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Imperial Garden and Gift Center, Closed 1997

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9034433036_6976a7f363_bI remembered that I use to go past this property at 2328 Tacoma Ave. South and seeing a man working on Bonsai trees here. So I wrote to the Northwest Room of Tacoma Public Library and they told me that the property was built as a residence about 1952 by Kenneth & Amy Hikogawa and in 1974 Amy Hikogawa opened the Imperial Garden & Gift Center on the site. Amy Hikogawa died in April 1995 but her son, Ben Kigowa, apparently kept the Imperial Garden and Gift Center open through 1997. Ben passed away in January 2013.

Thanks so much to TPL’s Northwest Room. They are such a valuable asset for our city!

Ben Hikogawa obituary can be found here.

Gargoyle Bridge

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Sunday dear husband and I went on the University Place Garden Tour and discovered a a gargoyle bridge at the end of Memory Lane West. It is a simple bridge over a ravine and along it to either side are gargoyles, one of which was shooting water out of his mouth. You have to look hard to see the gargoyles in the bridge photo, but they are there!The gargoyle artist also created a tranquil water scene.

The yard adjacent to the bridge had a miniature horse and a goat, as well as a chilled bag of carrots. They each got one from us 🙂

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Feeding the Horse & Goat video. Click on the words.

Boathouse 19 Bar & Grill

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BoathouseA while back a friend suggested that I stop at Boathouse 19 Bar and Grill at 9001 South 19th Street, Tacoma for a root beer float. Dear daughter and I had spent Saturday afternoon checking out the University Place Garden Tours Gardens and actually met a long time Flickr friend by fortuitous accident. I offered to take dear daughter out for the float and of course once we got there and smelled all the good food we ended up having lunch. We shared the Pike Place Fish Fry (fish & chips) and each got dessert and it was wonderful. Though ironically we never did get the root beer floats! It was very wonderful to set on the deck, visiting, eating good good and enjoying the water & Narrows Bridge View. Their website is here.

Cafe Elite for an Orangesicle Smoothie

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8982560497_d637d9c3ea_bWhile other folks were heading out to happy hour on a warm Friday afternoon, I went to Cafe Elite at 4401 S 19th St, Tacoma, WA ‎for a couple of Orangesicle Smoothies for dear daughter and me. They were delicious! Last year I went to visit the Cafe Elite in Lakewood.

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Movies to Go

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8947932567_0ba2097437_bMovies to Go at 9630 Gravelly Lake Dr SW, Lakewood, WA 98499 is closing as of June 30, 2013. The store opened in 1987. The ultra modern building was constructed in 1955 as a Hogan’s Food King Store.

Significant Figures in the Development of Polymers, Wapato Police Substation

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8920614919_a0f3e8b34d_bThe Tacoma Police Substation at Wapato, 1501 South 72nd Street,  has a delightful sculpture piece titled Significant Figures in the Development of Polymers. It features slightly abstract figures and was created by Justin Hahn. It was his first public art commission.

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Top Foods, Tacoma

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8907122123_90a65c59b0_bWhen I think of grocery stores in Tacoma, sometimes TOP Foods at 3130 South 23rd Street (Tacoma Central Shopping Center) slips my mind because its not on my daily route. TOP Foods is a small chain of 10 supermarkets, all of which are located in Western Washington. The Tacoma location has a Starbucks, pharmacy, US Bank, Chef Express, bakery (including gluten free) and DVD rentals. Haggen operates both TOP Foods and Haggan Food & Pharmacy and including the Haggan stores there are over 30 locations, making it the largest independent grocery chain in the Pacific Northwest. Haggen is based out of Bellingham, WA and began operations in 1933. In 1989, Haggen became the first grocery store chain to have an onsite Starbucks.9466906601_bcd717f030_b

I picked up a huge, locally grown tomato plant for less than $3!

Update: 8/8/13 I went past Top Food today and noticed that they were closing 🙁

 

 

Murray Morgan Room in the Northwest Room at Tacoma Public Library

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8897981558_9d11e1498a_hI was lucky enough to have a brief tour of the Murray Morgan Room, which is situated in the Northwest Room of the Tacoma Public Library. The Northwest Room is in Tacoma’s originally Carnegie Library.  I was lucky enough to meet Murray Morgan years ago when he spoke at this very same library. His obituary can be found here. The room is welcoming and houses Mr. Morgan’s personal book collection about the Northwest.

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Veteran’s for Peace, Memorial Day

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On Memorial Day I stopped in the park area next to the Lobster Shop that was displaying a traveling memorial by the Veteran’s for Peace dedicated to the men and women who have died in Iraq since March 2003. Despite the rainy weather people were respectful wandering through the display of headstones, considering the very real cost of war.

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The Earth laughs in flowers, Bellevue Botantical Garden

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23131f99-ba63-456c-98af-815f782b4820wallpaperThe Bellevue Botanical Garden (1200 Main Street, Bellevue) is really lovely and has the added bonus of being free. I explored some of the gardens today and it was tranquil and smelled good. I strolled through various gardens with my favorites being the kitchen garden and the border garden. I also wanted to see the ravine and suspension bridge, but I turned right instead of left. Oh well, next time! There is some significant construction going on and new delights are promised for next year. I’m already looking forward to visiting again! There website is here.

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