Experience Seattle

From the 12th through the 17th of April, I was in Seattle for the Association of American Geographers annual meeting.  In addition to being on the winning Geography Bowl team and attending some very interesting presentations, I had plenty of time to explore the city of Seattle.  Since one of Seattle's major attractions, the Experience Music Project, is of particular interest to blues and rock fans, I thought I would share a bit about the museum and other interesting things I got to see in Seattle, as well as share a few of my pictures.  I know this isn't a travel blog, but I enjoy this kind of writing, and maybe you'll be able to benefit if you're traveling to Seattle anytime soon.  Photo:  Downtown Seattle from Freeway Park and the Washington State Convention Center, where the AAG Meeting was held

Experience Music Project at Seattle Center

Although it has some great exhibits, I first became aware of the Experience Music Project because of the wild design by noted architect Frank Gehry.  Inspired by the smashed guitars of Jimi Hendrix, Gehry's characteristically wild and twisting metal-panelled facade looks quite different from each angle.  Sitting in the shadow of the Space Needle, the museum can be reached on foot from downtown or by the Seattle Center Monorail, which runs right through the building, also home of the Science Fiction Museum.  Named for Seattle native Jimi Hendrix's band the Jimi Hendrix Experience, the museum houses some very good exhibits on Hendrix, the electric guitar, and the many other rock musicians from the Seattle area, as well as fun interactive exhibits for young music fans, a theater, a giant sculpture made of electric guitars, and more.

I was surprised that the Hendrix exhibit wasn't larger, but the small size was well made up for by the awesome artifacts on display.  The centerpiece was definitely the white Stratocaster that Hendrix played at Woodstock in 1969.  Also on display was a fragment of the guitar Hendrix burned and smashed at Monterrey, as well as a number of other significant instruments, costumes, and pieces of memorabilia.  A wall-sized timeline plotted Hendrix's life alongside major world events and the history of the blues.  One could also just sit and watch a continuous loop of footage of Hendrix's live performances.  Above Photo:  Hendrix's white Woodstock guitar, a fragment of the smashed and burned Monterrey guitar (top fragment), and fragments of other smashed guitars in the exhibit Jimi Hendrix:  An Evolution of Sound.

Although the Hendrix exhibit was really cool, I especially enjoyed the exhibit on the development of the electric guitar.  Starting with traditional acoustic guitars, the exhibit traced the development of amplification techniques and early attempts at electrification that eventually led to the great electrics developed in the 1950's, like Fender's Telecaster and Stratocaster, and Gibson's Les Paul.  The walls of the circular room are lined with guitars, both common and ultra-rare, from companies Gibsons, Fenders, Dobros, and Rickenbackers to much less well-known models, surrounded by pictures of the great guitarists who helped spur the development of the instrument.  A video shows clips of great performances demonstrating the versatility of the guitar, including not just rock and blues greats like Albert King and Eric Clapton, but also country legends such as Merle Travis and Chet Atkins, and even classical guitarist Andres Segovia and jazz guitarist Mary Osborne.  The exhibit also included guitars from famous performers including Bo Diddley, Eddie Van Halen, Kurt Cobain, Dave Davies of The Kinks, Roger McGuinn of The Byrds, and J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr.  See the end of the post for more pictures.  Above Photo:  Son House playing his National steel guitar on the video screen in the Guitar Gallery.  Below are signature guitars formerly played by, from left to right, Bo Diddley, J Mascis, Dave Davies, and Kurt Cobain. 

While I was there, the museum was preparing for the opening of the new exhibit Nirvana:  Taking Punk to the Masses, celebrating another highly influential band that originated in the Seattle area.  Renevations were also underway in the Northwest Passage exhibit, which explored the context of music in Seattle and the greater Pacific Northwest, which produced famous bands ranging from the Kingsmen and the Ventures in the 1960's to '80's and '90's rock groups like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains.  I really messed up because the Nirvana exhibit opened that weekend, while I was still there, and I think the Northwest Passage also reopened, so I should have hustled back on Saturday to further enrich myself.  However, the museum also has a full-size theater, and I can take consolation in the fact that the day I was there it was showing selections from Jimi's concert DVD's for free, so I got to sit for over an hour watching Jimi tear up Monterrey and Woodstock on the big screen.

Other Sights in Downtown Seattle

Due to the circumstances of my visit, I limited myself to exploring downtown Seattle, but that meant I still had plenty to see and do.  One great thing about Seattle is that the downtown is extremely walkable.  If you don't enjoy walking, the bus is also a simple and effective option, but my little lamborfeeties did quite well.  I'm sure I missed plenty, but based on what I did see, here are some places you should try to catch if you ever find yourself in Seattle.

The Space Needle

Of course you wouldn't want to miss the view from Seattle's most recognizable landmark!  Built for the 1962 World's Fair, the still futuristic-looking tower offers 360-degree views of the city from 550 feet in the sky.  If you can, try to catch a clear day for views of the beautiful Cascades and Olympic Mountains, but that might not be possible unless you're there in the summer.  Although you're not likely to be hit by more than a mere drizzle, six out of seven Seattle days are cloudy from October through April.  However, you can still get great views of the downtown skyline (below), Elliot Bay, and Puget Sound.  Jump on any clear day, but if clouds persist, a great time to go up is about an hour before sunset.  Then you can see all the city sights and watch as Seattle lights up for the night.  Although I didn't avail myself of the opportunity, directly below the observation deck is a revolving restaurant with a tempting menu.

 

Pike Place Market                                    Another of Seattle's famous attractions, the Pike Place Market is the type of place you can keep coming back to.  One of the oldest continuously operated farmers' markets in the U.S. occupies a long stretch parallel to Western Avenue at the end of Pike Street and overlooks the waterfront on Elliot Bay.  While I was there, fresh produce and cut flowers abounded in the temporary stalls, while fresh seafood was the mainstay of some of the more permanent spots.  The Pike Place Fish Market is an attraction within an attraction, as employees throw the large fish to each other while preparing them for customers.

