On our way to SFMOMA, we often pass by a nondescript building with signage indicating "Fang's". We decided to peek inside and it was a beautifully decorated restaurant with dramatic lighting and a striking bar. We had to try this spot after learning that it is part of the House of Nanking restaurant on Kearney.
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| Fang's San Francisco, 7/2024 |
Our meal was a different take on Chinese cuisine and it was delicious. Fang's is now one of our go-to spots for a nice night out or celebrations.
CoWaBunGA!
Finally got to hang out at Bike Shed Motorcycle Company in LA the proper way, arriving by my Harley Davidson Fat Bob! I first encountered BSMC on vacation in London and I was hooked. This establishment not only serves delicious food, but also provides a barber shop, a tattoo parlor, and motorcycle exhibits. For me, that's the pinnacle of hanging out.
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| Bike Shed MC, Los Angeles, 07/2024 |
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| Don't forget to eat your meal while you gawk at all the cool stuff here... |
Also, much thanks to Vikki, the proprietor, who sent me a complimentary ice tea for riding all the way down from Oakland to visit BSMC.
CoWaBUNGa!
After walking through the beautiful Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibits, we took a lunch break at the Bar. The Bar is decorated with hanging accordions and paintings by Chihuly on the walls. Chihuly is a big collector of objects and the accordions are part of his collections.
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| The Bar at Chihuly Garden, 7/2024 |
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| Start off with a glass of water... |
Either mussels or clams, I can't resist them. So, when the restaurant is called Ivar's Acres of Clams, I gotta try out the clams. The restaurant is doubly attractive in that it is located on the Seattle waterfront, right by the Ferry Terminals.
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| Ivar's Acres of Clams, Seattle WA |
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| Let's see, where are the acres??? |
In the middle of the bar at Lola's in Seattle, there sits an enormous barrel that also provides shelving for wine and liquor bottles. I didn't ask if the barrel was full of wine, but that would make sense...
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| Lola's Seattle, 7/2024 |
Where would you establish a doughnut shop? The proprietors of Top Pot Doughnuts placed their doughnut shop in an old engineering office and kept the reference library intact for patrons to pick out a book to read while enjoying the doughnuts. It was a dramatic setting for having your doughnut, but also so inspiring.
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| Top Pot Doughnuts, Seattle WA, 7/2024 |
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| Free reading materials while you enjoy your doughnut. |
At the Chihuly Garden and Glass, I was impressed by the Glasshouse and the hanging sculpture from its ceiling. The combination of the geometric framing in the background for the organic, flowing, blown glass elements was very striking.
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| Glasshouse at Chihuly Gardens, Seattle WA, 7/2024 |
We stopped off at The Spheres on our first day in Seattle and it was pretty amazing. Like the Academy of Sciences Biosphere in Golden Gate Park, The Spheres is an ecosystem within a large City with exotic plants and animals. What's more amazing is that this is the break room for Amazon's staff, with their HQ office next door. Makes me want to work for Amazon.
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| The top level atrium in The Spheres, Seattle WA |
The Seattle Art Museum (SAM) has modern and indigenous art. Here are two large native artworks formerly house posts:
The Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) used to only exhibit pop music. We are glad that the Museum expanded to include visual and other arts. The building by Frank Gehry is fantastic.
CoWaBunGA!
In addition to being well known as the birthplace of pickleball, Bainbridge Island in Seattle is also the resting site of Pia the Peacekeeper, a troll made by Thomas Dambo.
CoWaBunGA
The Seattle Space Needle was part of a World's Fair and the ironwork was incredibly well constructed. As a former bridge engineer, I was very impressed.
