PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Next stop was rainy, rainy, rainy Seattle, Washington. Yah, it rained. But, we had a superb time doing the touristy stuff like waltzing around Pike Street Market and visiting the Experience Music Project, a most excellent museum located at Seattle Center near the Space Needle. The building itself is a massive, labyrinthine, sculptural composition designed by Frank Ghery.

Immediately upon walking inside, Ghery's unique architectural style is eminent. The centerpiece of the main lobby is occupied by a tornado of guitars, bass guitars, and miscellaneous drums. Some of the instruments contain automated playing devices. The museum consists of two themes: music and science fiction. There is a wonderful portion exhibiting the history of guitar which contains many rare relics of this mystical instrument, including Jimi Hendrix's legendary white Stratocaster which he used at Woodstock. There's also a section dedicated to the music scene of the Pacific Northwest as well as an interactive area, tons of Hendrix shit, and plenty else to preoccupy one's rainy self on a rainy day.


We enjoyed visiting the Troll under the bridge in the bohemian atmosphere of Fremont. When visiting this ominous under-dweller you will notice that he is grasping an old Volkswagen Bug in the crushing grip of his left hand. And of course, we visited Jimi’s grave, and Jon did his thing as always. It is quite the vibe in Seattle, we dug it.

DOWN THE 101

After our Seattle experience it was time to make our way south back to Los Angeles. We took the opportunity to make a trek down the 101 freeway through some of the most stunning natural beauty this great country has to offer. First, the rocky cliff coast of Oregon. We spent our time driving and stopping sporadically to take pictures and soak up the incredible sights.

We stopped in a small town called Newport, Oregon for the night. We were welcomed and joined by very kind, hospitable Oregonians. We performed at the open-mic night at the Café Mundo and proceeded to get appropriately drunk.

Onwards, our journey brought us through Northern California and the majestic Redwoods. And wow, what an amazing experience it was to mingle with these coniferous giants in the Humboldt Redwoods State Park. And mingle we did, for amongst these botanical beasts, one feels immersed in a mysterious community of aged spirits. The air feels calm yet intense around you and it reeks of wisdom. But esoteric rambling aside, this is an area of the country which is a must experience for anyone who has not been here.












At this point we had used up all the time we had for gallivanting and it was time to get back to L.A. for the completion of our recording. We had an incredible winter vacation that we will remember forever. Cheers to everyone and the New Year, let's make it the best yet!

A LITTLE WINTER VACATION

We have been living in Los Angeles since July. There is only so much incredible weather that you can tolerate right? So naturally we decided to point our compass north and head to some of the coldest places with the shittiest weather in the country. Granted, it has been, so far, one of the worst snow seasons in the past many years for most mountain towns, so our dose of weather was considerably tame.


Our trek to Missoula was packed with gorgeous scenery, especially through Idaho, where we did encounter a snow storm for a stretch. Fortunately, this was the only real storm we had to endure. The only other "obstacle" we ran into involved waiting for a herd of cows to clear the road, unless you consider keeping our eyes on the road instead of distracted by the surrounding beauty, an obstacle. We stopped in Jackpot, Nevada for the evening and had an authentic night of tomfoolery in this gambling ghost town.

Missoula’s environment was brimming with beauty; rugged yet serene, with rolling hills and rivers. We enjoyed hiking around the parks on our time off. We began our 2012 with a gratifying dose of J.J.’s chicken-fried steak from the Oxford Café. Most everyone has indulged in chicken-fried steak and certainly nearly all meat-eaters are privy to the excellence of the greasy, fried awesomeness that is the chicken-fried steak. But you haven't had one this incredible, unless you've been to the Oxford in Missoula. It's a monstrous treat that could only be forged by the appetites of the robust. Among other activities we did to kill time was a healthy dose of billiards. None of us are any good, maybe lucky sometimes. And we had to pay a few fines according to the rules clearly stated at the bar.











Stay in tune for more about our trip down the coast.

NEW YEARS IN MONTANA

We had a grand ole time ringing in 2012 in Missoula, Montana at the Top Hat. We received a warm welcome and were provided a most excellent night of partying for our first time through this beautiful town. We can’t wait to come back. Thanks to Ian and all at the Top Hat for taking care of us. Happy New Year!!