Seattle: the Fremont Troll

Every city will have its unique denizens, only to be found in the confines of their own unique area code, lurking among the shadows or crawling under bridges. In places with prominent sports teams, like Wisconsin's army of Cheeseheads or the Raider Army, it's easy to glom around the tulpa of a team, and while the Seahawk fans are certainly their own adamant group of super-followers, there's another archetypal figure to be found in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle that, perhaps, even better suits the city's unique vibe. Sculpted by local Seattle artist Steve Badanes, the Fremont bridge troll is an homage to Norwegian and Scandinavian lore of the old troll lurking under a bridge. He's pretty massive, weighing in at 6,000 kilograms (13,000 pounds), so no amount of bravery on the part of foolish young would-be-knights will be dislodging him from his perch any time soon. That seems to be quite alright, though, as the gentle giants prefers to relax, allowing throngs of excited visitors to take photos while climbing and clamoring over his massive form. If you're hoping to locate him, he can be found on the corner of 36th street, though you might see the crowds gathering before laying eyes on the troll proper. 

We were already out and about exploring the Fremont neighborhood, having rented some Lime Bikes to get around after ditching our vehicle back at the free parking lot of Discovery Park. We both highly recommend taking advantage of Lime Bikes should you find them in your area! You simply download the app, then scan the QR code on the bike and go on your way. When you're done, you select that option on the app to relock the bike and end your paid period of usage. It sounds way more complicated than it is! It was a great option for the warm, sunny fall day we'd opted to take our adventure on, and as #SeattleSnowaggedon2019 falls outside, it makes me feel warm and fuzzy to revisit the day.  The Fremont Troll is quite conveniently located, too, to incorporate it into a full day of sightseeing! The Lenin statue is just down the road, after all, and Discovery Park is a short ride-share or bus ride away should you choose not to bike it. The Burke-Gilman interurban trail is close, too, for those who enjoy a good bit of exercise-powered sight-seeing! 

From here, we found our way to Gasworks park! Check back soon for that post!

💖

XOXO,

NAU

Las Vegas: National Atomic Testing Museum

Tucked into an innocuous lot off of East Flamingo road, it'd be easy to drive right past the National Atomic Testing Museum and never notice the presence of this scientifically abundant space. I can honestly say that we certainly did exactly that for quite a long time, before finally realizing what we were missing out on and making a point to check it out. As luck would have it, we found time to make the trip not long after our weekend out by Lake Mead, so after a long morning hauling through the desert, we found ourselves basking in the air-conditioning and soaking in the vast supply of information available. Despite eluding our awareness for some time, the Atomic Testing Museum is a pretty legit experience, allowing visitors a glimpse into history to the Las Vegas area that not many people know about, but continues to have an impact on our country to this day. The ramifications and reality of nuclear fallout are real, guys, and more widespread than their scientists predicted back in the heyday of atomic testing, impacting the states of Nevada, Arizona, Utah and New Mexico the most but extending as far out as even New York, though the proliferation of super-fund sites is a whole different problem in and of itself. You can learn about this sort of stuff at the museum, along with checking out some of the pop-culture memorabilia that has sprung up around it, in some way or another. We spent a couple hours wandering around, reading the various plaques and signs and trying to absorb as much as we could.

There are some thematic areas that might be a little spooky for small children, and the words to pictures ratio might not be favorable to young kids, either. For the literate, the curious, and the passing through, it's absolutely worth popping in to explore the Atomic Testing Museum if you find yourself in their neck of the woods. During the time of our visit, there was a woman have a very loud, very dramatic and very public sort of fit, screaming at her phone, a guy across the street, and otherwise making a scene, which was a little appetizer of free entertainment before even stepping foot inside the building. The museum is a bit more together, thankfully, and after obtaining your ticket from their friendly staff, you'll be soaking in the knowledge! You might be able to find a discounted ticket on Groupon, as we did, but they also partner with the Mob Museum to offer discounts for visiting both museums during your time in Vegas, or there might even be separate discounts still available for locals! It doesn't hurt to do a little research before your visit, after all.  

Las Vegas Indoor Swapmeet

Do you have an Indoor Swapmeet in your area?

We have a couple of different swap meets here, but we've only gone to this one so far. 

Now that I know what an adventure they can be, we'll definitely have to make the time to check out the rest!