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Seattle | 2024
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  • Siewch

Seattle | 2024

Atlas Obscura inspired wanderings in Seattle. Read more
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  • Trip start
    February 29, 2024
    SiewchSeattle | 2024Traveler
    AS848, operated by the infamous 737-MAX9, at the gate in HNL.
    Our flight path to Seattle as captured by FlightRadar24.

    Honolulu to Seattle

    March 1, 2024 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    Alaska Air AS848 | HNL/SEA
    Economy Class
    Boeing 737-MAX9 | N968AK
    ATD/2359 | ATA/0740+1

    =========================

    Prologue

    Jeff had a gig in Seattle to referee and judge the last ever Big 12 Diving Championship. I have joined Jeff twice in the past (in 2018 and 2020) for this meet, and I decided to join him again as it may be a while before we have an opportunity to visit Seattle again.

    I have been to Seattle several times before and I have done the usual touristy things, so this time round, I pieced together a walking tour of Atlas Obscura sights from Downtown up to Volunteer Park. Seattle has over 130 entries on Atlas Obscura, so I had to be judicious about which sites I chose for my Saturday explorations.    Read more

  • SiewchSeattle | 2024Traveler
    My tofu stew lunch at H Mart.
    The Federal Way Performing Arts Center.The view from Federal Way Performing Arts Center.The view from Federal Way Performing Arts Center.The rain on my walk back to the hotel.

    Federal Way Explorations

    March 1, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    I landed in Seattle at 8am on Friday. Jeff came to the airport to get me, and from there we headed out to breakfast at the Black Bear Diner, an old favorite of ours in the area.

    After breakfast, Jeff went to the aquatic center for his refereeing and judging duties. I set out a short while later to explore Federal Way. I first walked to the Transit Center, and then I explored the area around the Performing Arts Center before making my way around to the strip malls. During my walk, there were dark clouds. I silently cursed my bad decision to not bring my raincoat.

    During my wanderings, I chanced upon an H-Mart. I was quite excited by this find, and I happily trooped in to look at the produce on display. I was also stoked to find a food court. There, I ordered a tofu stew from a gruff Korean woman. The spicy stew paired with steaming hot rice really hit the spot. I can’t think of a better pick-me-up after a redeye flight.

    After lunch, I purchased some snacks and wandered out of H-Mart to find that it was raining. I ducked into the nearby Barnes and Noble for a while, and then I decided to walk the 20 minute route back to the Courtyard Marriott because it didn't look as if the rain would clear.

    I returned to the hotel around 3pm and dried off. Lo and behold, 20 minutes later the rain stopped. I decided not to venture out again as I was still drying off and thawing out. That evening, Jeff and I went out to Trader Joe's to buy microwave dinners.    Read more

  • SiewchSeattle | 2024Traveler
    The Amazon Spheres.
    The Amazon Spheres.The Amazon Spheres.The Amazon Spheres.The Amazon Spheres.Outdoor space at the Amazon Spheres.Doggy play area at the Amazon Spheres.Community Banana Stand at the Amazon Spheres.The free banana I scored at the Community Banana Stand.Community Banana Stand.The Giant Sequoia Tree.

    Atlas Obscura Sights: Seattle Downtown

    March 2, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C

    I reserved Saturday for my Atlas Obscura explorations. Jeff and I went out to breakfast at a nearby Panera Bread, after which I walked over to the Federal Way Transit Center to take the express bus to Downtown Seattle.

