Saturday, October 27, 2012

Seattle

This year, my annual anniversary trip took my wife and I to Seattle.  Seattle has been on both of our travel lists for awhile now and it is one of the premier cities, if not the premier city, in the Pacific Northwest.  Seattle is situated on a narrow strip of land between two bodies of water; the salt waters of Puget Sound and the fresh waters of Lake Washington.  The area was first settled in 1851 and they originally dubbed the settlement "New York," but after moving to what is now known as Pioneer Square, they soon renamed it Seattle.

It's funny that the first settlers named the city New York, because I compared the two cities frequently during the trip.  The similarities between them are obvious (at least in my eyes): intellectuals are in abundance, foodies have many choices, culture and diversity is appreciated and celebrated, iconic landmarks are present and each city is made up of very distinct and different areas.  Where they differ is the pace of each cities' inhabitants.  Seattle is much more laid back than New York.  The people seem friendlier and things seem to move at a more relaxed and "chill" manner.  Don't get me wrong, I love visiting New York, but it's not a place that I would consider living.  However, I could see myself living in Seattle.  There's something about the Pacific Northwest and Seattle specifically that's very appealing.  Maybe it was the fact that I was visiting during my anniversary with my wife or that we had wonderful weather and we were able to experience a lot that the city had to offer.  Regardless, I really connected with the city and I feel as if I was really able to take in the environment and surroundings.

Our stay was split into two areas (Belltown and Downtown).  It didn’t matter a great deal because Seattle is a very easy city to get around in and the hotels were literally a few miles apart on the same street.  Walking to various locations is very feasible and for areas that are a little farther from your accommodations, the bus is a cheap and easy mode of public transportation.  All it takes is a little consulting of the King County Metro Transit website and you will have the entire trip planned out for you.  During specific times of the day and year, the bus is free within a set downtown Seattle Radius.  We began our trip in Belltown, a cool, little neighborhood featuring some fabulous dining spots and interesting boutique shops.  It’s within walking distance of Pike Place Market, the Seattle Waterfront and Seattle Center.  One of the gems of that neighborhood was our hotel, The Ace Hotel.  The Ace is a hip, boutique hotel which occupies a historical building.  The décor can be described as hip, funky, Pacific Northwest chic.  The pricing is outstanding for a downtown Seattle hotel and the staff will recommend cool spots that won’t be found in a guidebook or by your fancy hotel concierge.  If you’re ever in Seattle, I highly recommend staying there.  A few other cool spots to visit in the Belltown area are Macrina Bakery, Local 360 and Bedlam Coffee.
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Camera:  Polaroid SX-70
Film:  Impossible Project PX100 UV+ Test Film

Camera:  Polaroid SX-70
Film:  Impossible Project PX100 UV+ Test Film

On our very first night in Seattle, we did the touristy thing and headed over to the Space Needle.  If you weren’t aware, the Space Needle is currently celebrating its 50th Anniversary.  It was built in 1962 as the symbol of the World’s Fair which eventually lead to it being the symbol of Seattle.  It’s one of the most recognizable structures in the world and is worth seeing in person.  The ride up to the top is bit of a tourist trap, but it’s worth doing once to see the Seattle skyline from a 360 degree view.  As a photographer, it’s hard to approach a subject so iconic because it’s been “photographed to death” by countless individuals.  However, I tried to use my unique approach to photography as well as draw inspiration from Zeb Andrews’ Eiffel Tower series to shoot the Space Needle differently.  I was happy with what I was able to capture.

