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The Puget Creek Restoration Society has adopted Puget Creek, which runs through one of the Tacoma gulches, to try to make it hospitable to a salmon run, such as making sure there is a good channel...
The Puget Creek Restoration Society has adopted Puget Creek, which runs through one of the Tacoma gulches, to try to make it hospitable to a salmon run, such as making sure there is a good channel for spawning, as well as good eddies and such for the fish to rest and spawn in, with the proper shade cover. If nothing else, this is a great educational opportunity for us city folk so that we can see what sort of work goes on in salmon recovery. I would suggest everyone check out the work starting at Puget Gardens Park just off of Ruston Way.
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CHB is a great local environmental group with a charter to look after Commencement Bay, protecting it from pollution, etc., as well as maintaining and restoring shoreline habitat. They've been...
CHB is a great local environmental group with a charter to look after Commencement Bay, protecting it from pollution, etc., as well as maintaining and restoring shoreline habitat. They've been pretty successful in some of their habitat projects in the tideflats areas thanks to a large roster of volunteers willing to help out. They have a neat network of people who keep an eye out for possible polluters in the bay, including people in kayaks, and a paid BayKeeper checking things out from a power boat. I've done some volunteering here, and have been very impressed. Neat group.
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Good 24 hour car wash. They have the normal self-wash stalls, but I usually go through the automatic wash since it's touch free. During the daytime they have an attendant at the automatic wash who...
Good 24 hour car wash. They have the normal self-wash stalls, but I usually go through the automatic wash since it's touch free. During the daytime they have an attendant at the automatic wash who will clean your wheels, etc., before you pull through the wash, so that's a nice bonus. The employees are very courteous, and sometimes will even give you a free wash upgrade... Check out the coffee shop in the parking lot, too, really good coffee.
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Full disclosure: I still haven't been inside the Glass Museum. But I've been in the outside plaza many a time, and I would say its worth a visit just for this. Lots of cool outdoor exhibits and...
Full disclosure: I still haven't been inside the Glass Museum. But I've been in the outside plaza many a time, and I would say its worth a visit just for this. Lots of cool outdoor exhibits and fountains, neat view of the Foss Waterway and Mt. Rainier (on a clear day, at least), and of course the Bridge of Glass--lots of cool Chihuly glass, etc., there. So even if you're a cheapskate, come check out the free stuff. And if you're interested, pay admission and check out the inside stuff--I hear the hot shop can be pretty cool.
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Rainiers games are great. For less than $15 (less than $10 for many seats) you can get right up close to the field to watch these guys that are one step away from the Mariners. (The Rainiers are...
Rainiers games are great. For less than $15 (less than $10 for many seats) you can get right up close to the field to watch these guys that are one step away from the Mariners. (The Rainiers are the Mariners' AAA farm team, so these are the best in the organization who are not actually playing w/ the M's.) Watch for occasional M's players coming back from injuries, etc., too. I should mention that there is a lot of good food for reasonable prices. Thursday evening games are dollar deals ($1 beer, $1 hot dogs, $1 ice cream, etc.), and every Friday night game has fireworks. Definitely a great family outing.
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LeRoy Jewelers is from what I can tell a great jewelry shop, though I don't shop for a lot of jewelry myself. They have been extremely helpful and courteous when I've gone in for such things as...
LeRoy Jewelers is from what I can tell a great jewelry shop, though I don't shop for a lot of jewelry myself. They have been extremely helpful and courteous when I've gone in for such things as watch batteries. In addition to jewelry, they have a little art gallery section that is kind of fun. Moreover, this place has been a huge booster of downtown business in Tacoma, and deserves business for that reason only. It's been here for ages and will probably be around for a long time too. Check it out!
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Don't get me wrong, I love REI as much as any other NW-erner outdoor enthusiast, but Backpacker Supply definitely has a cool factor going for it. Lots of great supplies for skiing (esp. nordic),...
Don't get me wrong, I love REI as much as any other NW-erner outdoor enthusiast, but Backpacker Supply definitely has a cool factor going for it. Lots of great supplies for skiing (esp. nordic), hiking, snowshoeing, kayaking, etc., along w/ rentals. Their "sister business" Tahoma Outdoor Pursuits (or something like that) does kayak classes and tours, so that's kind of a cool thing to have right there in the store. Be sure to check out the "bargain" area and see if there's any good stuff there. Cool place to browse and buy outdoor clothing and equipment, and its nice to support the local guy every so often. (Though I believe they are affiliated w/ Marmot, fwiw)
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Gray has friendly, helpful staff and lots of good product. Their lumberyard is remarkably large despite the fact that they are in a residential area. Like most lumber stores, they unfortunately...
Gray has friendly, helpful staff and lots of good product. Their lumberyard is remarkably large despite the fact that they are in a residential area. Like most lumber stores, they unfortunately aren't open late in the evening or all weekend, but I like to try to make it here when I can instead of going to BLowes or Home Cheapo. Doesn't hurt that they have some amusing t-shirts and bumper stickers with suggestive jokes about studs and wood. Gotta love a lumber store with a sense of humor.
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The Blue Mouse is the local discount theater, located in a really cool old building in Tacoma's Proctor District. They typically run movies that have been out for a month or two but aren't out on...
The Blue Mouse is the local discount theater, located in a really cool old building in Tacoma's Proctor District. They typically run movies that have been out for a month or two but aren't out on video yet. The sound is a bit tinny, but this theater makes up for that in pure charm. Cool old seats, odd little stage area up front (used for Rocky Horror on weekends), and some really neat light fixtures on the ceiling. Occasional projector meltdowns are part of the deal and just add to the fun. Definitely a Tacoma landmark and always the first theater to check the schedule of if you're feeling like going to a movie.
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Really cool arthouse cinema right here in Tacoma. The Grand is run in large part by volunteers who have a vested interest in keeping an independent film venue open in Tacoma. The Grand usually...
Really cool arthouse cinema right here in Tacoma. The Grand is run in large part by volunteers who have a vested interest in keeping an independent film venue open in Tacoma. The Grand usually plays about 3 movies at a time, plus special film series and late-night "classics" (and by classic I mean cult classic sorta classic). Fun smaller screens, but people really pack it in since otherwise they'd be driving to Seattle to see these movies. Prices are actually lower than the big chains, and as a bonus for those getting edumacated, there are student discounts. Note: there is a dance studio in the same building, so sometimes there are noise-bleed problems... Also, sometimes they keep movies for way too long (such as Sideways), but others are gone before you have a chance to go...
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