Across from the stalls are many small specialty food shops that keep the same hours as the market.  One can grab a delicious and inexpensive lunch at one of these places and head down to the small park at the end of the market and eat while looking out over the waterfront.  Because the market is such a hotspot for shoppers, the whole surrounding neighborhood is an extension of it, featuring many specialty shops and casual dining spots.  See the section on food later in this post for more on the great places to eat in the area.

Seattle Central Library

One of Seattle's great buildings is the strange but elegant new library designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, which opened in 2004.  The main attraction is the bold steel and glass exterior, but it is worth taking some time to roam throught eleven-story building, or maybe even take one of the guided tours.  The interior features large, light-filled open spaces, book stacks built on a gradual ramp that wraps around the central escalator, an entirely red fourth floor, and a computer room that is constantly packed.  Although the design received mixed reviews from critics, it has been successful as a public space, drawing many more visitors than originally predicted.

Olympic Sculpture Park

& Myrtle Edwards Park

Opened in 2007, the Seattle Art Museum's Olympic Sculpture Park is a free, public-access park that is a great place to relax and enjoy views of Puget Sound, and, of course, check out the sculptures.  The park zigzags across a street and a railroad, allowing pedestrians easy access to the shore.  Many large sculptures create a stimulating visual environment, meriting exploration of every corner.  The centerpiece is the Alexander Calder's striking 39-foot-tall Eagle, a sweeping sculpture of red-painted steel (at left in the photo).  The Seattle Art Museum also maintains a pavilion with indoor exhibits.

The sculpture park sits at the lower end of Myrtle Edwards Park, which stretches 1.25 miles northwest along the shore of Elliot Bay, its former namesake.  Opened in 1976, the narrow park is a haven for bikers, joggers, and dogwalkers.  The park is a great place to come for a relaxing walk, or to sit and enjoy views of bay, skyline, and ships.  Toward the end of the park, the path runs under a solitary apparatus for loading grain onto large cargo ships, and approaches a marina and a dock for huge fishing boats.

 Food

I love to eat.  I wish I had thought to take more pictures of food, but I can at least tell you about some places I would recommend for tasty comenstibles.  Because I was mostly on my own, I sought out informal, inexpensive places, but I was still able to find plenty of delicious meals representing a wider variety of cuisines than I have had the chance to try in some time.  All the places I am recommending here are not far from the Pike Place Market, and thus are in easy walking distance if you are staying in a downtown hotel and looking to catch a quick but wonderful meal.  Be advised that stores in the main part of the market close around 5:00 p.m.  Photo:  My top pick:  the lamb Shish Kebab Plate at Zaina, a restaurant with two locations serving delicious Middle Eastern food. 

Zaina - A narrow restaurant on Pine Street with four tables and a narrow bar along the wall looked to me like the kind of place that served unpretentious, authentic cuisine.  I was right.  I stopped in for a sweet, pistachio-sprinkled baklava and came back later for lunch.  Choose a sandwich or plate of falafel, gyro, shish kebab, or veggies.  All meals are served with hummus, salad, pita, and tahini or tzatziki sauce.  The secret ingredient?  A dousing of hot red chili sauce!  I was happy with the tiny Pine Street location, but there is also a larger restaurant farther south on Cherry Street in the Pioneer Square neighborhood for those who want to spend more time or bring a group of friends.

Piroshky, Piroshky -  This little Russian bakery in the Pike Place Market drew me in with the smell of its best-selling apple cinammon roll.  The namesake pirosky is a tasty meat-and-cheese-filled pastry, but the sweets are the real highlight.  The cinnamon-cardamom twist was excellent, but my favorite was the fresh rhubarb roll.

Mee Sum Pastry - This small open-front Southern Chinese bakery, also in the market, specializes in hom bow, a type of large, meat-filled bun.  The BBQ pork was my favorite, with a flavor reminiscent both of American barbecue and of Chinese sweet-and-sour sauce.  I also enjoyed the curried beef, while chicken was a third option.  I also tried their coconut tart, which was like a mini coconut cream pie wrapped in flaky pastry.  You can grab a drink at the adjacent Juice Emporium.

Bottega Italiana - If you're looking for a light desert, look on First Avenue, right next to the market, and try a variety of flavors of delicious, freshly made gelato.

My top meals: 

#1.  The lamb shish kebab plate at Zaina, followed by gelato at Botega Italiana.

#2.  One BBQ pork and one curried beef hom bow from Mee Sum Pastry, and a cinnamon-cardamom twist and a fresh rhubarb roll from Piroshky, Pirosky, all taken to one of the tables at the little park at the end of the market.

Other Destinations to Consider in the Seattle Area

I was quite satisfied on my trip despite being limited to downtown Seattle, but of course there is much, much more to see in the area.  Seattle is surrounded by beautiful mountains, and it would be quite worthwhile to take day trips to some of the surrounding parks to see sights such as Mount Rainier, Mount Saint Helens, and the temperate rainforests of the Olympic Mountains.

And finally, for you fellow blues and rock fans, here are a few more pictures from the Experience Music Project that I didn't have room for up above.  The picture quality is not that great, but the subject matter is indeed awesome!

1st picture:  Once again, the signature guitars of (from left to right), Bo Diddley, J Mascus of Dinosaur Jr., Dave Davies of The Kinks, and Kurt Cobain of Nirvana

2nd picture:  Guitars played on tour by Eddie Van Halen (left) and Roger McGuinn of The Byrds (right)

3rd picture:  Albert King on the video screen, playing "Blues Power" on his Gibson Flying V