Most think this City is POS but i was born and raised here. The water front makes for a great place…read moreto take a walk with the family and dogs. They have amazing seafood restaurants down on water also. Downtown has some pretty cool bars like The Forum which has hand carved wood from France dated to 1880s with WA based liquors. Then most importantly the fishing in the puget sound is awesome. so much life in the water around here. Point Defiance is an amazing beach with a zoo and other attractions to see. U have the Rose garden and 5 mile drive thru a awesome forest area where there is an old fort from the mid 1800s i believe

Very beautiful city, the city of Tacoma,WA is! And has a lot to offer in regards recreational…read moreactivities. Just wish there was more sports teams here other then the Tacoma Rainiers, but love going to Rainier games! My dentist (Dr.Hearon) , my church (United Church of God) are in Tacoma. There was a song made about Tacoma- (Aroma of Tacoma- which at one time there was a bad smell due to a smelter on Ruston Way, but that is long gone and the smell is long gone) Plus Toyota named their truck after Tacoma :) Plenty of parks, restaurants and other things to do! No wonder why Tacoma is known as the City of Destiny! :)

This was a fun find and part of an art installation of 5 throughout WA and one in Portland…read more This is on Maury Island, connected to Vashon Island if you're doing some island hopping while in WA. You'll find Oscar next to the parking lot for the light house, another amazing attraction done by the beach. Before walking down to the beach, head to the left side and follow the path to the troll. Once you find him, you'll need to wait patiently as others will be taking lots of pictures with this art installation. While waiting, you can walk around and follow the path. Again, this is just one of six art installations in our family is looking forward to our next visit in visiting all the other trolls. Highly recommend as this is free other than the ferry ride to the island. The family especially the kids are going to love this little adventure.

Oscar the Bird King is probably my favorite troll that I have visited so far. It is a bit of an…read moreadventure to see him. I took the car ferry from Point Defiance to Vashon Island and a 20 minute drive later I finally got to see him. He is not far from the parking lot and just a short walk to get to him. He is whimsical and magical. Sitting on his throne and reaching out to touch those that come to visit him. I sat on the benches in his courtyard and was just in awe of Oscar. He is a King indeed.

Forgot this was on Vashon Island, so we decided to stop by and check it out while in the area…read more It's located on Vashon Hwy SW behind a bus stop in the trees, there's not much of any other markers to indicate where to look. It would be best if you did a little research on reading a bit about the history and finding the exact location. We saw the bus stop, pulled over the side of the road, parked, ran full speed across the street and saw the little bridge entry and it was pretty much right there in front of you. I thought the bicycle would be bigger as I didn't see it right away. The front wheel is gone so all there is left is the rusted head tube and the front fork barely hanging on, rear fender and wheel is almost swallowed up by the tree. We were there for about 10 mins max, took some photos, looked around and done. There's an antique shop like a 50 yds away up at the corner, we went in there to check it out afterwards.

You have to take it for what it is and read up in the history and stories before coming by so you…read morecan appreciate this wonder. There is hardly a hike or even a walk to get to this tree. It's across the street from a Park & Ride, where we parked our car. You'll see a bus stop with a bench across the street. Walk towards the private home and corner the bushes, you will see a small wooden bridge through the trees. Violå! You're practically there. There's not much of the bike left but still enough to see there's a bicycle that has been enveloped by the tree. The bike sits about 7 feet high. It makes one wonder how this could have happened. It was a great discussion to be had between hubby and I.

This small memorial park is located in historic Black Diamond area. Nearby you will find the Coal…read moreminers memorial garden, historical museum with train, mining tools, bath house and jail. Also nearby is the historic Black Diamond bakery and restaurant which besides baked goods offers ice cream and coffee drinks, an antiques consignment shop and restaurants. Gomer Evans dedicated his life to making Black Diamon an enjoyable community and preserving it's rich history. The park includes picnic table with umbrella, a 'Little Free Library' where you can leave a book or take a book, and a tiny art display cabinet where you can show off your tiny work of art. You will also find a wooden bench where you can rest your feet and a trash bin. If you are driving through, this could be a good stop for a prepared picnic. Or, if you walk down the road just a bit, stop in at the Black Diamond Bakery for an ice cream, coffee or baked treat and bring it back to the park to enjoy the weather. A bicycle rack is located on the far side of the bakery is you are riding in to enjoy historic Black Diamond.

