Load Bearing wall running parallel to floor joists above?
Picture 2 clearly shows the relation of front door to “wall I want to remove”.  The wall you want to remove is a bearing wall ... supporting the roof as shown in last Picture #7, from the exterior. 

That one small opening you’ve cut in the ceiling in Pictures #1 and #3 shows something spanning the opposite direction you’re indicating the joists run. You’d better check that again, as I suspect you’re wrong on the direction the second floor joists span too.

Also, when you start removing walls (bearing or otherwise) you’d better make sure you’re not removing a shear wall.  Just because it doesn’t have plywood on it, doesn’t mean it’s not a shear wall. Gypsum board is rated as shear panels too and this is a main wall, so I suspect this is a shear wall...depending on what seismic zone you live in. 

I like your opening comment, “...before hiring a structural engineer/ architect...”. Now make sure you do it...

By the way, I’d recommend a STRUCTURAL engineer, not a CIVIL engineer...or an architect with a structural background.