Hat N' Boots

Located in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood is a tiny park, Oxbow, with a really big attraction. This is one of those attractions on Roadside Maps. 

This is Hat N' Boots.

It's a big deal. Seriously, we don't want to downplay this, it's a giant cowboy hat and cowboy boots, and it's a really big deal to our city. To be a true Seattleite you must go and bathe in the looming shadow of the Hat N' Boots, similar to Mecca... but sorta different. 

It's a truly life transforming experience. 

Why does Seattle, a city that was born of the lumber industry, have giant cowboy structures? Wouldn't this be better suited for Texas or Calgary? Well... we don't have that answer, sorry we can't know everything. Educated guess? It was exotic. It's like going to a Tiki Bar or listening to Shakira music.

What do we know? It was built for a destination gas station in the 1950s. The boots were a bathroom, the larger being the men's and smaller, women's. Unfortunately, a bright shiny new interstate, I-5, took traffic away from the small highway it was situated on, and the gas station closed. Hat N' Boots were abandoned and fell into a state of disrepair. 

If you are currently asking yourself if this story is inspiration for a Pixar film, yes, it is. We are thinking a Cars meets Toy Story hybrid. 

Don't worry this story has a happy ending though. Hat N' Boots got a new beginning when Georgetown residents decided to fundraise to restore this glorious attraction to its original grandeur. After some time, money, and paint, Hat N' Boots was looking less like Britney "2007 Meltdown" and a lot more like Britney "2011 VMAs Comeback." In addition to the Hat N' Boots masterpiece, the park also has a jungle gym for kids and a P Patch maintained by residents.

So please, go visit. Take a can of Budweiser and some deer jerky, wear a bolo tie, and salute this masterpiece.

At this point we have done all we can to convince you this is a place to visit, but you might be on the fence, just not sure about whether or not it's going to be worth it. Well, you're a fool, of course it will be worth it, but if you need additional reasons to go, here are four places in the area to up the ante: Katsu Burger, 9lb Hammer, Two Beers Brewing and Via Tribunali. 

Moore Coffee

Sitting inside the historic Moore Theater and Hotel in downtown Seattle is a little coffee shop with epic lattes. Moore Coffee has become a destination for a cup of joe in the last year or so due to their creatively cute latte art.

I mean, you saw that picture and your heart melted a little, right? When you combine drawings of adorable animals with really delicious, well done coffee, in a city like Seattle, you are bound for Yelp and Instagram fame. Nice play, Moore, nice play. 

We took our local coffee expert and ex-barista friend, Tristan, on a mission to see if the coffee stood up to standard, or if you are just going to get a cute animal drawn in your foam for an okay-ish latte. As we ordered our coffees we could tell he was cringing at the thought of getting some cutesy animal drawn in his coffee, but our excitement won him over in the end (we think). They delivered the cups one-by-one, and we oo-ed and ahh-ed over each one as it came out (they don't take requests, so the unveiling as you get your order is half the fun). 

"Omg! A kitty!!!" (Tristan trying not to die of embarrassment).

"WOW!! A bear!" (Tristan about to run out of the coffee shop).

"OOo, what's this one?? NO! An elephant. This is too much!" (Tristan resigns to his humiliation and drinks his elephant coffee).

In the end, he admitted they made a decent latte and we enjoyed our cups on their outdoor patio. Now you can go to Moore Coffee with high expectations and the promise that you will not only enjoy the coffee, but the adorable animal drawn in your foam too. AND they don't just make animal lattes, they also have savory and sweet waffles on the menu that look like something we could definitely be on board with. 

So head over to 2nd Ave and just resign to the delight that is having a bear saying hi written in your coffee. You know you want to.

Sam's Tavern and the Famous Bloody Mary

Sam's Bloody Mary in all her glory

Bloody Marys. God's gift to brunch and hangovers. Also, it's a drink that tastes good with food...in it. Have we ever mentioned how much we love food?

Ya. We thought so. 

Enter Sam's Tavern.

There is this little spot in Capitol Hill that is a little grimey, but in a good way, and serves up awesome burgers with friendly service. You can find a moose head, Mrs. Pacman, and a Henry mural in their spot and they have Happy Hour $1 cans of Rainier. Could this place be any more Seattle? 

Oh, did we also mention Sam's Tavern is run by the son of the creators of Red Robin? He probably had to learn to grill a perfect burger before he was allowed to learn how to read. 

The chili also gets our vote.

#PNW

The Henry mural is hidden in the back of the bar!

Don't be intimidated...you got this.

The sign of any good dive bar is dolla dolla bills as decorations.

Seattle Art From The Center of the Universe

Seattle neighborhoods are similar to the tables in the cafeteria in high school. Everyone has a place they fit in. Belltown is for the Yuppies, Capitol Hill is for the music junkies, and Fremont is for the free spirits. These free spirits/artists/hippies call themselves Fremonsters and they reside in "The Center of the Universe." 

Fremont is one of our favorite neighborhoods in Seattle. It packs an insane amount of culture, food, and activities into a tiny space and as you walk around you will be delighted to stumble upon all the wacky, weird, and incredible art Fremont has placed around its neighborhood. We give you the highlights here:

The Fremont Troll

The most famous piece of art in Fremont, featured in the film 10 Things I Hate About You, is a giant troll who lives under the Aurora Bridge. It is inspired by the nursery rhyme we all know and love, Three Billy Goats Gruff, luckily our troll seems to only eat VW Beetles, not billy goats. 

Photo by Xurxo Martínez

Waiting for the Interurban

This statue has been an interactive work of art in Fremont since 1979. The five people and the dog waiting for the bus has always been a place where people add to the art for holidays, wedding proposals, and demonstrations. 

Fun Fact: The dog is rumored to represent the unofficial Mayor of Fremont, Arma Napoleon Stepanian, who pioneered the recycling program we now have in Seattle and was then replicated across the nation! 

Rapunzel

In the northwest tower of the colorful Fremont Bridge, Rapunzel stands trapped in her tower. Made of neon lights, this piece of art was created by a Fremonster, Rodman Miller, and is a permanent piece in Fremont to inspire your imagination as you cross the bridge.

Topiary Dinosaurs

A while back the Pacific Science Center had a couple topiary dinosaurs it no longer wanted so Fremont bought them for $1 and placed them at the corner of Phinney Ave and 34th (because why not??). They are 66 feet long, weigh 5 tons, and have over 7,000 ivy plants helping them keep their dino form! 

Lenin Statue

Love him or hate him, this statue of Vladimir Lenin is sitting outside Grinders for people to contemplate. It was built in Slovakia and torn down during The Revolution where it eventually made its way to Fremont, Seattle to encourage healthy debates and conversation. In our opinion we doubt there is any place more free than Fremont. Plus locals occasionally dress him in drag.

Late for the Interurban

This statue pays homage to "Patches Pals," a fun-loving kids show that aired for over 20 years on KIRO-TV. Patches and his girlfriend, Gertrude, run in different directions, arms interlocked in this charming piece of art. You can also find a donation box for Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center to give to the children these clowns brought joy to everyday. If that doesn't pull at your heartstrings, we don't know what will, you grinch.

We compiled a walking tour for you to check out all our favorite pieces of art around Fremont, Seattle!