In case you missed it, Seattle’s premier gaming expo was ground zero for an outbreak of swine flu (or what Wired is calling H1Nerd1).

Penny Arcade, the organization that hosts the event, has a list of outgoing flights that had passengers with confirmed cases of the flu.

In addition, the University of Washington just issued an e-mail that two probable cases of H1N1 have been reported to the campus health center, originating from a particular sorority house. The University will be monitoring the flu outbreaks on campus, but officials are encouraging students and staff to take necessary precautions.

And since this flu is hitting everyone from gamers to sorority girls, be sure to wash your hands, stay home if you’re sick, and keep up to date with new info on the swine flu from King County.

Last week I was given the opportunity to take part in the “Camp Woodmark” experience at The Woodmark Hotel, Yacht Club & Spa in  Kirkland, which just so happens to be the only hotel located on the shores of Lake Washington.  Camp Woodmark was designed with adults in mind, meaning they offer a grown-up kind of fun without any of the awkward moments or pre-teen angst from the summer camps of our youth.

Upon my arrival at The Woodmark I was cordially greeted by Brandon, one of the “camp counselors” entrusted with making each campers stay as relaxing and hassle-free as possible, who presented me with a welcome package that included several Woodmark t-shirts and reusable aluminum water bottles.  Not long after that I was on the balcony of my amazing fourth floor lakeside room, enjoying a cool breeze and feeling that there may just be some merit to escaping into your own city after all.

The Woodmark Hotel and terrace

The early part of the afternoon was spent touring the hotel grounds to learn a little more about what exactly The Woodmark has to offer, which as it turns out is quite impressive.  Featuring 100 rooms, 21 of which are suites, most with views of the lake and all with luxury amenities, The Woodmark is also home to a full-service spa, two exceptional restaurants (more on those later), and is one of the premier wedding venues and event spaces on Lake Washington.

Sneaking my way around the property for a few hours left me pretty thirsty, so I headed down to The Library Bar for the first of my scheduled camp events, a summer cocktail making class with Aziz, one of the friendliest and more theatrical bartenders I’ve met in my many years of bar patronage.  Aziz was insistent that I step behind the bar and attempt to fill his very knowledgeable shoes.  Who was I to argue?  Over the hour and a half that followed, Aziz let me mix drinks for the regulars and taught me how to make some of his personal favorites, from the Shinjuku Blossom to the “Aziz You Like It,” a frothy pineapple concoction of his own creation.

Right around the time my nerve was building up (that and a healthy amount of “sampled” drinks in my stomach) to start flipping bottles a la Tom Cruise in Cocktail, it was time to pick up my wife for dinner at bin vivant.  A procession of food like no other, courtesy of head chef Scott Lents, started crossing our table almost immediately.  Scallops P.L.T. (prosciutto, bibb lettuce, cured tomato), French onion soup, beef tenderloin, rack of lamb; everything was cooked to perfection and with great attention to detail.  The wine list is enough to make even the most earnest grape nut second guess their top picks for the evening.  With one of the largest wine preservation systems of its kind in the Puget Sound region, bin vivant takes wine to a new level by making available over 80 climate controlled wines by-the-glass with a state of the art Argon gas-based dispensing mechanism.  Rounding out an amazing meal and adding to the Camp Woodmark experience are tableside s’mores, where the marshmallows (made in-house) are toasted at the table so you can immediately capitalize on their warm, gooey bliss.

Late night at The Woodmark happens to be just as appetizing too.  From 11pm-1am, guests of the hotel are encouraged to “raid the pantry,” a Woodmark tradition where you emerge from your rooms in pajamas or sweatpants, head down to The Library Bar, and then fill your arms/plates with an assortment of delectables that have been laid out buffet-style.  Some drinks, chips, and a plate of what I’m calling spicy Asian meatballs later, my wife and headed back to the room, ready to top off our tanks for the night.  My head hits the pillow finding me stuffed, relaxed, and not quietly weeping while longing for home in any shape or form; basically the exact opposite of all my previous summer camp experiences.

