This is a famous Tacoma landmark - a glass bridge that performs its job well as a pedestrian bridge…read morewith a touch of beauty from the glass artwork instillation that lines the sides of the bridge. It's a great alternative to visiting the Museum of Glass for people who are short on time or arriving during closed hours (this bridge is open 27/7), yet still want to experience some beauty in their lives. This bridge connects the Thea Foss Waterway and the Museum of Glass. When I visited, it was quite hot and the sun was beating down. This illuminated the three amazing Chihuly glass installations, but I wished that there was more than a little covered area on the bridge to protect me. Oh well, they do say that beauty is pain, don't they? I saw that there were multiple photographers on the bridge to take in the peaceful surroundings. Definitely don't miss this in your visit to Tacoma.

On our drive north, we made a quick stop at the Bridge of Glass, and it was worth the 15-minute…read moredetour. Parking was easy, and it was the perfect place to stretch our legs while enjoying some beautiful public art. We didn't have time to visit the Museum of Glass, so I was glad we could still experience some of Chihuly's work with this free outdoor exhibit. From the bridge, it also looked like the nearby courthouse features Chihuly glass, but unfortunately, we didn't have time to explore further. If you're passing through Tacoma, this is an easy, free stop that's well worth it. It's a great way to experience a bit of Pacific Northwest art and it's perfect for a few memorable photos before getting back on the road.

A Seattle icon, the Fremont Troll is a must-visit. We went on a weekday and there were still a good…read morenumber of tourists coming around to take photos. Many of them even chose to climb onto the troll itself, but I didn't dare. Parking can be super hard to find as the troll is nestled in a residential neighborhood, but after circling around quite a few times, we finally found a spot. Even with the waves of people visiting, I still managed to capture photos of Newt with the troll without anyone in the frame, and my husband even captured a nice photo of us performing our iconic piggyback trick, as well as the cutest shot of me looking up at Newt as he sat on the troll's hand. Caveat: unless your dog is well-trained and can hold a distance AND duration sit-stay (especially on an elevated, uneven surface), I would not attempt to recreate that shot. When you visit the troll, don't forget to look behind you and admire the architecture of the overpass too. It's breathtaking in itself. While we were there, many of the tourists asked me to take photos of them with the troll with their phones or cameras, since they saw I had brought my DSLR with me. Of course I happily obliged. We did not spend too much time at the troll as there wasn't much to do outside of taking photos with it, and as we were leaving, another wave of tourists showed up. The Fremont Troll is a fun spot to take photos at/with, and a cool art installation. I wish we had something similar in the bay or Sac!

A fun experience, a bit off the beaten path in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle…read more We ventured from downtown to check out the troll. Very easy access via a city bus route. After a short stroll down a well-designed dirt path, we found the giant troll. The troll is great for photos and has a sign that describes the history of the troll. My kids enjoyed climbing around the area, too. Facing the opposite direction from the troll is a very cool bridge that creates some awesome cathedral-like architecture. There is lots to do in Fremont, and even though the troll is kind of a one-and-done deal, it's worth checking out simply to explore the rest of the neighborhood and awesome surrounding businesses. Enjoy your troll hunt!

I was passing through Aberdeen and was doing a mini Nirvana/Kurt Cobain pilgrimage and came across…read morethis mural in the downtown area. "Nirvana and Aberdeen" is located on the corner of South K & West Wishkah, facing Wishkah Street. Erik Sandgren was the lead artist for this mural. This mural was a project that started in 2013 and showcases the history of Nirvana and the town that Kurt grew up in. It has a little of everything from all of the band members in Nirvana's short stint in the music world. It also showcases Kurt's tragic life. Cool art piece to check out if you are a fan and in the area.

Stretching 68' in length and completed by five artists over approximately 720 hours, this mural was…read moreoriginally dedicated in 2014. Krist Novoselic (co-founder of Nirvana) and drummer Aaron Burkhard (first drummer until Dec 1987) were present at the original dedication. The mural has been moved and is now located on the Side One building at the corner of South K and West Wishkah streets in Aberdeen. There's a lot going on in this mural. Unless you're a super fan, you're probably not going to grasp the meaning of all of the elements that were incorporated. If you're interested in learning more and a complete explanation of the artistic elements found in this mural, I suggest that you go to: https://www.ouraberdeen.com/nirvana-outdoor Lead artist statement: "The mural is not an apology. It is not fan art; it is not a justification; it is not hero worship; it is not Seattle. It is not about Kurt Cobain alone, though it acknowledges his tragic arc; rather, it memorializes Nirvana as a group - to some extent its present state and mostly references the Harbor here where it all began. It recognizes our All Stars, alludes to the price paid for their success, and asks us to "Think of Me." - Erik Sandgren For the complete artist statement, go to: https://www.ouraberdeen.com/nirvana-outdoor Artists: Erik Sandgren (lead artist) with Anthony James Cotham, Dominic Senibaldi, Jason Sobottka, and David Wall Come as you are, as you were As I want you to be...

