So, apparently Amtrak also has its fair share of buses that commute to places not covered by their trains, or during hours when trains aren't available. I caught the 4:45pm bus from King's Station to Vancouver and immediately set to accosting the people around me. There was a nice mix of people from Canada and the States, who were more than willing to impart some of their knowledge on me. The most useful was the explanation of what would happen once we got to the border. For some reason I didn't imagine having to go through customs, but that just goes to show what a clueless Yank I can be at times. When we got to the border and had to stand through customs, I started a conversation with a Canadian girl, Nina, that was standing behind me and I expressed my disappointment that the border guards weren't actually mounties, donning red coats and fun hats. She asked me if I was serious and I admitted that I was and that I wasn't, but that I was genuinely disappointed. I don't know how I come off, but I guess it was at least amusing since she recommended a few places to eat and scenes to check out.
The general consensus that I got from everyone on the bus was that my timing for Vancouver was perfect. The Canucks just decimated the LA Kings and were ready to sodomize Chicago on its journey to the Stanley Cup. There's definitely a buzz in the air and the Canuck pride is on full display as I walk down the street. Whereas Seattle definitely felt more like a city in comparison to Portland, Vancouver is a full-fledged city. The downtown skyline is decorated with beautiful buildings and an awesome public transit system. Sometimes, that's enough for me to enjoy a city, but downtown Vancouver also has the added charm of being along a beautiful waterfront with snowcapped mountains across the water. Of course, I didn't see all of this last night as I got in around 8:30pm and Seattle's rain decided to follow me across the border. Despite the torrential downpour I took up one of my busmate's recommendations and checked out a greek place called Stepho's. This could very well be my favorite greek restaurant. Now, Yelp may have you think otherwise as some of the reviews that I read after dinner complained about long lines, dry roasts, and bad service, but everything was awesome. HUGE fucking portions for a very reasonable price. The dolmathes I ordered were delicious and they came on top of a bed of rice pilaf and the best tsatziki I've ever had. I'm not sure what Canadians do to their yogurt, but it tasted like I was spreading butter on my dolmathes... *drool* My entree was the roast lamb, which sat on top of another bed of rice, with a side of greek salad, stewed veggies, and roasted potatoes. The meat was about as juicy as I could imagine lamb being with meat falling off the bones (which I sucked on, of course) and the overall taste being superb. There was the distinct lamb taste w/out the game'iness that can sometimes overwhelm the palate. The only complaint that I could issue is that they need to find even bigger plates to serve the food on, as the rice would sometimes spill over the plate... I didn't mind since I wasn't able to finish the entire meal. Let me repeat that... I could not finish the plate, despite eating a full 9 hours before. So far, Vancouver, sooooo good.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Seattle - More details
The following entry isn't so much for the entertainment of you, the reader, but for me to spew out the random details in my head so I can recall the events that transpired. Then again, this blog is really for myself, but I'm letting you assholes take a peek inside my head. So, enjoy.
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The first part of Saturday was more like my touristy jaunts of the past. Janet, Kevin and I tried out a popular Cuban sandwich place on Fremont then went for a short walk around the gasworks which had a terrific view of the waterfront. We even saw some pirate ships in the distance having a mock battle and firin their cannons. Weird stuff. We weren't too far off from the university of Washington so we checked out the campus. Beautiful hills and scenery but too many hills. I recall ditching a lot of lectures in ucla bc the one hill when walkin back to the dorms. The surroundin area was a bit meh as it seemed to be overrun by boba shops packed with a lot of chinks. We went back to the downtown area and had dinner at the pink door - a suggestion from one of the cute baristas at zeitgeist coffee shop. It was an italian restaurant with a nice decor but still had a fun personality. On some nights they have a trapeze Artist that swings above the dining room. fun stuff.