Kayaking on Lake Washington

You may be asking yourself at this point, is all of this really necessary? Well no, actually, but therein lies the reasoning behind the recession-fueled staycation movement in the first place.  Perhaps it would be better if I let Brian Flaherty, general manager of The Woodmark, give you his take on the subject, “Every so often, it’s important for us to not take ourselves so seriously.  With our Camp Woodmark program, we’re encouraging adults to simply have fun while enjoying an unforgettable Pacific Northwest getaway this summer.”

The fun I had was only a small sampling of what Camp Woodmark has to offer their guests as well.  A more robust itinerary might include a cooking class with Chef de Cuisine Scott Lents, morning yoga on the lawn, kayaking on Lake Washington, or even a cruise around it aboard the 28-foot Woodmark II.  The Camp Woodmark packages start at a minimum of two nights, allowing you more than enough time to fill your stay with those “home away from home” kinds of experiences you’re looking for.  Because as I learned from my stay at Camp Woodmark, the goal of keeping it local isn’t just about trying to do more for less, it’s about taking the time to re-discover the adventures that await you in your own backyard.

Walking Green Lake by Seattle Daily Photo - from our Flickr pool

I’ve lived in Seattle long enough to remember when Westlake Plaza was closed to traffic, and I’m still outraged that the city opened it. Westlake Center has never regained the vibrancy and foot traffic that it had when the Plaza was closed. And does anyone think that closing Pike Place Market to through traffic would detract from its appeal? There is no bad there.

The new plan, currently in draft and public comment stage, purports to focus on “safety, equity, vibrancy, and health,” through six stated objectives:

1. Complete and maintain the pedestrian system identified in the Pedestrian Master Plan
2. Improve walkability on all streets
3. Increase pedestrian safety
4. Plan, design, and build complete streets to move more people and goods
5. Create vibrant public spaces that encourage walking
6. Get more people walking for transportation, recreation, and health

These are great goals, and the plan (read it HERE or download as a PDF -low res or high res) does an admirable job of outlining strategies and tactics to meet them. The city has a funding levy of $60 million to fund pedestrian improvements over the next six years. Based on current programs, the plan projects that $47 million will go towards new improvements, such as sidewalks, curb ramps, and signals, while $19 million would pay for maintenance. The plan would require other funding to fully support all of the objectives, such as private investment.

And it’s this last part that has me worried: private investment.

The draft Plan includes stated strategies for meeting the objectives. Among the strategies for #5– “Create vibrant public spaces that encourage walking”– the single most important strategy is missing: car-free streets. Instead, “develop guidelines for car-free and shared space streets,” is the last item in the sidebar, under “sample of actions” that could possibly, perhaps, be considered to encourage walking.

Private investment does not like car-free streets. Private investment likes lots of convenient parking, preferably on-site parking. Pedestrians buy only as much as they can conveniently carry home or back to the office. Drivers buy as much as can fill up their SUV for the drive home to the suburbs. Car-free streets favor small businesses that serve local residents and employees. Parking lots favor ‘shopping destinations’ that serve tourists and visitors. National chain stores and big retailers wield the political clout and investment dollars that result in parking lots, narrow sidewalks, and through traffic. Neighborhood business owners, residents, and employees get screwed. Again.

It doesn’t have to be that way. As residents and business owners, we have a say in this process. The public comment period for the draft Pedestrian Master Plan has been extended to Friday, June 26th. You can read it at http://www.seattle.gov/mostwalkablecity.htm, or download a PDF from the same site.

Also, the Transportation Committee and the Special Committee on Pedestrian Safety will host a public hearing on the draft plan on Tuesday, July 21st, from 5:00-6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall (600 Fourth Ave.). This is your chance to be heard. Don’t blow it!

Other ways to comment:

Online webform: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/pedestrian_masterplan/contact.htm
E mail: mostwalkablecity@seattle.gov
Telephone: 206-733-9970
Mail: Pedestrian Master Plan Comments
Seattle Department of Transportation
P.O. Box 34996
Seattle, WA 98124-4996

If you look hard enough, you can probably find a tour that fits your personal taste; if taste is on your menu, though, you should seriously consider the Seattle Food Tours. One takes you through Belltown, sampling along the way such tasty treats as artisan breads, BBQ pork, handmade chocolates and more. The other guides you through the Pike Place Market, pointing out all the hidden treasures that the Market’s often-confusing layout can hide away from the casual eye. In addition to learning more about some of the food that Seattle has to offer, you’ll be introduced to the city’s history, architecture and public art–not a bad deal at all while you’re being introduced to great restaurants you might otherwise never have known.

