A Couple of Whirlwind Trips to Seattle

King Street Station, Seattle

My trip to Bellingham was bookended by two quick visits to Seattle. On my way there, I had an 8-hour layover between trains; on my return trip, I stayed in Seattle overnight and got to spend the next morning and early afternoon there before catching my flight back to Chicago. Fortunately for me, my good friend Suzanne lives in Seattle and made both visits a breeze. On the first trip, she came to meet me at the station. Suzanne always has good ideas about interesting places to go, and as usual, she didn't let me down. We grabbed a quick lunch of Korean barbecue at Uwajimaya Village Food Court then visited the fascinating Panama Hotel Tea & Coffee House historic site. 

The Panama Hotel was home to many Japanese Americans before their forced internment during World War II. The hotel houses a large collection of the objects left behind as well as letters and pictures from the camps. Particularly in this current era of mass deportations and forced internment of immigrants, it is more important than ever to remember and learn from the injustices of the past. The cafe setting is pleasant, but I would love to see a more complete and formal museum for this important historical collection. 

Front page article from the final edition of The North American Times,
a Japanese-American newspaper that had been in print since 1903
before being forced by the US Treasury Department to cease publication
on 12 March 1942. Note the ad for war bonds in the upper corner. 

Pictures, letter, and identity cards from the internment camps

When I returned to King Street Station, with some time to spare before my train to Bellingham, I discovered something wonderful: ARTS at King Street Station, a new and thoroughly amazing exhibition space. As someone who teaches Native American literature, I felt especially fortunate to be there for the gallery's initial exhibition, yehaw', a remarkable display of works by Indigenous artists in a wide variety of mediums. Unfortunately, that show has now closed, but if you are in Seattle, I strongly recommend that you see what else might be going on above the train station. 

Here are a few examples of the works in the show. If you'd like to see more, please visit my Instagram account (professor.furiosa).

Beaded bodice by Kathryn Miller (Spokane), celebrating
five generations of women in the artist's family. It was truly
one of the most gorgeous things I've ever seen.

"Meiko" by Kali Spitzer (Kaska Dena/Jewish),
one of a series of stunning portraits using the tintype
technique of early photography. I loved how these
photographs juxtaposed the sentimental/nostalgic
technique of the famous Edward Curtis photographs
of Native Americans from the early 20th century with
bold, thoroughly contemporary subjects.

Fast forward a week, and I was back in Seattle before catching my flight back to Chicago. I got in late in the evening and was again grateful to Suzanne for providing me with her usual hospitality and good conversation (along with an air mattress and the best freaking view in Seattle!).  I left my bags at her place in the morning and went off to spend several hours exploring the city. I didn't have time to do all the things I love there, and I especially regret not having time to visit Pike Place Market for some Ellenos Greek Yogurt, which is the best yogurt I've ever tasted (and I've been eating yogurt since Lyndon Johnson was President!). Fortunately, I did have time to finally see the Chihuly Garden and Glass. It was absolutely beautiful! It might seem trite to say this, but it truly made me think of color in a new and far more appreciative way. It's a popular tourist destination so it was pretty crowded, but they do a good job of controlling how many people are there at a time through timed admissions. But it is well worth planning ahead and getting your tickets in advance. Again, I've posted additional pictures on Instagram of both the Glass House and indoor exhibits and the garden. 

Ah, blue!

The Glass House with Space Needle in the background

Seattle's iconic Space Needle

By this time, I was very ready for lunch so I walked to the one place I knew in the area, the cafe at MOHAI, the Museum of History and Industry. This, by the way, is a great museum, but I didn't have time to go beyond the cafe on this visit. After lunch, I strolled though Lake Union Park admiring the vintage boats and taking a few pictures at The Center for Wooden Boats before finally tearing myself away from my whirlwind tour of Seattle. 

A couple of classic beauties

Children attending an outdoor class at The Center for Wooden Boats

Boatbuilding workshop at The Center for Wooden Boats