All week I'd seen advertisements for the gong show -- a public talent show that's held at the crocodile. I watched a few clips from last years show which had a coke snorting Mary poppins, a mongoloid doin slam poetry, musicians, and comedians. Unfortunately our dinner ran long so the show sold out by the time I got there. Despite my attempt to bribe the bouncer in the back I was still shit out of luck. But he kindly pointed me to Shorty's - a bar down the street that had a room full of vintage pinball machines and cheap beers. Finally I found a scene that j could imagine myself a part of. I met a cute punk lesbian named erin and got into an interesting conversation with her for a while before her lipstick lesbian bitch of a gf pulled her away from me. No worries. I was done with my first pitcher and in a talkative mood. I started talking to a latino couple in their late 30s that were obviously into metal. They suggested I check out Funhouse, a bar that usually has some live punk music that was only a 10-minute walk away. I made my way over to the bar, ducking into a few other establishments to take a quick piss, and eventually found the bar. When I opened the door, the scene was a bit different from what I'd expected. Prince was contemplating whether he was like his mother or father and there was a mountain of pizza boxes in one corner. Apparently, the local roller derby was having its afterparty at the bar, so I was once again shit out of luck. I lingered for a while and did a solo shuffle on the dance floor, but eventually made my way back to the hostel. Perhaps it was a case of chronic bad timing, but Seattle just refused to work with me. What can you do? At the very least, I could look forward to Vancouver the next evening.
The next morning I woke up a bit early (before 9am) and took the Bainbridge ferry to see Janet's place in Poulsbo. Poulsbo is a quiet little town where the median age is in their late 40s. It really showed with the quiet and geriatric pace that everything seemed to move. I don't think I'll ever be able to find a better example of the word "quaint." Janet picked me up from the ferry stop and showed me her house, the only one on the block with a nice garden of varied weeds and no lawn. For roughly the same price as my place in Sacramento, you can get a house in Poulsbo with 3 bedrooms, a den/man-cave, and a beautiful deck equipped with a rotting gazebo that isn't safe for lounging. The house was awesome and I could envision myself living there, perhaps later on in life when I'm looking to spend more time indoors. We wrapped up the tour and grabbed lunch and coffee. The clam chowder was pretty awesome and the coffee was on par with all the other good places I tried out while in Seattle (i.e. Vivace, Caffe D'arte, etc.). After lunch we did a bit of antiquing and I saw some random PBR paraphanelia that I was tempted to buy, but decided against. The timing worked out perfectly for me to catch the ferry back to Seattle proper and catch my bus to Vancouver.
--------------------
The first part of Saturday was more like my touristy jaunts of the past. Janet, Kevin and I tried out a popular Cuban sandwich place on Fremont then went for a short walk around the gasworks which had a terrific view of the waterfront. We even saw some pirate ships in the distance having a mock battle and firin their cannons. Weird stuff. We weren't too far off from the university of Washington so we checked out the campus. Beautiful hills and scenery but too many hills. I recall ditching a lot of lectures in ucla bc the one hill when walkin back to the dorms. The surroundin area was a bit meh as it seemed to be overrun by boba shops packed with a lot of chinks. We went back to the downtown area and had dinner at the pink door - a suggestion from one of the cute baristas at zeitgeist coffee shop. It was an italian restaurant with a nice decor but still had a fun personality. On some nights they have a trapeze Artist that swings above the dining room. fun stuff.
All week I'd seen advertisements for the gong show -- a public talent show that's held at the crocodile. I watched a few clips from last years show which had a coke snorting Mary poppins, a mongoloid doin slam poetry, musicians, and comedians. Unfortunately our dinner ran long so the show sold out by the time I got there. Despite my attempt to bribe the bouncer in the back I was still shit out of luck. But he kindly pointed me to Shorty's - a bar down the street that had a room full of vintage pinball machines and cheap beers. Finally I found a scene that j could imagine myself a part of. I met a cute punk lesbian named erin and got into an interesting conversation with her for a while before her lipstick lesbian bitch of a gf pulled her away from me. No worries. I was done with my first pitcher and in a talkative mood. I started talking to a latino couple in their late 30s that were obviously into metal. They suggested I check out Funhouse, a bar that usually has some live punk music that was only a 10-minute walk away. I made my way over to the bar, ducking into a few other establishments to take a quick piss, and eventually found the bar. When I opened the door, the scene was a bit different from what I'd expected. Prince was contemplating whether he was like his mother or father and there was a mountain of pizza boxes in one corner. Apparently, the local roller derby was having its afterparty at the bar, so I was once again shit out of luck. I lingered for a while and did a solo shuffle on the dance floor, but eventually made my way back to the hostel. Perhaps it was a case of chronic bad timing, but Seattle just refused to work with me. What can you do? At the very least, I could look forward to Vancouver the next evening.