Savor Seattle offers a tour of the Pike Place Market as well, guiding you through the Market that includes tastes of salmon, coffee, Washington artisan cheese and fresh season fruit and they also offer a three-hour tour of downtown Seattle that presents local Washington wine and microbrew beers, seafood, cheeses, pizza, tapas, and more.

Follow up any of these tours with a stop by the Burke for their “The World in Your Cup” exhibit on coffee which includes free tastings every weekend through June.

Monday:
Sunset Tavern hosts Kung Fu Grindhouse. Sure, the food and beer aren’t free, but the gory bloodbash is. Happens every Monday, once a month.

Tuesday:
Try to find Bruce Lee’s Grave. I’ve attempted to do this a handful of times with no success. Today is the day!

Wednesday:
Green Lake and Gas Works. Nothing says free like a man-made lake and a park that shares its space with an old refinery.

Thursday: Henry Art Museum is free every Thursday and who doesn’t like trying to find a parking spot in the middle of UW to see something for free?

Friday: Pike Place Market. Duh.

Pike Place Market / Henry Art Museum / Kung Fu Grindhouse / Bruce Lee’s Grave / Green Lake and Gas Works

As mentioned previously, my goal for the weekend was to show four of my good friends around Seattle, along with two of their children- one six months old, and the other just over two months.

My original itinerary was scrapped early on, because of the flooding that shut down I-5 and delayed my friends in Portland for a day or so. But with six adults and two children on different schedules and with different interests, the only plan I had originally was to be as flexible as possible, and with the transportation difficulties, that’s really all I could do.

So, what do you do with six adults, two babies, and a day and a half to visit? Be flexible :)

In the end, we got Pike Place Market, good coffee (and cool coffee art!), the Troll and, most importantly, we satisfied a Jimmy John’s craving. You never know what your guests will enjoy the most, and sometimes it will surprise you, but if you’re flexible, even Jimmy John’s can be a memorable highlight.

My best friend, who had the two-month-old, got in a day before my friends from Portland. She had been here before, and wanted to try Seattle coffeeshops. So, we ate lunch at Ivar’s, and then headed to Zeitgeist, where the barista was kind enough not to get snobby with our touristy request for ‘cool coffee art.’ I had dreaded the question, and in different establishments, I suspect we may have gotten ‘crappy coffee art’ instead, but Zeitgeist’s barista impressed me with his small kindness.

It was chilly, so we didn’t spend long outdoors in Pioneer Square, but long enough to enjoy the statues, particularly the Fallen Firefighter’s Memorial, pictured above. We then stopped in at the Seattle portion of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park right across the street, which is a free museum dedicated to Seattle’s role in the 1890′s gold rush to the Yukon. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision to stop in there, but one of the best I’ve made while showing people around Seattle. The staff were friendly, the seats in the movie theater were comfortable for two tired travelers, and there were enough private areas for my friend to tend to her child’s needs.

By Saturday morning, the Portland contingent had arrived- three more adults and the six-month-old. Though a few of them had visited Pike Place Market before, others hadn’t, and it’s always an enjoyable visit, even for us seasoned Seattleites. We had croissants at Le Panier, bought food and trinkets in the market, and finally began to get hungry.

Now, normally I would take visitors to some lovely seaside restaurant near the market- Lowell’s or Etta’s, perhaps Cutter’s Bayhouse. But our guests were all originally from my hometown, which also happens to be the headquarters of Jimmy John’s. The Oregon folks had been craving Jimmy John’s subs since they moved out here a year ago, but hadn’t ever ventured far enough north to satisfy their needs… so we skipped the seafood and went straight to sandwiches.

That evening, after a long, restful afternoon tending to baby naptimes and food times, we finally got enough juice again to drive up to Cal Anderson park for a very brief visit, and then head over to Zoka for another coffee shop stop. Yes, I realize I could have gone to Vivace or Bauhaus or any of the other Capitol Hill establishments, but have you ever tried finding parking up there for two cars on a Saturday night? Tangletown is slightly easier to navigate in terms of parking, at least.

