2024-07-20 03:45:46
[재이의 여행블루스] ‘Capitol Hill’ Coffee Enthusiasts Step Into…Majestic Mountain Range and Glaciers Full of Mystery
The reason why a trip to Seattle, USA is better is because of the sweet coffee. Seattle is so serious about coffee that the ‘Global Specialty Coffee Expo’ hosted by the Specialty Coffee Association is held there. Did the sincerity work? More and more travelers are visiting Seattle to check out the latest trends in experimental roasting (roasting coffee beans) and specialty coffee (coffee graded 80 points or higher out of 100 in the quality evaluation conducted by the Specialty Coffee Association of America). With over 10,000 registered cafes, isn’t coffee enough of a travel purpose?
Coffee Mecca Capitol Hill
To experience the true essence of Seattle coffee, you should visit Capitol Hill, known as the mecca of coffee. The most notable place here is the Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room, the world’s largest Starbucks store. Along with the first Starbucks store across from Pike Place Market, it is a must-visit for coffee lovers. This store was opened in 2014 after renovating an old building in Capitol Hill after 10 years of planning by Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. Over 2.5 billion won was invested to open the approximately 1,390㎡ store. Thanks to this, travelers can see the entire coffee manufacturing process, where specialty coffee beans are roasted, packaged, and extracted in a huge brass roasting machine. Experiencing the coffee culture that the brand pursues and the latest trends in specialty coffee will naturally stimulate your interest and delight your eyes and mouth.
As you walk out of the store and down the street filled with the scent of coffee, you will come across small independent cafes with their own unique characteristics. Unique cafes that you won’t find on social networking services (SNS) or guidebooks welcome coffee travelers. Most of the roastery cafes here use coffee beans purchased through fair trade, which is a direct transaction with coffee producing regions. They supply customers with coffee beans roasted directly by the baristas through their own blending and roasting. Starting with ‘Espresso Vivace’, where David Schomer, the founder of latte art, introduced the leaf-shaped Rosetta, you will see cafes that embody the philosophy of baristas and free-spirited individuality as you walk, so choose the one that catches your eye and enjoy a cup of coffee. Capitol Hill is not just filled with cafes. Every well-maintained street is filled with a sense of leisure, from craft beer breweries to pubs, seafood restaurants, and bookstores. If you have to visit only one of these places, I would recommend without hesitation the Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle’s first book cafe. It opened in 1973 in Pioneer Square, known as “Old Town,” and moved to Capitol Hill in 2010. It is a small, independent bookstore with only two floors, but it has over 150,000 books. The books have concise recommendations handwritten by the staff, so it’s fun to read them. Don’t miss the moment of holding a warm coffee in one hand and a book in the other.
Another great attraction of traveling to Seattle is that the city is not too complicated and the attractions are close together, making it easy to get around. The Seattle Center, which was the site of the 1962 World’s Fair, is a place where the facilities built at that time were reused as a cultural tourism space. Around the center, there are many public buildings such as the 185m-tall spaceship-shaped observation tower, the Space Needle, the Opera House, two theaters, the Colosseum, the Chihuly Garden and Glass, the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), and the Seattle Children’s Museum, as well as restaurants and shops where you can taste food from all over the world, making it a representative attraction of Seattle. Among these, the Space Needle is a place that is like a symbol of Seattle. If you have a schedule that you must visit at a certain time, it is recommended to make a reservation in advance. You can get a discount on admission if you use the Seattle City Pass, so it is a good idea to plan your schedule considering the attractions included in the City Pass. If you climb up to the observation deck, which boasts a 360-degree panoramic view, you can take in not only the downtown view, but also the beautiful harbor surrounding Seattle, Lake Union, and the snow-covered Mount Rainier at a glance.
Fantastic Chihuly Glass Art
Next to the Space Needle is the Chihuly Garden and Glass, an exhibition hall by world-renowned glass sculpture master Dale Chihuly (1941~). The Wright family, which owns and manages the Seattle Center, pushed for the construction of an exhibition hall where his works can be permanently displayed, and it opened in 2012. Chihuly, the first intangible cultural asset of the United States, is a world-renowned glass artist who elevated glasswork to a form of sculpture. His works are housed in over 200 art galleries and major facilities around the world, including the White House, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Louvre Museum in Paris, and have also been exhibited in Korea. His works, which are displayed in an indoor gallery, glass house, greenhouse, and outdoor garden, shine even more under natural light, and they shine differently depending on the viewing angle and light intensity, giving a mysterious and fantastical feeling. His representative glasswork series, his personal collection, and the works placed against the backdrop of the Space Needle harmonize with the surrounding nature, breaking the conventional wisdom that gardens should only contain plants.
The popular music museum ‘MoPOP’ located near Chihuly Garden is also a must-see. Its original name was ‘EMP (Experience Music Project)’. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen exhibited the albums of Seattle-born guitarist Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970), the white Fender Stratocaster guitar he used at the 1969 Woodstock Festival, as well as his worn-out clothing and handwritten notes. That’s why it’s also known as the ‘Jimi Hendrix Museum’. The museum also exhibits various items related to the legendary Seattle-based grunge rock band ‘Nirvana’. So if you’re a fan of Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana, this is a place you should put aside everything else and visit. After being reorganized as a popular music museum, you can explore various popular music genres such as rock and roll, jazz, blues, soul, and hip-hop. In the experience center, you can also experience music by directly handling various effects units and turntables, as well as electric guitars, drums, and keyboards.
If you feel it’s a shame to only do city sightseeing and have some time to spare, let’s go to the area near Seattle. As the nickname “City of Forests” suggests, there are three national parks within a 3-4 hour drive from Seattle. These are Mt. Rainier National Park, the most beautiful in the U.S.; Olympic National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; and North Cascades National Park, famous for its unique natural environment with its magnificent mountain ranges and glaciers. Among these, Olympic National Park has been the filming location for surreal fantasy films such as Twilight, Twin Peaks, Sin City, and Dark Angel, thanks to its mysterious and dreamy forest scenery surrounded by thick fog. It would be nice to fully enjoy the green energy by camping or staying at a lodge, but if conditions do not allow, it can be a good option to take a day tour program operated by a local travel agency.
World-class wineries
Washington State, where Seattle is located, is a wine-producing region in the United States along with California, Oregon, and New York. Woodinville, located about 20km from downtown Seattle, has become the hub of Washington State wine, with Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Winery, and other small, family-run boutique wineries. At these wineries, you can see the world-class winemaking process with your own eyes. The beautiful natural scenery that always accompanies the winery is a bonus. Wine tasting is also a must-do. The taste and aroma are so excellent that even the taste buds of those who don’t know much about wine will be tempted, and the body is rich. If you like a wine, buy it and enjoy it with fresh, seasonal food.
If you are looking for a destination that will satisfy all five senses, there is no place more perfect than Seattle. If you haven’t planned your summer vacation yet, why not head to Seattle, a city that will enrich the five senses of travelers?
Travel writer Jay is…
I began to broaden my perspective on the world by traveling to over 100 countries around the world. Now, I have finished the city life where I spent most of my life and moved to Jeju Island to live a nomad life where I write, take photos, and produce various travel content.
[이 기사는 주간동아 1449호에 실렸습니다]
Jay travel writer
-
- great
- 0dog
-
- I’m so sad
- 0dog
-
- I’m angry
- 0dog
-
- I recommend it
- dog
Hot news right now
2024-07-20 03:45:46