Travel Blog Pt 1: Reliving Rock History in Seattle

This weekend, I had the chance to visit Seattle for the first time.  There's no shortage of things to see and do in the Emerald City, but I decided to walk in the footsteps of my rock n roll heroes.

We stayed at the historic Edgewater Hotel on the waterfront, which has a unique claim to fame.  It is the site of the infamous 1969 Led Zeppelin "mudshark" incident, where a groupie was allegedly defiled with a live fish.  While the clerk at the front desk would neither confirm nor deny the urban legend, he did admit that the members of Zeppelin and their entourage were banned from the hotel at one time.

The Edgewater also hosted several other legendary groups, including the Beatles, who stayed their during their first U.S. tour in 1964.  According to the hotel clerk, the band was so controversial at the time that several other hotels in the hotel refused to accommodate them.  Despite rumors to the contrary, the clerk insisted that the band did not damage their rooms and were not banned from the hotel.  In fact, guests of the hotel can stay in the "Beatles suite", where they posed for this famous picture.

Of course, Seattle is also the hometown of Jimi Hendrix, who is among several local legends honored at the EMP (Experience Music Project).  The museum, located in the City Center next to the Space Needle, is a must see.  There is an entire wing dedicated to Jimi, including the guitar he played at Woodstock.  There are also many interactive exhibits which simulate the process of recording an album and performing live on stage (I actually stepped up on stage and played drums to Joan Jett's "I Love Rock n Roll").