    The bus took about 45 minutes. My first stop after alighting the bus was the Amazon Spheres, which are three glass spheres set up for Amazon employees. The spheres also feature a rainforest inside them. When I got to the site, I saw that there were free tours that day. Unfortunately, the tours had to be booked in advance, and I could not secure a spot. Also on the grounds were a doggy play area, which I guess was built to facilitate employees who wish to bring their dogs to work, and also a community banana stand where I scored a free banana.
    https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/amazon-spheres

    A short walk away from the Amazon Spheres was the second sight on my list: an 80-foot tall sequoia tree.
    https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/seattles-gi…    Read more

  • SiewchSeattle | 2024Traveler
    The psychic chicken at Pike Place.
    Another fortune teller machine located near the psychic chicken.Pike Place.Pike Place Market.Mural near Pike Place Market.The Giant Shoe Museum at Pike Place.The fish market at Pike Place. I did not witness fish throwing this time.The fish market at Pike Place.The world's first Starbucks at Pike Place.The famous chewing gum wall at Pike Place.The famous chewing gum wall at Pike Place.The famous chewing gum wall at Pike Place.The famous chewing gum wall at Pike Place.The famous chewing gum wall at Pike Place.The famous chewing gum wall at Pike Place.Pike Place Market.The view of Puget Sound from Pike Place.The view of Puget Sound from Pike Place.The view of Puget Sound from Pike Place.Pike Place.Pike Place Market.The hammering man at the Seattle Art Museum.The hammering man in motion.The Asean Streat Food court.The Asean Streat Food court.My char kway teow at the Asean Streat Food court.

    Pike Place and Surrounding Areas

    March 2, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C

    My next target was Pike Place Market. Atlas Obscura has three listings in there: the famous chewing gum wall (which I have visited), along with two less well known sites: a giant shoe museum and a psychic chicken.

    Pike Place Market is a bit of a maze. I wandered around searching for the two sites without success. While looking for directions on my phone, a shopkeeper named Kathy, who was on her cigarette break, approached me and gave me directions. Alas, both places required quarters, which I did not have. The Giant Shoe Museum required users to insert a quarter to peer into a looking glass, and the psychic chicken required two quarters. I was bummed because I would have loved to film the psychic chicken squawking and laying an egg containing a fortune.

    The Atlas Obscura listings are at:
    https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/psychic-chi…
    https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/world-famou…

    My next stop was nearby at the Seattle Art Museum. At the space in front of the museum, there is a giant moving statue of a man using a hammer.
    https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hammering-man

    After filming the hammering man, I made my way to Asean Streat Eats, a small food court specializing in Southeast Asian cuisine. I ordered a char kway teow (fried rice noodles) which was passable. I was looking forward to a Malaysian milk tea, but unfortunately that stall was closed. Regardless, I was happy to consume food I could not find in Hawaii.    Read more

  • SiewchSeattle | 2024Traveler
    Jeff playing at the Pac Man Park.
    Cosplayers near the convention center.Cosplayers at Freeway Park.Freeway Park.Freeway Park.Plymouth Pillars Park.Pac Man Park.Pac Man Park.Pac Man Park.

    En Route to Volunteer Park

    March 2, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    The end point of my Atlas Obscura-inspired sightseeing was Lake View Cemetery at the top of Capitol Hill. Along the way, I made my way uphill from downtown, past the convention center, and up through Capitol Hill. My Atlas Obscura target sites en route were four parks.

    Setting out from downtown, I headed towards the convention center, where Comic Con was in full swing. I saw many people in cosplay. I wish I had the guts to ask them to pose for photos as I bet it would give rise to a fascinating photo collection.

    The first park was Freeway Park above the convention center, which features brutalist architecture. To be honest, I was more interested in the cosplayers doing a photo shoot. The waterfalls in the park were not flowing so it wasn't too interesting.
    https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/freeway-park

    The next stop was the Plymouth Pillars Park, which feature four pillars that used to be part of a now-demolished church.
    https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/plymouth-pi…

    The third park was the most fun one. Walking uphill from the convention center, I crossed into Capitol Hill. There, I sought out the Pac Man Park, which is a converted parking lot with a Pac Man gameboard. Jeff was so intrigued with this that we made a pitstop there the next day so he could record a video of him playing a ghost.
    https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pac-man-park

    The final sightseeing target was Tashkent Park which commemorates Seattle's sister city relationship with the Uzbek capital. Unfortunately, there were a number of iffy characters there, so I gave the park a miss.
    https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tashkent-park    Read more

  • SiewchSeattle | 2024Traveler
    Bruce Lee and Brandon Lee's graves at Lake View Cemetery.
    Lake View Cemetery.Lake View Cemetery.Park next to Lake View Cemetery.View from a park next to Lake View Cemetery.View from a park next to Lake View Cemetery.View from a park next to Lake View Cemetery.View from a park next to Lake View Cemetery.View from a park next to Lake View Cemetery.

