s called mass transit. We’re still counting, so that’s vehicle number two.

You get off at Westlake, ride the escalators to the street level and head for the corner of 4th Avenue and Pine Street. I have no sense of direction, so I can’t tell you which corner the bus stop is on, but it’s next to a patch of concrete the locals call Westlake Park. You wait for the Sound Transit express bus to Everett Station. During business hours it runs every 15 minutes. Depending on the time of day, it’s either the 510 or the 512. The 510 makes fewer stops and gets there a bit faster.

The ride to Everett generally takes about an hour, but it can be 30 minutes longer during rush hour. If you’re a senior, it will cost you another buck. So you’re up to two bucks and three vehicles.

At Everett Station, you transfer to the Skagit Transit 90X (express) bus to Mt. Vernon. These buses run at least every hour in the mornings and afternoons, every two hours between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. If you have to wait, there are benches inside the station.

The 90X bus takes about an hour to get to Mt. Vernon. As a senior, it will set you back another buck. So you’re up to three bucks and four vehicles.

At Mt. Vernon Station you’re going to transfer to the Skagit Transit 40X (express) bus to March’s Point. These buses also run every hour. If you have to wait, there are seats, restrooms and a coffee shop inside the station. But if you have 30 minutes or more, you can walk 100 yards or so to the Skagit River Brewery and meditate over a Bodhizafa IPA. The brewery is right next to the tracks, and if you’re lucky you’ll get to feel the walls shake as a freight train comes barreling through.

The standard fare on the 40X bus is a buck, but as a senior, it’s fifty cents. Ask for a transfer. You’ll need it at March’s Point. So now you’re in your fifth vehicle and you’ve spent three dollars and a half.

At the March’s Point Station, which is near the road to the Anacortes oil refineries, you’re going to use that transfer to take your sixth vehicle, the Skagit Transit 410 bus, to the ferry. If you study the schedule, you’ll notice that the 410 leaves March’s Point at the same time that the 40X arrives, or five minutes later, depending on the time of day. So you’ll need to alert the 40X driver that you have to make that connection. If the 40X is running late, the driver will call ahead and ask the 410 driver to wait.

By the time you reach the ferry, you’ll have spent maybe an hour or two longer than if you had taken the Bellair shuttle.

By now you’re thinking that my daughter is right, that I am crazy. But hear me out.

First, these days I’m almost never in a hurry unless I really have to pee. One of my favorite bumper stickers says, “Go around me. I’m retired.”

Second, I get to talk to more people and see a lot more of the scenery than if I’m riding straight down the Interstate in a mechanized cocoon.

Third, making mass-transit connections can be a great adrenaline rush. Sometimes, when I get off one vehicle, I don’t know whether I’m arriving just in time to catch the next one or watch it disappear in the distance.

Fourth, you may have noticed that I like to count things, including the number of vehicles I ride in a day. It’s a game. More is better. From my home in Salt Lake City, it takes two vehicles (bus and light rail) to get to the airport. The plane to SeaTac makes three. Add the six between SeaTac and the ferry (see above) and I’m up to nine. The ferry makes 10. A ride from the Friday Harbor terminal makes 11. My record is 12: During a recent trip, there was an accident blocking the Link track that forced me to transfer to the 106 bus between the Rainier Beach and Mt. Baker light-rail stations.

And fifth, did I mention that I’m a cheapskate?

Freelance writer David Hampshire divides his time between homes in Utah and Friday Harbor.