Catching up from a trip to Seattle. The best way to describe the trip is as a grand slam. In alphabetical order:
It was my first time at Elliott Bay Book Co., which now ranks very high on my list of favorite bookstores. From the worn, creaky wooden floors to the multi-level nooks and crannies filled with books of every kind, type and sort, you could easily spend hours upon hours browsing. And, if you’re like me, you t walk out with an armful of books. Sure, they would have been cheaper on-line but you gotta really support an independent book store of this quality.
Experience Music Project and its Bob Dylan American Journey exhibit were the impetus for the trip. EMP did not disappoint. The Dylan exhibit is wonderful, the Jimi Hendrix gallery is tremendous and where else can an old fart like me make a concert video with his kids. EMP may rank as a must see for any music fan. You can try and pack it into one day but you end up with information overload due to immense wealth of information contained in the galleries and interactive exhibits.
The Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame adjoins EMP and is a wonderful sideline for people (like me) who enjoy good sci-fi. This is a place that recognizes the true roots and themes of science fiction and doesn’t believe things started and ended with Star Wars. Though not as extensive as EMP, the amount and variety of info is well worth admission. My disappointment that Philip K. Dick isn’t currently in the Hall of Fame was alleviated by the announcement two days before I visited the facility that he will be inducted in May.
Finally, since I was missing the NCAA regional hockey tournaments, I went to a Seattle Thunderbirds playoff game. Seattle is in what is basically a Canadian junior league, the Western Hockey League. Great seats at a game that went into double overtime were devalued only by the realization there’s friggin’ puck bunnies everywhere and, unfortunately, on this night there were at least half a dozen within a couple rows of me.
Throw in the restaurants, the waterfront, Pike Place Market, Seattle Center, etc., and Seattle is more than a worthy diversion.