    Lake View Cemetery

    March 2, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    The tenth and final stop on my Atlas Obscura wanderings led me to Lake View Cemetery. To get there, I walked through the posh gayborhood at Capitol Hill, then through Volunteer Park. At Volunteer Park, I tried several times to follow google map's directions to get to the cemetery, but I kept hitting the perimeter fence. I finally gave up and walked around the cemetery to get to the main gate.

    My goal for this last stop was to find the graves of Bruce Lee and Brandon Lee who are buried side by side. Jeff was also intrigued by this site, so we visited the next day.

    https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/lake-view-c…    Read more

  • SiewchSeattle | 2024Traveler
    Volunteer Park Conservatory.
    Paulette and I at Volunteer Park Conservatory.Volunteer Park Conservatory.Volunteer Park Conservatory.Volunteer Park Conservatory.Volunteer Park Conservatory.Volunteer Park Conservatory.Volunteer Park Conservatory.Volunteer Park Conservatory.Volunteer Park Conservatory.Volunteer Park Conservatory.Volunteer Park Conservatory.Volunteer Park Conservatory.Volunteer Park Conservatory.Volunteer Park Conservatory.Volunteer Park Conservatory.Volunteer Park Conservatory.Volunteer Park Conservatory.Volunteer Park Conservatory.Volunteer Park Conservatory.Volunteer Park Conservatory.Volunteer Park Conservatory.Volunteer Park Conservatory.Volunteer Park Conservatory.Volunteer Park Conservatory.

    Volunteer Park

    March 2, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    After viewing Bruce Lee's grave, I made my way to the conservatory at Volunteer Park to meet my classmate Paulette and her husband Larry. We took advantage of the free admission that day to view the plants in the conservatory.Read more

  • SiewchSeattle | 2024Traveler
    Orca-shaped structure at Union Lake shore.
    Union Lake.Union Lake.Union Lake.

    Union Lake

    March 2, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C

    Our next stop was the shoreline of Union Lake. We went there hoping to watch seaplanes takeoff and land, but there were none scheduled at that time.

  • SiewchSeattle | 2024Traveler
    The Boeing 737 plant at Renton.
    The Boeing 737 plant at Renton.The Boeing 737 plant at Renton.Ethiopian Airlines wingtips, Boeing 737 plant at Renton.The Boeing 737 plant at Renton.View from the boardwalk near the Boeing 737 plant at Renton.A line of birds hanging out on a log near the Boeing 737 plant at Renton.View from the boardwalk near the Boeing 737 plant at Renton.View from the boardwalk near the Boeing 737 plant at Renton.View from the boardwalk near the Boeing 737 plant at Renton.Paulette and I.Larry, Paulette, and me at my hotel in Federal Way.

    Renton

    March 2, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    Back in 2018, Larry brought us to a viewpoint over the Boeing 737 plant at Renton. Back then, I marveled at the shiny new 737MAX aircraft on the tarmac. We all know what has happened since then.

    This time round, Larry brought us to a park and boardwalk very close to the 737MAX plant. The avgeek in me enjoyed looking at the new aircraft. After that, we went to Ivar's for a snack, following which they took me back to the hotel in Federal Way.Read more

  • SiewchSeattle | 2024Traveler
    The Suriname cherry tree at the Bonsai Museum. This tree even had fruit!
    Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.This bonsai features 59 trees!Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.

