Tag: washington

LISTEN: Alex Dunn, “Will You Be”

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Artist: Alex Dunn
Hometown: Seattle, Washington
Song: “Will You Be”
Album: Scattered Poems
Release Date: November 16, 2018

In Their Words: “I wrote this song a couple years ago, when I had just met and fallen in love with someone far, far away. It was an unrequited love. But the song isn’t really about that person. It is more about the feeling itself. The feeling of falling. A feeling so good. I was living in the little town of Saratoga, Wyoming, at the time and had just come back alone from the Rustic Bar, where a honky-tonk band was playing — so naturally, the two-step rhythm was coursing through my veins. I came dancing through the door, grabbed my guitar and wrote this tune in one go.” — Alex Dunn

Photo credit: Nicole Griffin

Traveler: Your Guide to Bellevue, WA

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Bellevue, Washington, is a quick commute outside of Seattle and a gateway to the beauty of the Puget Sound region. With a compact and walkable downtown, Bellevue is a culture-filled day trip for when you have an extra day in the Seattle area or want to soak up a rich bluegrass fest. The 25-year-old Wintergrass Music Festival is a compelling reason to plan a trip to Bellevue every February, boasting OG bluegrassers like Del McCoury, the Seldom Scene, and Peter Rowan.

Getting There

Just nine miles south of Seattle, Bellevue offers a quick getaway from big city life. Take a half-hour bus ride or drive from Seattle to reach Bellevue. The Seattle-Tacoma airport is a 16-mile drive from Bellevue, making Bellevue and Seattle a convenient two-for-one trip. Once in Bellevue, you won’t need a car much because the city is quite walkable, unless you want to venture to nearby attractions.

Where to Stay

Wintergrass festival-goers will want to stay at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue, since it’s centrally located downtown and close to the music. Silver Cloud Inn Bellevue is also walking distance to the festival and a more budget-friendly basecamp, offering discounts to Wintergrass attendees. For a more boutique hotel experience, the Europe-inspired AC Hotel’s design marries modern with classic, serving a hearty European-style breakfast each morning.

What to Do

Bellevue Arts Museum. Photo credit: Scott Harder.

The Bellevue Arts Museum is nationally renowned for their art, craft, and design. The museum started from an art fair in the 1940s and has become a staple in the city. During Wintergrass 2018, the museum welcomes a Pakistan-born artist named Humaira Abid, well-known for her symbolically rich wood sculptures and mini paintings.

Woodinville Wine Country. Photo credit: Novelty Hill Januik Winer.

Woodinville Wine Country’s climate is ripe for grapes, boasting more than 115 wineries and tasting rooms. It’s a quick drive from Bellevue into the scenic valley of Woodinville, and it’s not just for wine lovers: Their microbreweries, distilleries, cideries, and robust farm-to-table scene are all impressive.


Bellevue Skyline. Photo credit: Visit Bellevue Washington by Merrill Images.

Bellevue Downtown Park is a 21-acre green space in the heart of downtown along with Inspiration Playground. Pit stops at Third Culture Coffee, a globally influenced coffee and tea shop, are encouraged. Try their Mexican or Vietnamese Coffee.

The 36-acre Bellevue Botanical Garden is stunning, featuring a rhododendron glen, Japanese Yao garden, and a stone garden, plus admission is free.

We recommend the punny Puget Sounds record shop and Silver Platters for your vinyl fix. Bake’s Place is Bellevue’s answer to “dinner and a show,” and the Showbox hosts gigs by indie rockers to singer/songwriters to country artists and more.

Eats and Drinks

The Lakehouse Bellevue

Bellevue is quickly becoming a foodie hotspot, drawing award-winning talent to the scene, like James Beard Award winner Chef Jason Wilson’s the Lakehouse. Japonessa fuses Japanese and Latin American flavors and is known for their extensive happy hour and traditional sushi. Locals love Lot No. 3 where the cocktail and spirits program has been recognized as one of the strongest in the Puget Sound. For breakfast goods, head to Belle Pastry on Main Street for exceptional French croissants.

Wintergrass Tips

Wintergrass originated in Tacoma and has made its home Bellevue for nearly 10 years. Home to many IBMA- and Grammy Award-winning artists, the festival takes place in the Hyatt Hotel every February and offers 70+ performances throughout the weekend. Always have your instrument on you for the various, spontaneous jam session which break out at any given moment. Don’t overlook the educational component at this fest, because who knows when you’ll be able to learn to clog at a music festival.

Ballrooms and bars in the Hyatt are turned into venues, making seating at popular shows competitive. Don’t feel pressured to buy food and drinks at bars while watching shows, which has been a point of contention in the past. The festival is laid out nicely indoors — so you barely have to leave — and the surrounding restaurants are easily walkable.

Lede: Lede Photo courtesy of Visit Bellevue Washington, by Merrill Images

Traveler: Your Guide to Olympia, Washington

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The great out-of-doors is the name of the game in Olympia, Washington. The natural beauty of the state’s park-filled capital offers views of the Olympic Mountains, Mount Rainier, and Capitol Lake, all from downtown. With a population of around 42,000 and a total count of 40 city parks on 963 acres, Olympia’s ratio of people to parks ensures plenty of green space for all. Olympia’s vibe is informed by its rich past of feminist musical history, political dealings, and spectacular scenery.

Getting There

The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport — referred to as “Sea-Tac” — is an hour north of Olympia and is accessible via the Sound Transit route 592, going from downtown Seattle to downtown Olympia during weekday rush hours. Otherwise, taxis and rideshare apps are your best bet getting into the city.

