On days like today, when I’m too lazy or gas-stingy to drive to Tacoma, I head to Poverty Bay Café for Federal Way’s best coffee. It’s like my little secret 10 minutes out of Tacoma, tucked in back of the Safeway on 320th. I’m almost tempted to delete this post to prevent overcrowding, but they deserve better than that for many reasons. The reasons I should spill the beans about my favorite spot are the very simple qualities that keep me and my family coming back and why I’m submitting this post at Poverty Bay right now with their free WIFI. Federal Way has its share of Starbucks and other coffee chains, but with Poverty Bay Café, I have no need for that.
Reason number one, they are local roasters with a variety of beans. I don’t have to drink coffee that came from roasted beans shipped across the country. I bought my favorite today, the Alki Point medium roast, which I like to buy by the half pound. And unlike the chain competition, they don’t charge for extra espresso shots! So, I go ahead and shamelessly order a 16 ounce, 4 shot, nonfat mocha. Their Americano is a simple testimony to their quality and craftsmanship of their roast; they don’t need any doctoring to cover up bad coffee. I like it just perfectly with their breakfast sandwich, the Poverty Bay Scramble with pepper jack cheese. My husband INSISTS that their waffles are better than mine. Deep inside, I know that they are, and plus you can’t beat the price. Most places are pretty costly, but at Poverty Bay, my husband is eating the double waffle for $5-ish along with his drink of the week. Read the rest of Spilling the beans for the best beans at Poverty Bay »
Like most people, I look forward to Saturday all week. This is especially true in the summer time when the weather is nice and it creates the perfect opportunity to venture out with my two year old and enjoy the sunshine after a long winter cooped up indoors.
We have a routine that we both really enjoy and I would like to share it with other families so that everyone can get the most out of a fun outing to downtown Puyallup’s Pioneer Park. Although we are now residents of Tacoma, we lived in downtown Puyallup for the last two years and found it to be a wonderful place to live with kids. Now even though there are quite a few parks closer, we have maintained our routine and continue to frequent Pioneer Park for all that it has to offer. Let me tell you, any activity that is fun for both mommy and baby is a winner in my book.
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Most everyone around Tacoma knows that we are home to the now world-famous Almond Roca candies, made by Brown and Haley. While they are easily purchased in thousands of retail stores nowadays, there is still something nostalgic about visiting their tiny circular-shaped outlet store, located next to the still-functioning Almond Roca factory in downtown Tacoma. The prices are super, including their large “oops bags” – which are mostly crumbled bits of crunchy toffee and nuts and chocolate from would-be almond roca candies. I bought several huge bags for just a few dollars, then had a neighborhood ice-cream Sunday party that night, with unlimited almond roca crumbled toppings. They also have lots of roca-based goodies that I’d never seen in stores before, as well as a fantastic crushed ice coffee machine that rivals a Frapuccino any day of the week.
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Today my treat to my family was taking them to a place I have enjoyed since I first went when I was just a little girl. Today we took a trip to Wolf Haven International. Wolf Haven is one of the world’s largest and most respected wolf sanctuaries right here in the Pacific Northwest.
Located on 80 acres of peaceful forest and Mima mound prairie, Wolf Haven is the perfect setting for getting to know one of nature’s most elusive creatures. Since 1982, Wolf Haven has rescued more than 100 captive-born wolves from roadside zoos, animal collectors, private owners, research and other facilities. At Wolf Haven, these wolves (and a handful of wolf-dogs, coyotes and foxes) receive a lifetime of compassionate care and are treated with dignity and respect for their wild nature.
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Last week I went to Browns Point Park not expecting a whole lot. Mainly, it was just convenient. It seems like the proposed renovations were either on hold, or just being done sporadically. But I had a pleasant surprise two weekends ago. After months of being under renovation and patiently waiting, the park and playground is complete. Read the rest of Browns Point Playfield, a Park Worth Waiting for in NE Tacoma »
A few nights ago I was at Northwest Coffee House on Garfield Street in Parkland shooting the breeze, watching local artists cycle on and off stage during the open mic event. A couple girls approached me, which is always a good start to a story, and wondered if their friends could borrow my guitar and play a couple songs. Of course.