I don't want to say that I was staying in a weird neighborhood while I was in Seattle, but being…read morejust over a mile away from the Bettie Page House left me no other option one early morning than to head out by wheelchair to check it out. Smack dab in the middle of Seattle's worst heatwave ever, I can still easily say it was worth the effort for a glimpse of this private residence that features an 18' Bettie Page and even more recently has added the one and only Divine. The house is located in the Ravenna district adjacent to the University District (where I was staying). Commissioned by the owner in 2006, the artwork has been vandalized once (it came back better than ever) and has been threatened by the city at one point with $100 daily fines. because of the "graffiti" on the home. Of course, no fine ever happened and Bettie Page is still alongside the home's exterior wall. Interestingly enough, the home is right across the street from a Mormon Temple. Bettie is adorned with her usual black panties and thigh-highs, a gutter conveniently crosses her chest area. The house is a little tricky to get to, though the mural is easily visible from I-5 near the 65th Street exit. As this is a private home, there is no "admission." Essentially, this is public art visible from a sidewalk or street. If you're in the Seattle area, it's definitely worth checking out and most likely a "must see" for true Bettie Page (or Divine) fans.

Add this to your list Roadside America…read more We've been to the usual Space Needle, Pike's Place Market but, if you're up for something new and unusual --- this is it. Welcome to the Bettie Page and Drag Queen Divine house! After driving around the area that Google Maps told us it was without finding it; we realized it might be across the damn freeway. So, might want to consider that if you haven't found it lol

I mean, what can be said about this strange abandoned art installation that hasn't been said…read morealready. It's not a great area, there's currently a homeless encampment right behind it. It has a chain link fence surrounding it giving it a 'We haven't torn this down yet' vibe. Being from the Bay Area and having seen pieces created at The Crucible I personally would call it exceptionally lazy art - if you're generous with the word 'art'. It's a sign, with some pointed cylinders around it. In my opinion the painted pieces at Gas Works are more interesting. I personally think it's only a matter of time before they tear it out and make it into another park so all in all, it's an easy skip.

At one point, I'm sure The Wall of Death was a very cool public art installation in Seattle. It's a…read morepermanently sited installation located along the Burke-Gilman Trail under the University Bridge along NE 40th Street. It was designed and built by Mowry Baden and his son Colin in 1993. While the exhibit sounds ominous, it's neither a memorial or some gothic art piece. Instead, it's a tribute to the structure used to perform "the wall of death," a motorcycle and miniature automobile stunt. While it looks like it was initially quite amazing, The Wall of Death has largely fallen victim to time and graffiti and it's really that graffiti that negatively impacts the appeal of the exhibit. The exhibit includes the cylinder itself on the south side of the Burke-Gilman Trail, as well as a concrete ramp to the north of the trail, which includes a "series of stylized metal chairs mounted to the existing concrete bridge columns and serves as the stands from which the stunts were viewed. The exhibit was originally intended as interactive with skateboarders intended to use it. However, after several skateboarding accidents including one involving a head-on collision between a skateboarder and a cyclist the exhibit was adapted, by Baden himself, to include 25 concrete parking stops. At this point, the exhibit is somewhat fenced in and much more difficult to access. However, it remains one of the more intriguing public art exhibits in Seattle and is still free to see. It's listed in Atlas Obscura. The exhibit was also reportedly damaged on 11/15/20 when a homeless camp tent caught fire. The exhibit is made of concrete, steel, and aluminum and measures 16' x 65' x 30'. It's easy to access the exhibit from the Burke Gilman Trail in the University District. It's near University of Washington housing and only a few blocks from Lake Union. The trail itself is wheelchair friendly and accessible quite easily.

Only in Fremont can you see dinosaurs in your very own city... They well groomed Ivey beast lurk…read moreneed the banks of the water by the Fremont Bridge. Relax folks you can approach the beasts they won't be harmful to your health. But you can most definitely snap your selfies with the mother and baby dinosaur. But don't climb on them, unless you must and then ride these beasts like your in a Texas rodeo.

Fremont has a bunch of photo ops: a big Troll, a tall Rocket, a strange Center of the Universe…read moresign, a Lenin statue (I LOVED Double Fantasy), and this: a 66-foot-long, ivy-covered mother dinosaur and child. Go around 5:15am to see the feeding. OK, it's automatic sprinklers, but still.