Goin' to Seattle

[Whitty]

Hey VCers-

 

Making my first sojourn to the Pacific NW in August to visit a friend in Seattle (Wallingford, to be precise)

 

Looking for interesting things to see, places to wander, record shops/quirky boutiques/markets to browse, and eats to uh, eat.

 

The two touristy things I'll probably do are Pike Place Market and perhaps the EMP.

[jhh4321]

The two touristy things I'll probably do are Pike Place Market and perhaps the EMP.

 

EMP is an obvious choice but it is realllly fuggin awesome.

I also saw the Boeing factory when I was there which is way cool.

I went in the Space Needle, nothing exciting but some decent views I guess.

Can't remember any local secrets as I was only there for a few days but it is a great city.

[redpillbox]

As a native I would say you are on the right track. It's what everyone does, but if I had to suggest one place I would say the Pike Place Market, remember to stop at the fresh doughnut shop, it's about 2' x 4' and sell bags of cinnamon doughnut holes for about 3 bucks or something...if you are facing the main fish-throwers go straight and then a left and it will be on your left. If you are interested in the musical history I would suggest checking out the Showbox (my personal favorite venue in Seattle and right across the street from the Pike Place Market) and the Crocodile Cafe on 2nd Ave (all the Seattle bands have played here). You can check the schedules/lineups online. Jimi's grave is about 30 minutes from Seattle.

 

The EMP is worth the trip.

 

 

Easy Street Records is a great record store. There is one in Queen Anne and one in West Seattle.

 

 

I would say skip the Needle, as it is insanely expensive and the view can be had from the top of Queen Anne for free.

 

 

The sculpture garden on the waterfront is a great new addition to the downtown landscape.

 

 

If you are into books and bookstores a trip to the independent Elliot Bay Bookstore in Pioneer Square is a must.

 

Basically the thing that makes Seattle what it is is the view and proximity to water/mountains. So soak up the views and enjoy the summer here and you really can't go wrong.

 

But seriously...get the cinnamon doughnuts.

[a.miller]

I'll go with what others have said -- the EMP alone is worth the trip. I started a similar thread a while back. It was pretty brief, but can be found here.

[Basil II]

visit

 

 

Tractor tavern

 

 

and the Triangle Tavern

 

 

 

yeah.....

 

 

-Robert.

[blindgonzo]

hey everyone...i need some advice for those of you who know/have been to seattle.

 

i'll be going there with my brother, just for 1 night (21st) and i need a place to stay. the Green Tortoise Hostel is booked up which i'm really bummed about. i've been looking at some hotels online and there are a few possibilities, but i thought that if any of you maybe know of a cheap (but not too grubby) place that's close to downtown you might let me know.

 

also, how far is redmond/marymoore park from downtown. i will want to get to the park fairly early before Wilco and am just curious how long it would take to get there, and if i can take a bus/taxi or something like that. thanks for any info!!

[echo]

stay here:

 

 

http://www.acehotel.com/seattle/

[blindgonzo]

thanks, that looks really awesome, but they're all booked up

[cryptique]

We stayed here a few years ago. It's a pretty nice hotel ... the neighborhood can be a *bit* dicey, but I thought it was OK altogether (just be smart and alert), and you can walk down to the Sound from the hotel. It's at Pioneer Square, and across the square is a place that does tours of the Seattle "underground" (the stuff beneath the streets), which we did and thought it was pretty cool.

 

They have a small parking garage a couple of blocks up the street.

[blindgonzo]

thanks for the suggestions!!

 

we've decided that since we'll be taking the 'quick shuttle', which picks us up in downtown vancouver and drops us off in downtown seattle, right in front of the best western executive inn, we'll just stay there. it's a little more $$ than what i wanted, but it's easy and the location seems pretty good.

 

would anyone be able to tell me about the options for getting out to redmond? does the monorail go out that far? bus routes?

 

thanks again for any suggestions!

[cryptique]

Why Redmond?

