Jaunted

Celeb Travel

Federal Way, WA: Home of the Ponyhawk

March 29, 2007 at 9:00 AM | 2 Comments

The biggest news out of "American Idol" this week had nothing to do with who sang what. This week around your water coolers, everyone's talking about Sanjaya Malakar, chosen contestant of VotefortheWorst.com and Howard Stern, dream date of tween girls everywhere, for his "ponyhawk" hairstyle. When he performed on Tuesday night, the half-Bengali, half-Italian Malakar sported seven ponytails shaped into a mohawk, a look that (spoiler alert!) host Ryan Seacrest was forced to sport in wig form during last night's results show. (That's why they pay him the big bucks.)

In case your house is filled with screaming Sanjaya fans, it may be time to plan a pilgrimage to Malakar's hometown of Federal Way, Washington, a city of some 85,000 between Seattle and Tacoma. Sure, the Wild Waves Enchanted Village water park isn't open for the season, but lumber giant Weyerhaeuser's Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection (free and open to the public) will make you feel fifty feet tall. For something a little wilder, stroll along Puget Sound on Dash Point State Park's 11 miles of hiking trails. Late March is a great time to visit -- the first licks of spring often bring the unexpected sunny day and temperatures in the 50s and 60s -- so get there before Sanjaya is eliminated.

[Photo: JustJared]