Embark on a geocaching escapade with Annie Love as she recounts 17 years of adventure from Geocaching HQ's front desk to the business development team, collecting travel tales and souvenirs from over 40 countries. This episode is a treasure map that leads us through the quirky streets of Seattle's Fremont district, known as the "Center of the Universe." Whether it's the neon Rapunzel or the infamous Troll, Fremont's artistic side is a cache full of stories waiting to be discovered.
From bridges and tunnels to Goonies-like scenes, Craig's geocaching road trip reminds us of the wonder tucked away in everyday travels. As we traverse the neighborhood of Fremont, we uncover surprising histories, like a piece of the Berlin Wall, and the controversial art that sparks conversation among locals and visitors alike. Adventure labs and local shops round out the discussion, illustrating how geocaching can be an inclusive and varied experience, even in the heart of urban Seattle.
Finally, the podcast is a celebration of the bonds that form within the geocaching community. Sharing the joy of stumbling upon a tree draped in chairs or a former podcast guest joining the Geocaching HQ team, these stories exemplify the spirit that continues to inspire adventurers. As we close, we extend our invitation to listeners to share in the journey, to find whimsy, connection, and perhaps even the center of your universe in the world of geocaching.
Embark on a geocaching escapade with Annie Love as she recounts 17 years of adventure from Geocaching HQ's front desk to the business development team, collecting travel tales and souvenirs from over 40 countries. This episode is a treasure map that leads us through the quirky streets of Seattle's Fremont district, known as the "Center of the Universe." Whether it's the neon Rapunzel or the infamous Troll, Fremont's artistic side is a cache full of stories waiting to be discovered.
From bridges and tunnels to Goonies-like scenes, Craig's geocaching road trip reminds us of the wonder tucked away in everyday travels. As we traverse the neighborhood of Fremont, we uncover surprising histories, like a piece of the Berlin Wall, and the controversial art that sparks conversation among locals and visitors alike. Adventure labs and local shops round out the discussion, illustrating how geocaching can be an inclusive and varied experience, even in the heart of urban Seattle.
Finally, the podcast is a celebration of the bonds that form within the geocaching community. Sharing the joy of stumbling upon a tree draped in chairs or a former podcast guest joining the Geocaching HQ team, these stories exemplify the spirit that continues to inspire adventurers. As we close, we extend our invitation to listeners to share in the journey, to find whimsy, connection, and perhaps even the center of your universe in the world of geocaching.
And Josh, you always know as well the old school geocaches. They're the ones with like just the word love or just you know, fred and Wilma. You know like they're not, like you know they're, bob, they're not like you know. Batman 3, 5, 7, 2, 1, 4.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Do you love to?
Speaker 3:travel. Do you love finding hidden treasures in towns all over the USA? Hi.
Speaker 1:I'm Joshua and I'm Craig, and welcome to Transylvania town, the podcast that explores unique and charming towns scattered throughout the United States.
Speaker 3:Join us as we venture into some of the country's most intriguing destinations, uncovering hidden gems and local secrets along the way.
Speaker 1:Josh, on today's episode we chat to a world traveler, a geocaching, I'm gonna say, expert, and a very good, very good friend of yours and mine. Any love.
Speaker 3:Annie love.
Speaker 1:Join us.
Speaker 3:Yeah, what a great name that's actually her real name.
Speaker 1:I know, I know what name. Did she get by with geocaching? She doesn't know a different name.
Speaker 3:She's just love on geocaching. Oh, that's it, she's just love, oh ve love, that's it I.
Speaker 1:Like it, I like it.
Speaker 3:Oh, my gosh Craig. I haven't seen you in person since we were in Florida together. How are you?
Speaker 1:I'm well. I'm well on a bit of a road trip at the moment as well, currently Situated. You could probably hear the difference in this audio slightly. I'm hoping not, but we'll soon see. I'm recording this, josh, from my car. Yes, from my.
Speaker 3:You're in your car, car, you're on the road, on the road in my car seems so appropriate that a travel podcast, at least one of the hosts Are in a car on a road trip, exactly. Why not? Why not? So where have you?
Speaker 1:been this week. Well, this week I've driven down from New Jersey, obviously, and I've gone south, josh, because it's winter as well, so you go south of the winter to get some warmer weather. So I've gone All the way through down to Cape May and then I did the ferry, the car ferry across Cape May and then into what's it called Virginia, not Virginia, no, okay, no, not Virginia. What's it named Delaware oh, how can I forget Delaware. And then Delaware into Maryland. And then I did a, josh, I did the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. If no one knows what that is, I'm gonna do a link in the description for the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. But it is a bridge, josh, that spans miles. I'm talking like almost 20 miles long, this bridge.
Speaker 3:How long did it take you to get across it?
Speaker 1:That's 20 minutes yeah, about 20 minutes get across and it's a, it's a, it's a bridge, and then you go into a tunnel and then a bridge, and then a tunnel and then another bridge. So, yeah, that's how it works.
Speaker 3:Does the tunnel go underwater?
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, yeah, I have to so in those tunnel parts and when they go underwater they go deep enough underwater. Therefore, like boats etc. Large boats can, can go over, so boats actually traveling over the top of you as you're going under the, under the tunnels. So there you go.
Speaker 3:Oh my gosh, that's fascinating. So what has been the best thing, yeah, that you saw this week?
Speaker 1:Well, by far, by far, the best thing I saw this week was actually a virtual geocache. And, of course, as always, we what we say, we guide. We love our travels, but it's guided by our love of geocaching. This was a virtual cache, josh, and I thought to myself you know, I'll go here have a look. It's just a photo, I didn't have to do any questions. It's a 2002 cache. That's an older one as well. I went there. It's called pirate ships. I went there. There was no one around and it's in like a national park or state park. There's no one around. Park. The car, got out of the car, went to have a look at. Then it's like onto this bay sort of area, big water bay area and, josh, there's scuttled ships In one long line, nose to nose. What do you call it? Like starboard, just to port. Wherever it's called like with front to back.
Speaker 3:That's side to side. That's on a starboard. Yeah, so it's bow and bow and Whatever the like. What's the the front of the ship? I don't know. Bow in the front of the ship. The people right now are screaming, I know, I know at their Speakers right now because they're like Josh, how do you not know the name of a front of?
Speaker 1:a ship, but there was 12 of them and they were nose to tail. Basically, there you go, nose to tail will say. They were nose, nose to tail, they were all like old. But the best part was is, when I was there, I was in the afternoon and you had a lot of the sea mist and the sea fog, so they looked like true blue pirate ships. So, yeah, I took, I took a few photos and, uh, you know what? I'll put one on my, on my social media this week too. So you see it, but, yeah, beautiful, stunning.
Speaker 3:I think I saw that. Yeah, you, you're certainly having a A little bit of a goonies adventure, as you are on that east coast.
Speaker 1:Yes, I know right. So, yeah, that would probably be my best, my best place that I've seen In the last week that I've been on the road, so I've been traveling from there.
Speaker 3:So and I'm sorry. Where was that again? Do you remember the city?
Speaker 1:Uh, yeah, that's, that's near the uh uh, the pence, the pence of it, what do you call it? Peninsula going down the maryland peninsula. So yeah, you go down the maryland peninsula peninsula and it's along there as well. I'll put the gc code, of course link, into the description too.
Speaker 3:Everyone fantastic yeah, Well where are you heading? Next. Well, I want to know more about you. I've been just sitting here in my couch. You're the one that has the interesting life this week, but where are you heading next?