 

If you're hoping to go see the Microsoft megacampus (and aren't an authorized visitor), prepare to get hustled off the grounds by their security services. The place is all open and you can drive right in, but you're not actually supposed to be there and the rent-a-cops will see to it that you leave quickly.

 

We got lucky and the dude who ushered us off the premises turned out to be a really nice guy and talked to us for several minutes (where're ya from, etc.), but he was quite firm about us leaving.

[blindgonzo]

redmond is where Marymoore Park is, is it not? I'm going to the wilco show and thought that's where the venue is...

[cryptique]

redmond is where Marymoore Park is, is it not? I'm going to the wilco show and thought that's where the venue is...

I just automatically assume that anyone going to Redmond has some interest in Microsoft.

[blindgonzo]

nope, not much interest in Micrsoft...but if i was interested, thanks for the heads up!

[Whitty]

I posted this on another forum originally. An overly thorough outsider's perspective on the Pacific Northwest:

 

 

Part one

 

******

 

Many of the rumors are true.

 

-There is coffee all over the damn place. Seattle must be a very regular city for all I can tell. The one city in the country where one can drink Starbucks and claim to be helping out local business.

 

-It's liberal. You see "Impeach Bush" bumper stickers with the frequency one spies Dale Earnhardt stickers in these parts.

 

-White people, white people, white people! Nothing wrong with that of course, but it was odd to visit a large city and see so many ivory-hued faces dominating the landscape.

 

-Those white people seem very laid back and friendly, fitting in with the West Coast vibe. My only other Left Coast experience involved SoCal, where the easygoing attitude at times seems like an act. Actually that whole corner of the country seems like an act... but back on topic, the relaxed character of Seattle seems completely genuine. City crosswalks and intersections are orderly affairs- nothing like the agitated wildebeest herds back East. Even the record store clerks said "Good morning" and "Thanks" for God's sake.

 

 

My first sojourn into Seattle proper was brief, as we (myself, my good buddy Kevin, and his gal Julie) passed through the city on my first Sunday morning in Washington to head north to the San Juan Islands. Some patented drizzle speckled the windshield on I-5 past Everett, giving all the evergreens their trademark stoic Northwest look. Luckily, that would be the last of the wet stuff I'd see for a while. The sky was already clearing out as we lined up for the ferry at Anacortes. Again, no grumbling about "when the hell is it getting here?" or inordinate watch-checking- everyone was content to peruse the paper and sip some java. I had a latte as Kev and I strolled around the mud flats. Some seaweed looked to make an interesting photo subject:

 

 

Onto the ferry, and onward to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. We made for Lime Kiln Park (only whale-watching park in the country don't ya know?) and had a picnic lunch of salami sandwiches, Tillamook cheddar, and avocadoes. No orcas, but some porpoises and kayakers made an appearance on a gloriously sunny afternoon. The madrona trees captivated me. Gorgeous, abstract patterns in the exfoliating bark lend themselves to some macro shots:

 

 

A trip to South Beach (on pretty much the exact opposite end of the nation from that other, more famous South Beach) produced some driftwood for our campfire. The beached, bleached logs and twigs are copious here as are the fat rabbits lolling in the spacious, English-looking seaside meadow. From there, we headed to San Juan Park to set up camp. Beers by the shore seemed mandatory. Some seals bobbed up amongst the kelp, looking like plump meatballs nestled in spaghetti as they glanced at us before re-submerging. Did I mention that it's absolutely spectacular up here? This is what it started to look like as the shadows got long:

 

 

So ummm, yeah, that's pretty nice. Dinner consisted of fresh salmon with lemon, dill, onions, sweet peppers, and a heart-sputtering amount of butter. We roasted some corn wrapped in foil, too. My view whilst dining:

 

 

The sun set behind Vancouver Island, some fishing boats motored through, and we drank a few beers by the fire. A fox nonchalantly ambled through camp a yard or two away, paying us precisely zero attention as he attended to some pressing fox business. I took another walk down to the water as the near full moon arced overhead, and then retired for the evening.

