Did You Know There's a Statue of Johnny Depp in Kennewick?

I've been a Johnny Depp fan since I was eleven years old. There was a movie rental store that was closing when I was a kid and my parents took advantage of their "buy one, get one" blowout sale. They picked up a lot of movies that would become lifelong favorites of mine such as The Last Samurai with Tom Cruise, and Master and Commander: Far Side of the World starring Russell Crowe, but one movie would become an essential part of my childhood. I'm talking about Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, of course.

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I instantly fell in love with this movie and the eccentric Jack Sparrow, like millions of other people all over the world. I never realized how much my prepubescent self needed a swashbuckling adventure based on a Disneyland ride. All it took was one viewing of the original Pirates for me to be hooked.

The author poses next to Johnny Depp's handprints at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre (Christensen Family Photos)

My family took a trip to California when I was sixteen. We did it all when we were down there; SeaWorld, Universal Studios, and of course, Disneyland. Even as a punk kid who thought he was so cool, Disneyland melted me to my inner child's core. Buzz Lightyear was there and so was Darth Vader, but I had pirates on the brain. I must have ridden the original Pirates of the Caribbean ride ten times.

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As I grew up, I started to go through Johnny Depp's filmography. I've seen most of his essential films like Donnie Brasco, Benny & Joon, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Edward Scissorhands, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. But it was Pirates of the Caribbean that still holds a part of me. My wife, who also loves Johnny Depp and Pirates, and I recently showed our oldest daughter what she now calls "ghost pirate movies," and she took to it as we did.

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Yesterday, I took my family out to the new Hooked Seafood Boil and Bar restaurant. If you don't know where that is, they took over the old P.F. Chang's building by the mall. We had a great time in the relaxing atmosphere and my daughter loved all of the decorative fish, especially the giant shark. But you should have seen her when we stepped outside.

There is a statue of Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow in Kennewick.

Pete Christensen

No seafood restaurant would be complete without a nod to the rapscallions of the high seas, and this statue of Jack Sparrow stopped me in my tracks. Obviously, the biggest story in the entertainment world has been Johnny Depp's court case with Amber Heard. It was recently confirmed by Depp's agent that the actor was set to return as the rum-loving pirate in a sixth installment. After The Washington Post published Heard's accusations against the actor, Disney dropped Depp and his $22 million contract. I'm not a legal expert here and I'm not going to go down the Depp v. Heard rabbit hole, but I will say this; I was sad to hear Jack Sparrow may have set sail for the final time.

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Seeing this statue of Jack Sparrow outside of Hooked reminded me how much I love that character and hearing my daughter enthusiastically talking about "Pumpkin Jack Sparrow" made my heart full. If you've yet to see Jack in Kennewick, make sure to bring a camera when you visit Hooked.

LOOK: 38 Amazing Actors That Have Called Washington State Home

Sure, Washington is known for Amazon, coffee, wine, apples, grunge music, Microsoft, and Boeing. But you may not know how many actors and actresses have come from the Evergreen State. Yeah, our state has had an impact on the television and film industry. We've got A-listers, an Oscar winner, and faces of big franchises.

Check out our list below, I'm sure you'll find some surprises.

LOOK: This Magical Dome Airbnb is All the Rage in Bend, Oregon

I've been using Airbnb instead of staying at hotels for quite some time. They're typically cheaper and if not, far cozier and "lived-in." There's a heart that you can feel when you step inside a rental that's been well cared for.

In all of my travels across Washington and Oregon, I have never seen an Airbnb rental with as much character as this geodesic dome in Bend. It gives me hints of Return of the Jedi and even some Lord of the Rings. I've never stayed in Bend, Oregon but this rental has me making some plans. See what I mean below.