Do not change lanes if driving westbound due to grates on the surface. Vehicles will lose traction…read more Signs are clearly posted. Fine costs $136 if caught by police. Continue driving straight and stay in your lane while on the bridge. If driving eastbound or traveling to Tacoma, drivers are allowed to switch lanes because there are no grates and drivers must pay a toll. Cameras take photos of vehicle license plates that avoids toll pay. Have $5.50 cash ready to pay worker in the toll booth. Change will be given if needed. There's also Good to Go pass for commuters that saves money. Or pay via mail. I've always wondered where workers use the restroom because booth is tiny and vehicles are traveling fast. There are people riding bicycles, ebikes, and runners utilizing both sides of the bridge for exercise.

We were in a rental car so we had to pay the toll on the 16 going towards the airport...the line…read morewas short and the toll cashier was super happy and friendly

I was in Tacoma on a beautiful winter day and got a chance to hike this 6-mile loop trail. It was…read moremostly forest and wood with spectacular opening and views to the water. There are bathrooms along the way. Popular trail as there were many people around. Highly recommend a visit if you are in this neck of the woods. Parking lot is large and free. Please come and create your own experience.

Beautiful, even on a cloudy and rainy winters day! You'll find a lot of runners, people walking…read moretheir dogs, the usual park things. It's clean, open, and paved with plenty of parking. Great spot to stretch your feet after a day of exploring Tacoma, with nearby shops and restaurants!

A taste of Venice and Gig Harbor all in one bite. Enjoy the charm of an old fishing village that…read morewas wrapped up in great Pacific Northwest history. Some intriguing stories about how this glorious inlet became a true gem of the Tacoma area. Stunning views of upscale living and of our Mount Tahoma aka Mt Rainier. Our gondolier, John painted our experience with a beautiful saranade and a lovely rendition of a birthday wishes. This is a must do, mark it on your list for this summer. Recommendation: go on a Sunday. Still vibrant but not as packed. End or start at the Brimstone Bar on Pioneer. Enjoy and you're welcome!

This is a great local experience! Our friend was visiting from Italy (crossed the Atlantic to ride…read morea gondola) and loved the trip. Greg was an excellent singer and she really appreciated his Italian dialect when singing. The tour was very enjoyable and Greg shared some local history while carrying us around the harbor. If you have the time, we recommend the 90 minute tour all the way around the harbor. It's a very relaxing trip and well worth it.

Went to Fort Nisqually for the Queen Victoria's birthday celebration. The weather started out fine…read morebut turned into a rainy day complete with hail, lightning and thunder. We took up shelter in Store #2 which has the blacksmith shop currently. We had the chance to talk to many of the volunteers and staff during our visit. I have a little of knowledge regarding the local history, which I tend to keep to myself, and was shocked by the sheer volume of historical information provided by the volunteers and the staff, all was accurate to what I knew (I have read some of Dr. Tomie's diaries and the book "Company of Adventures" among other local historical books/ information. I questioned the blacksmith on one of his statements based on a historical reference I had read. Long story short, he was aware of the reference, and we discussed how accurate what I had read was. I was honestly shocked to find out he was a volunteer. This type of interaction was not unique to one volunteer. There was an individual with a straw top hat who was also incredibly knowledgeable, the carpenters were first rate just hitting on the tip of the ice berg here. Overall, phenomenal place to visit, I wish the more volunteers and staff were present during non-event days as well, but I will be going back. I understand they have a list of people volunteering and staff available in the gift shop so one can determine who is there before paying to enter. Couple of thoughts: - depending on when you go through, remember some of the staff/ volunteers may have something they are working on. If they ignore you when you first show up in their "space", remember they may have something happening that needs immediate attention. Don't be impatient. Watch what they are doing and ask questions. This is supposed to be an interactive experience, not necessarily an entertainment. - "Be curious" to quote Ted Lasso. - Depending on who is in Store #2 (blacksmith shop), ask about the "family courting candlestick". Interesting story there - I failed the "Blacksmith IQ test". See if you can do better...

This is a fun way for the kids to learn about a very narrow and specific part of the history of the…read morearea. Of course, it is not a very important or interesting part of local history. It's always disappointing to see European intruders' subjection of land, animals, and people glorified in this way. But, if this type of history interests you, they've done it well. We took our 5 and 8 year old and had a discussion about the fort in the wider context of history and whether it represents changes that were positive or negative for the people living on this land.

Lael's Moon Garden is one of the most special nurseries in the Pacific Northwest. The gardens are…read morebeautifully designed and peaceful to walk through, and the plant selection is incredible. They carry an impressive collection of rare and unusual plants, including one of the best selections of Japanese maples I've seen anywhere. What makes this place stand out is that it's not just a nursery--it feels like a botanical garden you can explore. The staff are knowledgeable and clearly care about plants, soil health, and helping people find the right plants for their space. Every visit I discover something new. If you love gardens, rare plants, or Japanese maples, Lael's Moon Garden is absolutely worth the trip.

Everything looks very nice. Worth the adventure. A place for great ideas and the variety is…read moreoutstanding.

Got to do the original tour for my birthday on Saturday. Chris was our guide, which I was super…read morehappy about, cause I have watched SO many of his YouTube videos, and even used it as a source in a paper I wrote. He was just as awesome as on his videos, very funny and genuine. The tour was fantastic, I am absolutely going to do all the other tours now. The story of the reoccurring murder had me hooked. It was super spooky to be guided through Tacoma by lamp light. Our group was fun and I even had other birthday buddies who celebrated with this spooky tour. So don't wait, go book, like right now. It's worth every penny.

