Tacoma, WA

Besides the playground, the park is gorgeous all together. The playground is actually at the very end of the park, a whole luscious green field separates us from the scanty parking lot and the playground. There’s a large walking path circling the path, perfect for Baby when she starts learning to ride bikes. A small basketball court, picnic areas, trash cans are basics that the park possesses, but no bathrooms. Your best bet for potty emergencies is Dash Point State Park down the street. Thankfully, we’ve never found this park to be overly crowded with kids, but always pockets of cute families to keep my only child company.

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.

After getting a minor sugar high from her soy chocolate milk at Poverty Bay Café, I desperately needed a place where Baby could release some energy. As lazy as it sounds, I needed something she could do that didn’t require me getting up much. The last time I was here, I was making a weak attempt to take Baby on a jogging stroller expedition on the park’s B.P.A. Trail. But realistically, this day I needed a park to take her where I could just sit and watch her. Ta-da! Federal Way’s Celebration Park, 10 minutes away from Tacoma, was just one intersection away.

I just wanted a good mocha. When she pointed the cafe to me, I fell into disappointment. It looked like an abandoned building that was waiting for UW to snag it for a renovation. As you can see in the picture below, the building front isn’t even close to your typical corporate joint. But, after walking in, I felt like I was home. The smell of fresh roasted coffee and pastries that hit my senses turned me into an immediate convert.

Many of the subjects of interest are as followed: Thesaurus, Twain: Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer, Webster’s Dictionary, Bill of Rights, Columbus Confederate Constitution,
The Declaration of Allegiance of all the Indian Tribes in America, Emancipation Proclamation, Hancock: John Hancock’s Cover Letter to the Declaration of Independence
Lincoln Olive Branch Petition, Thanksgiving Proclamation of the United States, and
George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation. Also you can see Darwin Decartes Treatise as the Father of Philosophy, Einstein, Evolution: Theory of Evolution, Galileo,
Locke: John Locke, Lindbergh, Newton, Star of Bethlehem, Theory of Relativity, Armada and Custer. And that alone is just the surface of what can be found within the walls of this quiet place.

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 [...]

My daughter LOVES water and it was just a pleasant walk anyway delivering her daddy some coffee. We met and greeted other friendly folks who also had high hopes of catching that ‘big one’. I wanted to joke about everyone just putting up their fishing poles and heading to the Lobster Shop restaurant on-site. But, I figured I didn’t want to be so insensitive. There were other children there too, and Baby joined them at the edge of the rail, looking through at the water. The water is absolutely mesmerizing! My husband had gotten there earlier in the afternoon, and still around 5:30 pm, the atmosphere was fantastic. The plus about this pier and park is that they’ve got bathrooms and good-sized parking lot. There’s even an open cabana if you want to have a barbeque with some friends.

With the weather report prophesying no rain, impulsively I knew I wanted to take advantage of this day with water in any way we could. This last minute plan to spend the afternoon at Flaming Geyser was worth it! It wasn’t super sunny, but boy, was it muggy enough. We didn’t have a raft or any other reliable floating device. But, the previous night’s forecast was enough to make me pack the basics and head out to three miles of freshwater paradise half an hour from Tacoma. Today, I simply just wanted my little water baby to have fun in water! This state park is one everyone should visit, even if you don’t want to raft.

Tucked into an upscale neighborhood just south of Tacoma, Lakewood’s Lakewold Gardens is a 10 acre estate with amazing gardens and an interesting history. If you are looking for a fragrant, visually stunning stroll, these gardens should definitely be your destination.

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