Speaker 1:Well, um, I was gonna say I I tried to do, I just I tried to do. You know, the cash cross america series we've spoken about before.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 1:I've talked about that. Yeah, we did, and I tried to do the one in Delaware that, but it was closed off for the hunting season. But the co so I'll put it right now it's like with a photo. They're saying close to the hunting season, I can't get to this. So the co writes to me saying you know, tried this, this angle. So I had a look and I went no, there's no thing like that. There's those coordinates underneath. We need what it is. Are you sure it's the right cash? And she's like oh no, sorry, I gave you the wrong cash details. Oh yeah, that one's, that one's closed for hunting this time of the year. That's it. I'm like she goes well. Next time you come back, I go I'm from Australia and she goes well. You know, happy, happy vacation. I'm like I was hoping to do a youtube video. She goes oh all, next time.
Speaker 3:That's a bummer.
Speaker 1:I know, I know. So what I say that for is because tomorrow, all the next day, depending on the weather I hope to do the cash across America. Here though in Virginia, Very cool. So I'll do that one and hopefully it's there. Yeah, well, because you know the you know the cash across America.
Speaker 3:When I tried in Minnesota, I could not find, and I'm I'm pretty convinced it's missing because nobody's found it after me, right? But also I don't think anybody's just tried after me after I dnf'd it.
Speaker 1:This is true, and it wasn't just you, though.
Speaker 3:You, as you and Jonah, I saw in the video too, so oh yeah, we looked for that forever, Anyway, but I did get on.
Speaker 1:I was gonna say quickly before I finish. I did see on your video, josh, that you and Jonah were looking for that cash and it being quite some years Since Jonah like traveled with you for a cash and the last time that he traveled with you for a cash was a dnf also I know, I know. So maybe it's not you, maybe, maybe Jonah, maybe he's cursed.
Speaker 3:Maybe he's geo cursed who knows exactly exactly? All right, craig. I think it is time now to bring in our good friend Annie. Love Annie, how are you?
Speaker 2:I'm happy to be here today. How are you doing?
Speaker 3:Yes, I'm doing great. We're so excited to talk to you for so many reasons, um, but the first thing everyone needs to know. First of all, annie, you have not been on this podcast before. I'm not sure if you've listened to it, but we are not a geocaching podcast. But we talk about geocaching a lot because we are a podcast that is guided by geolocation games and you you for those that don't know who you are you actually work at geocachingcom.
Speaker 2:I do, I do and I think actually it might be.
Speaker 1:today or monday is my 17th anniversary at the company, so oh, Wow, because geocaching itself it started in 2020, if those people don't know, right? Uh, so it's 23 years old, so you, you were there like five years after it started.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So I started playing the game in 2004 and then I begged for my job in 2007, so got lucky.
Speaker 3:And she hasn't looked back since you at joff, that's.
Speaker 1:That's a great thing.
Speaker 3:That's for sure. So you are an early adopter. You are you. You work for the company. You've been there for 17 years. Remind me, what is your role at the?
Speaker 2:company. It's changed a lot over the years. I started at the uh, uh, the very first front desk that we had, um, welcoming people, in answering emails from the community, answering phone calls, and and I've sort of uh Me entered through some merchandise, some, the trackables program, uh, api program, and now I'm managing our business development team. So, um, but I still still manage the trackables program, still manage the api programs. If you're using api partners, I'm, I'm working with those, those folks and um, yeah, so a little bit of everything.
Speaker 1:And Josh, I hear a rumor as well on the rumor mill that Annie is still one of those avid geocaches and lovers of the actual game that she still finds caches on almost on a daily basis.
Speaker 3:Oh, she is a diehard geocacher. Yes, and as a part of your job, you get to visit several countries. Well, you do it for your job and for your personal life. I'm really curious. This is a travel podcast. It is about the United States, so we're going to get to our topic today that we believe you're an expert about, so that's why you're here. But how many countries, annie, have you visited?
Speaker 2:So I think, according to geocachingcom, I've been to 38, but I like to add you know they lump UK together and stuff like that, so my count is more at 42. So you know the answer to life the universe and everything.
Speaker 1:So did you? Did you? If that's the case, annie, did you actually travel then, before you started geocaching?
Speaker 2:I've always had an affinity for travel. I lived abroad in New Zealand for six months. Unfortunately, right before I took up the game. It wouldn't really been a useful tool to discover New Zealand when I was living there.
Speaker 2:But but yeah, I've always loved travel and you know most of my travel is personally funded. I do get to travel for work, usually about once or twice a year. So, like last year I went to Denmark, this year I'm going to Australia. So it's really a fantastic opportunity to get to meet geocachers from around the world and get to. You know, scratch that itch on my travel obsession.
Speaker 1:I have had friends of mine from Australia reach out to me and ask me you know saying about yourself and who you're going with. You're going with, oh, geocachers as well. Yeah, yeah, so you two are going to study for next year.
Speaker 2:She's actually going with. She's going with Jesse JT Coffee. So they're going to the leap day of it.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's what it is, yeah.
Speaker 2:I'm going to the one that's in Canberra. Hopefully I'm pronouncing that right you?
Speaker 1:can correct me? Yeah, you are. You're so strong.
Speaker 2:I've been working on some words for down there, because I'm planning to hike to the top of Mount Paseasco, so, so excited to get the highest point in Australia while I'm somewhere.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, yeah, One question I've got for you. That's the case as well. Again, if people don't know, annie, you love to your footwear. Is we call them thongs? You call them? What do you call them here? Flipflops in America, the flipflops here.
Speaker 2:I actually started calling them thongs when I was a kid. That was. That was what they were known in North Idaho. In New Zealand they're jandals, and when I visit Hawaii they're slipas. So I don't care what they're called, I'll wear them.
Speaker 1:Exactly, but are you going to actually do this hike at Mount Paseasco wearing your thongs?
Speaker 2:I actually talked to a geocaching friend in Australia last week and she was like you shouldn't wear your thongs for the hike.
Speaker 1:And I was like, well, I'm not having a pact with me, just in case you got to have the photo at the very top with your thongs on.
Speaker 2:Of course, and with my Sanders scarf.
Speaker 3:So geocachers know this. As a part of geocaching, you can collect souvenirs, which is like digital badges for your profile. I'm a souvenir hound. I love that. I think they're just fun. I'm curious, annie, where are you at in your souvenir account?
Speaker 2:I'd have to look at my phone. Let me see that's right here you don't know the number right off the top of your head.
Speaker 3:I know my number.
Speaker 1:Josh just wants to brag. That's all this is about.
Speaker 3:This is not bragging. Yes, she's got me beat for a shirt.
Speaker 2:I would say. The one stat that I do know about my souvenirs is that I'm number two in the state of Washington and your guru, who I work with, is number one. I just checked I have 411 souvenirs and that should change next weekend when I go to the Yuma Mega.
Speaker 3:That's amazing.
Speaker 2:I'm at 350, which is actually pretty high.
Speaker 3:I think I'm at number. I think I'm like six in Minnesota.
Speaker 2:Awesome, that's cool. You can take that number one spot at some point.
Speaker 3:Yes, maybe someday. So let's get to the US. Because you've traveled throughout the US as well. I'm really curious, annie what is your favorite US city and why?
Speaker 2:I was thinking about this for a bit. Yeah, I mean ever since I've been to New York City. It's hard to not say New York City, but I'm actually headed before the Yuma Mega. I'm flying into San Diego and that's typically been my favorite city in the country for as long as I've started, the first time I went there. So San Diego to me it's that you got the beach, you have the green, you have mountains, you have a lot to do, very fun downtown, lots of cool places to visit. You can get over into the mountains, across to the desert pretty quickly. I always feel at home when I'm in San Diego. I don't know if it's because I like wearing flip flops and I can probably wear them all year round.
Speaker 1:There Everyone wears flip flops. You mean one of the locals over there, right, exactly?
