Our friend took us here to learn more about the Japanese Americans who were taken from their homes…read moreand relocated to Manzanar in CA. I hope more people will visit to learn about the unfair and unjust treatments of the Japanese people. We were met at their temporary visit center by a volunteer named Clay. He was so nice and gave us a brief history of the Japanese American exclusion experiences. We did not know that the Japanese Americans on Bainbridge Island were the first group to be taken from their homes. And they were only given 6 days to get their affairs in order. The memorial was very nice and there's a beautiful view of the bay at the end. How it most have been so hard to leave the beautiful island home.

What "an unwavering testament to the events of March 30, 1942, serving as a poignant reminder of…read morethe past." "The Memorial Wall winds solemnly down to the historic Eagledale ferry dock landing site, where the first of more than 120,000 Japanese individuals--two-thirds of whom were American citizens--were forcibly uprooted from their West Coast homes and confined to concentration camps during World War II." May we not only remember, but may we never let it happen again.

Found the LCCC one random Saturday afternoon. A sandwich board placard on the corner begs your…read moreattention, so we dropped in. As we got closer to the building there was a guy standing in the middle of the road, munching on a sandwich, and directing cars to parking slots....funny. The center was having a vintage market this weekend and what a pleasant surprise it was. The place is larger than it looks. Every room was filled to the brim with vintage goodies presented by individual vendors. The selection was wonderful and the prices reasonable. The vendors are so nice and willing to educate you about their collections. One gentleman sells vintage Christmas cards and buttons. I bought a few lovely cards (no one does graphics like this anymore) and plan on framing them whenever I find some nice antique frames. I also found a vintage pin that looks just like my doggies. I love antiquing but have found that the regular antique shops are getting pretentious (everything behind locked glass) and expensive. You can come to the LCCC, have fun conversations, and take home some treasures. They also have a flea market every few months.

I've been here a few times now for the Lake City Lions Club Flea Market, which is held every 2nd…read moreSaturday of the month except for August. Getting here is pretty easy, it's fairly close to the Dick's on Lake City. Parking is another story. The building has about a dozen parking spots and you'll often see cars double parked (the horror). Otherwise you're looking at street parking which can take you rather far away. Once you do find some parking far away, be sure to see if it's a "30mins load" or if there's a "No Parking" sign anywhere. The building itself is old and tired, with well-worn furniture in the waiting area and office. The restrooms are clean though. The large auditorium reminds me of a cafeteria, especially since they set up long folding tables for people to show their wares. There is a small cafe that will sell coffee, donuts, and sandwiches for a couple bucks. I like coming here because there is always something different at the flea market. One on hand, you'll get the stuff that is priced high (for my taste) of antique items such as coins, toys, and jewelry. On the other, you'll see stuff that is priced rather low which you don't need to buy so you don't but you so regret it later (sigh). Then there's a bunch of stuff in the middle that doesn't really land on your radar for whatever reason but it's still fun to wander around and browse a couple laps. You can show up early or on time to score good parking, but the tables don't really fill until maybe 2hrs after the official start time. Then it may get a little crowded with more buyers showing up. The folks at the vendor tables and staffing the cafe/office are super sweet and nice. They always have interesting stories to tell about their items. It's an overall relaxed vibe for the people like me who hope to find something really cool. :)

Ever get tired of seeing neat older buildings in once one-house neighborhoods razed and boring…read morecondos and townhouses replace them? Wonder why the City of Seattle does so little to protect them? You have not be familiar with it, but Historic Seattle shares your concern(s) and been saving buildings of historic/aesthetic value for some time now: (1) Queen Anne High School (now condos, but they saved the outside and preserved the integrity of the interior), (2) the oddly modernist Egan House (which I saw as part of a Historic Seattle-sponsored tour) above I-5, (3) Cadillac Hotel (now the Klondike Gold Rush Historical Museum run by the U.S. Parks Service), (4) Church of Christ (now Town Hall!), and (5) the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford. Both the Egan House and Good Shepherd Center are actually owned by HSP. Sometimes to save a historic building, HSP has had to actually move them! For example, it was instrumental in moving a group of 1890s-era workers' cottages from Chinatown to the Ballard Avenue Historic District. The beautiful Italianate house near Half Price Books on Capitol Hill, now an attorney's office, was originally at Pike and Boren. Washington Hall was one of the focus of its efforts (and was as of mid January 2009 was designated as a Historic Landmark by the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board), thus hopefully being saved from the demolition ball. Currently the organization is trying to save bungalow courts on Capitol Hill from being razed. The non-profit organization is housed in the 102-year-old Dearborn House mansion on First Hill and sponsors tours and lectures throughout the year. There is a library in the basement that is open to the public (which I have not had the opportunity to visit). Late this month, an exhibition on the Arts and Crafts Movement in the Pacific Northwest at MOHAI will open. One of the major annual events its sponsors is the Bungalow Fair (the next one, in late September 2009, will offer a tour of Ravenna bungalows as well as a contemporary Arts and Crafts exhibition and related lectures at Town Hall). Other events include tours of notable houses ("tea and tour") in the area. I am not sure how large a membership base it has, but there are a number of volunteer openings, apparently, at this very active but not very well-known--to the general public--civic organization. http://www.historicseattle.org/default.aspx http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/thearts/2009197262_historic100.html http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pacificnw/2008609127_pacificpbuilt11.html http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/landmark-theater/Content?oid=813227 http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2009/01/09/washington_hall_is_now_a_histo

