Touring Tacoma

Althought work had me well occupied yesterday, the long President's weekend has left me with today as my Saturday and tomorrow as my Sunday. Thus, today my parents made the drive up from Vancouver to spend some time here with Sarah and I. We chatted for a while right after they got here and we then took them around Tacoma to see some of the rental possibilities Sarah, Gavin and I are looking into. Our time focused mostly on the area around Park Tower where we took a stroll around the neighborhood. A large green house sits just at the east edge of the nearby Wright Park and we discovered it to be a conservatory open to the public. My glasses fogged with amazement (or swift temperature change) when we stepped into this oasis of green. Inside are stunning and surprising examples of plants from all corners of the world carrying with them smells only allergy-sufferers would avoid. If we move to this area I can assure you that Gavin and I will take many a picture here.

From there we wandered the eastern perimeter of the park and gazed at the surrounding block and its houses. We jotted down a few phone numbers of other rentals, noticed an estate sale (to be visited later), and headed to the Hob Nob (?) for some lunch. Settled at the south border of the park this warm eatery seemed a popular spot today. Surrounded by a vibrant clatter of conversation and historical black and white photography of old Tacoma, we ordered and ate or reasonably priced lunch.

Slightly too busy for my dad, we headed off before having a chance to order a cherry cobbler dessert. Back up the block my dad took the initiative my mom, Sarah and I lacked and poked his head inside the house holding the estate sale. We gained entry despite needing a reservation and were soon surrounded by antiques of fine wood, paint, and metal work that all seemed well beyond any of our budgets. For example, I could've spent nearly equal there on a painting as I will on a new Subaru. My mom, ever the antique hound, found a spectacular piece of etched crystal in the shape of a tall bowl with an alternating pattern of red and clear crystal. I fell in love with the refraction through the clear portions through to the pattern on the other side and convinced my mom to put down another piece she found and to splurg slightly for this one. Without enough cash on-hand, my dad, Sarah and I dusted off the seldom-utilized paper money in our wallets and threw enough together for her to take this piece home.

After leaving the Wright Park neighborhood we headed down the hill towards the water on Ruston Way. We took a brief walk at a spot where, from the car, we spotted a bald eagle pearched on some pilings just off-shore. I challenged my mom to a rock-skipping contest (which I won with a spectacular 7+ skip) and headed further up the road to Point Defiance where we puttered along the Five Mile Drive.

My parents headed south soon thereafter but I now know the feeling and surroundings of the Wright Park area are going to be just right for us.

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