The next morning I woke up a bit early (before 9am) and took the Bainbridge ferry to see Janet's place in Poulsbo. Poulsbo is a quiet little town where the median age is in their late 40s. It really showed with the quiet and geriatric pace that everything seemed to move. I don't think I'll ever be able to find a better example of the word "quaint." Janet picked me up from the ferry stop and showed me her house, the only one on the block with a nice garden of varied weeds and no lawn. For roughly the same price as my place in Sacramento, you can get a house in Poulsbo with 3 bedrooms, a den/man-cave, and a beautiful deck equipped with a rotting gazebo that isn't safe for lounging. The house was awesome and I could envision myself living there, perhaps later on in life when I'm looking to spend more time indoors. We wrapped up the tour and grabbed lunch and coffee. The clam chowder was pretty awesome and the coffee was on par with all the other good places I tried out while in Seattle (i.e. Vivace, Caffe D'arte, etc.). After lunch we did a bit of antiquing and I saw some random PBR paraphanelia that I was tempted to buy, but decided against. The timing worked out perfectly for me to catch the ferry back to Seattle proper and catch my bus to Vancouver.
More coffee and some old faces
So, before the whole Karaoke thing, I spent a good chunk of that morning at Caffe D'arte, a coffee shop on 2nd & Stewart, which was probably the 3rd coffee shop I sampled that morning. I enjoyed their latte and they offered free wifi, so they earned my patronage for a few hours as I researched things to do in Seattle and Vancouver. Joe, a former BSA'er, picked me up from the shop and we went for lunch around Pioneer Square. After dealing with some minor derision for being boring at a coffee shop, we started knocking back a few pints of some local brews. I forget what their names were, but all of 'em were tasty enough and that's all you can ask for when you're having good conversations. At some point we started "buzz-dialing" a few members of the former A-Team, the stem cell audit team from four years back (job #2006-108). Had a lot of fun just shooting the shit and getting a sense of life out here from a friend that's been living out here for a few years. Seeing as how Joe's now working for the Washington State Auditor, he's got the best sense of what my life would be if I chose to continue auditing once I leave the BSA. He seems pretty happy with the location and his wife, Suzie, seemed to enjoy the location too. Perhaps this is a place I'd settle down in once I'm done being a bachelor... but that's probably not going to happen for a while.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Mission: Karaoke
Just got back in from a night of Karaoke at The Crescent -- a fairly gay bar in both the merry and homosexual ways. Still, there were a few cute fag hags that gave me something to sing to while pumping out some Toni Braxton, haha. At first when I got to Seattle, I noticed a good amount of interracial couples which gave me some hope that Seattle would be a cool place to meet chicks, but after the last two nights of stumbling into a bunch of gay bars, I'm really wondering if there are any chicks that don't use a flowbie to cut their hair. Whatever. The crowd was still pretty awesome and ultimately I don't give a shit about your orientation as long as you're having fun on stage. It takes balls to sing on stage, whether you're a butch lesbian on testosterone pills, or if you're a dude who likes to take balls in the mouth. Okay, so I've been drinking since about noon, but I did come up with the brilliant idea that I should do karaoke in every city I visit. Especially in the cities where I'll be flying solo. The best wingman at my disposal is a wireless mic and some Marvin Gaye... or Erasure. Either way, all you Canadian KJs better watch out cuz I'm coming to town... biatch!
Wow, I really shouldn't post this entry cuz it's poorly written, but at this point, who cares. I've had so much beer and coffee and I'm suffering from dehydration, I hope y'all will let it slide just this once.
Wow, I really shouldn't post this entry cuz it's poorly written, but at this point, who cares. I've had so much beer and coffee and I'm suffering from dehydration, I hope y'all will let it slide just this once.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Land of Coffee
Took the Greyhound for the first time in my life and I must admit that I'm a bit disappointed that I didn't meet any "interesting" people. Everyone was actually quite normal and the Swedish backpacker that I sat next to was very friendly. I guess there will be plenty more opportunities to witness some Greyhound shenanigans.
