Northwest Passage - Pt. 2: Seattle = Funky Town

Seattle is a weird and funky town. And by that I mean that pretty much anywhere you walk in Seattle you're probably going to pass through a funky cloud of that dank weed which is now legal in the state of Washington. There are pot stores all over town, and people argue over which is the best. You can buy gummies, brownies, hard candies, bars, cookies, and all manner of infused edibles—including Earl Gray High Tea and many other beverages—as well as a huge variety of bud (indica or sativa or hybrid) in pre-rolled or loose or vape-ready juice or concentrate form, and lastly various and sundry topicals for what ails you. And then there are the accessories. Lordy! Spent a few minutes (or was it hours?) browsing in Uncle Ike's, one of the original stores. The folks there are knowledgeable and more than happy to tell you about their wares. Mind. Blown. It's hard to get my head around the fact that what was a mere pipe dream to folks who went to high school in the 70s and 80s is now a street reality in a number of places in this country.

There are also any number of weird and funky stores of the sort that sell novelty items you probably won't be able to find any other place. Archie McPhee is one such place. Home to the redoubtable "Rubber Chicken Museum." (See pic below) On the flip side, I also stumbled across the local Virgin Galactic Accredited Space Agent. Unfortunately, it was Sunday night, and the place was closed. I could've booked a flight right there and then to an asteroid or something. And, of course, we did the truly indispensable tourist thing and went to the Pike Place Fish Market and watched the fish guys toss fish. Those dudes are not fooling around when they throw those whole salmon across the counter; they bring the heat!

How weird is Seattle? This weird: At dinner on Saturday night down by the harbor at a restaurant called Aqua, our party was enjoying the sunset and arguing over who was going to pick up the tab (I lost) when the manager showed up with a large dessert plate of bread pudding and six spoons. We didn't order that, we said. No, the manager said, a group inside wanted to buy it for you. Well, why? I said. Now don't take this the wrong way, he said, and I know you're actually not him (he's looking at me now), but they think you're Michael Stipe. The fuck? I said after a stunned moment. And we all burst into howls of laughter. That's some next level weirdness right there. But in a good way.

But that's how weird and funky Seattle is. And we were only there for a weekend. (Click pics to embiggen!)

Speaking of Michael Stipe, I am Space Ghost and this is my Ghost Plane over SeaTac airport (that's a reference that probably all of two of you will get)

Archie McPhee

As promised: The Rubber Chicken Museum

The Fremont Street Troll (BTW Under his left hand there is a real VW Beetle)

HEMPFEST!! See what I'm talking about? Translation: "Don't ride your freakin' bike on the freakin' bike paths when you and everybody else around you are stoned on your ass!"

The Space Needle through the legs of a Calder in the Seattle Art Museum outdoor sculpture garden

Mt. Ranier makes a majestic appearance at dinner over the harbor. Lousy camera lens. Sorry. Still. Wow!

Infrared sunset on the harbor. Just before the Michael Stipe incident.

Secret: This is REALLY Seattle's Best Coffee. But you have to find it first.

Closed. No bookings today.

And Uncle Ike's. Not linking to it because I live in Georgia.