It was the first week of December. We had been in Oregon for 3 weeks with rain almost every day. Which put a damper, pun intended, on our adventures we wanted to take. So, we thought, “what can we do from the car regardless of the rain?” The answer? Road Trip. With that in mind, we decided to head up to Seattle, Washington. We had a few items on our list to check out so off we went searching in Seattle.
We had some specific things we wanted to check out. Bruce Lee was a hero of mine from childhood (still is). I enjoyed his movies and philosophies alike. He is buried at Lake View Cemetery in Seattle, with his son Brandon, buried next to him. That was first on the list. It was cold, windy and rainy. But I was filled with a positive spirit to visit the final resting place of an ultimate hero of mine. Something else that was somewhat ominous was the sheer amount of crows surrounding the area. Made me think of the Brandon Lee movie, The Crow, and how the birds were the link between the living and the dead. And, being in Oregon for more than a month, I remember a famous line from that movie (frequently) that said “It can’t rain all the time.” I guess the writer had never visited Oregon. Hahaha.
We wanted to see the Seattle Skyline and, especially the Space Needle. We did not want to drive into downtown to see the skyline nor did we have an interest in going up in the Space Needle. So, Mama Nomad figured out a way for us to get a few different views of the skyline and check an item off of her list. You see, she really likes the movie 10 Things I Hate About You. In that movie, they filmed in a few locations around Seattle. One of them was the Gas Works Park. It was an old gas works right on the bay. We were able to retrace the steps of the actors and, on top of a hill, get a great view of the skyline and Space Needle. We also saw seaplanes landing in the water in front of us.
From there we went to a second 10 Things I Hate About You location. It is called The Troll. This is a sculpture of a troll, holding a full sized VW Bug in its hand. It is enormous and located under a bridge on the corner of Troll Ave and N 36th St. Of course we climbed on it and grabbed some pix while we were there.
Next we went to higher ground. There is a park called Kerry Park in the Queen Anne section of Seattle. It is a very small park with limited parking. But, it does have a great birds eye view of the Seattle Skyline and Space Needle.
We departed Kerry Park and decided to go to another place where homage is paid to an artist that Mama Nomad really liked, Kurt Cobain. His house that he died in is located in Seattle. And, next to the house, is a small park with a bench. People leave messages and other items of adornment on the bench. Some of Kurt’s ashes were said to be sprinkled on the tree behind the bench. It was a solemn but powerful visit.
From here we headed towards the famous Public Market. Mama Nomad found us a parking special and it was adjacent to the market. First, right across from the market, is the oldest Starbucks in the world. The first one was established in 1971. Then in the late 1970s, it moved to this location and the original location was torn down. It is a little hole in the wall and does not look like any of the other Starbucks. But, their staff was courteous and efficient. We had to wait 20 minutes or more for a cup of coffee. But, what do you expect? It is the oldest Starbucks in the world!
With coffee in hand, we wandered over the Public Market. During the day time the fish vendors put on a show when people order the fish. We were there when it was dark and they were already closing up. So, we headed downstairs to the gum wall. You read that correctly. Apparently back in the 1970s, people began sticking chewing gum on this wall. It built up over time and then people began creating art pieces on the wall out of gum. Eventually a crew cam through and removed all of the gum, over a ton (2000 pounds) was hauled away. Well, in no time people were coming back to stick on more gum. Weird. Unique. Right up our alley. So we headed there to create some art of our own.
Once we were finished with the gum wall, we were ready to head out. It had been a full day driving all over Seattle. We left the city and drove to the State Capitol, Olympia. We got a hotel for the night since the drive back to home base was still about 3 to 4 hours away. The next morning, after refueling our bodies and Ebony, we decided to drive over and look at the Capitol Building. Funny thing…on the way we passed a tree that grew shoes. Well, not really. But it had dozens of shoes hanging from it. Very odd. On to the Capitol Building. I have to say, this Capitol Building is located on one of the most beautiful pieces of land, overlooking a lake. There is a bridge not far away that will give you a great view of the Capitol Building as it overlooks the lake.
We had a whirlwind of fun in Seattle. It was a trip that the rain, wind and cold could not impede and it was well worth the drive. If you make it up that far North and West, come back and comment on what you did. Safe Travels.
