Destination: Seattle’s Center for Wooden Boats and the Fremont Sunday Market
I have a friend who made a New Year’s resolution to incorporate more whimsy into his life. Monthly visits to Fremont just might do the trick. Between the velvet Elvises for sale at the swap meet-type market, the huge cement troll under the bridge and the various slogans that the neighborhood embraces (Fremont has a trademark on “Far From Normal” and several placards on the streets boast a Latin term that translates into “Free to be Peculiar”), this is a place that absolutely oozes whimsy.
We started out the day at the Center for Wooden Boats on the south end of Lake Union. This museum, marina, boat building and boat rental haven is free to visit and offers free classic sailboat rides at 2 and 3 p.m. each Sunday afternoon. Instead of sailing, we opted to call the Water Taxi, a smooth-riding, leather-seated electric boat that took us by Seattle’s houseboat neighborhoods on the way over to the Fremont Sunday Market.
Once in Fremont, we were greeted with a sight and sound sensation of live music, art, unusual shops, adventurous people and more restaurants than you can shake a stick at. Fremont, Seattle’s funky neighborhood situated between Lake Union and the Ballard Locks, recently declared itself the Center of the Universe.
After spending a leisurely Sunday there brunching and browsing, I’m inclined to agree.
There is a 53-foot rocket monument mounted on the side of a building that marks the official Center of the Universe. From there, we followed the huge green troll footprints down the sidewalk. They led us to Theo Chocolate, the only independently owned organic and fair trade chocolate maker in the country. In the name of research, we sampled all their chocolates and declared the milk chocolate vanilla bars to be our favorite, closely followed by the dark chocolate coconut bars.
After eating a memorable lunch of pulled pork BBQ sandwiches at the Red Door, on the balcony overlooking the Market, we headed to the History House to catch the live music performance in the sculpture garden. Afterward, we took a stroll along the canal and came across two huge topiary dinosaurs carved out of shrubbery.
We spent two engaging hours exploring the variety of booths in both the indoor and outdoor sections of the Market. It is a European-style bazaar that offers a dizzying array of goods that run the gamut from high-end rare antiques to unique imported treasures, plus some junk. We found a booth of second-hand clothes, next to a stall selling vinyl recordings of military march songs, next to a jeweler making his treasures on-site before we came to a vendor offering wood-fired pizzas. As a token of our visit to this quirky flea market, I bought my friend a wind chime made from antique spoons and forks, each twisted to hold a colorful, light-reflecting crystal. Apparently, the crystals are able to harness specific energies. I requested a wind chime with the crystals that would bring whimsy. Did you know whimsy comes in seven different colors?
What not to miss in
Fremont:
> Theo Chocolate — Factory tours at 1 and 3 p.m. daily. Shop open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 3400 Phinney Ave. N., 206-632-5100.
> Fremont Abbey Arts Center — Opened in 2007, this historical church houses a non-profit community arts center that curates diverse arts, cultural and community events including art classes and musical performances on the fourth Monday of each month. 4272 Fremont Ave. N., 206-789-2035, www.fremontabbey.org.
> Red Door, Inc. — Fremont’s landmark restaurant specializing in pub grub and hand-crafted beers, Red Door features Seattle’s only full-service outdoor bar.
3401 Evanston Ave. N., 206-547-7521.
Events:
> Fremont Outdoor Movies — Wing-It Productions presents movies on the big screen in the park at dusk each Saturday during the summer. In addition to the movies, there is a costume contest, food vendors and a live performance by Jet City Improv preceding the movie. On Aug. 4, they are showing Moulin Rouge and the costume theme is green fairies. 34th and Phinney Ave. N., 206-781-4230, www.fremontoutdoormovies.com.
> Tour de Fat: A Ballyhoo of Bikes and Beer — Costumes and decorated bikes reign supreme as the participants come for a casual ride, good music and entertainment, then stay, of course, for the beer. Amid the hoopla, Tour de Fat also raises money for the Bicycle Alliance and Bike Works. Admission to the Tour de Fat is free.
Visit www.bicyclealliance.org/rides/index.html#tourdefat or call 206-224-9252.
> History House of Greater Seattle — A small museum committed to displaying the history and heritage of Seattle’s various neighborhoods. The current exhibit presents a step-by-step pictorial history of the construction of the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. The History House has live music at 2 p.m. each Sunday in the Sculpture Garden. Admission is $1.
790 N. 34th St., 206-675-8875, www.historyhouse.org.
> Fremont Sunday Market — More than 150 vendors selling superb crafts, imports, antiques, collectibles and flea-market treasures. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays all year, rain or shine.
North 34th at Evanston Avenue N., 206-781-6776, www.fremontmarket.com.
Boat/Cruise options:
> Sunday Ice Cream Cruise — The Seattle Ferry Service runs a small boat cruise around Lake Union each Sunday afternoon billed as the Ice Cream Cruise. Cruises leave each hour on the hour between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Ice cream treats are available for purchase on-board. Admission: adults $10, seniors $9, children 5-13 $6 and children younger than 5 are $1. Ice cream treats are $2 to $4. Reservations not required.
Visit www.seattleferryservice.com/schedule.htm.
> Water Taxi — Like a land taxi, just call the Water Taxi to arrange to be picked up. A ride from one spot on Lake Union to the next is $5 per person. An hour tour around the lake is $17.
The Electric Boat Company, 2046 Westlake Ave. N., Suite 102, 206-223-7476.
> The Center for Wooden Boats — Seattle’s maritime heritage museum is located at the south end of Lake Union, next to Daniel’s Broiler. Admission to the museum is free. CWB’s artist-in-residence is offering canoe carving from 1 to 4 p.m. each Sunday. Everyone is invited to join in on carving the 51-foot log. Three hours of parking is available for free or pay $5 for all-day parking.
1010 Valley St., 206-382-2628.
If one day turns into two:
> Historic Arthur Foss Tugboat — Docked in Lake Union, berths in this historic tug are available for $70 per night (including Captain’s quarters) from April through October. Guests receive a tour of the vessel, including the wheel house and engine room and have plenty of time left to read nautical novels or take a class at the Center for Wooden Boats. Also, at 11 a.m. on Fridays, there is a nautical story hour for children.
1010 Valley St., 206-382-2628, www.cwb.org.
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As a lifelong Puyallup resident, Sally Zeiger Hanson has been taking One Day Vacations here in the Puget Sound for years. To join the conversation about the fun that can be had close to home, contact her at:sallyzeigerhanson@gmail.com or on her blog at http://onedayvacations.blogspot.com.
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