Seattle - May 26 - 27, 2018

Wealth and Water - Montlake Cut

This weekend I hopped the busses to the University District and walked down to Montlake. Before the bridge, I took a detour down to the UW's Waterfront Activities building. On a future trip, I'd like to take a canoe out. I remember taking advantage of this several times as a student. Andrew Phelps will remember the time I decided to take a dive out of the watercraft.

Napping in the Camellias - Washington Park Arboretum 

White and Varied - Washington Park Arboretum

Pushing on to the Arboretum, I took the trails at a slow pace, looking for a inconspicuous spot to take a nap. After being a bit choosy, I found a somewhat secluded spot to set up my hammock in amongst the camellias. This is the first time that I have chosen to take this instant sleeping setup on my city trips. Over the summer, I spent countless hours reading and napping on the east coast in my hammock. I'll bring it on all future trips.

I snoozed for about forty-five minutes, then texted my brother Lars. He wanted to meet up later and watch the Warriors / Rockets game. This sounded agreeable, so I packed up my gear and started walking.

Taking Pike Street, I noticed several spots worthy of visiting later in the evening. Elysian Brewing offered a quick stop for a salad and a taste of their locally famous brew.

After meeting up with Lars and Chantell at DK Pan's apartment, I caught the second half of the NBA game. The two were a bit tired after their previous night out, so I decided to head out to Capitol Hill to take a look at the after-hours scene.

Red - Cha Cha Lounge

Late - Pike Street

After arriving, I dropped into Bimbos Cantina / Cha Cha Lounge. At the bar, I struck up an interesting conversation with a Serbian refugee as well as a woman from Brazil. I'm horrible with names. Later, we took the adjacent stairs down to the Cha Cha Lounge, quite lively. The Serbian, who seemed to know quite a few people in the immediate area, wanted to show me night life highlights. How could I say no?

He bought me a Seattle Dog before we entered Q Nightclub. Wow...

I finished with the club scene at four o'clock in the morning. My way back to Lars' place was made easier by an Ofo bicycle. For some reason, I wasn't surprised by the sticky grips and seat.

After sleeping late, I pushed out and caught the Link to University of Washington Station, grabbed a bite at Thai Tom then boarded the Sound Transit bus to Lynnwood. Having a thirty minute wait at Lynnwood Transit Center, I explored the Sciber Creek Trail, a little gem.

That Time of Year - Sciber Creek Trail

Invite - Sciber Creek Trail

Back on the Island, I rode my bicycle to Langley and purchased a sandwich at the Star Store. Heading down to the marina for a late lunch, I happened upon the owner of a trawler, the like of which I am going to pursue in October for a live aboard in Langley. He was kind enough to give me several bits of helpful advise before leaving to join his boat club further down the float.

I particularly enjoyed the diverse set of experiences this weekend offered.

Thinking... - Langley Marina

Seattle - May 20, 2018

Panning Makeshift - Danny Woo Children's Garden

After packing up the dry tents in the SWHS Commons with my mom, I headed into Seattle for the day. My form of transportation changed from bus to train after seeing all of the Mariner gear being worn on the ferry boat. The straight shot down the coast was too hard to pass up. Little League day brought the parents and kids out.

Sounder and Clink

I decided to take a stroll up Jackson Street into the International District. The Danny Woo Children’s Garden caught my attention. Wandering in, I noticed several people tending their small plots, fenced in by found objects. The controlled chaos of the scene was quite attractive.

Invite - Danny Woo Community Gardens

Woo's Pair 

Bird Post - Danny Woo Community Gardens

Reminder

Leaving the garden, I enjoyed a tofu, vegetable, noodle dish at Pho Ba. The food was tasty, but the young man slurping his soup, with his girlfriend looking on, invited my deep breathing technique. I paid cash and was invited back by the woman at the register.