Speaker 2:But yeah, ever since I've kind of discovered New York too, I understand the love of that city, so I'm always looking for a chance to get back there and discover some more and New. York's a very hustle and bustle city too it is.
Speaker 1:You've got to really have your wits about you.
Speaker 2:You've got to be on the ball ready to go.
Speaker 1:What about the smaller cities or towns? Do you have any particular smaller city or town?
Speaker 2:I mean for geocaching. I love going to Rome, georgia, for going cashing.
Speaker 1:That's a fantastic town.
Speaker 2:You have a great time walking around downtown discovering it through the game and grabbing beers with fellow geocachers. But I can't help but go back to my own small town that I grew up in of San Point, idaho. So I go back there regularly because my family still lives there. It's got a big lake, it's got a big ski hill where I can go snowboarding Fantastic hiking, some of the most beautiful country you could imagine, and it's just got my favorite pizza place in the world. There's just all these things that every time I'm home it feels good to be home. I don't know that I'll live there again, but I love visiting there you go, Josh.
Speaker 1:She said favorite pizza place and yet she's been to New York City, just saying.
Speaker 2:Exactly. Yeah, you heard that right, I've been to.
Speaker 3:Italy too, but has she done the Seneca County?
Speaker 2:pizza trip? No, but it's on my list to do. There you go.
Speaker 1:And have you had a pizza in New Jersey? I'll just say, because I reckon Jersey pizza is actually better than New York City.
Speaker 2:I actually haven't had a pizza in New Jersey, I've just flown into the airport there and released a catch.
Speaker 1:Newark Airport, don't even think about New.
Speaker 2:Jersey Get on the fast track to New. York and have the pizza.
Speaker 1:You've got to go south. You've got to go south. Once you go south in New Jersey, you then realize why it becomes a garden state. Anyway, I'm promoting Jersey here, right, yeah.
Speaker 3:Well, today on the podcast, we're not talking about a country, nope. We're not talking about a state. We're not talking about a city. We're not even talking about a town, craig. No, I know, but we're talking, we're narrowing in, we're talking about a neighborhood.
Speaker 1:Well, josh, josh, let's ask Annie herself. She's from here and she, with this reason, we're talking to her. Annie, would you call it a neighborhood?
Speaker 2:Um, I would call it the center of the universe.
Speaker 3:So yeah, uh, yeah, that's, that's and.
Speaker 2:I didn't give it that name. I'm, I'm not being you know like hey, it's the best place in the world because, I, I work there and live nearby. Now it's uh uh, it's just known as the center of the universe.
Speaker 1:So and we're talking about free, free month in, uh, in Seattle. Yeah, so the free month neighborhood of Seattle.
Speaker 2:So it's just north of the downtown area, uh, kind of on the the Northwest ledge of Lake Union. So. But it is quirky, it is fun, it's um fantastic food. Just a little bit of everything, so is it free month?
Speaker 1:Is that where the HQ is as well?
Speaker 2:Yep, yep, oh, okay, yeah, I was just confirming that's where HQ is.
Speaker 1:Got a lot of halloweenAmy community members, you know, in place of the, the, the best places out there who go. We're free month, we're starting headquarters, right, if you've been to headquarters, you've been to free months. So it makes sense. Then it makes sense Cause I did the the geotour as well. Uh, the HQ geotour, and that takes you around the whole area.
Speaker 2:That's very interesting. So yeah, yeah Now. The geotour is a lot of fun. I helped with the some other um HQ lackeys to put that together. So, yeah, it was a lot of fun and it's it's been really cool to see how well received it.
Speaker 3:My favorite points it might be one of the most popular, if not the number one, geotour in the world. Is that right?
Speaker 2:Yeah, favorite, point-wide for sure. So you know it's, it's. The caches are cool. I've certainly, you know, found some, some caches around the world that can top you know what we did. But right, but just the fact that you're, you're in this neighborhood where you're discovering cool thing after cool thing. You walk around a corner and you're like what? There's a rocket on the wall there.
Speaker 2:You know, like you know, so it's. It's just one of those things where it's a little surprise after surprise and you know people are kind of in their geocaching element. They're excited to be at HQ, being, you know, getting to discover the HQ, cache and meet, meet some lackeys, and so you know you're already in this moment of like happiness and then you see these cool things along the way and it's it's hard not to be like yep, that's favorite point worthy for sure.
Speaker 1:And one of the one of the cool locations I thought when I first visited because I did it in 2018, on my just my trip across the US, before I even had a chance to move here and yeah, it was the Fremont Troll under the bridge.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the troll is awesome. That's one of the first things. So when I first moved to Seattle in 2004, I my roommate at the time, my cousin took me on a tour around the city and that was one of the places that he drove past. He's like you got to see this, you know, and that was just like blown away, like just how big the troll is. You know, you find the cute little gnome sized trolls under bridges now and then for fun, and but yeah, this is impressive. I mean it's got a whole BW bug in its hand.
Speaker 3:So just to give you an idea for scale.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, it's, it's awesome. So the cool thing about it is that you also don't know when it's going to be dressed up sometimes. So you know, like I think when the when the sounders were going to the MLS Cup, there was a big sounder scarf on it. You know for a day, and I've seen big, funky 80s glasses on the troll and it's just you think of, you think of what people have to do to make that. You know for something that size and and just the creativity that goes along with it. It's, it's fun for sure.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's certainly probably one of the most next to the gum wall and the, the tower and the the Ferris wheel that goes over the lake. It's probably one of the must see destinations For sure it's also one of the hidden ones.
Speaker 2:You know it's like you, right, you kind of have to know about it or you need to know a local that will take you there. It'll probably be in some guidebooks and obviously it's on some tour bus routes, but but yeah, it's just, it's not a neighborhood that people would you know. They're going to spend their time at the Seattle Center, they're going to take the ferry somewhere there, whatever they're going to focus more on the downtown area of Seattle, but it's you know. You get out into the little neighborhoods like Fremont and that's where you find the, the gems.
Speaker 3:So now I just watched a YouTube video because a lot of the Fremont district was in the movie, I think, from the early 2000s, maybe 90s, of 10 things I hate about you and and there's a scene where they are actually at the troll Is that?
Speaker 2:correct. Yep, that's correct, and yeah it's. It's really cool watching that movie, especially after I moved here. It was like hey, there's gasworks, hey there's the troll, hey there's Terry Park up on Queen Anne, and you know it's. It was most of the time when movies are set in Seattle they're filmed up in Vancouver, british Columbia. And so to be able to not just have that one pan scene over the, you know showing the, the space needle, but to actually see the neighborhoods and you know they filmed in local bars in Fremont the Buckaroo Tavern was the, was the bar scene and that's just up the street. No, it's now, I think, a breakfast place or a French place, but but yeah it's. When I first moved here that was still a tavern, so I could go get a drink there and be like recreate a moment from the movie.
Speaker 1:So well, when I, when I did as I said before, when I went across and I was doing the, the Geo tour, etc. Well, Josh did. I don't think I've ever told you this, but this, at a breweries in Fremont is where my love of IPAs come from.
Speaker 2:Nice, nice, that's funny.
Speaker 3:It's funny because when they first visited HQ Well, no, it was the second time I visited HQ, it was the 2013 and it was the first time. I believe you can tell me, if I'm wrong, annie that I completed in the lab cash. Well, I know that was true for me, and they had a lab cash at each of the breweries in town, and I know they were experimenting with lab caches early on.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that was the original stages where they were web based and you know, if you were there for the block party, it was a little get a little taster glass and you get. You get a free little sample at each of the participating breweries. And yeah, so Fremont brewery was one of those and I actually helped co host an event there where we had probably close to a thousand people coming into Fremont brewery, A line out the door people waiting for their little taster glasses. And yeah, it was. It was a lot of fun, you know, and it's fun to show off, you know, the place, the places that I love to go, you know, to geocaching friends from around the world.
