Field Trip: Moorea Seal, El Borracho, SoDo Murals, Oh My!

When Kate found out Moorea Seal was gearing up for a Five year Anniversary Party she requested the two of us take a day and spend it in Seattle together. It had been some time since we had hung out just the two of us so it was long overdue. We grabbed some hot drinks, some CD's and hit the road. Though traffic was a brute (the Bite of Seattle among other things was going on) it was worth it once we dumped the car and hit all the spots on our wish list! 

The main reason we went of course was to shop at Moorea Seal's party and wish her well! I met Moorea some years back at an Urban Craft Uprising where she was doing a book signing...I believe for her first book. She has never failed to be kind, warm and a whole lot of fun! Kate had never met her and spent an evening shopping, drinking and winning a prize after being warmly greeted. It was worth braving the crowd to see Moorea so happy and celebrating! 

After running around downtown we needed some sustenance and boy did we find it at El Borracho in Pike Place Market. Kate is eating vegan and can you believe that plate of nachos is vegan? It was mind blowing and according to her delicious! Meanwhile I was perfectly happy with my caesar salad and guacamole. And sitting outside on a summer night really can't be beat. 

On the way out of town we were able to find something we were both really excited to see. It's called SODO Track, a 2 mile long corridor of murals along a transit way between Royal Brougham Way and Spokane Street. We were able to park near the Sodo Transit station and walk around to see a few of them. The one above is by DALeast, an artist from China. I was drawn to the movement and the color, and imagine that it translates well even from the moving buses and trains. 

Kate was drawn to this piece by Paola Delfin, an artist from Mexico City. The artist said she was inspired by the tracks theme of "movement and progression" and applied it to her subject. 

And probably my absolute favorite from the ones we could see is this piece by Jillian Evelyn, an artist living in LA that paints females that express themselves with eyerolls and cigarettes. She's someone that I'm now following and completely in love with her art. 

Having a day with Kate was wonderful on so many levels. Seeing her out and about in Seattle as an adult is so different from when she was a little girl afraid of the crowds. She is confident, fun and ready to search out all the cool experiences. Having her ask me to spend the day with her was a sweet surprise and made me realize it was time for me to make more dates like this. Maybe next time will find us on a bus searching out the rest of these murals. 
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