Space Needle

There is more to this hotel. We went on a tour given by the owner down to the original, untouched Japanese bathhouse in the basement.



We decided to attend the Bumbershoot music festival today after seeing the line up. Neko Case, Lucinda Williams, Beck, M.Ward. We walked to a nearby Starbucks for tickets then walked to the space needle for the festival. It took us ages in line to get in and we missed half of Neko's set. I know I'm probably preaching to the converted but Lucinda was life changing. Her gorgeous crackle cut deep with veneer warping elegance. The lead guitarist peddles butterflies and shudders. The mix was prefect. Awesome sound. The band played the most genuine and impassioned rock and roll I have ever heard.

After that concert we ate our favorite festival food. Roasted Corn.


We wandered around for a few hours outside the festival site. Checked out the waterfront. Then to eat at Mama's Mexican Kitchen in Belltown. My burrito was huge and delicious but Kat didn't like her taco. The walk back to the festival site turned into a mission to give away the uneaten taco to a homeless person. Like taxis and pay phones we couldn't find a panhandler when we wanted one. Eventually we did happen upon a black man without many teeth wearing a green and gold clown wig asking for money. He was happy with the taco.

Back at the festival Kat dragged me to the Anti Flag gig. And I actually enjoyed myself. We raced over to finish the night with M.Ward. To be honest he was actually a little disappointing. He was fantastic in his solo songs and the dual drummers were cool but the full band sound was lacking and a little loose.

We're In

We crossed the border into Idaho yesterday. After a mid wait beside some disturbing cattle trucks we finally got to the booth where we were asked to pull up, park and come inside. After a twelve dollar processing fee and an assurance we were not carrying any citrus fruit they let us pass. But they still managed to misspell Austra(i)lia in Kat's passport. This is the border.


On the way to Spokane Washington I bough a pair of twenty dollar boots at an army disposal store. They were new. I now remember why I usually buy expensive shoes. My feet hurt. After an uneventful night camping we left for Seattle. Seattle traffic is brutal and the parking worse. It turns out that this weekend is one of the busiest of the summer in Seattle. There are two football games on, a few conferences and an art and music festival called Bumbershoot. We couldn't get in contact with our Couchsurfing host so we tried to find a hotel/hostel/ park bench. Somehow we managed to get one of the last two rooms at the Panama Hotel, a heritage listed hotel established in 1910. It's beautiful, the floorboards creak, a Siamese cat lives in the common room and an extremely helpful bald man with greet you at the top of the entrance stairs. It is the original Japanese building in the city and sill has the out of service traditional public bath house. The rooms are basic but the place has way more charisma than a free bottle moet.

Tea and Taco Time

We're just hanging out at my family's home in Cranbrook, washing, drinking tea and cooking good food. Kat has discovered that burritos taste good with something in addition to her bean mix and I learned how to cook corn. The pay tv got pretty boring after about six hours so now we are stuck with talking to each other and playing bluegrass music.

After Lake Louise we drove to Jasper along the Icefields Parkway. It truly is a spectacular drive. Rufus Wainwright accompanied us past impossible glaciers, dense forests, turquoise lakes and Houdini-killing-breathtaking peaks. But its indescribable, in print or photograph, you just have to be there. On the Icelands Parkway when you seen a cluster of cars pulled over on both sides of the road its not a storm or a road accident. As you approach you realise the group of motorists have now turned into paparazzi wildlife photographers. We were lucky to encounter two black bears, not more than twenty feet away and a bunch of other hoofed and horned animals that I can't correctly identify. The drive took much longer than expected.


We swam at the Miette hot springs and camped just outside of town. After checking out the Maligne Canyon we drove back to Banff. Here Kat discovered that she doesn't enjoy sipping French champagne with a view of the Rockys and hobnobbing it with the rich and nouveau rich travelers (read recent retirees). We didn't stay in Banff, instead drove to Cranbrook for a real bed.

Golden

We spent our first night camping the the dodgy Re-Mains tent (that I think is missing a part) in Golden. It rained a little but we were warm and dry. Thank you Barb for lending us your sleeping bags. It was colder in the mountains than we anticipated. We went to the Kicking Horse Mountain resort to visit Boo, their resident grizzly bear. We were lucky enough to see him right near the fence. Lunch and a glass of wine was taken at the top of the gondola with an amazing view of the mountains. I must have been bitten by something because in the retaurant I was scratching my ear lobe and Kat noticed that it was about twice the size it should be and beetroot red.




From Golden we drove to Lake Luise. It was balls and shaft cold camping there. But at least they had an electric grizzly fence.

Goats

The Tour is over. Finished. Kat and I are together again and on the road. She joined me for the Salmon Arm Blues and Roots Festival where she wilted in the forty one degree heat. We could only handle it while I was playing then retreated back to the hotel for the pool and air conditioning. Once the sun went down the festival site was bearable. This is us playing our last gig at the volunteer party. Kat is even getting into the groove.



Meet Parker, our rental. We picked him up from Kelowna. We missed the Rent a Wreck office and had to turn around because the office is within Darky's Pawn Shop. Parker has done us proud so far. Apart from leaving an oil stain on Carey's (our family who put us up in Vernon) drive he has done us proud. He is a ninety three Buick Park Avenue. Leather interior, power seats and windows, V6 supercharged engine and a sunroof. Tops.



After getting our bearings in Vernon we left for Golden. On the way we found Dave's Goat Walk. This is Kat feeding the goats who walk above waiting for tasty twenty five cent corn treats raised on a tin can on a pulley.


We liked the goats.

Welcome

The drama begins. Mick Elliot and I drive to Kelowna airport on a Thursday night expecting to meet Kat. The flight from Vancouver has arrived and I'm anxiously waiting by the arrivals gate. I scan from face to face as each appears from around the corner. I double check my phone. I told Kat to call if she missed the flight. The stream of people is thinning. Then the captain walks by. No Kat. Hmm. Did I book her connecting flight correctly? I have been known to book my own flights a month away from when I want them. Did I send her to Kamloops? The internet kiosk at the airport has an out of order sign on it. I swipe my visa to make sure. It is indeed out of order. It's ten thirty at night. There are no Air Canada representatives left in the building. I decide to drive back to Vernon where we were planning to stay with my family.

As I burst through the door and start to double check the flight booking she calls. Finally. The Air China flight from Taipei to Vancouver was delayed and she missed her flight. I'm surprised they let her in at all. Its really not a good idea to give cheek to the immigration official.
"What's that fiddle for?"
"Is that any of your business."
She got in, discovered crying at a Vancouver International Airport will not get you any attention or assistance, re-booked a flight for the next morning (after arguing with the woman at the booth) and caught a shuttle to the hotel. Then called me. I picked her up next morning with a strange sense of deja vu. I was almost convinced she would not walk off the flight.