Camera:  Canon AE-1P
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400

Camera:  Canon AE-1P
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400

Camera:  Canon AE-1P
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400

Our first full day in the city began on a bike.  We took a two hour bike tour of the city, visiting many different areas like Pioneer Square, the International District and the Seattle Waterfront.  Our guide also provided us with a great deal of history about Seattle and the various areas that we saw.  It was a great tour, but buyers beware when biking in Seattle; the hills are killer.  From a couple that usually bikes an average of 10 miles per bike ride, we thought it would be rather easy.  Trust me, you find out how flat Ohio is after biking in Seattle.  After our tour, we walked a few blocks to Pike Place Market.  It was super crowded (as it was every time we passed it) and loaded with tourists but it featured some of the freshest fruit, vegetables, seafood, flowers and goods you can find.  We picked up a few lunch items, including some amazingly delicious peaches, and enjoyed lunch while overlooking the waterfront.  We did some shopping and stopped back at the hotel; from there we headed to another area called Ballard.  Ballard is off the beaten path in Seattle and is an old railroad/shipping town.  We didn’t spend much time there, but we were treated to some authentic Comida Tipica Mexican food at Senor Moose.  If you like authentic Mexican, then this hole in the wall restaurant is definitely a place to look up.  After scoring a table upon arrival, the place was at capacity and there was a steady 35-45 minute wait for patrons from the moment we were seated until after we left.  It was also voted best Mexican Restaurant in 2012 by Seattle Weekly as well as Best Margarita.  Believe me; it lived up to the hype.  Afterwards, we then headed to the super hip Capitol Hill neighborhood for drinks and dessert at an ultra cool prohibition style bar named Tavern Law. 

Camera:  Polaroid 440 Automatic Land Camera
Film:  Fuji FP-100C

Our last two days in Seattle were packed with activities.  After some antiquing on the waterfront, we hopped a ferry to Bainbridge Island.  Bainbridge is a 30 minute ferry ride from Seattle and is about 28 square miles and has a population of a little over 23,000 people.  To give you an example of its’ size, Manhattan is about 23 square miles in size but has a population of about 1.6 million. It’s a little bigger than NYC, but with only 1% of the population.  The community is vibrant, artsy and quaint.  The town center, Winslow, is bustling with boutiques, shops, bistros, cafes, galleries and museums.  It’s a great place to spend a day.  After exploring on foot, we decided to rent bikes for the afternoon and make the trek to an organic distillery about 2.5 miles away from the town center.  Again, we were faced with the harsh reality of Washington State hills. It took us 45 minutes to get the distillery and we were exhausted.  The distillery, Bainbridge Organic Distillers, was a fun pit stop.  While their operation is small and they’re still trying to perfect their formulas, they have managed to create a gin that is very distinctive and they have a waiting list for their whiskey, which was still aging in the barrels.  After a few samples and a bike ride back to the ferry, it was time to head back to Seattle for the evening.

Camera:  Canon AE-1P
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400

Our last day was spent exploring, shopping, eating and drinking in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.  We briefly explored this area when grabbing a drink at Tavern Law, but this time we had more time and were able to explore it in daylight.  Like other areas of Seattle, Capitol Hill is situated on a hill and is east of the central business district.  This neighborhood is very hip and reminds me a lot of the Lower East Side in NYC.  If you’re looking for a variety of things to do and a vibrant night life, then this neighborhood is the perfect place to spend your time.  After a fulfilling brunch at Oddfellows, vinyl, book and vintage shopping, coffee and espresso at Espresso Vivace and a few brews at Elysian Brewing Co., we headed to the Bumbershoot festival.  This is Seattle’s annual Labor Day Music and Arts Festival.  It’s a three day event that features countless music acts (including some fairly big names), comedians, arts and food vendors.  We had a great time at the festival and were able to watch sets from City and Colour and M. Ward.  It was the perfect end to our wonderful trip.

Camera:  Polaroid SX-70
Film:  Impossible Project PX70 Cool

Camera:  Polaroid SX-70
Film:  Impossible Project PX70 Cool

Camera:  Polaroid SX-70
Film:  Impossible Project PX70 Cool

After a morning coffee run at Stumptown Coffee Roasters, it was time to hop a cab to the airport and head back to Ohio.  In my research for the trip, I came across a quote from an article by Travel + Leisure’s Gary Shteyngart.  He was writing about a recent trip to the city and a waitress said to him:  “You have to leave it to love it.”  I think that quote sums up Seattle – you don’t know how magical it is until after you’ve visited.  Being with the right people helps, but there’s just something about this city.  It will stick with you and that’s greater than any souvenir you can purchase.  That’s how traveling should be; the feeling and memories of your short time in locations and destinations should resonate with you longer than the magnet or trinket you brought back home.  Embrace the city, become part of the local culture and reflect often.  It’s the true essence of travel and you’ll never forget.

Camera:  Canon AE-1P
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400