Speaker 1:So it's quite. It's quite funny because, josh, we enjoy a, we enjoy a beer or two, like you know, josh, myself, other good friend, rob as well and we all have different flavors, different types. I'm an IPA, josh is like a light lager type, really the lighter the better, and then Rob does the sour. You, I've seen you, you got to love a beer as well, because I follow you on untapped. Yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 1:I see you want to tap, you know and I think, and I think to myself, I think, wow, this, this, this woman, she's like a fish. She loves a good drink. Yeah, what's your, what's your favorite type of be that you, that you normally have or you know?
Speaker 2:yeah, definitely an IPA. So I went through the progression of beer but I started in the weird. You know it wasn't. It wasn't the college, the light beer, you know, the cheapest beer possible. I had a job at a pizza place because I love pizza in a Boise state or near Boise state and they had some of the best Belgian beers on tap, which I don't know. I didn't really know beer at the time but I got a free beer with every shift. You know, at the end of the shift he would sit down and have a beer and so of course, you know I I kind of came in as a beer snob right off the right out of the gate and so anyway, it was, it was. It was interesting moving to Seattle because you know there's not Belgians on tap everywhere. There's a few great places that have that, including one in Fremont, but yeah there's. I sort of got into the amber. You know that was a, that was my intro to Seattle beer and then kind of progressed the way to the IPA and it's I.
Speaker 2:I still love a, you know, bourbon barrel aged out or you know, I love sour, especially on a warm summer day that's really refreshing when I've walked a Camino. I love the Pillsner's. You know it's all about that rehydration kind of beer, the crisp light, you know, and refreshing. So but yeah it. You know, if I'm going to have a beer at Fremont it's probably going to be an IPA.
Speaker 3:So yes yes, well, we need. We need to go back to the talking a little bit about the public arts, because that's maybe one of my favorite things about the Fremont neighborhood, but we're on the beer train, so let's continue to talk to beer train. Fremont brewing that's probably the last brewery I went to in. Well, that's maybe not true, but anyway. Big, huge patio outside. No surprise that you can fit maybe thousands of people there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, it's huge.
Speaker 3:It's pretty big, but have you ever been? I don't think I've been here. This is. This is fun at a ball arcade bar.
Speaker 2:Oh, I've been there. Yeah, it's fun.
Speaker 3:You definitely need to come the next time you're back.
Speaker 2:I've been there a few times. You know, some Friday night happy hours with lackeys or just you know, friends said, hey, let's meet up for happy hour and go there, and it's, it's kind of fun because, yeah, you can play the arcade games or you can, you know, sit at a booth. It's a funky place, like it's just a cool place and you can, yeah, it's fun to play those, those games.
Speaker 3:I'm terrible at them, but it's fun to try, so I'm always up for a nice retro arcade game, and then the other place was that. I haven't been either. Is the backdoor speak easy? Have you been there?
Speaker 2:Yep, so I've been to the Rocksies backdoor I think they're still called that, but anyway it's. You want kind of a classic cocktail, that's a really great place to go. And you just walk back in there and it feels like you're in a different era. You know you're, it is, it is that speak easy, but you know it's not necessarily the secret door or anything like that, but it's, it definitely has that feel and yeah, it's really great drinks there too.
Speaker 3:So I love that. Yeah, so I was looking up the motto of the Fremont neighborhood and you're right, it is the center of the universe. But the motto, I don't know. I assume you know this, maybe you know it Libertas Quercas, which means freedom to be peculiar, peculiar, freedom to be peculiar. And as you walk through the neighborhood and again, the Geo tour is such an amazing way to experience it you really walk by everything that you need to see, right? But there is so much public art and I would just like to bring up some of these, because some of these I do remember, but some of them I don't remember. But a lot of statues and different things Rapunzel, what is Rapunzel and where is she?
Speaker 2:So she's on the Fremont Bridge, oh OK.
Speaker 2:You know, if I'm walking outside the office, I can see her. Her hair is going down. She's really just a neon piece of art, so the neon light. And then, yeah, but she's letting her hair down to you know, as the story goes, and climb up her hair up into the tower, so yeah, so that's neat, you know, because the Fremont Bridge is really cool looking anyway, it's vibrant blue and orange colors and it's one of the bridges that goes up for the boats to go through. And so you know, sometimes if you're driving through the neighborhood, you're, oh, the bridge is up. Ok, well, you know it's going to be a five to 10 minute delay before you get going again.
Speaker 2:But yeah, then there's just that porkiness of all of a sudden. You look at one part of it and there's Rapunzel, and so I know. At first I was like, why is that up there, I don't know. And so, yeah, it was, after I lived here a little bit longer, someone's like that's Rapunzel. I was like, oh, that makes sense.
Speaker 1:So yeah, and I see in your show notes as well that you've written there is actually a center of the universe signpost.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so across the Fremont Bridge, if you're walking or cycling across or, as I do, sometimes taking one of those scooters, you can rent around the city, you can. You can see the sign that's welcome to the center of the universe. So I want to say that it's probably gone missing a few times, people wanting to keep that sign. But yeah, so it's kind of cool and yeah, it's just. It's one of those things where I don't know.
Speaker 2:You know I could probably read up on the history of the funkiness of Fremont, but I don't know what. What started at all. If it was just more artists living in that that neighborhood originally or what. But even through its transformation it's still kept all that quirkiness, which is is really fantastic. Because, you know, a lot of times you get the new condo building in there and you know, in cities it sort of changes the vibe, but it really hasn't changed the vibe that much. And you know we have the Fremont Solstice Parade each year, which is definitely worth taking in if you're ever here around Solstice weekend. Yeah, it's the. It took my parents to it and you never saw the biggest friends on their faces when a whole bunch of naked cyclists were, you know, with painted bodies, we're going through the parade. It's like, yeah, we're going to go to a parade, it's going to be cool, it's a little funky, and then all of a sudden, the cyclists come through and you've got.
Speaker 2:You've got the Mario Brothers paint. You've got a little bit of everything former presidents painted. You've got just every video game character you can imagine or whatever, and coming through on the bikes and yeah, and then you know you've got these weird floats like the flying spaghetti monster is in that parade every year. There's marching bands from schools in Canada that show up sometimes and you're just like wow, okay. This is really random.
Speaker 3:Is that a both solstices?
Speaker 2:No, it's just that the summer stoolses. It's always hard to say.
Speaker 3:It might be a little chilly like naked in the yeah and knowing Seattle and June.
Speaker 2:It's still pretty chilly sometimes, yeah, and then those hot days with paint on a bike. You're sort of like I've never done it. Yeah, you probably won't find me on one of those bikes, but Definitely we've got a nice view from the office, so it's it's fun to watch from there.
Speaker 1:Well, to be naked as well, and you'd actually have to take off your flip-flops. So it's true.
Speaker 2:It's true, I couldn't. I couldn't do that Right there.
Speaker 1:That's the reason why we're gonna stick that yeah but Josh, we've got the Fremont rocket, the Fremont dinosaur.
Speaker 3:You mentioned that before. Do you know what other than the fact that there's just a big rocket outside of a building, any Do you know anything else about it?
Speaker 2:I know, I read the plaque about it one time and I think it is either a model or or an actual old rocket from you know, I'm not sure what Arab, but a long time ago. And the cool thing is is it's lit up on the side at night. I actually stopped and took a picture of it the other night because it was just like, oh yeah, it looks really cool being lit up at night. But yeah, it's just on the the corner of a building and then, you know, another building around the corner or Across the street from that has Saturn on top. It's a big like huge Saturn, which I I Got lucky enough to be able to take some pictures on top, some group photos with the Saturn in the background and, and that was pretty cool to be up on top of that, that building in Fremont. And you know, but I I don't know why they did that, they just put a planet up there.