 

I got up early to find that the breeze had died down, so I ventured back down to the water to watch for seals and enjoy the tranquility. This pic nicely sums up the stillness just after dawn:

 

 

 

 

Some more scenic drives around the island on Monday morning. Lots of geography for a fairly small speck of land. Some of the little valleys and farms on San Juan could pass for the more pine-strewn highlands back home in the Virginia mountains. We went to Friday Harbor for lunch before catching the ferry back to the mainland. Front Street Ale House does it right, kids. Enjoyed a hearty ale and a massive dose of Jalapeno Fish & Chips (made with a chili-beer batter and pieces of jalapeno in there too). Back to the mainland, but San Juan will stick with me for a long time. A beautiful spot that hardly seems like America at all.

 

 

Wallingford has a somewhat English feel with the narrow streets, little roundabout intersections, and gardens overflowing everywhere out towards the sidewalk- lavender, zinnias, hydrangea, bulging apples and pears, even figs. Lots of house-proud homeowners in this inviting neighborhood. Went to dinner Monday night at Djan's, a little Thai joint located in an old converted house. The overwhelmingly white interior was welcoming as I dug into some spring rolls, Panang curry, and brown rice. Cool (as in literally "cool" looking, temperature wise), simple decor and ambiance, attentive service, and reasonable prices. Oh yeah- the food is damn fine, and bursting with obviously home-tested flavor. After dinner, it was off to Murphy's, one of those not-particularly-Irish Irish pubs, but it did at least have live Irish music, darts, and stout on draught. We downed some stouts and watched John Lackey baffle the Mariners.

 

 

Tuesday began with a quick tour of Fremont in the morning. The troll, Lenin, and a pleasing lack of chain stores and restaurants were all in full effect. A stop in Sonic Boom satisfied my jones for riffling through the used CD bin, and used bins in Seattle are far more interesting than used bins in not-quite-rural Virginia. Went to the locks in Ballard later in the morning. Don't ask me how all the water stays where it's supposed to be. The salmon were running- big boys, too. The fish ladder was crowded with chinooks weighing several dozen pounds, carrying out their anadromous duties. I wish I had more time to explore Ballard, but downtown awaited.

 

Took the bus down to the heart of the city, under the monorail, past the original Nordstrom, where Kevin and I disembarked and made a beeline for the Pike Place Market. Fortunately, the human maelstrom I've observed when seeing this place on some travel shows was somewhat calmer than usual, it being a Tuesday after all. Nevertheless, the crowds were ample, the smells of seafood, deep fryers, fresh produce, and handmade candles lingered, and stalls were encamped in virtually every nook in the joint. It's the kind of place the word "bustling" was intended to describe. I bought some original watercolors for the lady-friend, eyeballed an awful lot of tempting berries, and retreated to the more placid lower levels to scrounge some lunch. World Class Chili is tucked down there, about the most unassuming place you'll ever find that touts itself as "world class". Looks like the same lunch counter that inhabits pretty much every town in the country. I got a bowl of hot Texas-style and cornbread served on a humble plastic tray. Ouch. The "hot" is no joke here- none of that wishy-washy "zesty" that the chain places always try to pass off as some sort of extreme taste explosion. This stuff was merciless, meaty, and pleasantly greasy. At least three other diners were regulars, as I heard the manager addressing each by name. This is a fun place for an unpretentious meal. Maybe stick with the medium heat, though.

 

More wanderings- down to Pioneer Square, where I noodled on some basses at Bass Northwest. Nice store, although I was hoping for more vintage stuff to check out. They specialize in the higher end stuff (some beautiful Alembics in there), but since I already have a higher-end new school bass, a purchase will wait until another day. Had a quick drink in a dive nearby with an ancient looking mirror and bar. Nice and seedy, even on a Tuesday in the middle of the afternoon. Took a walk around the waterfront and absorbed the sunshine which seemed to just spill out of every inch of sky that day. We went to meet up with some of Kevin's friends for happy hour at Contour in Pioneer Square. For a place that converts into a trendy late-night DJ hangout, the happy hour is remarkably down-to-Earth. Two-dollar drafts and an impressive $1.95 appetizer menu. The calamari was light and crispy (nice cilantro dipping sauce, too) and the tomato-honey-basil soup was superb, and the price can't be beat. You'd pay twice that for a few lousy jalapeno poppers at most places. Time to head down to Safeco for the M's/Angels game!