We had a very short Sunday morning, consisting mostly of getting people off to flights and hooking up carseats. We were able to take the Oregon contingent to lunch in Fremont, complete with meeting the Fremont Troll, but because of their trip’s shortened schedule, we had to give up a lot of other sights and activities. Overall, though, everyone had a pretty good time, though I think some of us will be catching up on sleep for the next week ;)

Blue Scholars show Current_TV around Seattle in this seven-minute documentary directed by Zia Mohajerjasbi (Sabzi’s little brother). In it, they visit Othello Station’s mixed-income housing developments, Laced Up in First Hill, Hidmo in the Central District, and sing the praises of the Ave and the UW campus in the University District. It’s lovingly curated and a totally different vision of the city than you’d typically see in a whirlwind tour.

Now, can someone please help these guys fix their windshield wipers? Sunny days like today won’t last forever.

(via erik [lj])

Like Wesa, I also took the opportunity this weekend to do something that had been on my Seattle to-do list: Visiting Leavenworth.

Leavenworth is a small town on the other side of the Cascades who re-invented themselves in the 1960s as a mock Bavarian village. The town is most famous for its Oktoberfest, a three-weekend long festival that is supposedly one of the most well-attended in the world outside of Germany.

One thing we didn’t realize about Leavenworth was just how much of a tourist town it was- granted, it is a town devoted entirely to tourism, but this weekend was their Autumn Leaf Festival. The next three weeks are Oktoberfest. After that there’s a Christkindelmarkt, then the Christmas Lighting Festival, then the Ice Festival, then the… you get the idea. It makes you wonder when the 2,000+ residents of the town ever get any sleep. They have pottery festivals, choral festivals, ale festivals, accordion festivals, bird festivals… it’s a bit overwhelming.

The town itself, with all its activities is a little overwhelming, but the drive there is gorgeous. And besides, where else can you see pirates jesting with leaf-bedecked cheerleaders or Bavarian-themed Chinese restaurants? Even the McDonald’s looks like it dropped straight out of Munich.

Only two more days until Fremont’s annual Oktoberfest, once hailed by USA Today as one of the top 10 Oktoberfests in the world. Fremont has added some funky additions to the traditional celebration of beer, beer and more beer. While The Stranger’s Microbrew garden will indeed include 70+ beers, the festival will also include musical acts, a 5k run/walk (with a ‘beer-belly’ division!), and the Texas Chainsaw Pumpkin Carving Contest, pictured above.

A list of what’s on tap includes Beck’s Oktoberfest, Late Harvest Autumn Ale from Redhook (formerly located very, very close to Oktoberfest’s current location) and Giddy Up! from New Belgium, a coffee/beer concoction. Their schedule of events includes a brand new comedy show, and the pumpkin carving contest will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are on sale now, online or offline for $15 in advance or $20 at the door.

I won’t lie- my Sunday morning at PAX was a religious experience (and no, not because of the booth babes).

I got to meet Metblogs Employee #3 (*cough* Wil Wheaton), and discovered an enduring love for Battlefield: Heroes, a new game from the folks who created Battlefield 1942.

Since the vast majority of my day was spent in front of a computer trying to learn how to drive tanks and shoot bazookas, I neglected to attend the Omegathon Final Round, which was VS Excitebike for the Famicon. Having seen the Jenga-fueled intensity that was the previous round of the Omegathon, I wasn’t sure I could handle the excitement of ExciteBike. But I can tell you that Joey Geko won an epic competition on a game that was only released in Japan.

Before getting sucked in to PC Freeplay, I slid into the Wil Wheaton panel by the skin of my teeth (lesson learned: take early bus, and don’t leave your program at home). I was just in time to hear him recite a lyrical bit of spoken word poetry. He followed up by reading an excerpt from his book, The Happiest Days of Our Lives, and answer the burning question: How can a panel consist of a single man?

Wil’s answer: “Like this, baby.”

I intended to ask all the geek superstars the same question, but, as I mentioned before, Battlefield: Heroes ate up my day, and so I was only able to ask Wheaton what his weirdest moment at PAX 2008 was. His answer?

_{Wil Wheaton’s Weirdest PAX Experience}