Bicycle in a Tree

Vashon Island’s Spellbinding Fusion of Nature and Nostalgia

Unlike the solitary giants of Treesolo’s collection, the Vashon Island Bike Tree near Sound Food Café is a mesmerising blend of human relic and nature’s whimsy. In 1954, young Don Puz, reeling from a house fire that claimed his father, abandoned an unwanted donated bicycle—its solid tires and odd handlebars deemed “uncool”—in the woods. Decades later, in 2012, his 99-year-old mother, Helen, spotted it in a news story, now famously encased seven feet up in a tree that had woven it into its bark. This isn’t just a lone tree but a living sculpture, showcasing nature’s ability to transform a forgotten object into a global curiosity. Immortalised in Berkeley Breathed’s Red Ranger Came Calling, this quirky marvel beckons visitors to witness its surreal beauty and share their awe. Visit Vashon Island to stand beneath this testament to time’s strange magic!