Seattle

I didn't know much about Seattle before now. I knew it rained a lot. I knew it was a center of rock music in the 90's. I have heard it was a nice place, and always wanted to check it out, but for some reason I never did.

I met someone from Seattle recently who gave me some tips on music clubs and neighborhoods. She said I'd probably like Capitol Hill near downtown. It was a place to start. While driving in on the freeway from Mount St. Helens, Darren booked us two nights in a hotel on Broadway and Madison just a couple of blocks from the main strip in Capitol Hill.

We rolled in with just enough time to change clothes and head out to dinner. We would be here on a Monday and Tuesday night, so we weren't expecting a ton of nightlife, but we'd try to find something to get into.

Darren scored the first point. He yelped the neighborhood for good reviews, and came up with The Honey Hole, a delicious sandwich shop/cocktail bar on Pike Street. I actually found it with my nose before we saw the sign. I had a fantastic pulled pork sandwich. Cool vibe, solid food. Four thumbs up.

Even though it was a Monday night, we scanned the local paper for music we might both enjoy. We decided on a little venue called The Can Can. They were hosting some live ambient electronic music which accompanied a cult monster movie, The Toxic Avenger. The music turned out to be at the extreme end of ambient. Ominous background noises might be a better word.

The bar was cool and the movie was quite entertaining, but we soon got bored and retired to the hotel.

Darren's an earlier riser than I am, so the next day he left the hotel ahead of me to check out the Experience Music Project, an interactive music museum in a building designed by Frank Gehry and launched by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

I caught up to Darren there and retraced his steps while he checked out the adjoining science fiction museum.

All in all, for such a touristy place, I thought they had some good stuff to get kids into playing and recording music, as well as some very interesting exhibits on Jimmy Hendrix, the history of Seattle music (hint: it's not all grunge), and nice a display of gowns worn by The Supremes. Fun for the whole family.

For lunch we went down to the famous Pike Place Market, where they are known to toss fish around to the delight of tourists. This would be the general equivalent of Pier 39 in San Francisco, except this place was actually enjoyable. They had decent stuff for sale, and nice places to eat at all budget levels. It didn't feel nearly as cheesy as I would have expected. I got a nice grilled wild salmon sandwich and a beer and we ate on the lawn overlooking the harbor.

Seattle isn't just known for music. It's also known for coffee, so we had to try some local brew. We passed on the original Starbucks (which is also in Pike Place Market), even though they still make their espresso using the original machines, not the chain setup. Instead we enlisted the help of Yelp again and found another local spot, Seattle Coffee Works.

In there we chatted up the young barista to give us some exploring tips. She suggested checking out the Fremont neighborhood to give us a taste of real Seattle living. She gave us bus directions and we navigated the bus system without incident.

The general feel I got at every touch point in the city has been fantastic. The people have been friendly and bright, the layout of the city is pleasant. There appear to be an abundance of great places to eat, hear music, and spend time. If it weren't for the fact that we came during the very best weather of the year, I would easily be able to live here. I'm not sure what it's like to live in a place that rains 150 days per year, but I think I'll probably still stick with my home.

Besides that rain thing.. this place is a real gem. So far one of my very favorite cities.

Later we took the ferry to Bainbridge Island for a cheap cruise along the Puget Sound. There's not a whole lot on the island, but we had a good supper at Shima Sushi at headed back.

We were determined to see some more music on Darren's last night of his month off. It was still only a Tuesday night, but there were still some decent looking listings.

Darren liked the review he read of Ariel Pink. They were playing at Neumos down the street in Capitol Hill, so we checked it out.

The venue was great. It reminds me of my favorite spot in SF, The Independent. I wondered if we had just gotten lucky, or if Seattle is full of venues like this. I suspect the latter. The band was solid too, hints of Bowie and Soundgarden.

We felt accomplished, packing a lot into one day. I drove Darren to the airport the next morning, returned to the hotel with just barely enough time to use their laundry machines to wash my road-funky clothes, and then realized I had no idea where I was going next.

Where's that map?