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

Day trip to Berkeley

Welcome to Berkeley, a lovely little town north of San Francisco and Oakland, famous for having the oldest college campus in California along with it's politically liberal vibe.

While walking through Berkeley, it's evident that the town takes great pride in itself. The street lamps are adorned with baskets of flowers, the sidewalks are clean and the buildings beautiful and well maintained.

Quirky and creative individuals and businesses abound, with small cafes offering live orchestral performances or Japanese curry. One intersection has three distinct movie cinemas operating on different corners, each offering different movies. Amoeba records flagship store opened in 1990 in Berkeley, so if you're a music geek that's worth noting. It's a huge store with a robust selection and has expanded with newer locations in San Francisco (which we visited) and another in Hollywood.

While a fairly small town of permanent residents at around 100k, I imagine it's pretty safe to estimate that the population boons during college season. Several people remarked on the amusing contrast of seeing young preppie college kids mingling with a bunch of hippies, but that's the kind of atmosphere the town fosters. Everyone we spoke with was friendly and glowed with pride for their home.

Curious? I've got lots of photos for you below!

Seoul: Dragon Hill Spa

After dinner, everyone agreed that going to a bathhouse would be fun so we split into teams and traveled to Dragon Hill Spa. The place is pretty famous evidently and given how much character and the variety of amenities it's really not that hard to see why.