This is our annual trip to Seattle for the Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival. We’ve gone every year from 2001-2019 and now again in 2023. Thanks, Covid, for the canceled years. Also going this year, on various days, our friends Karl and Betty, Larry and Robin, Cal and Laura, and Margaret from Portland.
I’ll post some pictures soon, but first, here’s what we did on our trip.
Tuesday August 29th
Prior to traveling to Seattle tomorrow, we dropped Shirah off at the kennel. We had lunch at the nearby Plant Power Fast Food and then drove to San Diego, where the airport is. We had arranged a park-and-fly hotel to help in getting to the airport for our early flight tomorrow. We made a quick side trip to Ikea and also to Stella Jean’s Ice Cream (they have vegan flavors!). We checked into the Sheraton and later had some snacks in the room for dinner. Time for sleep, tomorrow we fly…
Wednesday August 30
We took the early morning shuttle to the airport and flew to SEA/TAC airport. Once there, we met up with Karl and Betty and together we all took the light rail to The Camlin hotel. It wasn’t check-in time yet, and we were hungry so we had lunch at nearby Cafe Yumm. Then we checked into the Camlin. We all needed supplies so we walked to Whole Foods and got some groceries for the week. Later we had snacks in the room and then got some rest.
Thursday August 31
Karl, Betty, Petra, and I had lunch at El Borracho. This restaurant/bar used to have good vegan options but now it had changed to be 100% vegan! The food was tasty, then we walked to the ferry terminal and took a ferry to Bainbridge Island. We walked around the tourist area and shops and had a nice time. Then we took the ferry back and all met up with Larry and Robin for dinner at The Dough Zone. We were all staying at The Camlin so we visited for a while and then called it a night.
Friday September 1
The six of us took the monorail over to the Seattle Center grounds to see the preparations for the Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival (starting tomorrow). We did our recon mission and found out where everything was going to be (saves time during the actual festival). Then we met up with Cal and Laura and all eight of us had a nice lunch and visit at Racha Thai nearby. Well fed, we walked back to the Seattle Center and hug out at the International Fountain for more visiting and some fountain-watching. Then we took the monorail back toward the hotel and from there walked up the hill to the Starbucks Reserve Roasters location and store. Apparently there are only a few of these places, and this one was huge. We had some liquid libations and then crossed the street to McMenamins Six Arms for dinner. Everyone found something they liked and more visiting ensued. Then we all walked back and called it a night.
Saturday September 2
Day 1 of the Bumbershoot Festival. We entered the festival grounds and headed to one of the stages to watch a band called Long Dark Moon. They were a nice surprise and we managed to get a set list. Then we had some vegan tacos for lunch and watched a couple songs from The Dip. Then we watched part of Jacob Banks’ set. He was ok but that bass was hella loudy loudy louder. We tried a different stage and caught some songs from Thunderpussy, who were better than their name suggests. Then it was time for Puddles Pity Party. He’s a sad clown with a big voice. You have to see it to believe it. Next we watched some guys doing extreme pogo sticks, with crazy jumps and flips. There were roller skaters there too and we watched for a bit. We had some Ethiopian food which was hella spicy then watched most of a set by Brittany Howard. She was good but it got to sounding the same so we went and checked out some of the art exhibits. Then we saw part of a set by local heroes Sleater-Kinney and afterwards caught the monorail back to the hotel. Day 1 complete.
Sunday September 3
Day 2 of the Bumbershoot festival. Back at the festival, we bought lunch there at Dirty Dog Hot Dog (yes they had vegan) and also got some tater tots at another booth. We took a chance and watched a band called King Youngblood. It was fairly hard rock but they were really good. We got a set list and a picture with the main singer. I’ll post pictures soon. Then we watched a country-folk acoustic set by Cassandra Lewis. She had a very impressive voice and we got a picture with her too. Next we hung out at the International Fountain visiting and plotting our next festival move. We watched Valerie June from our seats by the fountain, with a slight rain drizzle happening for a little while. We were going to watch the Dandy Warhols next, but the stage was much too crowded so we decided to eat again, this time more tater tots with some dumplings. We caught a couple songs by Bomba Estereo while waiting, then watched the full set by synth-based pop-rockers Phantogram. It was a good set and then we called it a night. The festival was over, but it was a lot of fun, as it always is.
Monday September 4
The six of us from the Camlin took a Lyft over to the Five Spot for brunch, meeting back up with Cal and Laura, and Margaret as well. We had a nice leisurely meal for nine and visited, then walked to Molly Moon’s Ice Cream for some desert. Still more visiting ensued, of course, then most of us walked back to the Seattle Center. Cal and Laura had to take off. There was more time at the International Fountain, then Larry and Robin had to leave too. Karl and Betty had dinner with us, back at the Dough Zone again.
Tuesday September 5
The four of us took the light rail to Piroshki On 3rd for a breakfast treat and then took a bus to the Seattle Center. We spent a few hours at the always-fun MoPop Museum. There was a great exhibit about the Laika filmmakers and their stunning advances in stop-motion film making. Then it was time for a refreshing beverage from Starbucks. We took the monorail back and had dinner at El Borracho. Then we walked back to the room and made plans for the trip home in the morning.
Wednesday September 6
We had some leftover piroshkis for an in-room breakfast then took the light rail to the airport. We flew back to San Diego, took the shuttle to pick up the car, and then headed back to our home in Oceanside. I loved seeing our friends from all over. Now it’s time to prepare for the 2024 trip…
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