It tends to be true that after visiting Seattle, travelers head west to the Olympic Peninsula, north to the San Juan Islands, or east to the Cascade Mountains. They rarely go south. This is unfortunate because they miss an opportunity to experience one of Washington state’s less-explored treasures—Tacoma.
Judging by the nickname of the region’s airport, Sea-Tac, you would think that Seattle and Tacoma are sister cities. If so, Tacoma has long been the less-loved stepsister, the one with the bad-girl reputation. The olfactory atmosphere from its pulp mill was even dubbed the “Tacoma-aroma.” During the worst days of the late 1970s, the city’s own mayor, Harold Moss, described the abandoned downtown district as looking “as bombed out as Beirut.”
Forget all that!
Like the ugly duckling that turns into a swan, today’s Tacoma, with towering Mount Rainier in the distance, is a city that will amaze you. Its downtown bustles with energy and the clang of trolly cars. There are elegant places to stay, such as the Hotel Murano, whose swooping design and remarkable art collection reflect Tacoma’s role as an international center for the creation of art glass.
There is enough beautifully restored early 20th-century architecture, including the former historic train station, to make the American painter Edward Hopper envious. There is the renowned Glass Museum, the ultramodern Tacoma Art Museum, and the informative displays at the Washington State History Museum, all within easy walking distance of each other. And for car buffs, a visit to LeMay—America’s Car Museum—with its unique design and world-class collection, is a must.
Eateries abound—from the incomparable waterfront setting of Lobster Shop and the succulent chops and designer cocktails to be had at Stanford’s to the bordello-like dining room of Over the Moon Cafe in Opera Alley.
Tacoma is a city where the old and the new intertwine, where the industrialized portions of the port, with its towering grain silos, give way to the family-friendly atmosphere of Tacoma’s most popular new development, Point Ruston and the Ruston Way Waterfront, just 15 minutes from downtown.
With its abundance of gift shops and dining options, Point Ruston features dancing fountains that are made for splashing and a waterfront promenade accentuated by an artistic orca-embedded map of Tacoma and Puget Sound.
Point Ruston is also the gateway to Tacoma’s greatest park, 760 acres of forested headlands called Point Defiance Park. It features miles of winding roads, safely designated bike paths, and meandering hiking trails. It is also home to the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium.
The day my friend Sarah and I set off for the park, we began our adventure by picking up e-bikes at Wheels Fun Rentals at Point Ruston. Once we were off and got comfortable with the proper settings for our bikes, pedaling through the park with its dappled light filtering through the forested hillsides and the waters of the sound beyond was mesmerizing.
“Oh, my gosh! Look at that,” Sarah exclaimed, suddenly slamming on the brakes.
Not more than 20 feet away, an adult doe and a raccoon were peacefully munching together by the side of the path, clearly unphased by our presence and the passing parade. We felt like we had fallen into a children’s book—Tacoma’s version of “The Wind in the Willows,” perhaps. As we rode by, the two did little more than cast a casual nod in our direction.
In culinary terms, there is one reason to head for the Northwest Coast—seafood! Clams, oysters, Dungeness crabs, salmon, halibut. And in Tacoma, the Lobster Shop (on Ruston Way) offers the perfect combination of menu, libations, and setting. A glassed-in dining room and an over-the-water wooden deck offer a panoramic view of the islands across the sound and perhaps even a painterly ferry boat. Seasonal specialties on the menu included a fine selection of Washington oysters and the rare treat of fresh-caught Copper River salmon.
