Game Day #2: The Cascadia Cup

Haven't had time to write about our experiences for the past few days, just published a few photos.  We're headed home early tomorrow morning, but it's been a truly fun soccer themed trip.

Yesterday was our big tourism day in Seattle.  A track repair on Thursday night meant we didn't get to our hotel until after midnight, so we slept in, then hit Seattle Center, the hub of the 1962 World Fair with lots of museums and the iconic Space Needle.  Went to the top of the Needle (unfortunately, smog obscured the view of Mt. Rainier), then hit the Experience Music Project Museum.  EMP is mostly a private effort of Microsoft co-founder (and Sounders/Seahawks/Portland Trailblazers owner) Bill Allen where, amusingly, he shows off a bunch of the geek collectibles he has accumulated over the years.  It's a combination music museum for Seattle and a science fiction museum.

I found the Nirvana exhibit fairly interesting (mostly because Nirvana's popularity exploded when I was in college and my generation created the grunge boom), though obviously it meant nothing to the boys. And while I find cultural history fascinating, I apparently do not share the enthusiasm of the dozens of people who stopped to photograph things like Kurt Cobain's sweater that he wore at Garageworks on September 12, 1989, or whatever.  His canned meat collection, different story.

Downstairs they had their sci-fi exhibits, which was mostly a bunch of crap that Paul Allen had bought off Hollywood movie studios.  But still cool, including a great interactive exhibit on the making of Avatar, a bunch of props from horror movies (the model of the facehugger from Aliens was a must-photograph), and a rather disturbingly large collection of ray guns.  Overall, I really liked the museum, but then again, I don't hide my geekiness.

From there we had fish taco lunch, then back to Seattle Center to hit the King Tut exhibition at the Science Center.  We missed this when it came through Minnesota, and all of us found it interesting.  We then took the bus out to West Seattle for dinner with our college friends, Cavs and JO (actually Kevin and Jen, but to us they are always Cavs and JO), who also set the boys up with the wildest possible decor for the Sounders game the next day.

Today was pretty much all Sounders.  After breakfast we took the bus downtown and wandered down to the stadium where we invested our life savings in Sounders gear.  Peyton got a personalized Fredy Montero jersey, Zach picked up a scarf (seeing as he gets every Peyton hand-me-down soccer jersey, he rarely gets many new ones unless Peyton doesn't have them).  Then back up to Pioneer Square to match to the match with the supporters groups:

So before every game the hardcores meet in Pioneer Square and march to the game.  Considering the Sounders average 38,000 per game, this is usually a HUGE crowd, and today was especially exciting with Vancouver in town, a local rival.  There's a marching band, the works.

Once we got to the stadium we let the boys do a few more giveaways, then headed to our seats.  Let me just say, this is what soccer (football) is supposed to be.  Today's game ended up with almost 56,000 in attendance, which actually outdrew the exhibition game the Sounders played a few weeks back against reining European champions Chelsea.  You can watch and listen on YouTube, but everybody should experience this sort of thing in person:

After Seattle scored a pair in the 2nd half to win 2-0 (and plunge Vancouver to the bottom of the Cascadia Cup standings with almost no hope of winning it), we parted ways with Cavs and JO and had an early dinner at Pike Place Market before heading back to the hotel for a rare on-time bed time for the boys.

Great trip... can't wait to come back to the Pacific Northwest for more soccer!

In front of the Space Needle at the Pacific Science Museum

Zach in front of a really cool guitar sculpture at the EMP

Peyton being attacked by corny original Clash of the Titans monsters in space at EMP

The Pharoahs mummified their cats; I think I need to start offering sarcophagus options at the clinic

Kurt Cobain collected canned meat. Of course he did.

So long Vancouver!

Granville Island Market

Zach shows off the cleaned salmon vomiting its own tail... now that's art.

Even Canadians believe everything is better with bacon... apparently with Canadian bacon.

Game Night in Vancouver

Peyton getting his game face ready before his first MLS game, Vancouver vs. FC Dallas

Peyton, Grandma, Zach, and Jeana at our first MLS game (well, not Grandma's or mine)

The boys outside BC Place before the game

Zach meets one of his idols, Vancouver captain and 2010 US World Cup veteran Jay DeMerit, in a pregame autograph session.  Zach has seen the documentary on Jay 5 times (and told him this, which led to Jay quizzing him for 2 solid minutes on what he learned). Jay is from Green Bay, so I prodded Zach to tell him that his favorite NFL team was the Packers, to which Jay responded by saying, "Well, I like you even more now knowing that!"  True class act.

The roof at BC Place.  Retractable due to the frequent rain the area gets, but it was beautiful tonight, and just an amazing place to watch a game.  Can't wait to come back.

After spending the morning out and about in Vancouver, I have come to several conclusions...

1) I am totally bummed I did not go out of my way to come here during the Olympics.  This place would have been amazing.  It has the perfect layout, amazing public transportation, unlimited hotel rooms, a great food scene, amazing scenery, a nice temperate climate, and so on.  What a missed opportunity.

2) Canadians are nice but I'm not sure many of Vancouver-ites are actually from Canada.  This is a really cosmopolitan city, like a micro version of New York or Chicago.  Then again, I haven't been walking around town pointing out that our women's soccer team just won Olympic gold at the expense of the worst screw-job ever on their team.

3) I'm not sure I could live here.  I'm not really into high-rise downtown style living.  There are some suburbs (West and North Vancouver) that are in the foothills and look nice, but it seems like it lacks a sense of, I dunno, community.  People just kind of do their own thing, they're not really proud of or satisfied with their lives.  It's like everybody is so busy trying to be a good host, they forget to be real.  Obviously, I don't suspect New Yorkers ever really have that problem.

4) Lastly, I wish I had time to visit UBC's Anthropology Museum.  The totems at Capilano were really cool, and I love all of the Inukshuks around town.  I was going to buy a small totem for my desk, but then I realized that those are not real totems.  If you're going to go all in, then go all in.  Not that I am going to spend 10 grand on a totem wood carving right now, but that would be some totally cool artwork for the office.  Then again, it would probably scare the urine out of half the dogs that came in the front door, too.  And the other half would just pee on it anyway.  Hmm, will have to think about a new plan.

More AM Photos from Vancouver

Zach is so raven... but not quite great horned owl.

Mountie bear

Embarking on crossing the Capilano Suspension Bridge

No real reason for this photo other than to point out that the next Husky I get will be named Japadog.

Food truck lunch in downtown Vancouver

Photos from the AM in Vancouver

Zach and I with a very realistic totem impersonation

Peyton, Zach, and me doing another great totem

Jeana and Peyton totem

Peyton, Zach, and I re-enact the final scene from Temple of Doom... "Just give us the stones, Dr. Jones."

First night in Vancouver, boys in the Gaslight district by the world's first (and possibly only) steam powered clock. Toot toot.

For the record, it seems Canadians... 1) Have a difficult time remembering they are from Canada... at least at customs it sure seemed like way more of them got in the wrong line. 2) Are far more open-minded, judging by the ads on their bus stops. 3) Are still quite proud of the Olympics they pulled off two years ago. And hey, totems are pretty cool.

Mom saw this 5-month old Husky in a dog park tonight... it's essentially Kalou with Max's haircoat, and has now decided this is the next dog she needs. Right, that will be easy to find. He was having a ball in that dog park though... even harassed an adult female Weimeraner incessantly.