Color photo. Interior of The Waterwheel, a Seattle dive bar. It is packed full of people, sitting at tables and the bar, and many just standing. It is lit by strings of Christmas lights hanging from the wooden ceiling beams, from which tinsel garlands and wreaths also hang.

The last day of 2025 is here.

Three years ago some friends of mine went out for trivia on a Monday night.  Initially, they struck out.  The place they’d chosen was packed by the time they arrived, no room for another team to join.  Undeterred, a search was made for somewhere else hosting trivia that same evening.

They found The Waterwheel, the chillest dive bar ever, with a game excellently created and hosted by Leland Hirschman.

Monday became Trivia Night from then on, and I joined shortly thereafter.  Being self employed, with no consistent work schedule, it became one of the few fixed points in my week.  One that I looked forward to: prices within my meager budget, time with friends, and a fun game to play.

All good things end, though, and as the year comes to a close so too does The Waterwheel.  After 50 years, the dive will close its doors tonight.  This past Monday’s trivia night, being the last at that location, was packed; a record 27 teams competed.  Even the patio was full on a chill December evening.  So I felt the need to document that last hurrah, and share it.

But tomorrow is a new year, with new beginnings, and trivia night will continue, after a short break, at a new location.

Something to look forward to.  A simple thing, but those matter.  And my wish for you as the old year draws to a close is that you have something good to look forward as well.

Happy New Year

Gear: Nikon Z 7II, Nikon Z 24-70mm f2.8 S

Color photo. Interior of The Waterwheel, a Seattle dive bar. It is packed full of people, sitting at tables and the bar, and many just standing. It is lit by strings of Christmas lights hanging from the wooden ceiling beams, from which tinsel garlands and wreaths also hang.
Color photo. Exterior of The Waterwheel, a Seattle dive bar. The low building is at the back, with a mural depicting a building with a waterwheel over a river, next to which is a sign saying "The Waterwheel Lounge". A short damp driveway leads up to the building, and a gold colored minivan is parked on it. There is a fenced area to the right of the minivan, leading out to the street. It is lit by hanging strings of white lights. At the sidewalk end of the fence, a tall lit sign saying "Waterwheel" can be seen, depicting a martini glass with an olive, and a hamburger.