Stay

Photo credit: swantowninn.com

Green bed & breakfast the Fertile Ground could be from an episode of Portlandia with its grown-on-site breakfast from their six chickens, organic cotton sheets, and commitment to composting all waste … and we’re into it. If you want to splurge on a more decadent room, the Swantown Inn is a 17-room Victorian mansion built in 1889 which is now an inn and spa. And it’s not even as pricey as you might think — rooms range from $119-$179.

See

Photo credit: Olympia Farmers’ Market

How could a town this au naturale not have a bomb-ass farmers’ market? An outdoor bee farm, fresh oysters, and live music are all staples at the Olympia Farmers’ Market. Head to the Swantown Marina nearby to watch boats dock in the Port of Olympia after perusing produce.

Photo credit: Port of Olympia

The Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge is a crossroads for the freshwater of the Nisqually River and the saltwater of Puget Sound, forming an unspoiled estuary, rich in nutrients and perfect for wildlife watching with a $3 price tag. Then, throw yourself to the wolves, literally, at Wolf Haven International, an 80-acre wolf sanctuary where guided tours are given every hour on the hour. The 287-foot-high dome at the Washington State Capitol is the fourth tallest in the world and a staple to see while you’re there, with its marble walls, floors, and pillars from different countries. It’s worth the free tour and even has two-hour free parking.

Sip

Photo credit: burialgroundscoffee.com

Burial Grounds Coffee is a delightfully morbid coffee shop, offering some skull-ful latte art atop their death-themed lattes. For brews hop, err … hops, on over to Three Magnets Brewing Company for sandwiches, local microbrews, and ginger beer on draft. Fish Brewing Company boasts bargain beer and cider in 20-ounce pours for $4.50. Spar Café, called “the Spar” by locals, is in a 1930s building with a bohemian vibe and a 22-foot shuffleboard, plus pub grub and craft beer.

Do

Photo credit: levoyeurolympia.com

Energetic art and music scenes are thriving cornerstones of Olympia’s culture. With the feminist riot grrrl movement barely in the rearview mirror, Olympia’s grunge scene remains alive and kickin’. However, rock ‘n’ roll isn’t the only genre around: Olympia’s folk, blues, and jazz scenes thrive. The best places to catch shows include the restored 1920s Capitol Theater and Le Voyeur, the quintessential Olympia lounge. The city’s DIY scene makes use of nearly every vacant building, bar, and basement as a music venue.

Photo credit: Last Word Books

What’s an eclectic town to do without a bustling bookstore? Luckily, Olympia has Last Word Books, touting itself as a “radical, independent bookstore” selling mostly used books. Speaking of grungy, enter the town’s best vintage clothing store, Dumpster Values, and don’t ignore the Sleater-Kinney discount bin at Rainy Day Records.

Eat

Olympia’s culinary scene has everything from Pad Thai to Adobo to a good ol’ American “John Wayne” burger. Check out Cebu for authentic Filipino food in a strip mall next to a gas station. Get your Pad Thai fix at the Lemon Grass, and grab a John Wayne burger from Norma’s Burgers — a local chain voted best burger in Washington State. Da Nang’s authentic Vietnamese food is also a staple in the city, and we hear it’s pho-cking great!

Lede photo credit: dreamsjung via Foter.com / CC BY-SA

Root 66: Nick Drummond’s Roadside Favorites

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Touring artists spend so much of their time on the road that they, inevitably, find all the best places to eat, drink, shop, and relax. Want to know where to find the best burger, beer, boots, or bunks? Ask a musician. Better yet, let us ask them for you.

Name: Nick Drummond
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Latest Project: Nick Drummond

Tacos: I’m sure I’m just asking for trouble, but if I see a small taco truck in the middle of nowhere, you can bet your belly I’m gonna stop. So far, it’s worked out okay. I’ve had extra good luck in the Central Valley.
Health food: Skagit Valley Food Co-op. Mt. Vernon, Washington. I’ve done the trip from Seattle to Bellingham more times than I can possibly count, and this co-op sits in the perfect location for a quick adjustment. Bladder relief and quinoa under the same roof? Sign me up.
Sushi: Sushi Hana. Sebastopol, California. I have no idea if this is actually the best I’ve had on the road, but every time I’ve been there, it’s been with good friends who live nearby and it has filled my belly with the type of company one craves while on the road.
Dive Bar: I don’t think it’s fair to call this a dive, but Coop’s Place in New Orleans might be my favorite place on earth for eating and drinking. Just make sure you know how spicy your hot sauce is before you pollinate your po’ boy … I had to order a couple glasses of milk once to quench the burn.


Music Festival: It’s not known as a music festival per se, but Oregon Country Fair is heaven on earth.
Backstage Hang: Again, Oregon Country Fair. Some of the best songwriting I’ve ever heard was played around a campfire here well into the morning.
Listening “Room”: Halibut Cove. Homer, Alaska. We played on a floating stage for an audience on a deck over looking the water in Alaska. It was an incredibly beautiful place. They have to set the showtimes to correspond with high tide, otherwise we’d be something like 20 feet below the crowd.
House Concert: Chicken Barn. Whidbey Island, Washington. They turn a wood shop into a concert venue, and you’d be hard pressed to find a more engaged audience. Really sweet people, too.


Coffee: Haymarket Café. Northampton, Massachusetts. If it wasn’t such a lovely café, I’d want to kick everyone out and make it my home.
Highway Stretch: Highway 20. Washington Pass. I’m a Washington boy, and these views are top notch. I’m usually an advocate of keeping both eyes on the road, but over this pass, all bets are off. They close it in the Winter because it’s just too beautiful.
Driving Album: Paul Simon's Concert in the Park. Masterful, start to finish. That album just gobbles up the miles.
Radio Station: KTRT 97.5 — The Root. Winthrop, Washington. Great community radio is a force for good in the world.