What to do in the Fremont area of Seattle?

Yes, you heard right. The Fremont area of Seattle.

There is life outside of downtown Seattle. When planning a visit to the northwest, it's easy to get distracted by the constant references to Seattle. When people talk about visiting Washington, inevitably there are those who think that Seattle is the only city in the entire state. Well, luckily this is far from the truth.

There are many cool places to visit in the northwest and some of these cities and towns are closer to downtown Seattle than others. One of the coolest (former) cities to visit on your next trip to the area is Fremont.

What is Fremont?
Fremont (named after Fremont, Nebraska) is a neighborhood just outside Seattle proper that prides itself on being a bit on the quirky side. It was its own city until about 1891 when it was annexed by Seattle.

The unofficial motto of the neighborhood is De Libertas Quirkus (The Freedom to be Peculiar) and at one point it was well-known as a symbol of the counter-culture. Even though it's lost some of that reputation over the years, it is still an interesting place to visit on your next trip out to the Seattle area.

Things to see in Fremont
So Fremont wouldn't be Fremont if not for the wacky and weird things to see around the neighborhood. For starters, there's the giant troll under the Aurora Bridge. Of course, you can't forget the statue of Lenin that was rescued from a dump in Slovakia after a Seattle resident took out a loan on his house to get it sent back to the states. (It's for sale by the way, for a mere $250,000.)

Practically across the street you can take a picture of "The Rocket at the Center of the Universe" which has it's own interesting history as well. From there it's just a short walk to visit the statue "Waiting for the Interurban". You might be lucky enough to see it during one of he times when it gets "decorated." Sometimes it's dolled up more than other times, but even if nobody has seen fit to discuss their views through the statue, it's still interesting.

What else is there? Well, you can't forget the section of the Burke-Gilman trail that runs along the canal. If you've got kids, you might want to make a stop at Canal Street Coffee (my favorite cofee shop) and get something to eat while you wait for some of the bigger ships to come down the Ship Canal, which is always cool to see.

Anything else to see in Fremont?
While all the above things can be seen year around, there is one event that you won't want to miss if you're around during the month of June: The Summer Solstice Parade and Pageant.

This Fremont Solstice Parade is actually a kickoff event for the Fremont Fair and is characterized by crazy floats and a pageant of hundreds of participants following the parade to its end at Gas Works Park. You might have to censor a bit for the kids, though, because every year the parade unofficially begins with the Solstice Cyclists (a large group of nude cyclists who paint their bodies) leading the way.

So next time you're in Seattle, don't forget the Fremont neighborhood. You're bound to find something picture-worthy that will leave you wondering (at least a little bit).

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