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Published: August 19th 2010
Entry 23: Seattle, Washington: Destination Realized
Monday, August 9th - Wednesday, August 18th Scott S.’s Apartment After almost 3 weeks of driving 3000 miles from Chicago, visiting 3 National Parks, a canoe/camping trip in the Boundary Waters, partying in Iowa City with a “T.J.” (pseudonym) Chicago friend, tent-camping in numerous National Forests, and hiking the Pacific Coast Trail, I had finally, at 9:00 p.m., arrived at the excuse for the trip: A reunion with a college friend who I met in 1984, Scott S.
He’s lived in Seattle for 22 years now, and it’s been 8 years since I saw him for an hour in Atlanta (both our folks had lived there). We met in the Athens’ University of Georgia dining hall, where I was no doubt enjoying the first few weeks’ of independent feelings an 18-year-old would when traveling 90 miles from home to attend a large University. One of the first joys of college: The all-you-could-eat food options, which were largely carnovoric at the time. Scott, from Atlanta, was a much hipper and trendier freshman than I was, and was influential at my switch to vegetarianism (although his didn’t end up sticking).
Together, we had
UGA Alum Dave and Scott
Bike Path photo, P.I. sign in background.classes, saw bands in the now-famous small southern town (thanks to B-52s and REM), drank heavily, obtained more friends, and worked at the campus radio station: WUOG.
At his junior year, Scott left Athens for Boulder, Colorado, although, upon his return to Athens in 1993 for school, we roomed together in a quaint country house 20 miles outside of Athens. In 1995, we both left town for good (after 11 years for me); he to Seattle and me to Chicago.
In addition to teaching me about new bands and the wonders of the thrift store shopping (a habit that I’ve maintained since that time), he also introduced me to U.S. travel. Having not gotten on an airplane until the age of 20 and never having crossed the Mississippi, I was ecstatic to give myself a reward for having finished college in 4 years. So, in 1988, Scott was moving from Colorado to Seattle, and invited me to drive his new convertible Jeep first from Athens to Boulder, and then onto Seattle.
The trip expanded my mind almost as much as college did (especially having a “country” life, growing up in a small town 45 miles
Seattle Mount Rainier View
Mt. Rainier, always to the South. north of Atlanta).
In two weeks, we visited Graceland (which hadn’t, at that time, been open publically for too long), toured a cave in the Ozarks, overnight backpacked in the Rockies, visited the Denver Museum of Art, and witnessed first-hand the “hippi-ness” of Boulder (I was a closeted hippy at the time; Scott was otherwise, at the time, just closeted!).
In the second half of the trip, we witnessed a billion stares camping outside of Lander, Wyoming, drove through Yellowstone, during/just after the famous ‘80s fires, “pitched a drunk” in Portland, saw huge trees in Sisters, Or., saw Seattle, and explored Olympia, in all its dankness.
As I mentioned, the trip had a big impact on my U.S. (World) view, and, obviously, I’m still traveling, more extensively as ever.
Anyway, back to Seattle… So, the reunion Monday night was great. We drank a couple of beers in the overgrown backyard (WA. State is sooo green), and talked a bit about the mostly the present and some of the past. He lives in a 1-bedroom vertical duplex, the top of which is currently unoccupied. Scott, like many homosexuals, dealt with internal conflict with
the notion of coming out, but surely now, Scott is out and a part of the GLAD community. He spoke about an art-imitates-life situation of the recent film The Visitor, in which a minor law infraction gets a lover’s man deported back to Central America. He looked, spoke, and acted just the same as when I first met him 26 years ago. And he said the same of me.
Since I’ve been in Seattle for over a week, I’ve mostly been working on the blog and lying low. It’s been a strange experience that took me by surprise—on both last year’s 5-week camping trip and for 3 weeks this time, it’s been all about the nature (and it took at least 2 full days to “unwind,” even with the plethora of modern conveniences within arm’s reach—huge -screened Apple computer with 73 gigs of cool music, good Seattle coffee, a neighborhood to poke around it with Sophie, washer and dryer, stove, and a bicycle, etc.).