    Pacific Bonsai Museum

    March 3, 2024 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 3 °C

    Jeff and I deliberately booked a 5.40pm flight on our last day so that we could do a little exploring together. Our first stop after checking out of our hotel was the nearby Pacific Bonsai Museum located on the grounds of the former Weyerhauser campus. I had gone to the museum on my two prior visits to Federal Way, and I was excited to bring Jeff along this time.

    The highlight of this visit was a Suriname cherry tree. These trees are common in Hawaii, and I never thought they could be used as bonsai. The specimen on display even had fruit!    Read more

  • SiewchSeattle | 2024Traveler
    Seattle Asian Art Museum.
    Seattle Asian Art Museum.Seattle Asian Art Museum.Seattle Asian Art Museum.Seattle Asian Art Museum.Seattle Asian Art Museum.Seattle Asian Art Museum.Seattle Asian Art Museum.Seattle Asian Art Museum.

    Seattle Asian Art Museum

    March 3, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    After the Pacific Bonsai Museum, we made our way to Capitol Hill for lunch with Jeff's cousin. After lunch, we went to the Seattle Asian Art Museum at Volunteer Park, which I had spied on my wanderings yesterday.

    We hadn't done any research on the exhibitions at the museum. Entering the museum, we started walking through galleries featuring mostly Buddhist artwork and statues. To us, these exhibits weren't anything out of the ordinary. After viewing a few such galleries, we turned around a corner and what came next surprised and delighted us - see next entry.    Read more

  • SiewchSeattle | 2024Traveler
    The Red Chador.
    The resurrection of The Red Chador in Honolulu.The Red Chador challenging notions of patriotism in Washington DC.The Red Chador.The Red Chador executing baguettes in Paris.The Red Chador and her compatriots reenacting Abbey Road.The Red Chador.The Red Chador.The Red Chador and her compatriots.The Red Chador and her compatriots.The Red Chador.The Red Chador.The Buddhist Bug.The Buddhist Bug.The Buddhist Bug.The Buddhist Bug.The Buddhist Bug costume.The Buddhist Bug.The Buddhist Bug.The Buddhist Bug.The Buddhist Bug.The Buddhist Bug.The Buddhist Bug.The Buddhist Bug.

    The Red Chador & The Buddhist Bug

    March 3, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    The special exhibit was titled Hybrid Skin, Mythical Presence, and it featured performance artist Anida Yoeu Ali, a Cambodian born Cham Muslim woman known for her performance art as the Red Chador. As the Red Chador, Ms. Ali walked around Seattle, Washington DC, Honolulu, Paris, Hong Kong, and Palestine dressed head to toe in a striking red sequined chador. Some of these performances happened soon after Trump was elected, so she walked around carrying signs such as "Ban Me", and "Nasty Woman". Her anger definitely came through in her photographs. In another performance in Paris, she executed one baguette every hour until her demands - which included bringing her flags of every country France colonized - were met.

    In 2018, Ali's chador mysteriously disappeared while she was in transit from Palestine to Israel. She held a funeral ceremony for it and retired it. But, in 2019, she resurrected the Red Chador in Honolulu, accompanied by six other performers in sequined chadors of varying colors. Undoubtedly, my favorite performance was of her and her compatriots walking around Honolulu (Waikiki and Kakaako to be exact).

    As if The Red Chador wasn't enough, in the next room was an exhibit of another alter ego of hers called the Buddhist Bug. In this series, she dons a 100 meter long costume in a shade of orange similar to what monks wear. In the exhibit was her bug costume, along with photos of her posing in that costume in various settings around her native Cambodia. This was a fun exhibit and I really enjoyed the humor. I especially loved seeing bare feet - presumably belonging to a second person - protruding from the end of the long costume.

    After the art museum, we walked over to visit Bruce Lee's grave as Jeff was interested in seeing it, and then we looked for the Pac Man Park where we filmed Jeff pretending to be a Pac Man ghost. After that, we made our way to the airport.    Read more

  • Trip end
    March 3, 2024
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