The Pacific Northwest was but a dream in our young Aires minds as we boarded a Seattle bound plane last March. Sure, we had seen pictures of this fabled corner of our country before. We had gazed upon the rolling hills and skyscraping mountains, the warm coffee shops shielding hip caffeine addicts against cool, drizzly afternoons and the rocky crags overlooking an angry but benevolent Pacific Ocean, but so few had ever seen it up close. As the plane shook and rose through the clouds, we were all giddy with excitement, not able to sleep through the 8-hour flight. All we could think about was what was sure to be a comfort-filled week and a half discovering the Northwest's richness and beauty.
First we landed in Seattle, stayed the night at the University of Washington Sig Ep and headed off the next day to Derek "Juno" Senft's parents' house in Vancouver. After a night lounging around the house and in the hot tub, we woke up the next morning refreshed and ready for a day on the town. In matching black zip-up hoodies we cruised the Vancouver strip, buying magic tricks, eating lots of fish and singing "Son of a Gun" in a microbrewery in an attempt to get free beer. That evening we sang a short set for the Senft's at a dinner party they were holding and ate a plethora of expensive hors d'oeuvres.
The next day we headed out for what some may consider the "piece de resistance" of the tour - the Whistler/Blackcomb Ski Resort. Again, the Senft's unyielding generosity aided us in landing a perfect location - their chateau (all right, maybe it is not a chateau, but for the sake of the story it is), on the mountain. Literally, on the mountain. The Skiaires woke up early the next day to get in a full day of skiing in some of the greatest powder in the world. The Nonskiaires spent the day in Whistler Village and welcomed back the Skiaires chilled and sun-kissed in the evening just in time for a chili cook-off between Zach "Cazzo" Supalla and Will "Wavo" Raymer. After eating too much chili, the Aires lounged around the cabin, playing some pool and relaxing in the hot tub.
They then hit up Whistler Village, mixing pasta bowls and Canadian nightclubs, for a perfect night on the town. The next day was another full day of skiing and another full night spent enjoying beautiful Whistler Village and the even more luxurious cabin. On the third day, while some skiing was arranged for the diehards in the morning, the afternoon was dedicated to my personal favorite part of the tour - ziplining. Imagine flying effortlessly across the beautiful streams and gorges of Whistler Mountain, sailing from tree to tree and walking through a canopy hundreds of feet of the ground. Now imagine doing that upside down, harnessed only to a thin metal wire. Ziplining was a rush to say the least, but it certainly let us see a different side of Whistler and truly appreciate the beauty of the location we were in. At this point you may notice a lack of shows and an excess of comfort. I would consider that to be a theme of this tour.
The next day we stuffed our white unmarked fifteen passenger van from Rent-A-Wreck with luggage and hopped in for the drive back to Seattle, Washington, where we had begun. While saying goodbye to Whistler was hard, we knew Seattle had great things in store for us. Over the course of the next five days we stayed in the house of Elliot May, a Dartmouth '06 and friend of Mikey "Rollo" Saladik's who was incredibly hospitable and became a close Aires friend by the time we rolled out of Seattle for Manchester. The Aires hit the ground running in Seattle, singing three shows for different alumni clubs and house parties in the area, but spent most of the time seeing the sights and exploring Seattle.
Our numbers began to dwindle as guys left for the Music FSP to London (Ben "Nomo" Davis, Jon "Pedo" Simpson, Will "Wavo" Raymer and Nick "Bojo" Brown), Italy (Adam "Expo" Frank) and home (Matt "Sparo, I had mono" Wang), but the remaining Aires continued singing well, receiving two encores at the Seattle Alumni Club with only 9 guys present. Around Seattle, the Aires played with instruments for hours at the Experience Music Project, ate and shopped around Pike Place Market, dined in some of the greatest restaurants, hiked along the Puget Sound to a pristine lighthouse, discovered the weirdest town (Fremont) and its troll, spaceship and dinosaurs, and searched, unsuccessfully, for Mel's Hole. The week ended with a show for Elliot's friends and a night-long party overlooking the ocean with Dartmouth alumni and West Coast residents alike.
Overall, the Pacific Northwest Tour was a great week for all involved. While the shows were sparse, the hanging out was jam-packed and with the help of the Senft's and Elliot May, we were able to relax, ski for days on end (and not get injured - hi Pluto!), explore Seattle and Vancouver, and get some good ol' Aires loving in on the side.
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