Tuesday, August 10: Dinner Party! I unloaded the truck (funny, I was really nervous leaving the stuff in there overnight), washed clothes, took a bath, walked Sophie, typed on the blog and
tried to clean up for the dinner party. After work, Scott had used my visit as an excuse to host a dinner party, something that he has a desire to do more of.
Barbara and Julie, Scott’s former co-workers at a high-end kitchen store, and Ima, Barbara’s daughter joined Scott and me for excellent vegetarian payaya, hors d’overres, and home-made flan. In a reflection of Seattle, it was the first time that I can recall vegetarians outnumbering the non-vegetarians (3 to 2). Also, Barbara brought some excellent fermented cucumber salad, homemade pickles, a red pepper chickpea dip, and Julie brought flowers from her yard and homemade Sangria. We chatted about Seattle, Scott and mine’s history, Chicago and the Bronx, and the blog. Perhaps the most unique conversation involved Ima, who’s African American/Black father was an actor who appeared in the famous Richard Pryor “Exorcist” skit on Saturday Night Live.
Dinner parties, in general, made me nervous, but the company and food made it very easy.
Wednesday August 11: Rest for the Weary A true day of rest, as I really did some unpacking. Stuff is now strewn all throughout the apt., and, except for the
presence of designer furniture and fixtures, my routine/scenario mirrors college exactly. Like Rodney Dangerfield, I’m back in school, lounging around once again in the care-free environment with all my necessary toys (books, maps, postcards, computer, coffee, music) close at hand. The place is a little cleaner than our places were 25 years ago, but just barely (and, there’s store-bought furniture here as well).
Although Seattle has a somewhat “city” feel to it, it also has the feeling and structure of a smaller town. There are a number of “unwritten rules” that one must follow in Seattle. For instance, much like Germany, folks, locals and tourists alike, strictly follow the street crossing signs, both on foot and bike. To me, and to my antsy personality, this is a hard one to follow. Standing for a whole extra minute at a deserted intersection to wait for the light to change?! Anyway, I tried to follow it as much as possible.
Other thoughts about Seattle: there is an “intellectual” or “introspective” feel to this city. A slight, slight air of superiority/importance may be found in many aspects of the city, from students, to hourly workers, to the actual important people. I
saw a bum-looking young kid, wearing sandals, shorts, T-shirt, and (close to) a Fro walking with such an intellectual swagger one would’ve guessed he was on his way to pick up the Humanitarian of the Century award.
Food rules in Seattle, and a definite part of the culture is to see, and be seen, at one of the hundreds of restaurants carefully corralled throughout the city. Sidewalk features are crowded during the summer months, but when passing on the sidewalk, no one really actually seems to be saying anything of note.
To best catch the idea of Seattle, think San Francisco with not a business edge, but a “nature” one. There are many bike riders in town, of course. And, since it’s legal for bike riders to ride on the sidewalks, single-gear bikes, accompanied by catalogue-dressed sleek riders (calves on display, for sure) blowing by well-dressed walkers.
I pondered all this material throughout the day why working on the blog, listening to music, and napping.
Thursday, August 12th: Back on the Bike! Thursday was the day that I finally decided that I was bored (although rested) and was ready to get out and see
the city a bit. I had brought my Cannondale bike all the way across the country to be able to ride a bit around Seattle. However, after bringing it from the pile of my possessions in Scott’s basement, I discovered that I had, in fact, brought the wrong key to unlock the U-lock. So, my day started at 11 a.m. by driving the bike over to the closest bike shop, Velo Bikes (bike bikes?). With the $15 dollar charge to cut the old lock off, and a $39 replacement lock, I ground my teeth, seething at my $60 mistake (of course, I had to tip the bike worker for the “rush job,” the 1.5 hours it took, somehow, to cut the old lock.
In any case, I was ready to get out and about. I left Sophie in the safety of Scott’s house and walked over to the bike store. Scott had been overly-specific as to which roads to ride on and which to avoid, but I had no problems riding willy-nilly on any street that I pleased. I began by riding the 10 minutes down the long Capitol Hill street, Pike, to the famous Public Market. It’s
a bit like Chicago’s Navy Pier, although it does actually serve a purpose: it is an actual market. I never saw any fish being thrown around because I left after only 10 minutes—too many people in too small a space (plus, I wasn’t really in the market to buy anything). I spent $7 on an excellent burrito, chips, and Diet Coke from a nearby window restaurant and at it in the public park, which provided me with my first close view of Elliott Bay, the body of water that separates the city from the actual Pacific Ocean.