 

Safeco is a sharp-looking park. It doesn't quite have the distinctive character of the newer stadiums in Philly, Pittsburgh, or San Francisco, but the fans were enthusiastic after a 5-run surge by the home squad in the bottom of the first, and the overpriced Fat Tire was plenty cold. This was fun. We were perched up in the left field bleachers near the foul pole, affording us a great view of the entire field and the ensuing meltdown by the M's. Vlad Guerrero did some serious damage, spanking four hits as the Halos rallied for the 10-6 win. Like "Cowboy Up" for the 2004 Red Sox or the Rally Monkey for the 2002 Angels, Seattle's Rally Fries had become a totem for the 2007 team (at least until they began to free-fall during the week I visited...). I had to sample a portion during the later innings, to see if the mojo worked. I'll admit- they aren't the most spectacular cuisine you'll sample. They're basically (good) fries topped with that overly pungent garlic-in-a-jar, and served with an incongruous slice of apple to remind you of what state you're in while you assault your circulatory system. I ate the whole lot regardless, and enjoyed it thoroughly. No rally could be conjured though, and a lot of fans headed for the exits in the 8th inning. Fairweathers. We stuck it out to the bitter end, and headed home after a long day.

[Whitty]

Wednesday meant breakfast at Julia's in Wallingford. Recommended. I had a scramble with eggs, smoked salmon, scallions, and cream cheese. Plenty of wheat toast and preserves and coffee (natch) rounded things out. From there, we went down to the EMP and Sci-Fi Museum. Honestly, I was a little underwhelmed by the whole deal, but to be fair, I just didn't have adequate time to invest. I greatly enjoyed the guitar history exhibit, and jamming out upstairs on the instruments, but this place is intended for a lot of sitting and listening to the extensive interviews and archival materials housed there. If you have just a couple hours to browse around, it's not a complete experience, but neither is it a total waste of time. I'm not a massive sci-fi geek by any means, but seeing some of the Star Wars costumes and the police car from Blade Runner was a hoot.

 

Had to take a picture of this thing, too of course:

 

 

We headed across downtown to Uwajimaya in the International District to pick up some goods for dinner. The produce section in this Asian mega-mart is stocked with all manner of phallic vegetable exotica as well as fresh wasabi root (a mere 60 bucks a pound!) and the infamous durian, which I dared not try, though the thought briefly skirted by. We settled on prawns, some luscious tuna tenderloin, rice noodles, and bok choy. I threw together a pretty damn nice dinner: prawns sauteed with sake, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce; stir fried bok choy; noodles with a touch of soy, Sriracha, and toasted sesame seeds, and that most excellent bit of tuna brushed with soy, ginger, and Sriracha and seared for about 20 seconds on each side. That was good, but we craved more- off to Red Mill Burgers for a milkshake (chocolate-banana: the king of all shakes) and then a little stroll by Green Lake. I took some photos as the sun went down. This one is a little blurry and off-level, but I like it for some reason:

 

 

Another terrific day done. What's all this I hear about rain?

 

 

Thursday and Friday were my "free days" since Kevin had to return to work. Woodland Park Zoo made for a nice day on Thursday. The gorillas were playful and so was the tiger cub happily batting around an oversized ball like any other kitten. Some impressive birds on display too in the free-flying rainforest aviary. The toucans, hornbills, and great grey owls were also amazing to see. The arctic foxes are curious little things- one of the most intelligent looking faces on any four-legged animal. They look right back at you like an equal. Apart from the tiger cub, the other big cats do what most other big cats do in zoos, which is fuck-all. Nice to see a snow leopard though- one of the most beautiful animals on the planet.