What a great community center! Have attended several events here in the past year - most recently a…read morefundraising benefit for the center: an outdoor concert with the kid friendly band: The Not It's! They had all kinds of other activities inside and out like face painting and basketball. We had so much fun! Food wise - we were so pleased to find Secret Sausage brought their big stand to the event - they are THE BEST sausages and hot dogs in Seattle! Big fields, a playground and a ball court all on the Community Center grounds. Parking can be a little tricky as its in a neighborhood and the dedicated parking spaces are minimal. But if you get there early or don't mind walking down the sidewalk a block or two - you'll be fine. They have community classes, preschool and after school care onsite also. I can't speak to those but have friends that have loved the teachers and programs there for the littles. Very loving and nurturing environment. Have met a few of the community center staff and volunteers and to me they can all be best described as big hearted! They are all so friendly and caring to our friends and family even though not all of us regularly attend classes or just show up for occasional events on site. The front desk has been very helpful and accommodating with my questions and requests for directions. Really, can't say enough good about the Loyal Heights Community Center. It's just a very warm place and the people there make you feel welcome and right at home!

It's rare that you go into any establishment and see the same employees year after year. I see this…read morehere, and I'm not surprised. It's a sign of good synergy and good leadership. Fantastic caring staff that actually remembers its community members. Super helpful and kind, and they have established a truly safe feeling space for me and my children as we have been so lucky to be a part of the community now for 5 years. My only issue is that I can't get into their childcare programs because they're so popular! the sparc sign up system is a bit frustrating, but the staff at the center have always been so helpful in circumventing that with me :D they throw killer events for our kiddos and really tie us all into a community. can't wait for that new playground to be finished!

I love Seattle for all its little quirks - especially the neighborhood of Fremont, which has many…read morecolorful murals and amusing sculptures. I used to pass by this all the time in college, so it was nice to come back and appreciate it. The rocket is at the corner of the "Burnt Sugar" store. There's a plaque nearby with information on how it came to be there, and you can see how it looks from the bottom with the space themed cutouts. It's something better seen from across the street so you can see it in its entirety. Is it a must see when visiting? Not really... but if you're visiting that troll down the street, you might as well go up a few blocks and see the rocket as well. It's a quick stop, plus at the right angle you can see the Saturn sculpture attached to one of the nearby apartment complexes. I do recommend walking around the area though to take in the other art installations around Fremont! Plus the storefronts around the area are very cute to look at to.

Is it worth a trip to Fremont? No, but, like the Fremont Troll, it's one of a few photo ops in a…read morequirky city with a decent shopping district (especially on Sundays during the market). This rocket sculpture, made from an old aircraft tail, was purchased in 1991 for $750 (or 10 nights of downtown parking) from an army surplus store by the local business association, who erected this rocket sculpture (made from an old aircraft tail) at 35th and Evanston. It took 3 years to erect it, which never happens to me, I swear.

Awesome views from this lovely pier! There is also beach access from the stairs on the right of the…read morepier. A life jacket kiosk is located near the stairs entrance. On a clear day, you can see part of the Seattle skyline and Mount Rainier. The pier feels very sturdy and is a short leisurely walk. At the end of the pier, there is a nice long bench available to sit and enjoy the lovely views. Highly recommend when visiting the area.

This place has been around for 100 years. It was such a great place so grow up and spend time on…read morethe water. The pier is free to use and quiet most of the time.

If you ever been to Pikes Public Market in Seattle Washington, you surely walked pass the "Silver…read moreOkum Building ". The three story brick building was built by "Ben Silver" in 1910. Ben Silver manufactured and sold okum on the first floor. The upper floors were apartments and a hotel. Okum is a type of fiber. When mixed with tar, it is used as caulking in shipbuilding. Unlike naming the building after himself, Mr. Silver encorporated his product "Okum" in the building's name. Silver Okum Building is also registered in the National Registry of Historic Places. Thanks for reading! Live/Love/Travel !

Be mindful of closures check WSDOT before you leave my trip across this beautiful bridge happened…read moreto be right at opening time. Very well monitored and maintained bridge that definitely should be on your list of places to go!

FREE, BEAUTIFUL, AMAZING VIEWS and almost always open to traffic…read more It was a beautiful drive above, left, right, ahead..... Beautifully scenery and expansive views! I appreciate it being FREE of charge!