Noel’s House of Bricks at Freighthouse Square has a darling snowman in their window. The space is at 2501 E D st Tacoma Wa #46 and they recently opened for business. I was there just before the center closed and House of Bricks wasn’t open, as they clearly stated on their Facebook Page. This is their second location with the first being in Olympia.
Jim Dine’s Technocolor Heart presides over the corner of Stadium Way and Grimes Way on the Washington State University (WSU) campus in Pullman, WA. The sculpture had been away from campus for part of 2011 and when it was reinstalled, it faced a different direction! Dine is a prolific artist in various medians with hearts being a common theme. Per the Guggenheim, Jim Dine lives in New York, Paris, and Walla Walla, Washington. There is an interview with him here. 
So I spent some quality time on I-84 today. It runs along the Columbia River on the Oregon side and is really a pretty road. Most importantly it had virtually no snow, though the waterfalls along the way were frozen and that was pretty cool. I stopped to get gas and remembered again that I’m not allowed to pump my own gas!
The Oyster House at 320 4th Avenue West, Olympia, burned down in July 2013. The 1924 structure was originally built to cull and ship oysters, but in 1925 a small oyster bar was added. By 1949 it had evolved into a sit down restaurant. In 1957 it burned down with the exception of some structural elements. It was rebuilt, but closed in 1995. The restaurant reopened under new ownership in 1996 and has operated as a high quality, destination seafood restaurant until the most recent fire. Their website says it is the oldest seafood restaurant in Washington State. The owners plan to rebuild. The second photo is mere steps away.
I turned the corner at the Scholastic Book Warehouse at 5103 D St, Auburn, WA 98001 and there was Clifford, the Big Red Dog! He is about the size that he is portrayed in the ever loved Clifford books. Clifford has his own, barking, website. The Clifford books were first published in 1963 and Clifford acts as the mascot for Scholastic Books.
Darn it was cold today, so I had a very quick stop to photo the vacant lot on the southeast corner of Pacific Avenue and South 38th Street. I remember when there was a building on the large lot, office space I think. Somebody demolished the buildings and there were plans to building something, maybe a drugstore? Anyway, its been vacant for years now. Maybe now that the Northwest corner is being redeveloped, this lot too will see new life. One can hope.
There is Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Shop Small (Small Business) Saturday. I had a list of Small Business places to go, but it was dear husband’s birthday and our lunch at 208 Garfield took longer than we expected. After lunch we explored Garfield Books, then walked down the street to Hobby Town at 402 Garfield. We closed the outing at Pacific Coffee Co.
This is the third year for Small Business Saturday and I believe that it is an important reminder to support our local business that so often give back to the community. I plan to do more local shopping.
I loved all of the model planes hanging from the ceiling of Hobby Town and the people working there were so nice.
So dear daughter and I are lost in the Olympia area when we go past this gem. We both say at about the same time “that’s today’s new place”. Apparently My Morbid Mind at 4548 Marvin Road SE, Lacey functions as a seasonal haunted house. Really, looking at their website it looks like a scream! I’d love to go back next Halloween.
Twinkle is middle circle of a Spanaway subdivision with the outer circle being Crescent Drive East and Aurora Drive East.
I found this small retail space available the Tacoma Place Center and it made me think that I am seeing less retail vacancy. Let’s hope so!