5 Places to Instagram in the Northwest

The Pacific Northwest has a lot of quirks. As we explore we keep our eyes peeled for unique places that can serve as good photo opps. Check out some of the awesome things we have found in the past months.

The Umbrella Mural in Tacoma, WA, is great for many reasons. 1. Look at it, it's adorable. 2. If you haven't heard, it rains a lot here, so there is nothing more appropriate to paint on a wall than umbrellas. And 3. It leaves room for so many photo opps and ideas. Go get creative with it! 

Find it here: 216 Puyallup Ave, Tacoma, WA 98421

This EAT sign can be found at Shake Shake Shake, a charming diner in Tacoma, WA, which has delicious milkshakes that can put you in a sugar coma. Expert tip: the tables by this sign fill up fast, so go during off hours to snag a winning seat!  

Find it here: 124 N Tacoma Ave, Tacoma, WA 98403

This marquee is located in Downtown Vancouver on the Public Library. The library itself is an impressive building, but this adds a fun flare for photos. 

Find it here: 350 Georgia Street W,  Vancouver, BC, V6B 6B1

Ok, we know, this is a brick wall painted blue. Well you know what, that makes it a (bright) blank canvas for creativity. Go visit and get inspired! 

Find it here: 9127 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA, 98115

This one is popular, but it doesn't take away from its photo charm. It is a wall of gum! Nasty, but super cool for photos. 

Find it here: 1428 Post Alley, Seattle, WA 98101

April Fools Day: Take Me to the Magic Shop

Market Magic and Novelty Shop

The lower levels of Pike Place Market hold an amazing assortment of quirky shops you can spend hours exploring. In honor of this wonderful holiday, April Fools, we are profiling The Market Magic Shop, home to all your April Fools needs! 

Market Magic Shop boasts the fact that it is the oldest magic shop in the Pacific Northwest and when you step inside you are greeted with framed photos of all the famous visitors from over the years. The shop is stocked with goodies for beginner and expert magicians and have quite a few trick items for your April Fools' Day.

Our favorite finds inside? The Encyclopedia of Immaturity (if you watch Modern Family, I think this book is probably in Phil Dunphy's collection), the balloon animal starter kit (we have always wondered how they make those), and the Elvis Fortune Teller (yes, he does sing). 

Every little thing she does is...

All sorts of goodies can be found at the Magic shop.

For $.75 Elvis will give you your fortune.

50 million fans can't be wrong.

"...beware of a young woman in a red sports car"

Chihuly Garden and Glass

Visitors flock to Seattle Center to see Seattle's number one attraction: The Space Needle. Upon arrival most people also notice the beautiful glass sculptures right next door. We want to let you know that this attraction is not to be missed! Dale Chihuly is one of the Pacific Northwest's most famous artists and there is an obvious reason. Simply put, his glassblowing sculptures will stun the pants off of you.

The Garden and Glass exhibition in the Seattle Center is a beautiful combination of new and old and a clear testament to the Pacific Northwest's culture of art and innovation. 

Chihuly, born south of Seattle in Tacoma, WA, creates an amazing variety of large glass sculptures. Many of his creations are hundreds of small pieces placed together to create one large piece. These pieces have to be taken apart to clean one at a time (no bulls are allowed to work in this china shop). He purposefully does not give any sort of map on how to put it back together so that each time the gallery cleans a piece it then takes on a new shape depending on how they piece it back together.

The exhibition is separated into three parts:  the indoor galleries, the Glasshouse, and the Garden. The indoor galleries are incredible. Each room is filled with awe-inspiring exhibits and knowledgeable staff to give you background about each piece. The Glasshouse, our personal favorite, is a large glass building toward the end of the exhibit with a giant statement piece that dwarfs you as you walk in and it hangs over your head. Last, you are released into the Garden to explore the glass sculptures mixed in with the plants and flowers (with the Space Needle looming overhead). 

On a bright day, Chihuly's work adds a spectacular pop of color to Seattle Center and on a rainy day it will brighten even the darkest clouds. It is a don't miss in the city and since it is a stone's throw away from a place everyone usually visits it is an easy addition to the sightseeing tour! The gift shop is also a fantastic place to get great Seattle gifts that are a bit better than your average Sleepless in Seattle t-shirt or Space Needle Snow Globe.

Check out additional details here to learn more about the artist, exhibit hours, and how to buy tickets.

Ugly Baby and La Ru + Bunny Party

Ugly Baby and La Ru is a shop in Pike Place Market that is home to creative handmade gifts made by two talented artists: Rosalie Gale (the Ugly Baby part of the duo) and Lauren Rudeck (creator of La Ru). It is a great place to find gifts for children (think cute screen printed clothes, create your own sock monkey kits, and beginner sewing sets ) and adults (think t-shirts, fun greeting cards, and home decor), plus it's great simply because of that name. 

If you aren't in the Seattle area, you can shop for their goods on Etsy. Find them at Ugly Baby and  La Ru.

La Ru 

Ugly Baby 

We felt a little guilty when we first wandered in, I mean calling a baby ugly? Pretty low. But after asking the shop owners about the name we found out that the baby in the logo is actually Rosalie's husband, who has since grown into his forehead. Phew, now we can shop without worrying about the baby's self esteem. 

Ugly Baby and La Ru hosted a Bunny Party this Easter to support Seattle Animal Shelter and Special Bunny. Visitors got to play with bunnies and check out the Ugly Baby and La Ru workshop, where they create most of the items sold in their store. Going to be honest, we were the oldest people there to play with the bunnies, but that didn't stop us from crawling into the bunny pens and hogging a few of the fluff balls from the toddlers (adults are allowed to enjoy bunny snuggles too). 

Who doesn't want to go to a bunny party?

Friendly faces to welcome everyone to the Bunny Party.

Benjamin the Bunny

Ollie receiving a snack!

Alice loved having her ears rubbed. 

Check out the ears on George.

It isn't an Easter party without sidewalk chalk. 

We never miss a good photo booth and we DO love bunnies.