I just got back from my second excursion to the great Northwest city of Seattle, to visit my old friend Peter and his wife Audrey. My previous layover was not substantial enough of a visit for me to feel satisfied with how much I’d absorbed of the city, so I decided that I had to return! (Read my last Seattle post, Coffee Jitters)
My prior trip was spent exploring the downtown portions of the city. The financial district, the coffee shops, the tourist traps. While impressive and seemingly unique, there is just so much more to Seattle. It has become a mecca for naturalists and creatives because of its immediate proximity to water, forests, and mountains. I had not fully appreciated the depth of how much nature means to the people there until I experienced it first hand.
Unfortunately we did not have enough time to jaunt into the deep wilderness due to time constraints, but I was able to see enough to be convinced that all modern cities should aspire to be what Seattle has become. The city is obviously in touch with it’s presence and effect on the surrounding nature. Public transportation uses green energy to cut down on emissions, and I often noticed how the streets were absent of garbage and detritus.
The city is built around a series of lakes and bays, so as a result there are breathtaking views everywhere. I couldn’t help but feel relaxed just sitting in the back seat of Pete’s Subaru as he chauffeured me around town, to music that is so expertly curated by him and is such a reflection of the scene and vibe that is the Pacific Northwest. I’m pretty sure that I caught Seattle at the best time. It wasn’t overcast for the majority of my trip (despite how it might appear in these photos), and I can imagine how the winter months might start to feel oppressive to the uninitiated.
The people there are polite but carry an edge that I could best compare with East Coasters, although not as black humored. I found myself having to second guess my salacious comments for fear of sounding boorish, but Pete and Audrey assured me that I was not offensive 🙂
The tech industry is thriving in Seattle. I’m told that this is due to the city’s proximity to California, as well as Asia. Amazon basically owns a portion of downtown Seattle. Blocks and blocks! Its pretty scary, actually.
Pete and Audrey’s friend Greg blessed us with a lovely boat ride through the inner lakes of the city. It was a pleasant surprise, and I’m so thankful that we could get on the water in a place that is so deeply maritime in culture. We didn’t get to see Bill Gates’ (probably ridiculous) house, but we saw yacht after yacht, basically stacked on each other. I had to ask them “Where do these people take these things? Do they just stay docked and look pretty?”. But of course they take them out, inspiring so many Entourage episodes.
I thought to myself the entire time how its no wonder legendary musicians such as Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, and Pearl Jam derived so much inspiration from the city and environment.
Shouts out to my good friend John Dstruct (alias) and his daughter Hannah, who I was fortunate enough to have lunch with after so many years of working on music with him in the supergroup, Robot Death Squad.