From the Pike Place Market, I peddled, in very short order—10 minutes at most—to the base of the Space Needle, which, like Paris, is in actuality located a bit from the actual downtown. At the base of the Needle, I took 2 hours to stroll around the Experience Music Project and the Science Fiction Museum (which are described in a separate entry).
After getting my Hendrix on, I peddled down again to the waterfront, heading north on the relaxing and scenic bike path, which seemed to be fairly empty (unlike Chicago’s Lakefront Path, which enjoys more and more bikers and
Dinner Party
Scott with Barbara's Daughter, Ima, who lives in the Bronx, N.Y. joggers each year). I snapped photographs, and met Scott at the Hooker Bait Shop (turns out he works just across the railroad tracks). We first visited Seattle’s new Olympic Sculpture Park, which surely was pleasant (and had all the locals a’ talkin’). I found it to be somewhat interesting, although rather small. The highlight was a large “interactive” Richard Serra sculpture. The lowlight was the “washer and dryer” exhibit, which featured, well, a washer and dryer dumped into the tall grass of the Bay. There was a true “natural bonus,” however, as I got my first excellent view of Mount Rainier, which, even at 50 crow-flying miles to the south, looms large in the sky, basking in a hazy pink hue (which, I found out later, is because of all the pollution).
Afterwards, we sat on the grass, recounted old stories while watching the sun dip lower into the sky over the water, and then walked south back towards downtown to the Seattle Museum of Art to view the (somewhat boring) Andy Warhol exhibit, plus the other features of the small museum. Joining us was John, a friend of Scott’s. I sauntered on the edge of his pretentiousness while
Dinner Party Photo
Dinner Party Photo downing two glasses of wine, which really had a strong effect on me.
After the Art Museum, Scott and John drove in John’s car (Scott has been car-less for 10 years), to a restaurant, Table 219, in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. A long, long hill, complicated a bit from the surprisingly strong wine, brought me to the place a few minutes before Scott and John, proving once again that biking is the way to go, even buzzed.
I had gorgonzola sandwich and tomato salid for dinner, which was “pretty decent,” to use a phrase I originally muttered 20 years ago (and has been repeated in jest by the two of us ever since). Scott and I walked home, and I took Sophie out for her twice-daily 4 block walk, which she thoroughly enjoys.
I viewed the SAM photographs, and I listened to Scott, who has talked through issues/problems aloud for most of his life, lament about “girl” troubles (his words).
Friday, August 13 I thought that Scott was going to be off work today, but he had to work. I lounged around the apartment and worked on the blog (the longest entry to write,
Dinner Party
Scott's Kitchen, Dinner Party the Pacific Coast Trail hike, had taken about 8 hours in total to organize and post). Scott went to REI after work (he had borrowed my Toyota Tacoma, which, by the by, I have seen at least 15 others over the past 4 days—not sure if it’s because it’s also the name of the city 30 miles directly south of Seattle). He purchased a backpack for out next day’s activity: a backcountry hike to the trail recommended by the 2 Seattleites that I had met on the Pacific Coast Trail. It turns out that his company (he’s a biotech Associate Scientist) provides non-drivers a $50 a month gift certificate to REI (or other retailers and services). So, he had all his supplies and backpack costs covered, just for walking to work.
We tried to pack, but decided to put it off in lieu of going out to eat (it’s sooo easy to do here, especially when there’s so many restaurants only a few blocks away). I had spied a hot dog place, Po’ Dogs, and was sure, this being Seattle and all, would have a veggie dog. They did—no surprise. What was surprising, however, was the cost. My dog
Scott and Friend Julie
Used to work with Julie at Sur La Table, a fancy kitchen store. was $6.75 and Scott’s was $6.35. Toss in 2 beers, fries and fried pickles and you’re looking at $40. It was kinda’ neat, though, to have Sophie at our feet on the outdoor deck during the meal.
