Sequim, Washington: Bandy's Troll Haven

On the four corners of an intersection, between Port Angeles and Port Townsend, Washington, there sits a magnificent home, a purple castle, a Troll museum, and a Troll farm. What's sooooo..o.o.o unusual is all the craftmens' handiwork which ornaments all these buildings. There is a 15 or 20' tall one-eyed troll which you can see for a mile down the road. Hand carved trolls adorn the woods out side the private home. They support the four corners of the barn. They also guard access to the museum and the home. A magnificent brass carved dragon gate separates the castle and the Troll museum.

Topiary trees shaped like the Loch Ness monster border the grass around the museum. The "gardens" around the purple castle have an eerie troll-like beauty to them and are adorned with many hand-carved trolls. The museum has magnificent hand carved and painted wooden doors with a poem overhead to tell the story of Bandy's Troll Haven.

On a bike trip, we lucked out and happened to meet the owner, his wife, and his signmaker, who drove a black hearse. Tales about his eccentricity came from some locals down the road we met when we stopped to have a picnic lunch. Evidently this normally peaceful town is really upset that his little homestead creates major traffic jams.