Holy hills Batman! Who knew Seattle was so hilly? And who would have thought I would get a bit too much sun on my face in Seattle? But even with that, I had a great day touring around Seattle with Jenny, even if it did make me too tired to go to the Owl & Thistle tonight.

We started out our day with breakfast at the Blue Water Taco Grill. I had a yummy veggie scramble. Then we walked to the Monorail, which is still operating from when it started at the 1961 World’s Fair – the same fair where Elvis filmed It Happened at the World’s Fair. The Monorail took us to the Space Needle, but we didn’t go up in it. I went up in it 10 years when I was here for U2’s Elevation show in Tacoma. But right next to the Space Needle is the Experience Music Project, which is currently showing a Nirvana exhibit – the reason why I came to the EMP.

The Experience Music Project was named and modeled after Jimmy Hendrix. The Nirvana exhibit was great. It had memorabilia, photos, performances, documentaries, and a studio where fans can record their Nirvana stories. I did not tell about the dreams/nightmares I had after Kurt’s death involving me yelling at Courtney.

After the EMP, we wanted to take a bus tour and had only a short time to make it. While we were rushing to catch the light rail, we heard the drums for Desire. We paused because we weren’t sure we heard it correctly, but then we heard ‘Lover I’m on the street.’ We ran toward Desire. It was a band and gospel choir on the back of a semi truck. The banner above the stage read One Life No Regrets and then in smaller letters noregretsu2.

The singer Patrick Stark turned 40 and wanted to make sure he was living his life with no regrets. He had always had a fear of singing in public, so to conquer his fear he is making a documentary about his quest to sing on stage with U2 – One Life No Regrets. Peter is going to try to sing on stage with U2 Saturday at Qwest Field. Today he sang a set of U2 songs with a Gospel choir – Desire, In God’s Country, All I Want is You, One, Until the End of the World.

After our impromptu U2 show, we headed toward Pike Place Market for lunch. We stumbled upon the Hard Rock and people were lined up just like they were at the Denver Hard Rock, so I inquire. Yes, just like in Denver, these U2 fans were waiting for free tickets to the U2 concert Saturday at Qwest Field. They brought shoes to donate to the Souls for Soul charity, and those first 100 people or so were to get free U2 tickets.

We went to the Pike Place Fish Market and saw them throw the fish and then had lunch at the café overlooking the water. I of course had tuna. What else do you have at a fish market?

Now it was time for our Sub Seattle bus tour, which had tried to take at 1 but got sidetracked by Patrick’s U2 show. We lucked out and it was only Jenny and I on the tour. This Sub Seattle tour was supposed to tell us the non-toursity non-obvious facts about Seattle. We went to Beacon Hill, Washington Lake and my reason on going on the tour Kurt Cobain’s house. We also saw the Black Hole Sun sculpture, which inspired Soundgarden’s song. Looking through the hole, you can see the Space Needle in the distance.

After our tour, Jenny shopped so I walked back to the our hotel up hill. I mean up, up, up hill – in the glaring sun. Then I had to walk Elvis and Cilla because they had been in their crates all day. It was just about 5:00, so everyone in Seattle was apparently out walking the streets around the Hotel Monaco with their dogs and their kids and on their bikes. This was all just too much for my non-big-city dogs. Between the up hill walk in the sun and my crazy dogs freaking out in the big city, I was dripping with sweat, so I relaxed with a nice cool shower.

Jenny returned, and we decided just to order room service from the Hotel Monaco for dinner. Luckily it was really quick service. In fact, they said it would be 20 minutes and it was exactly 20 minutes – I like promtness! My ceasar salad was fantastic! My white pizza was also good, but I really liked my ceasar salad with fresh slices of parmasan.

 

To see all the pictures from my time in Seattle (and Portland), please click here http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150209290514168.328250.734599167&l=9347e090fe

Please watch my video of Patrick’s U2 lunchtime performance today http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IlMbq4_VpQ

Less than 24 hours until U2 360 at Qwest Field in Seattle.