 

I cooked dinner on Thursday night for my hosts: pork chops in white wine sauce (wine courtesy of the excellent City Cellars in Wallingford) with fresh dill and basil; local mini-potatoes with sour cream and dill; heirloom tomato slices (courtesy of the Wallingford farmer's market) broiled with basil and fresh mozzarella. After that goodness, Kev and I went to the Park Pub in Phinney Ridge for some excellent beers and free pool. Every bar in the city seems to have a dozen beers on tap. Choice is good. Not to boast, but we absolutely whipped all challengers in sissy pool (8-ball). All in good fun though- chatted with some locals (at least one of whom wore a George Bush war criminal shirt), and enjoyed a pretty hot two-piece band with a keyboardist and drummer laying down some demanding MMW-type stuff.

 

My last full day (after an early morning jaunt east on I-90 to Snoqualmie to see some deep evergreen country in the Cascades) was spent doing some gift-shopping, junk store browsing, and general wandering, mostly around Fremont, which was my favorite neighborhood of my visit. Some of that famous drizzle made an appearance in mid-afternoon, but I was happily in the vicinity of the George & Dragon, an English pub on 36th Street. It certainly smelled like a pub actually does in Great Britain and had the correct black timber accents and worn-to-hell dull red carpeting, so bonus points right up front. Celtic was on the TV and Boddington's was on tap. More bonus points. I ordered a chip butty which was accompanied with real brown sauce. Even more bonus points. I struck up a nice conversation with a fellow named Colin who was a Celtic FC diehard skipping work to catch the match. Cool guy- he's the one having a heart attack when it goes to penalty kicks for the green and white. Say "hi" if you're in the area. The drizzle fizzled so it was off to Gas Works Park to take in the view:

 

 

My last Seattle dinner had to be sushi, and I'm fairly sure Wallingford has a higher density of sushi joints than Tokyo. Kozue is where we went. I wouldn't rate it as spectacular by any means, but a spicy hamachi roll, some mackerel sashimi, and some miso make me a happy man. The bento boxes looked impressive- maybe next time...

 

Back to Sea-Tac in the morning, where I spotted one of the dancing girls from Gogol Bordello, who were in town for Bumbershoot. The airport bar cheeseburger was hands-down the most depressing meal out of what turned out to be an exceptional culinary visit. Back onto a big aluminum tube which zipped me over the prairie and back home.

 

 

I shan't forget you Northwest. The summer weather was pure perfection and the friendliness and vigor of the city were palpable. It was a lot of things this place isn't- liberal, educated, young, and packed with things to get into.

 

My top 5 in no particular order:

 

-sunset in the San Juans

-the bleachers at Safeco with beers and rally fries

-breakfast at Julia's

-getting lost in Pike Place

-spending a day in Fremont, browsing the shops and noshing

[a.miller]

Beautiful pictures! and a nice review of your trip. Glad it went well.

[mollyegan]

I, too, am glad the trip went well. How did I miss this thread?! Folks, please, PLEASE, don't go to Starbucks, especially in Seattle. My issue doesn't lie SO much with the corporate satanism that is this company, but the bastarization of the art of coffee. There are many serious, legitimate coffee chains in Seattle that have imported the Italian coffee tradition and more earnestly spawned the "latte" hysteria. Most drinks at Starbucks are twenty onces of hot sugar. Vivace, Cafe Vita, among others remain loyal to that tradition. I happened to work at Caffe D'Arte, seriously the best in the states...and was trained by Italian bariste. If you ever find yourself in Seattle, please jet to 2nd and Stewart, near Pike Place and sample REAL coffee. I might even arrange for a free drink.

My soap box aside...it sounds like a pretty thorough trip... did you find Marymoor as insanely satisfying as I did? Perfect show...except, I really expected them to do "The Thanks I Get" following "Spiders." I was disappointed, but how could ANYTHING follow that number?