The men I was about to meet were from Zimbabwe. They came here to participate in a music festival to raise money for their families back in Africa.
The 3 brightly clad African men immediately rushed over to shake my hand. One wore a wide-brim white hat, a brown and white tanktop, his tightly wound dreadlocks tumbling down his back. Another had a strangely sized shirt colored like Joseph’s robe and looking nearly like a poncho. They had wide eyes and kind faces. Taking my seat again, the girls began thanking me all over again so that I couldn’t help but be charmed by all my new friends.
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Staycation - what is that? I vaguely remember that term when I was growing up, but not until recently have I heard it almost daily. Now that gas prices are astronomical, many families are changing their vacation plans and staying close to home, some say within a tank of gas. My family has done exactly that. Our trip to Yellowstone for August in our Suburban, has now been changed to a full week of discovering all that the Tacoma area has to offer. Short trips daily around the Puget Sound will be the extent of our vacation, or staycation! But don’t let the big gas prices, and well the cost of everything get you down, there are so many great things to do in the area that you and your family can have the best summer vacation ever! Read the rest of Staycation in Tacoma Washington »
I’ve lived in Tacoma for 18 or so years and I’ve never joined the rowdy crowds of Seattle for the 4th of July fireworks show, so I figured it’s high time. I called up a couple friends who go to college in Seattle and asked if they want to see some lights in the big city. Neither of them had done it for a few years, so they agreed, decided on Gas Works Park, North of the Queen Anne Peninsula, exit 169 of I-5, left onto 45th, another left on any road and all the way down to the water, all roads lead to Gas Works.
We traced the packed streets back, back, and back, streets so thin they functioned as one-ways. Whenever a car headed the opposite way approached, a face-off ensued ending in one of us resigning into someone’s driveway until the other car passed. We found a spot pretty much right where we got off the freeway. I called my friend Theresa and told her we arrived, we’re walking towards the park.
“Where are you?”
“45th.”
“Ha! Well, call me when you get closer.” Read the rest of 4th of July at Gas Works Park - Seattle »
Today we went to the Meeker Days in Puyallup, WA. Besides our family enjoying the food, music, and different stands we also took a little time out to go in and see Meeker Mansion. I loved the mansion and had always wanted to see it. While there I learned all about it, and the things that came before. I enjoyed every minute of being inside it, and even enjoyed the little bit of ghost stories that were shared too.
On a trip to England on a hop selling trip Eliza Meeker was lucky enough to be presented to Queen Victoria. That was when Eliza Meeker became infatuated with some of the finer things in life. Ezra was a simple man who enjoyed is log cabin life, but he loved Eliza so much that he agrees that Eliza could have such a house if it was what she wished for. Read the rest of Experience Puyallup’s Legendary Landmark - Meeker Mansion »
What a better way to spend a Sunday with the family then to head down to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. I took my family to the zoo this past weekend and found that it was a great way to sped time together. From tigers to fish we all found something special there that we really enjoyed. My oldest enjoyed watching the tiger with dad, my youngest was all excited about the sharks and fish, but me I found the new area just finished there that holds the ring-tailed lemur to be my favorite part. I enjoyed my time at the zoo much that not only did we get a seasonal pass, but I also applied to work there too.
The Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is located in Tacoma, Washington, USA on 28 acres (113,000 m²) in Point Defiance Park. It is one of the few to exhibit Beluga whales; it possessed two half-brothers, Beethoven and Turner, but as of September 7, 2006, Turner has died, leaving Beethoven the only Beluga on exhibit. Necropsy results revealed that he died of a liver infection. Now, Beethoven lives with another male beluga called Qannik who was born at Shedd Aquarium in 2000. Read the rest of Experience Hi-Definition Reality at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium »
