Tacoma, WA

The Space Needle was built back in 1962, and was built as a symbol in honor of the World’s Fair. At that time it was the tallest structure west of the Mississippi. The Space Needle was first known as the Space Cage. Since then the Space Needle has become the main symbol that represents Seattle, and it is widely know throughout the world as a whole. In total the Space Needle stands at 605 feet tall, and was built to withstand wind speeds up to 105 miles per hour. At it’s top it hold a observation deck as well as a restraunt known as the Sky City.

The Sky City Restraunt at the top rotates at full 360 degrees. Lunch is served Monday thru Friday from 11:30am to 2pm. Dinner is served Sunday thur Thursday from 5pm to 8:45pm, and Friday & Saturday from 5pm to 9:45pm. Also On Saturday & Sunday brunch is served from 10am to 2:45pm. Sky City does however have a dress code which is casual attire, meaning that such things like tank tops and muscle shirt are not allowed.

My 3 year old who is a gigantic Cinderella fan absolutely adored this presentation by Seattle Musical Theatre. Even though the venue is in a community center, the play was absolutely outstanding. With a live orchestra and amazing actors, it was absolutely worth the money! It was the best experience I had with my daughter in a little while. Every time Cinderella kissed Prince Charming, daughter kissed Mommy! What can be better than that! The evil step-sisters were absolutely hilarious. The singing was great, the acting superb. A smiel on our face the entire time!

There are two things I cannot stop raving about, in fact, I make sure to satisfy these cravings monthly. One of them is the cannelloni. Oh, it is so NOT like those ribbed, pre-formed pasta tubes with stuffing and ragu sauce. Their cannelloni is like a smooth, thin crepe, not chewy or rubbery. It’s filled with Italian sausage, chicken, mushroom, cheeses, herbs, and spinach. Three yummy cannelloni’s are laid on a red pomodoro sauce and surrounded lightly with a white bechamel sauce. EVERYTHING including the sauce is made in their kitchen. I have a large appetite, unfortunately, so at first I was concerned about the portions. My eyes are definitely bigger than my stomach because rarely do I finish that last cannelloni, no matter how delectable it is. Even if everyone orders something else, I make to order this so that we can all share our flavorful entrees and taste everything.

When we first moved to Proctor, we felt so privileged to be a part of a district that holds such esteem. But we soon realized that it was more; it was a quaint little community full of charisma and comfort. Proctor isn’t very big, the vicinity I consider the ‘main’ part is just a canvas of 6 blocks. But I can easily squander hours of enjoyment here. Proctor is really one of those districts that aren’t boring. You can walk the streets and be curious enough to walk into over half the stores. Proctor’s got it all: Restaurants, cafes, coffee houses, library, wine tasting, recreation, novelties, clothing boutiques, and more.

If you love huge, juicy burgers and a free onion ring trade, you’ll want to make a pit stop here when you’re in Tacoma. After experiencing Varsity Grill, I have since been cured of my commercial chain burger restaurants. If you are like me, you don’t want to sacrifice grown-up accommodations just to take the whole family to a kid-friendly place. You also don’t want to empty your savings once you’ve got to pay the bill for everybody. That’s why Varsity Grill will be serving my wants and needs on a regular basis.

About a week ago, when the last sunny days of summer were making outside activities a priority, my family and I decided to stop by Jake’s Bar & Bistro in Steilacoom because of their large open deck overlooking downtown and the Puget Sound.  Of course the sign announcing 42 tap beers added to the intrigue [...]

The Puyallup Fair in Septembers used to be a G-force ritual for me. I looked forward to waiting up to even 30 minutes in line for the Zipper or the Wild Cat. I remember when the Extreme Scream was brand new and I paid the $10 to ride that drop. Now that my husband and I have a toddler, I wondered what the fair is even going to be like without the good rides. What else could I do? Will it be fun, or will I experience it this year in all-about-Baby mode? Food and animals made my first two visits a Puyallup pleasure. That’s right, so far I’ve been twice and I’m eager to explain why the fair is more than just rides, and why you will run into me on the last day.

The Ocean Institute celebrated it’s 24th year hosting the Toshiba Tall Ships Festival, the largest annual gathering of tall ships on the West Coast. The festival featured a spectacular array of family-fun activities including live music, art, craft shows, exciting living-history demonstrations and a variety of tasty food. The chance to enjoy maritime displays and presentations, Polynesian dancers, sea-chantey concerts, an interactive pirate encampment and dramatic sunset cannon battles. Additionally, we explored the historic tall ships and listened to the crew share tales of adventure and life at sea. Last but not least, we got to explore the Ocean Institute and explore our local ocean life, participate in live parrot shows, play pirate games and joined in on special interactive presentations.

Held at the corner of 6th Avenue and North Pine Street in North Tacoma, the market has an amazing location next to some of the most popular bars and restaurants in the area.
While smaller than the market downtown, I was still impressed with the selection. There were several kiosks with organic fruit and vegetables, art and lots of delicious already made dinner options. Because they have just gotten started, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this market continue to expand.

Woody’s on the Water sits right on Thea Foss Waterway, on Dock Street, ground-level of Thea’s Landing facing the water. You can park on Pacific Avenue and walk across the Bridge of Glass like we did afterward, or you can park in their shared parking under the Thea’s Landing building. The floor-to-ceiling windows, tiled pillars, water view, boardwalk- some of the very factors that kept my curiosity at bay while I have Baby with me. But I couldn’t have been more wrong. So hospitable! We would’ve been just fine with her. Usually when I’m asked if I’d like something to drink besides water, guilt and shame moves me to order an iced tea. I don’t want to be thought of as cheap! But my husband, the shameless penny pincher, proudly asserted, “Water is perfect, thank you.” Our server pleasantly replied with a most genuine smile, “Okay! Ice water, and I’ll keep it coming!” Lovely…