Kids Eat Free Everyday at Varsity Grill- Tacoma
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 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.
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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 was actually headed to Mandolin Cafe when my friend ‘B’ told me about Commencement Bay Coffee Company in downtown Tacoma. I was driving, following her directions that seemed like we were going nowhere up the hill from UW. No big deal, 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.
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 as well as the fact that there are very few restaurants in this little town, and this is by far the newest. Welcome to a little piece of heaven.
This past weekend my family and I decided to take a trip to the Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection in Auburn, Washington with my Aunt and Uncle. My first thought was great, I get to go look at tree, not much fun. But once we walked in, the whole place was more then I thought it would be, and I instantly fell in love with it. My youngest son, who is only one, was very excited to see what he calls, “Twees.” I really enjoyed seeing the two ton redwood root ring that was not only polished, but sculpted by J.M. Blunk. My husband would say that his favorite part was the 7×35 foot tapestry that was created by Mark Adams, in a mill in Avusson, France. This tapestry was inspired by a close up look at a monarch butterfly.
I asked my husband if he caught anything yet. He said he was ‘skunked’. Huh? To make his long explanation short, it means he caught nothing. But he sure does smell like fish. With Baby in tow, we didn’t want to just abandon him; we wanted to support his earnest desire to pull in that dream salmon. So we hung around and found there was a lot more here to do than sit with him on the pier for hours watching people pull up sand sharks. We ended up having so much fun doing something outdoors in the elements, surrounded by a most gorgeous ocean view with the sun shining above us.
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.
The Puyallup Fair in September 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? Good news! Food and animals made my first two visits to the 2008 Puyallup Fair a 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.
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. I decided to bring my mom with me to peruse the gardens because while I kill plants, she has a green thumb and loves to see new types of flowers and landscaping ideas.