Great place to boat, kayak, or swim in the summer. The western public water access (Mason Lake…read moreRecreation Area) has been purchased by a private company, this it is private and is only accessible to the public on certain days. But you can still park at Mason Lake County Park where there is one boat dock and a small picnic area. The water here is more green since it is a shallow inlet but it is extremely clean, perfect for swimming or kayaking. You can kayak or SUP past the inlet but boats will be zooming past you. In any case it's a great spot for the summer, but there will be lots of boat traffic at loading and slow boats trying to get out of the inlet and into the lake

Perfect hike. Love it! I wasn't expecting it to be so great and it IS! Coming back soon.read more

Totally partially to giving as much love to this little big city on the outskirts of Tacoma,…read moreWashington in Pierce County as much love as possible. I've visited Puyallup (Pew-yall-up) well over half a dozen times for various lengths of time. My best friend Ryan has lived here for the last almost six years and I typically come up once or thrice. Home of the Washington State Fair, friendly faces and cold hands with warm hearts... like seriously it's usually always rainy, chilly or breezy out, but I love the cold and I always feel welcomed when I'm in town despite the last two years away and the effects of that still weighing heavy on moods and hearts... Puyallupians definitely are cut from a unique cloth and stay strong. The local must staples including Total Wine (with the amazing managers and wine stewards), Big Lots (with the best sales clerk Lois), Applebee's and of course The Ram (with Alby... dine in the bar area please) and much much more are all places that will leave an impression. Karma Indian Cuisine is top notch Indian Cuisine and a food lovers must. Huge fan of their veggie curry, naan and lemon drop cocktails. The public transit is solid though not as frequent or versed as bigger areas and cities like Seattle, Bellevue, Olympia and even the continuously growing Tacoma. Even though I always have a few places to rest my head when I'm in the great state of Washington, the hotels are pretty solid including the best western on South Hill Drive - also one of the best bars/bistros in the area you never knew about Fireside Bar & Bistro... And while the South Hill Shopping Center & Mall is a little lackluster in does have some charm and long standing businesses that continue to shine and thrive... The improvements have continued. Fred Meyer, Costco and your local Walmart Superstore Center for those food and essential items. Great small businesses and shops to support, but the bigger chains definitely dominate. This lush green town is very scenic with parks and areas to take in and surprisingly pedestrian friendly despite being mostly spread out near residential areas. Traffic is usually pretty easy even during the week and at rush hour... Pull into Puyallup

Olympia buildings are covered in murals which makes the buildings entertaining to look at…read more The Star Wars mural is located on a building, in a lot, with three food trucks. The lot has a picnic table for those interested in ordering from the food trucks. Paid street parking is available. While I enjoyed the Star Wars mural, I liked the superhero mural much better. Keep up the artsy work Olympia!

"Honey, let's go check out the Star Wars mural."…read more (silence) There are many times when I suspect that Mr. K rolls his eyes on our little road trips. We are going where? To see what? I came across this local gem when browsing the highest rated spots in Olympia. It was an easy stroll from the center of town and just a couple blocks from the Olympia Coffee Roasting Company. When asking a local for directions to the mural, he informed me that his friend created the mural and although it is a caricature, all characters are truthful in their representation. He was dead serious when describing the artist's motivation. This is when I turn to Mr. K and nod knowingly. Just stick with me, kid. The mural is painted on the side of an apartment building and is in good condition. Someone actually has their apartment in the Death Star. **jealous** The grassy area alongside the building appears to be home to the only food cart in town, so it was a fun little journey of discovery. Not to say all my wanderings are successful. But in this case, the Force was with me.

Just Go (#18) My…read morefirst visit to the State of Washington was ten years ago in 2015. We've been driving up north every now and then ever since... it is also our gateway thru Blaine when we want to cross over to Surrey, British Columbia in Canada. I'm lucky that my hubby loves driving. In Washington, of course, when we think of Seattle we all check out the famous Pike Place Market first... but, actually, it was seeing the gravesites of Bruce Lee and Brandon Lee that turned out to be the highlight of our last visit to Seattle. According to Wikipedia Seattle has more than 400 permanent pieces of public artwork throughout the city... whaaat?? Well, we found three of them including a giant troll under the north end of the Aurora Bridge. CITY OF SEATTLE: Pike Place Market Post Alley Gum Wall Chihuly Garden and Glass Bruce Lee and Brandon Lee Gravesite Fremont Troll Jimi Hendrix Statue Vladimir Lenin Statue JP Patches Statue Berlin Wall NATIONAL PARKS: Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument Mount Rainier National Park Olympic National Park FOOD: El Mercado Latino, Seattle Chocolate Market by Gosanko Chocolate, Seattle Virginia Inn, Seattle Bordertown Mexican Grill, Blaine LANDMARKS: Astoria-Megler Bridge Thank you, Great State of Washington for the experience of your rich cultural scene, iconic landmarks (Space Needle) and a strong coffee culture, being the birthplace of Starbucks. Review #3790