Tag: Washington

Aberdeen, WA - June 3, 2018

Aberdeen, WA - June 3, 2018

Aberdeen, Washington.  Hometown of Kurt Cobain, my teenage daughter’s current artistic obsession.  I created a whole “Nirvana Tour”, including Seattle and Olympia sites, and ending in a visit to Aberdeen.

The location of Krist Novoselic’s mom’s old beauty parlor – Nirvana’s first practice space.
The house where Kurt Cobain grew up – 1210 E. 1st Street in Aberdeen.
Kurt Cobain Landing, a small park on the banks of the Wishkah River.
Clearly, living next to Kurt Cobain Landing can be frustrating at times.
The bridge Kurt described living under in the song “Something In The Way” off Nevermind.
The sign on the bridge’s trestle, as viewed from the place where Kurt Cobain allegedly lived. This was also the name of the final (posthumous, for Kurt) Nirvana album.
The Wishkah River
The Wishkah River, running under the bridge
View of the Wishkah River from atop the bridge
From the muddy banks of the Wishkah River. I’m not gonna pretend that Kurt Cobain Landing wasn’t sketchy… it was.
Seattle - June 2, 2018

Seattle - June 2, 2018

The legendary Re-Bar.  A gay disco and underground hotspot located in an industrial building from the 1930s, it is now in danger of being demolished to make way for the forty-story office towers that have taken over its neighborhood.  (Note the scaffolding in the background.)
On Friday, September 13, 1991, Sub Pop Records held the album release party for Nirvana’s Nevermind at Re-Bar, and the band (along with the founders of Sub Pop) were forcibly ejected from their own release party after drunkenly starting a food fight.
It was one of many grunge-related stops we made for my 90s grunge-obsessed thirteen year old daughter.

 

The Starbucks Reserve Roastery.  When Howard Schultz said that he wanted to make a Starbucks experience similar to the Disney Store or Nike Town, it seemed silly to me.  Even a shitty strip mall Starbucks is already an experience; it’s why people pay such a high premium for the coffee.  I couldn’t imagine a Starbucks SuperStore being anything but underwhelming.

I was wrong.

Described (accurately) by a friend as “deliciously pretentious”, the place was amazing, the knowledge of the employees was impressive, and every worker was unfailingly friendly and patient.

And the Rwanda Abakundakawa may have been the best coffee I’ve ever had.

 

Pinball back-glass from the Seattle Pinball Museum.

The museum had some great old pinball machines that I remember from my childhood. (Sadly, no Fireball II, though.)  The museum was laid out chronologically, but with the exception of a brief period where I played Ms. Pac-Man against my son, I never went past the 1970s.  (And they had an original Sea Wolf arcade game!)

From the top:

  • Captain Fantastic (1976), Bally – Art by Dave Christensen
  • Wizard! (1975), Bally – Art by Dave Christensen
  • Stardust (1971), Williams – Art by Christian Marche
  • Quick Draw (1975), Gottlieb – Art by Gordon Morrison