My first question, when did Xtreme Couture take over the planet? I went up the Space Needle and was both stunned and amazed to find more than half of the tourist t-shirts for sale in the gift shop employed that ubiquitous curly, goth-girly wrought-iron looking type of design that’s somehow inexplicably become macho. What I love about the Space Needle is its retro 60 futuristic style. A reminder of the imaginary Jetsonesque future we were supposed to have by now, full of flying bubble cars, plastic clothes and space age beehives. Nothing goth-grungy or Xtreme about it. But hey, if that’s what the flyover people want, who am I to get in the way of their consumer satisfaction?

Other that the Xtreme factor, the trip up the Needle was great. It was a rare blue and perfect day and the view really is breathtaking. My grandmother lives in Gig Harbor and she used to take me to the Needle and the nearby Science museum so even though I’m a New Yorker, I still have a lot of nostalgia for the Needle.

In my tourist travels, I also hit Gas Works Park, which I didn’t even know about until now. I don’t know how I could have missed out on a chance to play on giant industrial machinery as a child but I’m sure glad I had a chance to make up for lost time.

Also on the tourist hit list was tons of great food (Spur, Matt's in the Marketplace, Zoe,) a trip out to Gig Harbor to see Grandma, a tour through the Underground and cocktails with Vince and Rosemarie Keenan at the Zig Zag Cafe. I’m not a drinker, but the gracious proprietor hooked me up with the most astounding “mocktail” I’ve ever tasted. Homebrewed ginger beer and fresh lime and who knows what other mysterious ingredients. Now I’m tortured because I want one of those every single day.

Oh yeah, and the promised pix can be found here.