Speaker 3:If I recall correctly, I think that Geocache on the Geo tour is a multi-cache, so I think there's some information, yeah, on the wall, wall, and then it takes you somewhere else.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I do recall. Yeah.
Speaker 3:I had to do something with some sort of astronaut or something.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think that one, you know you get to go to some interesting stages through that, that multi-cache. I don't want to give it all away, we can talk about those things. But yeah, the it's just kind of a really fun tour of downtown Fremont and Getting to highlight some of those funky things that you're like. I might not I might have missed that, you know might not have looked up and seen that there was a rocket on the side of the wall, although it's hard to miss.
Speaker 3:Speaking of funky things that you don't see every day, when you walk down by the bike path near the water, there is some hedges, and the hedges are in the shape of dinosaurs. Yep, is that right?
Speaker 2:They are, and I think they're pretty close to Accurate size for the dinosaurs that they are. They're huge, huge hedges and I don't even know what it takes to maintain that. I do know they are kind of a wire and then they've Grown ivy around them in a way so that it Fills in and they're just there's like a mom and a baby dinosaur there and it's yeah, I I go on that walk on the Birkman, which is the path along the canal, all the time I pass them and it just never ceases to maze me to look up and be like how those dinosaurs were really cool.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah the neighborhood is so fun. Yeah, that's so great.
Speaker 1:They'd have to be a carnivorous dinosaurs, because they wouldn't be able to eat each other. Just exactly.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the Fremont troll. We've talked about it already. Great geocache there. By the way, I'm not gonna give it away. Yeah, great geocache. I did discover that the trolls birthday is actually Halloween. Oh, that's pretty cool. And they have you been down there in Halloween?
Speaker 2:I think I think the troll up. I don't know if there's anything else that happens, but yeah, I've definitely been by there.
Speaker 1:You know Halloween time and the size of the birthday cake that have to produce Feed like 500 people with right right yeah.
Speaker 2:Now the yeah, the trolls. Yeah it's, it's cool, it's. I love walking up the hill when you're about a block away and you just kind of hit this crest and then all of a sudden you see the troll at the top of the road and I can't even imagine, like if you were a first-timer in Seattle and didn't know that that was there. You drive up that, that hill. You're probably like what you know, I'm gonna drive right into a troll.
Speaker 3:So cool. Yeah, so you're a world traveler. In my travels, I've noticed that there are pieces of the Berlin wall all over the world. Yeah, and there's a. There's a piece of the Berlin wall in Fremont, is that right?
Speaker 2:There is. There is right across the street from the office. Yeah, there used to kind of be a history museum and it was. It was included just on the outside of that history museum. There Progress, whatever buildings get torn down, whatever the museum went away. But Luckily they were able to just move that that piece of the Berlin wall a little bit out so you can go up, you can touch it, you can take a picture with it. Yeah, it's, it's just kind of one of those good reminders too. You know, like have things past and so yeah, but it's just, it's kind of neat. And yeah, I've, I've seen a few pieces around. You know the country, including one in North Idaho, not too far from my hometown. So someone, someone who lives out there, actually brought a piece over in front of their their property and it's actually a virtual cash and in North Idaho.
Speaker 1:So imagine getting that for customer Josh, I know Right, yeah, you see, you see, say preaching.
Speaker 3:Under the 50 pound mark on the ice right, One of the most fascinating pieces of the Berlin wall that I've seen. I don't know if you've been there, annie, but it was in Seoul, korea. Okay, yeah and I walked up there with a bunch of South Korean people and they said this is really meaningful to us because this says that we hope someday that Korea will be unified and we will be back together with our brothers and sisters right north side, which was just really Fascinating yeah, such a special German history. Impact.
Speaker 2:Korean history.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I just it really stuck out my mind. It was fascinating.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I didn't make it. I had Basically three hours in Seoul so I didn't make it everywhere. But yeah, that sounds like a fascinating place to visit and yeah, just those reminders are really helpful of history and hopefully they inspire people to learn a little bit more, you know, because it's I remember when the wall came down and but you know, younger generations weren't born alive then and so it's just just to kind of learn about that stuff. And you know, and it's it's been an interesting twist in Fremont to have some of those you know historical relics there, you know, and sort of made into. Hey, this isn't a place of art, but it's, it's, it's cool because it's it's almost like a museum, but outdoors, you know, you don't have to pay an entry fee, you just walk around and you know it's just who knows what you're gonna discover and what you're gonna learn. Some of it's just gonna make you laugh, smile or, you know, be like what, and then, and then some of it will make you pause and think a little bit more so.
Speaker 3:And speaking of historical landmarks, when I saw this. I was like I don't get it. What the heck. Why is that here? I think you know what you're talking about, craig.
Speaker 2:Tell him, tell him what I'm talking about.
Speaker 3:The statue of Lenin.
Speaker 1:Yes, the statue of Lenin.
Speaker 3:There's a statue of Lenin. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's big, it's big, it's a, it's a big statue.
Speaker 2:I think it was for sale a long time ago and it still is for sale. Oh, is it still for sale? Okay, that's my research. Yeah, you can buy it for $230,000.
Speaker 3:Oh okay, well, there you go, but yeah, I think it.
Speaker 2:I don't remember the history, but it was brought over to Fremont and Again, I'm, I'm thinking it. It's that mix between the funky, like randomness, and then also, hey, you know, stop and think. And you know, yeah, learn, learn the history type of thing. But yeah. I was. I was kind of baffled the first time I saw it too, and now it's just hey, it's part of the neighborhood, so it's right, you know, yeah, and yeah, it's lit up at Christmas time. So it's fascinating, because my research, because I was just so curious about it.
Speaker 3:It's controversial, of course there's a lot of things that are not really true. It's controversial, of course there's people that have wanted it to be taken down his hands are painted red. Yeah we're like the blood on his hands. They, you're right, they do decorate it in a silly way. That's almost kind of like. It's almost like mocking him. Yeah which you know yeah. And then others say that it's there is like because it's on US soil, it's like it's a victory over Communisms or so it's just fascinating.
Speaker 3:Yeah, a piece of artwork can mean so many maybe different things of so many different people for sure, for sure.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's. You know, it's one of those things that People are like why do you have that here? Well, good question.
Speaker 3:You know.
Speaker 2:So why do we have all the other stuff we have in Fremont Exactly? But yeah, um no, that's just the. I think that's the beauty of art. You know, like I said, it's, it's a, it's a chance to To chuckle, or a chance to pause and think and, you know, whatever. So it's gonna move people in different ways.
Speaker 1:So Totally and then, and then, josh, we have the. I'm not gonna say this, right. So you say, josh, I can't say this, right, I can't pronounce, probably my S friend Siri.
Speaker 3:Siri Chamoist at you.
Speaker 1:Siri, chamoist Siri.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 1:I found this on the way. There you go.
Speaker 3:There you go.
Speaker 1:She said Siri instead of the Siri Chamoist. That's why you called Siri.
Speaker 2:Well, I mean your, your phone can tell you all you need exactly, exactly.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so that's, that's another. Another thing I walk past pretty regularly. I'll take a walk break most days and walk along the Burke Hillman and you know, kind of it's in a really neat location because you look up at the very iconic, very iconic Aurora bridge above and out over the lake and you know the, the people that that just cherish that statue. They'll bring fresh flower petals and and things like that and decorate it. So it's, it's a cool thing to come by and just you know there's a brightness to it and and and again stop and reflection time, you know. So in a beautiful location.