Flair

Strength Pose

Later, while enjoying a latte at Zeitgeist, I glanced up from an educational article to see Lars and his friend Chantelle. It’s interesting how people are magnetic; we just spent last week together chaperoning my eighth grade backpacking trip on the Washington coast. There I met Aubrey Birdwell, a good friend of Lars. He spoke about his current installation in Pioneer Square. Later, looking for the work, I ran into him. He gave me the tour. Things were clicking.

Birdwell

Cycle Prayers

I headed down first street and stepped into the Seattle Art Museum, wanting to spend time with the “Untitled” piece by Basquiat. The early 80’s work had powerful street art influences; I was fascinated by the layers of genius.

Linger

Monitoring my time, I slipped into Golden Age Collectables at Pike Place. My friend Christian had mentioned “Northlanders” as being a worthy read. I picked it up after noticing that the Mariners had beat Detroit in extra innings.

Knowing that the train would leave thirty-five minutes after the final inning, I walked at a brisk pace to the Sounder station. Slipping down the rails with a picture view of the Salish Sea is hard to beat.

On the ferry, I grabbed a chowder and took two laps around the passenger deck, looking to strike up a conversation and, possibly, obtain a lift. Sure enough, two former students presented themselves, Bo and Isaac. They had been hiking in the Wenatchee area. Bo promised a ride to Bayview and my eyes lit up. I had a small drink at the Taproom and called All Island Express Taxi for a ride. On the way back to my house, the driver and I had an interesting conversation about her exploits at the local casinos. My one regret was not asking her to stop at Texaco; I’m certain that I missed purchasing the winning Lotto ticket.

Seattle - May 5 - 6, 2018

Metaphor for the Upcoming Hawks' Season - Century Link

I’ve decided to begin a blog that documents my weekend wanderings. At this point, I’m not entirely committed to this, but it seems like a good idea. I do believe in reflection, like taking photographs and have time in transit to type a few words on my phone. We’ll see...

Saturday morning, I headed into Seattle with no definite plan. I default to this behavior whenever possible. This is the polar opposite of my work life, where I have to have a detailed plan for the eighth grade students. Balance.

Flow - Thai Tom

Edvard in Bloom - University of Washington Campus

Every Month... - University of Washington Campus

On Friday evening, I locked in the one certainty for the weekend, a cheap Airbnb ($34 total) near the Montlake Bridge. This was so inexpensive I wouldn’t feel bad dropping it if something else came up. This spot was even less expensive than the Buddhist temple I have been staying at in the International District.

Weekend highlights included a bite at Thai Tom on University Way, a visit to Volunteer Park and the Conservatory, an extended stay at Seattle’s Japanese Garden, a visit with Lars and his friends that included a barbecue, a decent sleep for a cheep price, a bite at the Solstice Cafe on “The Ave” and a visit to the Henry Art Gallery.

Happy - Volunteer Park Conservatory

Perfect Timing - Volunteer Park Conservatory

I really found pleasure stepping lightly around Seattle’s Japanese Garden. I couldn’t have chosen a better time to come; rhododendrons were in full bloom and the Japanese maples were at full sail. I fell asleep on the hill.

The meetup with Lars, my brother, was a surprise. I had a sixth sense that he could possibly be up from Los Angeles, so I sent him a text. It was answered, and ninety minutes later, I found myself on a new apartment building that his friend DK Pan manages. Did the rainbow descending into Century Link Field foreshadow a favorable Seahawks season? Time will tell.

Layers - Seattle Japanese Garden

Azalea Mounds - Seattle Japanese Garden 

Koi and Flowers - Seattle Japanese Garden

What's Next? - Seattle Japanese Garden

Following Flow (Up and Out) - Seattle Japanese Garden

I entered the Solstice Cafe Sunday morning and was met by the music of the Grateful Dead, an unexpected treat. Thanking the barista behind the counter, I resolved to stay until the Henry opened at 11:00 AM. Drinking my coffee I caught up on Hawks news and read several articles posted to the Big Think news site. There was an article on robotics and another on love that I enjoyed. I’ll most certainly visit the cafe again.

Well, here is the start of something...

DK's View (North)

Poem Picture (Shadow Love) - Henry Art Gallery

$34 - Montlake Airbnb