Monthly Archives: April 2011

Seasonal Delights Cafe & Espresso Co.

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Days when everything goes right deserve a treat, so dear daughter and I stopped at a new to us place in Freighthouse Square called Seasonal Delights Cafe & Espresso Co. We shared this wonderful, still warm cinnamon bun and half was plenty. Next time we’ll go for dinner or lunch and try the crepes!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Seasonal-Delights-Cafe-Espresso-Co/135368629853945?sk=photos

Ha!  Nobody has ever accused me of being cutting edge, but two days after we were there the Tacoma News Tribune reviewed this restaurant 🙂

http://blog.thenewstribune.com/tntdiner/2011/04/08/butter-me-up-the-waft-of-cinnamon-returns-to-tacomas-freighthouse-square/

Update June 2013: Sadly when I stopped by this week to buy a pie, Season Delights was gone. It appears that they vacated the space in April or May.

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Borders Books in Tacoma

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I really debated using Borders Books in Tacoma as one of my new places of the day. But today I stopped in to say goodbye. This is the closest bookstore to my house and my family has spent hours here. Its practically a family tradition to go on a rainy Sunday for a cup of coffee and to read the magazines in the cafe. And of course, we’d always end up with a book or two. I’m pretty sure my daughter has never walked out of the store without a book!

But our Borders, which is almost always busy, is closing no later than the end of May. The cafe is closed, items are heavily discounted and some of the shelves are pretty empty. The GIg Harbor and Federal Way Borders are also closing with only Puyallup Borders to remain open in Pierce Co. Across the country Borders is closing 200 of its 643 locations as part of a bankruptcy reorganization.

So, goodbye Tacoma Borders. We’ll miss you.

For Sale $275,000

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For Sale $275,000 by Gexydaf
For Sale $275,000, a photo by Gexydaf on Flickr.

When I see property like this for sale I wonder what happened. Somebody obviously had a vision for the site as some kind of multifamily living unit but now it is for sale with an asking price of $275,000. The concrete footings will only have value if a new buyer has a very similar vision. For now, this property on the southwest corner of Yakima Avenue and South 15th Street awaits purchase and development. Oddly, I couldn’t locate information about the Delaurenti Realty Co. on the internet.

Going into the Ocean

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For years I’ve wondered about Saltwater State Park in Des Moines, WA. I mean I like parks and one with saltwater just has to be good, right? And yet I’ve only seemed to think about it as I drove by on I5 on my way to or from somewhere with no time to stop. Well, today after dropping my dad at the airport, I finally went!

It is lovely. There is plenty of Puget Sound shoreline (1,445 feet) with rocks to turn over and look for sea life, a stream that goes into the sound, some wooded trail areas, picnic tables, restrooms and a seasonal concession stand. I visited with a woman who was getting ready to scuba dive and she told me about seeing octopus and seals. There is an underwater artificial reef for scuba divers. My only caution would be to wear sneakers or other thick soled shoes because the beach area is covered with barnacles and broken shells.

http://www.stateparks.com/saltwater.html

 

 

Japanese Garden at Point Defiance

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The new place of the day for yesterday was the Japanese Garden at Point Defiance (5400 North Pearl Street). Their website says “Azaleas, rhododendrons, Japanese cherry trees, crabapples and large and small pines flourish in the Japanese garden. An oriental footbridge, waterfall, Japanese lanterns and a small “tea house” further enhance the grounds. The garden provides a peaceful area to enjoy a bit of solitude and is especially enchanting in early spring. The Capital District of Washington State Federation of Garden Clubs helped to establish the garden in 1965 and continues to provide support.”

Pagoda at Point Defiance Park

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I love driving around Point Defiance Park. It soothes my soul. Today I stopped at the Pagoda at 5801 Trolley Lane and took a couple of rainy photos. It was sensibly locked, but looking through the windows worked pretty well. One window shot makes it look like Mother Nature is taking over the building!

Per the Metro Parks Tacoma website “the Pagoda was built in 1914 as a replica of a 17th century Japanese Lodge. It was originally a waiting room for streetcars. Now this magnificent structure functions as a rental facility for weddings and other private parties as well as a venue for garden shows, lectures and concerts.”

http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=62

   

Update 4/15/2011  the pagoda was badly damaged by a suspicious fire.

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/04/15/1627154/report-tacoma-fire-responding.html

Update 12/5/12 A community grand re-opening celebration is scheduled for January 12, 2013.

Spirit of British Columbia and the Spirit of Vancouver

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The BC (British Columbia) Ferries in Canada are amazing. Dear daughter, my dad and I took the Spirit of British Columbia Ferry from Tsawwassen (south of Vancouver, BC) to Swatz Bay (on Vancouver Island, north of Victoria). On the way to Victoria we took the Spirit of British Columbia and on the way back we traveled on the Spirit of Vancouver. The photos are of both ships.

While I’ve been on my fair share of ferries, none of have matched these ships for size and style. They hold 410 vehicles (including up to 34 semis) and 2,100 people (passengers and crew). Amenities include Seawest Lounge, Pacific Buffet, Coastal Cafe for hot & cold dishes, Coast Cafe Express for lighter fare, Passages Gift Shop, video arcades, play areas, work/study stations, telephones, elevators, wheelchair-friendly decks and washrooms. The trip took over two hours, allowing time to enjoy the spectacular scenery as we traveled through the San Juan Islands.

http://www.bcferries.com/

   

Tea at the Empress

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Today’s new place was extra special because dear daughter and I went to the Empress Hotel for afternoon tea. We had tried to do this once before in the summer, but it was impossible to get in.

The tea was an experience! Much more refined than our usual Starbucks break with a gorgeous, classic interior and dignified, warm service. They seated us by the window and we happily visited and watched the city walking by us. There was a pianist for most of the time that we were there.

As for the tea, it included five types of finger sandwiches, a marvelous scone and assorted treats. I’m embarrassed to say that we ate almost all of it! We were sent home with two boxes of tea to help us recreate the experience

http://www.fairmont.com/empress/GuestServices/Restaurants/AfternoonTea.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Empress_%28hotel%29