Speaker 3:So I would guess. I haven't looked, but I would guess not only is the geo tour there but speaking of location based games, I'm guessing a lot of these are. Most of all, these spots are adventure lab locations as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah they are. So Some of them HQ has worked on. So I know when we were having our big celebration, we wanted to to provide a lot of fun for, for geocashers and show off, you know, different parts of Seattle and specifically our neighborhood, because we knew a lot of people would be coming to visit, and then also the Fremont Chamber of Commerce actually has as an adventure that highlights some of the locations, and so that's one I've been working on recently, you know, and it it's cool because I think the one left I have is up at the troll, so I'll be going back to the troll here pretty soon.
Speaker 3:There's so many reasons to go to the troll.
Speaker 1:Yes, exactly, and so that's kind of a nice way to read about some of the stuff through those adventure labs to, if you can't find a black or nearby, that Explains what's what's happening and why I think that's the only downfall, josh, that I have to say in regards to, like, adventure labs, etc, is that you have to switch and back and forth and back and forth from the, because you mean, you just said before that there's, you know, adventure lab point at the troll, but then there's also physical cash at the troll, and there's, you know, there's so many different things, josh.
Speaker 3:We have all these apps and all the time, the way, the way around that I was just doing with Rob, I was just doing the adventure lab at Disney Springs and there were like three there, I believe, and I just said I said, rob, you open up this one, I'll open up the other one. You tell me if we get to a spot and I'll tell you if we get.
Speaker 2:Right, right, we'll click that in full of spots. There is that new feature on the adventure lab app where you can see the dots for the other. Oh, that's nice Locations of labs nearby. So if you're not in that adventure, so that's. That's kind of fun to use and make sure you don't miss something.
Speaker 1:Or as well, if we'll say this and not sponsored, but Cachly, what a great geo-caching, cachly app.
Speaker 2:I use Cachly a lot for adventures.
Speaker 1:And they use the same thing, like they have all the points on Cachly app as well. But again, in saying that, the only other thing I find is that some adventure lab Place places or hide as if one of a better word. They don't really talk to each other and sometimes you can get to maybe even three Right at the same point from three different adventure labs. You're like hang on, I got rid of that one. Oh no, it's a different one. That's the only other side of it, I think personally.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, and that's the part of it is there's not, there's not a review process, so there's not a volunteer that's checking the location. And you know, if you place a cache in the location, obviously that volunteer is going to make sure that there's not another one, Unless it's a different type of cache that can be nearby, like a virtual or whatever. But yeah, that's the one thing. There have been some adventures where someone worked, you know, for days or weeks on building it and then they push it live and someone else pushed a very similar one live the day before you know and Just like, what do you do?
Speaker 2:You know you don't want to you don't want to take down that, but I always look at it as it's a good way to for me as the cashier, to go back. You know, if a new adventure pops up in the same location, I can go back. Maybe they have different information to share. So, yeah, it's, they're all worth it to me.
Speaker 3:I see, yeah, I say more than Marrior and Annie. We've talked about boy, we've talked about a venture lab.
Speaker 2:So often this podcast because they're everywhere. Yeah, and there you go, that way to travel.
Speaker 3:Yes, exactly anywhere that you go, somewhere that's interesting there. Might you know, there might not be a Space there where a geocache can be hidden, but surely there's something there that could be shared. Yeah, history, really cool murals.
Speaker 1:Yeah, all types of things and one other thing in regards to adventure labs, and that is you're not actually Physically looking for an item like container. So you if you're in a crowded area and I know Josh doesn't care, because I've seen him literally crawl under this guy's car when the guy was still sitting in the car. But anyway, that's another story.
Speaker 2:He didn't care. Yeah, I thought.
Speaker 1:I thought, josh, hang on this guy. I mean, we're in America, here, this guy might be, you know, armed, but anyway. Um, but no, I don't think good, as he didn't care. But for me and other friends of mine who don't, like you know, looking suspicious, for instance, right venture labs are one of those types when you can just be a tourist you know you're looking at you're looking at a mural, you're looking at a plaque and you're looking for something and you're on your phone, so it looks like you're a normal tourist.
Speaker 2:So right, yeah, taking pictures, whatever. Yeah, yeah, I was talking to a friend recently who gets out on a lot of walks and it's like, well, yeah, you should geocache more. And he's like I don't like going back into the bushes and stuff and getting you know.
Speaker 3:The nature all over me.
Speaker 2:I was like well, try adventure lab, then you know because, you're, you're probably gonna stay on the path and just look at a sign when you yeah, when you play that game.
Speaker 1:So well, I do have. I do have friends of mine who are not geocaches but do do adventure labs. For that reason, yeah, exactly right, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the the really great factor that didn't even like Occurred me early on, but was just the accessibility, and so it just it opens up geocaching and discovering cool places for people who can't necessarily go out on a hiking trail or, you know, down to to sidewalks and whatnot. So it it really expands the game and the Adventures you can have.
Speaker 1:So it expands the game as well. In regards to, I've done one in Sydney in Australia and you'll probably do it, or you should do it, I'm down. So he's a great guy but, yeah, he's done the same thing what HQ did originally and he's done like a beer tour, all the the local. You know taverns all around circular key that go underneath the harbor bridge. You have to go into the tavern, you have to look at a particular photo, but it's, yeah, you obviously don't have to purchasing.
Speaker 2:But you know why not you there? Why not? Yeah, I'm rich, or two.
Speaker 1:You know, sometimes you need to sit down, have break for a beer, exactly, and you're traveling and we all know you can't actually do that sort of style of things with the normal geocaching, because it can't be. You know, you know, promote a business of sorts. So yeah, but this way I can, which is really great, yeah.
Speaker 3:Here's another reason I love adventure labs, because I don't know if you saw my social media this week, but there is. There's a team of brothers that create gigantic snow sculptures. Yeah, I saw that and it can't be a virtual right, because it Can't it's, it's on private property. It's a little bit weird for physical right. And again it melts right, you know. But I have an adventure lab credit that have five stages and each year I can. I can add it, so it's only one when they go to it. It's only currently one, okay.
Speaker 1:I was really surprised.
Speaker 3:I was really surprised to see that even people that completed it when they did it last time, I I just deleted that one and I and I made a new location and then they were able to get another find. Yeah, for this year, sculpture I was really, it was, it was the perfect tool for something like that right and those go sculptures are awesome.
Speaker 2:I love your pictures that you're posting. It's amazing.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they're amazing. Well, we've really good boy.
Speaker 2:We went down the adventure lab, but it's.
Speaker 3:we got Annie here I know she works at the place that. We did an episode about Carl's, which is a strawberry amusement park in Germany that has used adventure labs throughout their whole park.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we actually talked to them and they just really love.
Speaker 3:They love the product Venture labs and they've done some really cool unique things about that. So listen to that episode if you haven't. If you want to learn more about adventure labs, all right, correct, yes, we don't talk about shopping a lot. Well, we need to talk about it here because there's a lots of quirky, quirky shops on the Fremont district. Well, first of all, this is sort of a food thing, kind of a food and a shop. It's a chocolate factory. Right, you have a chocolate factory Willy Wonka.
Speaker 2:Unfortunately, though, it just got out, and so, yeah, we're not gonna be smelling the, the amazing chocolate, because it would just walk down to our office certain days and, yeah, but the O chocolate, really fantastic chocolate, just all different flavors you can find it In. I've even found it in stores in Minneapolis, so I know it gets around. But yeah, yeah, that was kind of one of the claim to fame so people could go do it a tour of the chocolate factory, so that'll. That'll be a one sad thing. I don't know if they've officially closed yet, but it's gonna happen, so I'm hoping that it's such a cool building it's an old brick building. I'm hoping.
Speaker 1:A brewery thing to do. It will end up being something cool, you know, maybe a new chocolate factory, I don't know, or a new brewery or DSA like.