We did two walking tours with Anna because the first one was so good! She is super friendly, funny,…read moreand knew all the local history and legends. You can really tell she loves what she does. Highly recommend if you want a fun and memorable way to explore the area!

This is a nice little spot to view the Arletta-Hale passage between Fox Island and the mainland…read more The sand spit also offers a place to watch for whale where they've been previously sighted (not on land, but at sea. Only one or two whale could fit on the spit at the same time). Like islanders of other varieties, some of the locals here are ultra-protective of this piece of "their" real estate, and outsiders are not welcome. The website and FAQ regarding this place come laden with more dire warnings than actual descriptions of the park, complete with a long list of "do not...or else's..." Part of what the locals "do not" want you to do is know about clay babies, an extremely unique geological phenomenon that is neither rock nor baby, but looks like a little voodoo doll or ginger bread man made by the earth, and found only a tiny handful of places in the world--including here. The locals may also not want you to know that Fox Island, and this portion of it, is one of the best (and only) places in the Tacoma metro area for safe shellfish harvesting (according to the online WA DNR interactive shell fishing map), and the beach is crusted over with a carpet of oysters, cockles, manila and butter clams, and geoducks--all of which seen to reach titanic sizes here, judging by the shells seen at low tides. The clams were so numerous and joyful, they were squirting and putting on such shoes that my fiancee likened it to the Bellahio fountains in Las Vegas. I pictured Beethoven's 9th playing as each one spurted higher into the air. And speaking of tides, their proximity to the high tide mark makes the park a great place to view these attractions, since you do not require a minus tide to see a vast array of salty critters here (even a .5 tide will reveal much). Seeing scuttling crabs, tiny anemones, barnacle skyscrapers, many species of clam, sea boogers, and other tiny, sticky things that cling to other tiny, sticky things--as well as funky chunkies, clay babes, muck suckers, and mud bumps only adds to one's sense of awe and wonder regarding the resplendent natural universe. Seeing these tiny sand travelers reminds us how little humans are, and what small a part human nature plays when immersed in the vast firmament of time. Here is a song about what not to do: If you're alive, do not breathe, and if you're here you need to leave Don't pick babes out of the clay But picking nits is quite okay If you park your car they'll hem and haw If your pup is loose they'll smack your paw. They'll stare at you with folded arms Pray they don't hit five alarms. Fear Fox Island Citizen Patrol And the disapproving eyes that roll While watching whales they're watching you You don't belong you best begone, their view Do not stop, do not get out Or risk a frown on pouty snouts

Such a fun sandspit park! We went during low tide and we're excited to see jellyfish, plenty of…read moretiny crabs, and several starfish! The clams were spitting up through the sand which was fun. Very beautiful place.

This is a nice little park that's very close to the Narrows bridge…read more There's a green space with some sidewalks leading you through to different monuments. The Scoot Pierson Trail goes through the park so you can get easy access to walk over the Narrows if you'd like to extend your walk and see some great views!

I went through this wonderful Tacoma gem during the holiday season…read more The space has touched many generations. The park space is welcoming and well maintained. It is quite and dignified space to honor and remember those who served and those who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our freedoms and this special nation i feel blessed to live it. The walkways throught park are peaceful and striking the perfect balance between memorials of past conflicts and well groomed colorful manicured garden spaces. So many memories of a lifetime of different eras and shared experiences. I do wish there was more recognition of this space being the one time freeway leading to the Narrows bridge and some bigger acknowledgement of galloping girdy would really round out this space and it's wonderful place in the history of many generations of Tacoma and it's place is events local and worldwide.

Took a Birthday flight from Gig Harbor Tacoma airport. What a great experience. Jay Perry Cook…read moreflight Services was great. They answered all our questions and provided alot of information regarding the airplane and himself as a pilot. Jay gave us the choice of where we wanted to fly, it was a great evening flight where he flew to see Mt. Rainier, Mt Adams and Mt St. Helen. Then he flew us to Bellevue circled around the city and headed to the Space Needle. It was unbelievable how close he flew to the Space Needle and downtown Seattle. He then headed down the straits back to Gig Harbor, explaining all the sights along the way. He then circled around Fox Island did a great landing at the airport for a great flight. It will be a birthday I will never forget.

From the owner: Providing air taxi service and scenic flights from our lakes and airports around the Pacific…read moreNorthwest. Charter a custom trip or ask for a recommended tour of our beautiful area. We are as excited as you are to have you experience a flight in our iconic Canadian bush plane.

This isn't the seaplane tour I thought I'd booked. But, James (owner/pilot) was very understanding…read moreand so helpful. He was more concerned about our having a good time and celebrating my husband's birthday, the way we'd imagined. James, thank you!

This is by far, the smallest aircraft I've been inside, so I wasn't really expecting the…read morefear-of-death pangs that reverberated through my body once we were airborne and at the mercy of the bay breezes. Thankfully, our pilot, James, was a jovial fellow with a good command of his craft. A short three minutes later I felt my pucker give way to a state of enrapturement at the Seattle skyline from several hundred feet in the air. There is a certain giddiness that comes from laughing in the face of your own mortality, especially with James on the mike. The time will fly by and before you know it, you'll be descending back to Boeing Field. It's so surprising to realize how little runway this plane needs in order to land. If you forget to bring cash for a tip, like I did, you can Zelle at a later date