Fremont District, Seattle

Fly a kite on the hill at Gasworks Park!

This 20 acre point on Lake Union was cleared in 1906 to construct a plant to manufacture gas from coal - later converted to crude oil. Import of natural gas in the 1950's made the plant obsolete. The city acquired the site for a park in 1962. The park was opened to the public in 1975. The boiler house has been converted to a Picnic Shelter with tables, fire grills and an open area. The former exhauster-compressor building, now a children's play barn, features a maze of brightly painted machinery.

Freemont Troll - Under the Freemont Bridge. This cement troll was created by local artisans, who used a VW bug to put under the troll's hand. He has huge glass eyes and a single tear coming down his cheek. You can imagine how big this is. Freemont is THE place to live if you're young, hip, and wealthy.

Pikes Market - This 3 story marketplace can be done quickly, or slowly depending on your love of crowds. Do see the famous fishthrowers at the seafood market. You can miss the cheesy vendors selling jewelry and trinkets. Rub the brass pig outside. If you're fond of cooking, there is a place called Sur Le Table for chefs, right outside the market. Also check out the little French bakery near the flower vendors and the very first Starbucks EVER. Woo hoo. People sell fresh herbs out there and beautiful...plants.

Seattle is known for its glassmaking, especially the work of Dale Chihuly. Any art gallery you go into will have tons of gorgeous glassware. I'd say Seattle has more tiny, family-owned specialty boutiques than most places. Cute jewelry, greeting cards, lamps & furniture. shop shop shop.

A tattoo parlour called Johnny Ink is great. I'm purposely un-touched by the needle, but my friend has a pretty nice one.

This is another great statue in Fremont! The Locals dress them up to celebrate birthdays and such ... the Boy-Faced Dog is kinda creepy tho!

We conquered the Troll under the bridge. They say if you visit, please pick up some trash from around the area to keep the neighborhood clean.

The Troll sculpture at Fremont District. A little town with a 60's feel to it. Quaint shops and of course coffee houses.