The bus ride from Portland to Seattle only took four hours and cost about $30. The seats were pretty comfortable and I managed to nod off, waking up a few times to stare at the epic cumulonimbus clouds that were hanging in the sky. My time in Portland was spent with a friend's family, watching after their 6-month-old, and trying desperately to keep her from crying. I don't know if it's even possible for my face to contort itself in a way that I didn't try over the last two days... babies are a tough crowd. It wasn't exactly the kind of start to my adventure that I had originally imagined, but it was pretty cool in its own right. Plus, I'm sure there's some hidden metaphor or symbolism in starting the road trip with a baby... yea, that's pretty deep.
The greyhound bus pulled into 8th & Stewart around 1pm and Janet called to let me know she was on her way. As I exited the station I watched the taxis fight over the next fare, telling the confused client that the others were liars who had tweaked meters. They continued to argue until a new person walked out of the station. This would-be passenger could only pay with credit card and most of the drivers lost interest. I watched as he spent some time in the backseat of the still cab and eventually exited the cab with his bags. The taxi's meter might have been legit, but the driver was definitely trying to skim off the top. Gotta love the skeeziness.
The next few hours were occupied with sampling a few of the local beers, doughnuts, Beecher's mac 'n cheese, cheeseburgers, and roast beef sandwiches, all while talking Janet's ear off. Her friend, Kevin, joined us for the last meal and he was also subject to my coffee-induced rantings. I must have been on my 5th cup of coffee by that time (I'm working on my 3rd as I compose this entry). They dropped me off at my hostel and we agreed to meet up the next day when Janet finishes her last class.
In case any of you are wondering, I'm staying at the Green Tortoise hostel on 1st and Pike. A bed in a 6-bed dorm room costs about $30/night, which is pretty damn cheap considering how centrally located the hostel is. You can see Pike Street market from the window of the dorm and there are several personal bathrooms on each floor, equipped with a sink, toilet, and shower. This is definitely at the top of my list of hostels, as the location and amenities are top-notch. It also helps that people are friendly and I've already made a few friends of convenience. Anyway, gotta meet up with a former coworker for lunch, I'll post some more when I've got something to say. All in all, I'm enjoying my time around Seattle, although the vibe here isn't as chill as Portland. I'll be here for another day or two, so we'll see what happens.
'til next time,
Andrew
Seattle, WA
The bus ride from Portland to Seattle only took four hours and cost about $30. The seats were pretty comfortable and I managed to nod off, waking up a few times to stare at the epic cumulonimbus clouds that were hanging in the sky. My time in Portland was spent with a friend's family, watching after their 6-month-old, and trying desperately to keep her from crying. I don't know if it's even possible for my face to contort itself in a way that I didn't try over the last two days... babies are a tough crowd. It wasn't exactly the kind of start to my adventure that I had originally imagined, but it was pretty cool in its own right. Plus, I'm sure there's some hidden metaphor or symbolism in starting the road trip with a baby... yea, that's pretty deep.
The greyhound bus pulled into 8th & Stewart around 1pm and Janet called to let me know she was on her way. As I exited the station I watched the taxis fight over the next fare, telling the confused client that the others were liars who had tweaked meters. They continued to argue until a new person walked out of the station. This would-be passenger could only pay with credit card and most of the drivers lost interest. I watched as he spent some time in the backseat of the still cab and eventually exited the cab with his bags. The taxi's meter might have been legit, but the driver was definitely trying to skim off the top. Gotta love the skeeziness.
The next few hours were occupied with sampling a few of the local beers, doughnuts, Beecher's mac 'n cheese, cheeseburgers, and roast beef sandwiches, all while talking Janet's ear off. Her friend, Kevin, joined us for the last meal and he was also subject to my coffee-induced rantings. I must have been on my 5th cup of coffee by that time (I'm working on my 3rd as I compose this entry). They dropped me off at my hostel and we agreed to meet up the next day when Janet finishes her last class.