Speaker 2:New brewery is most likely.
Speaker 1:They're popping out left, right, yeah, especially the old brick building.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I Almost think it used to be a brewery back in the day, but I could be wrong. Look on the history.
Speaker 3:But Well, that's really sad because I'm sorry, craig know. Craig knows how sad I am when I go to a location hoping that there's a tour and there's.
Speaker 2:Remember Craig, here we go.
Speaker 3:Hi, oh, and I saw the duct tape factory oh. We walked in and they haven't had tours since COVID. And come on duct tape, yeah that's like geocacher.
Speaker 1:So Josh could do and he, all Josh could do was literally stare with his mouth open and saliva coming out of his mouth. They had, they had a duct tape Dispensary sort of vending machine, then the vending machine oh.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:I have a 50 different cons in this vending machine and Josh is like oh, but look, I'm doing, I'm doing like a semi tour now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's all the different flavors of the.
Speaker 3:So, annie, are there any other fun stores that you like to visit in the neighborhood?
Speaker 2:Yeah, one was actually. I I learned recently was a film location from 10 things. I hate about you, but it was a book store back in the day, but it is now Portage Bay goods and it is just sort of a QT local shop that has, you know, some iconic Seattle stuff, like some Seattle paintings, magnets, whatever. So if you're, if you're touring around and don't want that airport style magnet, you want something that's a little funkier and and more more, I don't know just more like, yeah, fremont, and then then that would, that would be a good place to go. They also have nice little gifts and card section and everything like that, and so that's usually if I have someone birthday coming up, but I'll do a A check-in there to see if there's anything that can help accessorize a gift or or whatever. But, yeah, that's, that's fun. There's, um, you know, some vintage shops. I think there's, it's the vintage mall. So I bought some cowboy boots from there back in the day when I was gonna be a cowgirl for Halloween and still have the cowboy boots today.
Speaker 2:Um yeah, so it's. You don't know what kind of gems you're gonna find there too. Just a little bit of everything in in Fremont.
Speaker 1:Tell me these cowboy boots any? Have you cut them out like they're not?
Speaker 3:Someone tagged me in a photo of those cowboy flip flops one time and I was like, oh no that's, that's not ever happening.
Speaker 1:I might be, I might be from Idaho, but and this is where you know you're like, you like, okay. I really do have a brand now where I'm getting tagged in people, right, it's all the time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, actually my aunt got me this really cool. It's a repurposed flip flop Animals, so they're basically like, instead of a stuffed animal, it's the rubber from flip flops that you know washed up on beaches and you know, and so it's. It's kind of cool because it's like, oh, they found a fun new use, you know, for these dead flip flops.
Speaker 1:Josh the Fremont. Why? Are we gonna talk about now as well.
Speaker 3:I've been there. I've been there a couple times, because it's a geocache inside of it. Yeah, it's a multi-yup yeah, but it's just adorable Like it, it.
Speaker 2:It's not really a Seattle. You know type of architecture it's it's just really unique and I think that's what makes it fun. It it doesn't. You know, it doesn't stand out like it shouldn't be there, but it's just a really cool building and it's cute and obviously the geocache inside is fantastic. So you know, I can't go wrong with that. You get a smiley for visiting a cool place.
Speaker 3:That's right, you don't want to skip it you know, people. They would you know if they're visiting. Like that's a library, right? It's adorable yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's adorable, so definitely worth it.
Speaker 2:And it's it's one on one of those streets that I don't make it on very often, so when I when I get up there and and walk past it out the front side of it, I'm just like, oh yeah, this is super cute and there's a really neat park right next to it. That's really funky and sometimes people will host geocaching events at that park and you know. So that's always a good reminder of me for me to be like oh yeah, yeah, I think it's cool, I gotta go by there more often.
Speaker 3:It's fairly close. It's fairly close to the troll, is that right?
Speaker 2:Yeah. Yeah, it's actually kind of halfway between us and the troll, so yeah that's what I thought yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:And then, okay, gas works park, which is also in 10 things I hate about you. I watched the clip of them playing like some sort of like laser.
Speaker 2:It's flat, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:What is this place? What is? It's an old it's a lot kind of a lost place.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So it's kind of got the relics of an old gas works, you know, and so don't drink the water out in the lake, that gas works park, because there's probably still some chemicals coming up from the factory back in the day. But the cool thing is they've they fenced off some of them, some of the structures, just because be dangerous for people to go around, but they still have kind of they've rusted out and just have this iconic look to them. But then there's a cool cupboard building that has a lot of the, a lot of the relics from the gas works factory, whatever it was back in the day, and they've painted them kind of in bright, happy colors and then there's a playground right next to that.
Speaker 2:But then it's also got this hill that has a sundial up on top of it and it's just one of the iconic views of Seattle and you know like it's. It's iconic both being there, but then also, if you're out on the lake, you look up and you see people stand standing up on top of the hill. I think they call it kite hill because people will often fly kites up there. You get some good wind, but yeah, you can just watch the boats go by. You see the rowers from UW going by and their their training. You see, you see the hot tub boats out on the lake where you're just like okay.
Speaker 1:Have you done those any? Have you done that I?
Speaker 2:haven't done those. I'm a little wary of multi-person use hot tub on a lake. They look like they look like the water is right at the surface of the top of the hot tub and I'm like how? Do people not drown in those things and they have a live fire to eat the water on the boat, so I'm just like I guess it works, but it just feels like so many things could go wrong.
Speaker 3:I have done the paddle boats.
Speaker 2:I've done paddle boarding, I've kayaked out on the lake quite a few times. There's also the electric boats that you can rent and have a group of like 10 people. I hosted an event out on the middle of the water one time, so a T five, a co-caching event, and people showed up in the electric boats. They showed up in little rubber rafts, paddleboards, kayaks, everything and it unfortunately ground zero, kept moving because the water kept moving us around and we have to like paddle back to where ground zero was every few minutes, yeah.
Speaker 2:And then you have the sea planes that are taking off left and right out there, and so that's. That's one of those other. Like you often see the sea planes from the office going up over the Aurora Bridge as they've just taken off from from like Union and that's just a special site. There's not that many places that have sea planes as a regular. You know, form of transportation.
Speaker 1:Unless you go to Alaska or somewhere, the main form of transportation, but not everyone can get to Alaska.
Speaker 3:Exactly, exactly so yeah, so for people who have not visited this neighborhood, I mean Seattle it's just, it's surrounded by water, but this whole neighborhood is just kind of surrounded by water. It's just, it is really. It's a really beautiful location. Yeah, it's really special.
Speaker 2:You get some great sunset views or sunrise views. You know, not usually at the office that early for sunrise, but some people post some cool pictures looking out over Lake Union of the sunrise.
Speaker 1:So yeah, so, josh, rumor rumor has it as well that I've just I've heard about that. If you want to, if you're in the Seattle area and you want to meet all the lackeys at the same time, just obviously host an event at lunchtime literally out the front. There's a little area where you can host out the front and people have hosted events out the front and all the lackeys come down for lunch.
Speaker 2:So the countless events out there like it's a it's, it's really awesome for us. You know, like I know, those events end up being mostly lackeys at them, but you know, it's a really great chance. So often we're just sitting at our desks and not getting to. You know, we're not always interacting with biocasters and that's just kind of a fun way to meet people from all over the world. I remember not too long ago there was a group from France that was there and so we posed with the you know their flags that they brought, and that was a lot of fun.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there'll be the meet the Norwegians or meet the meet the Aussies or whoever you know, and just everyone's hosting events out there and it's just a really special experience and I can imagine you know people in the neighborhood are like what's going on. Why is there just random groups of circles of people out there? And every now and then sometimes every day. So yeah, but it's it's, it's cool for us and yeah, as long as you know that it's one of our workdays, you'll probably get some lackeys at your event.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly so yeah.