Getting home, we got no further in the packing than laying all the first-round stuff on the floor of the living room. “We’ll have to pack tomorrow,” I said, crawling into the sleeping bag on the living room floor, just before crashing hard and heavy.
Saturday, August 14 and Sunday, August 15 Finally, it was time for some nature…I had become a bit “stuck” in the city, sleeping, bogging, etc., and I was looking forward to taking Scott out of the city for an overnight hike (which is listed as a separate entry) for his first camping experience in 15 years.
We left Saturday at 11:30 a.m., heading north, first to Everett, then 40 miles east to the Monty Cristo Trail, then onto the Glacier Basin Trail. We had an excellent time and return, bushed and sore, Sunday night at around 8 p.m. A deep, relaxing nature-sleep soon followed.
Monday, August 16th: Bike Rides! Seattle Sophie
Sophie was a bit anxious for a couple of days, as she probably thought that I was there to leave her. After Scott had left for work and I had wished Elvis a happy afterlife (this being the anniversary of his death), I worked on the blog, processing the 100s of photos from the overnight hike. I finally scored a good deal on lunch, only $5 for 2 pieces of cheese pizza, drink included, which I ate on the Seattle University campus while reading the newspaper (Obama is going to visit Seattle tomorrow; he visited Yellowstone last year a day after I had left). Being so comfortable in the apartment, I tossed all my stuff around the living room floor (and foyer as well) and wrote for the blog.
When Scott got home at 6:30, I was able to join him for his first bike ride around the city in almost 2 years. We rode south, towards PacMed building, then paralleling I-90, passing through a ¼ mile tunnel, viewing the quaint but modern houses of the upscale Mt. Baker neighborhood, staring at Bellevue in the setting sun, and following the road/bike path to the southernmost part of Lake Washington, Seward Park.
As the sun set, I quick-changed into my swimming shorts and swam in the lake amongst the locals.
Seattle Calder
SAM Sculpture Garden Scott chatted on the phone to his former boyfriend, who had made the fatal mistake of suggestion that they try a “more liberal” dating situation (i.e.: others) and took pictures of me in the water.
It was dark when we left the park, and, unlike Chicago, there were no streetlights on the road or bike path. We found and excellent and quick route back to Scott’s apartment, satisfied to have ridden at least 10 miles in the city. I found that the hills are certainly a challenge, although it did finally give me a chance to use the small sprocket of the bike’s flywheel.
We grabbed Sophie and hit yet another café, sharing a carafe of red wine (umm…earthy) and eating my frommage baguette, watching Sophie stare at us for a while from her leashing on the curb to a bike rack.
Mt. Rainier National Park/Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Camping
Tuesday, August 17th to Wednesday August 18th Scott will be off Thursday and Friday of this week, and we hope to take one bigger trip before I leave to head back to Chicago. Unless things change, I’ll be taking the ferry (insert a joke, if
you must) to Olympic National Park, my 6th National Park (if I count T. Roosevelt as two separate Park visits) in the past month.
Currently, meaning right now, I’m sitting in the tent in solitude (except for Sophie the dog) in the Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, just outside the Carbon Ranger Station, located in the Northwestern corner of Mt. Rainier National Park.
I left Seattle at noon, after drinking tons of coffee, creating vertical piles of my stuff (as opposed to their more-prone horizontal placement), and vacuumed Sophie’s hair of Scott’s Pier One rugs. The trip was quick and pleasant, straight down I-5 to Renton (home of Hendrix’s final resting place), and then to down 167 to 410 east, and, finally, down to the Mt. Rainier National Park’s northwest corner.
It felt great to be back in the forest, and even though the road is closed at Carbon River Ranger Station (all the campgrounds are full, anyway), I’m in an excellent spot after driving down a treacherous hill just south of the Carbon River. I’ll post photos and details in a separate entry.
Well, except for my 4 separate Seattle entries (the Seattle Museum of Art,
the Experience Music Project, the bike ride, and Mt. Rainier), I feel good that I’m finally caught up!
And, with that, it’s time to close the lid on technology and listen to the soothing roar of the Carbon River. I’ve got to give Sophie her tent combing before sleeping amongst the giant Fir, Cedar, and Hemlock trees myself.
Thanks for reading this long entry! Chicago Dave and Sophie the dog
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