Seattle's Bubbleator

The Bubbleator what is a giant bubble used as a hydraulic elevator. Built specifically for the Seattle worlds fair in 1962, the giant machine was in the old Armory, which then became the food circus in now is Centercourt at the Seattle Space Needle campus.

In its heyday, it made thousands of people up and down through the center of the old armory.

The current owner is Gene Achziger. In the 1980s he went looking for it, as he was curious about what happened to it after the worlds fair. He said a contractor donated it to the children's orthopedic hospital, but they didn't know what to do with it and, by 1984 it was stuck in a warehouse in South Lake Union.

So, for $1000, Achziger bought the Bubbleator at a fraction of its original $63,000 price tag. He put the dismembered machine on a flatbed truck and brought it to his house in Redondo, south of Seattle, to begin the painstaking process of putting it back together.

It was a machine drilled, so every panel had to go back in exactly the right place. Now inspirational form, the Bubbleator  is just over 19 feet wide and weighs more than 3000 pounds. The Bubbleator is now a magnificent greenhouse at Gene's Home in Redondo near Federal Way.

Weird shopping in Seattle

 

Seattle is pretty much the furthest away you could get without dropping off United States border into Canada, Seattle has a lot of weird stuff at some good shopping.

One of my favorite places is Pacific antique gallery in the SODO District. It's not owned by one person but it's actually 50+ different shops under one roof. That way, you get lots of different folks aesthetic I said you never know what you're going to find. There are Victorian items, 18th century collectibles, 60s mid century modern up to the present. It's always a treasure hunt when you visit Pacific Gallery.

Seattle's "Holiday Tree" lights up the neighborhood all year 'round

Photo by Ryan Whitney , Creative Commons

Since the mid-70's, Herb Allwine and his wife, Mary Lou, have decorated the tree on the corner at their house for every holiday. Each year it became more elaborate to the delight of all the neighbors. Mary Lou passed away a few years ago, but Mr. Allwine still decorates the house in honor of his wife. Here's a video below with the whole story.

Sound of Light Reflector Art Installation

Artist Dick Elliot has created an incredible public work of art that you can see from your car or get out and examine more closely. The cool thing is you can see it even at night, as it's made out of reflector buttons that light up as autos pass by.

The Sound of Light is a public art piece that enhances the Hudson Wall Of Seattle’s Sound Transit light rail corridor. It is composed of 35 reflector panels attached to the retaining wall. The largest panel is 5’ wide by 20’ tall. It was installed in the fall of 2007 and was recognized by American's for the Arts Recognition for Innovation in Public Art. The piece runs for 2 blocks along Martin Luther King Way on the Seattle Sound Transit Light Rail Corridor between Dawson St. and Hudson St. It can only be seen when driving north.

Here's a photo of Richard Elliot in front of his creation.  He passed away in 2008. 

Nevertold Casket Company on Capitol Hill

If you've got a thirst for gore, goth and the macabre, you'll love the Nevertold Casket Company, a strange and wonderfully unusual shop located on Capitol Hill in Seattle. As you can see, they sell things "old or new, made of gold and diamond or of simple paper mâché, mass produced or painstakingly hand made. It may be a fragile object d’art or a durable part of everyday life. A haunted good is an object of desire. It is haunted and it haunts. It instills the most sublime awe, even fear in the person that owns it and yet to the one haunted by it, there is nothing so beautifully perfect and comforting." Started first in the basement of an old apartment building and now located in a storefront by Seattle University (the exact address is 509 13th Ave, Seattle WA 98122)

You'll love Nevertold Casket Company if you like weird things like stuffed chicks standing on their hind legs, random pieces of taxidermy, old funeral items made out of human hair and other ephemera.  This shop is the very best example of what makes Seattle weird!

Seattle's Luna Park Cafe - Still crazy after all these years

The original building constructed by Chris Boysen right after World War II. You can still see his namesake on the adjacent apartment building. Originally built as a neighborhood tavern, the building went through various identities over the decades. The last one being the infamous “Pat & Ron’s Tavern” which closed in 1988. After months of work on the space, it reopened on March of 1989 as Luna Park Cafe. The name coming from the former boardwalk park that existed in West Seattle in the early 1900’s. Over the years it has become a museum of sorts for all generations to enjoy. With a 1958 Seeburg Jukebox, other coin-ops like Pepe the Dancing Clown and the mini Orchestra above the front door and plenty of nostalgic decorations, this diner is a haven to it’s regulars and a spectacle to newcomers. The idea behind the cafe is to serve delicious food and great milkshakes in a 1950’s diner atmosphere and they definitely succeed! 

 Luna Park is located at 2918 SW Avalon Way, Seattle, WA 98126

Fremont Solstice Parade

The Fremont Solstice Parade takes place on Summer Solstice Saturday in downtown Fremont.  The historic Fremont Solstice Parade is produced solely by the Fremont Arts Council, a non-profit organization, and they have been delighting crowds at the Center of the Universe with fantastic floats, marching bands, and other free-spirited street performances since 1989.

Everyone is welcome to participate in the Solstice Parade. Public art workshops are held early May through June to prepare for the parade.  For more information on joining the parade, please contact volunteer@fremontartscouncil.org or visit the website www.fremontartscouncil.org  for more information on ways to get involved.

The parade has been made famous (infamous!) by the inclusion of the Solstice Cyclists (Solstice Cylists.org), a celebration of 1500+ naked-but-painted bike riders, who are released onto the parade route before the start of the Solstice Parade.  This event celebrates the rebel in all of us!  It is a “nude not lewd” event, where families are welcome to watch their friends bare all, paint up, and ride through the streets of Fremont!

The parade ends at Gas Works park where you will find food trucks, a beer garden, art installations, and four stages of band performances.