In case any of you are wondering, I'm staying at the Green Tortoise hostel on 1st and Pike. A bed in a 6-bed dorm room costs about $30/night, which is pretty damn cheap considering how centrally located the hostel is. You can see Pike Street market from the window of the dorm and there are several personal bathrooms on each floor, equipped with a sink, toilet, and shower. This is definitely at the top of my list of hostels, as the location and amenities are top-notch. It also helps that people are friendly and I've already made a few friends of convenience. Anyway, gotta meet up with a former coworker for lunch, I'll post some more when I've got something to say. All in all, I'm enjoying my time around Seattle, although the vibe here isn't as chill as Portland. I'll be here for another day or two, so we'll see what happens.
'til next time,
Andrew
Seattle, WA
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
PORTLAND!
This post will be a bit rushed, so forgive the short post.
Took the coastal route from Eureka, CA to Lincoln City, OR. I highly recommend the drive as it's one of the most beautiful drives I've ever done. It was about a 15 hour drive with minimal stops, so I'd recommend spreading the drive out over two days. Along the way there are a few roadside attractions that some of you may recognize from PeeWee's Big Adventure. I decided to stay the night at a motel in Depoe Bay, which had an amazing view of the ocean and only cost $49. Next door was a quaint little bar run by the most hilarious Chinese couple that knew everyone's name that walked through the door, occasionally substituting "asshole" for their name. All in all, a great start to what's going to be an epic road trip. Time to hit up Powell's Books now.
'til next time
-Andrew
Portland, OR
Took the coastal route from Eureka, CA to Lincoln City, OR. I highly recommend the drive as it's one of the most beautiful drives I've ever done. It was about a 15 hour drive with minimal stops, so I'd recommend spreading the drive out over two days. Along the way there are a few roadside attractions that some of you may recognize from PeeWee's Big Adventure. I decided to stay the night at a motel in Depoe Bay, which had an amazing view of the ocean and only cost $49. Next door was a quaint little bar run by the most hilarious Chinese couple that knew everyone's name that walked through the door, occasionally substituting "asshole" for their name. All in all, a great start to what's going to be an epic road trip. Time to hit up Powell's Books now.
'til next time
-Andrew
Portland, OR
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Packed Up & Ready to Go!
Well, it's 11:30pm and I really should be asleep by now, but I'm still pulling together some last minute preparations. The car's booked and I've got a hostel in mind, though I don't want to commit to an RSVP 'til I figure out what time I'll be making it to Portland. I guess that'll more or less foreshadow the theme of this trip -- play it by ear.
I've honestly got no clue what's going to happen on this journey. So far, there are only three destinations that won't change -- Portland, Seattle, New York. I've already had to give up on the only two things that I was looking forward to doing (sandboarding & zorbing). It doesn't seem like they're going to happen due to the crazy weather we've been having. Sandboarding's going to be rained out and the zorbing place had to push back their start date because of the weather. I guess my stint as a hamster will have to wait since it won't be available by the time I get to Calgary... that is, if I cross through Calgary at all.
So...
Perhaps instead of a trans-Canadian road trip, I'll be doing a proper one across the states. I have been meaning to check out Chicago, so I could end up there in a few weeks. The only thing that can't change is my flight from NY to Sacramento. As long as I know how I'm getting back home, everything else in the middle is just details that'll work themselves out. I promise to keep myself somewhat safe throughout the process.
'til next time,
Andrew
Sacramento, CA
I've honestly got no clue what's going to happen on this journey. So far, there are only three destinations that won't change -- Portland, Seattle, New York. I've already had to give up on the only two things that I was looking forward to doing (sandboarding & zorbing). It doesn't seem like they're going to happen due to the crazy weather we've been having. Sandboarding's going to be rained out and the zorbing place had to push back their start date because of the weather. I guess my stint as a hamster will have to wait since it won't be available by the time I get to Calgary... that is, if I cross through Calgary at all.
So...
Perhaps instead of a trans-Canadian road trip, I'll be doing a proper one across the states. I have been meaning to check out Chicago, so I could end up there in a few weeks. The only thing that can't change is my flight from NY to Sacramento. As long as I know how I'm getting back home, everything else in the middle is just details that'll work themselves out. I promise to keep myself somewhat safe throughout the process.
'til next time,
Andrew
Sacramento, CA
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