Speaker 3:All right. One more thing I want to talk about that, if you, you know, Google, cool things in Fremont. This didn't come up and I was shocked. I was surprised it is the cherry tree, the cherry tree which was a geocache, but I think, oh my gosh, it got archived.
Speaker 2:Unfortunately, the cherry tree got chopped down.
Speaker 3:It's one of the most popular geocaches in the world and it got archived. So, what happened?
Speaker 2:Unfortunately, I don't know if it was the city or the person who owned that that place needed to cut the tree down, and but I know I'm sorry.
Speaker 2:So go, go, look there's, you know, videos, you can, you can find of the cherry tree and someone really needs to replicate it somewhere someday because it was fantastic. But you know, this was something. The cache was just sort of a. It was like a happy accident, cash, you know, probably because the tree was already there. I didn't even realize there was a tree with all these chairs in it. But some, you know the artist guy that lived nearby that tree, he just put a bunch of chairs, all different sizes of chairs, like little, you know, barbie doll chairs. Bigger, you know, bigger doll chairs rocking chairs a little bit of everything.
Speaker 1:Homemade and the chairs we're talking about. As I said, the chairs we're talking about because people don't understand, because obviously this is an audio only podcast, but not a cherry tree, a chair, chi. And these chairs are small in size. They're not really that big as such, but they're all throughout this whole, you know tree itself. So, yeah, cherry, I like the pun as well.
Speaker 2:It was a really cool idea and that's, that's just the. That's the funkiness of Fremont to have that. You know someone to think of that random thing and yeah, so the the cache was really cool. Definitely look up videos of it is. I don't want to spoil this surprise until you see the video. But yeah, it was, it was fun.
Speaker 3:So I have a video of me completing much of the geo tour.
Speaker 1:Of course.
Speaker 3:Of course there's spoilers in it, but if you've, if you don't know if you're ever going to get there, or yeah, if you just want to see the cherry tree, you can zoom to that Right, fast forward to that part yeah, now I was going to say Josh as well is that the HQ have a new worker.
Speaker 1:That was on our podcast last year and he's now at the front desk and he's the welcoming committee of headquarters. Yeah, and he, he, um, uh, sorry, I can't think of his name now. What was his name? Again Jason, jason Jason and uh, yeah, cause he was proud of his town in regards to uh him doing the geo tour in his town and he since moved now to Seattle and works at headquarters. So there you go, they. They take anyone, josh, they take anyone.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we're, we're happy to have Jason and it's uh, you know, for the geo cashers that come in, you know they're going to, they're going to have a fantastic time talking to him and you know he's he's got the passion for the game for sure. So uh, and becomes infectious. You know, when you're around other cashers that care um the way you do and get obsessive the way you do.
Speaker 1:So and that's what I was going to say as well, Annie, and and thank you very much for everything you do. And again, you're one of those things where you're a player first and foremost and you have a love for the game and you just so happen to now, you know, work for the same sort of company, Um, but it's, it is so refreshing from another player standpoint to actually have, uh like, the game run by actual players rather than just by, you know, people who don't actually play the game and just there, for whatever reason, for a job you know. So thank you for you do.
Speaker 2:Oh, thank no, I, I, I always have to thank the community. Um, you know, cause this? This game doesn't exist without the community reading the, the fun adventures for all of us. And you know, we're just, we're, we're just trying to make the tools, you know, easier to use and and give you more, more options to cash more often. And you know, but it's, it's really the community putting events together, putting um really fun caches together, organizing, you know, caching days with groups of caching friends, like um, you know, it's just, I'm heading out tomorrow to go visit one of the Northwest trolls. You know, with with local caching friends that I met through the game and really excited about that, and then that's the sort of thing that happens all the time and it's, it's special, it's it's hard to replicate that. Um, I know other communities have their bonds. You know Pokemon, trading cards or what have you like, but, um, I think we're pretty special um with what our community has.
Speaker 3:So it really is, you know. You know what, craig? Yeah, you know. Just listening to Annie talk, it's very clear that she is proud of where she works, she's proud of the game she plays, she's proud of the geocaching community and, ultimately, she's proud of her town. Yeah, I am. You know that's a rare thing these days, yep.
Speaker 2:It is Uh, I, you know, as much as I travel, as much as I leave Seattle, every time I come back I'm just like, wow, I love this town. You know, I, I literally went for a hike in Bellevue, which is the next town over you know um, last weekend and just driving across the water, you know, on one of the floating bridges and looking at the skyline of the city, it was just like I'm happy I live here, like this is, this is a special place and you know, and I, I get to live in a special little neighborhood for it. You know, and work in a special neighborhood and, um, yeah, no, it's I, I, I still pinch myself where I'm at.
Speaker 1:And Josh, speaking of being proud as well, we're proud of our patrons. We're very proud of our patrons.
Speaker 3:We are. Before we get there, let me just say this. Let me I have one more thing to say, and that is people know Seattle, they know you know, they know all the touristy spots you got to get some day in your life If you haven't been, you got to get to Seattle. But the whole point of this show is to focus on this neighborhood and and in your itinerary, take a half day, Maybe you could spend a whole day walk around, visit the shops. We didn't even get to talking about the restaurants.
Speaker 2:All kinds of probably great. There's so much great food there Um it's.
Speaker 3:I've been there three times and I haven't even touched it all. Like there's so much to see and do, and that's what this podcast is about is kind of plucking out those, those little hidden gems that maybe people don't always think of, especially when they think of Seattle. Yeah, no, it's a special place we're happy to welcome you anytime. Great Annie, before we talk about Patreon, uh, tell the people where they can find you, because you're all over the world. How can people follow you?
Speaker 2:Um, let's see, yeah I'm. I'm on Facebook with a fake name because I I like funky things and love the movie Pulp Fiction, so my, my Facebook name is Mia Wallace Um yeah. Uh, also on Instagram under similar name. So, um, yeah, this, but on geocaching love, because that's all you need. It's my last name.
Speaker 3:That's all you need is love.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, you can friend me on there. Um, lots, of, lots of caching friends from around the world, but, yeah, happy to receive messages on the, the message center there, as well.
Speaker 1:And Josh, you always know as well the old school geocaches. They're the ones with like just the word love or just you know, fred and Wilma. You know like they're not, like you know they're, bob, they're not like you know. Batman three, five, seven, two, one, four like. Yeah, very, very true. But, Josh, we've got to talk about Patreon now because we just recently released a golden nugget.
Speaker 3:Annie, I don't know if you know this, but this podcast released golden nuggets, little treasures, and we released a couple this week from our trip to Orlando, and but it's only for the people that support this podcast, who we all just really support. Um, so, uh, if you're enjoying what you're hearing and you'd like to support this podcast, so we continue to bring great stuff, like we did today um, just go to patreoncom back slash treasures of our town and you can sign up there at different levels, and we would just appreciate and love your support and there's perks, like like some of those golden nuggets and as always.
Speaker 1:the reason for it is because, therefore, there's no other annoying ads in these uh, in these audio podcasts at all at all. We just get straight to the point, Josh, and straight into it. So I like it. I like it a lot. Thank you very much, Annie, for joining us. We do really appreciate everything you do. And meanwhile, Josh, how can people follow and or find us if they will contact us if they wish to?
Speaker 3:Yes, Feel free to reach out to us at treasures of our town podcast at gmailcom, or you can follow us on Facebook, instagram, twitter and YouTube.
Speaker 1:And so that's it for our show for today. Please subscribe, rate and review on your favorite podcasting app and, as always, Josh be.
Speaker 3:Your travels always lead you to the most unexpected and amazing hinge gems around the world, like the center of the universe. See you next time, thank you.