Today I had parental obligations and found myself near the University of Washington Tacoma campus. I took the first parking spot I came to and found myself in front of the recently opened Bubble Tea Shop at 1712 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma. It was great to see a new business along the strip. We enjoyed our bubble teas and thought the shop had the coolest black tables.
Five Guys at 5605 Lakewood Towne Center Blvd., Lakewood, WA 98499 has an amazing soda machine. You push on your choice of Coke Product and there are 22 choices. I picked diet, caffeine free Coke. Then a second screen appears with seven more choices: cherry, vanilla, lime, orange, raspberry, cherry vanilla or plain. I tried cherry and orange (not together) and really they were pretty good.
Five Guys is a hamburger chain that originated out of Washington D.C. and currently has 900 stores. There are two locations in Pierce Co., this one and one in Puyallup. Their website (http://www.fiveguys.com/) says there are over 250,000 ways to order a burger here! The restaurant was packed when I got there at around 4. There must have been 30 people ahead of me in line. But the line moved quickly and my order came up in no time. Or maybe the time just passed quickly since I was fascinated with the soda machine 🙂 The interior was a cheerful red and white and free peanuts were available
Each year the YWCA has a benefit for their domestic violence prevention & intervention programs. This year it was at Larson’s Mercedes-Benz of Tacoma at 1701 Alexander Avenue in Fife. It was great.Their showroom was filled with more quality wearable art then I’ve ever seen in one place and it was an added bonus that it supports the YWCA’s excellent mission. I walked away with a lovely necklace and a pin for my friend. While I was there I checked out a new Mercedes-Benz (I can dream!).
What was funny is that when I came home I took the Fife exit onto I-5 and pulled in right behind my husband’s blue truck. Really, what are the chances?
Yesterday I ran into Fred Meyers Market Place at ., Tacoma. It was a quick stop brought on by the need for some allergy eye drops. Fred Meyers Market Place is a nice clean, well stocked store. I’ve always thought it was interesting that there is a more traditional Fred Meyers right down the street at 4504 19th Street.
There web site is here www.fred meyer.com
Yesterday I had a meeting at Tacoma Community College (TCC) and while there I stopped at the library. It had a wonderful, comfortable ambiance with plenty of study carrels, tables and of course resources.
http://www.tacomacc.edu/library/
Today we stopped at Hidden Treasures in The Old Trolley Building. The street address is 3902 South 12th. The store’s space was larger than I first expected and includes a lovely tea room. Hidden Treasures really is packed full of interesting items — glassware, decorative items, vintage clothes, books, etc. And the owner’s (I think it was the owner) two darling dogs were there to interact with potential buyers. I’m thinking about going back for the rooster! More about Hidden Treasure here http://www.oldtrolleybuilding.com/hidden-treasures/index.html
The building was constructed in 1890 as the Steilacoom Line Powerhouse for the Tacoma & Steilacoom streetcar line. By 1896 it was being used for railroad car storage and in1912 it was being used for commercial fuel and feed storage. In 1916 the railroad tracks were removed. In 1947 it was remodeled into the A-G Food Mart and Emmons Apartments. Other occupants have included a drugstore, meat market, salon, barbershop, paper products, hobby shop, furniture shop, lawn mower repair, sign maker, Radio & TV sales and repair, restaurant, carpet store and a preschool. More info about the building can be found here
http://www.oldtrolleybuilding.com/
Faith Dairy at 3509 72nd St. E., Tacoma, WA opened in 1963 and closed in 2007. I remember stopping there for some of their delicious ice cream and some fresh milk. I found a few articles from back when the facility closed.
http://www.dairyexpress.net/FaithDairy.htm
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2007/07/30/121562/ideas-abound-for-saving-iconic.html
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2007/07/16/110871/time-for-a-last-bottle-of-chocolate.html
I’ve gone past the Jarvie Memorial Family Lodge at 1521 Sixth Avenue, Tacoma, several times, but there were always people in front it and I don’t want to be obnoxious by taking a photo. The housing units were built in 1927 as the Creso (or Cresco) Court Apartments. They have a bungalow court design.
In 1983 the property converted from City Center Motel to the Salvation Army Family Lodge and in 1994 is was rededicated after remodeling. There is an article about the family lodge here http://www.weeklyvolcano.com/entertainment/spew-blog/2011/12/Salvation-Army-Tacoma-provies-housing-for-homeless-families/
So I printed out a map of a potentially lovely park in Gig Harbor and I grabbed my camera and daughter who wanted a ride and off I went. As we are crossing the Narrows Bridge I tell her that I’m going hiking and within seconds it started to hail! Well, OK then, maybe not a hike. I drop her off at the movie theater and remember that there is a Coldwater Creek in the Uptown Gig Harbor Center (4621 Point Fosdick Dr. NW,Gig Harbor, WA 98335). Great. I’ve had my eye on a scarf/vesty thing that is a requirement for the women in my generation and was waiting for a big online sale to buy it. This was my chance to look at it in person. Imagine my delight when they had it marked down from $49.95 to $29.99, and then it was 60% off! And it was a great fit. Oh happy days 🙂 I bought two (different colors). Part of one is pictured here (the pink border is part of the processing) and there is a bonus Buddha, which was at the center and I thought was cool.
The Tahoma Indian Center at 1556 Market Street, Tacoma, is part of Catholic Community Services and their website is at http://www.ccsww.org/site/PageServer?pagename=families_emergencyservices_tahomaindiancenter
Their website states “Located in downtown Tacoma, the Tahoma Indian Center has met the basic needs of low-income and homeless Urban Native Peoples for more than 20 years in a safe, warm, peaceful and drug- and alcohol-free environment. The purpose of the Center is to restore and sustain the dignity and culture of Urban Native Americans in Pierce County.”
This is great old building and it has an interesting history.I’m not sure, but I think it use to be connected to a building on the now vacant lot next door. So, in full disclosure I’m not sure of the history of the property, the lot next door or both. Tacoma Public Library says the Lorenz Bldg. / Sisson House was constructed in 1890. The Astor House opened c.1899 as the first major Japanese hotel in Tacoma. It was also known as the Hiroshimaya Hotel. As of 1946, the property was known as the Columbus Hotel / Yunan Ling Herbal Medicine / Tacoma Jujitsu School. The same year, a petition was denied for the hotel and the headlines read “all colored hotel” closed for prostitution violations.
In 1947 it was Fukui’s Grocery Store (and was “surprised by the police!”). And by 1996 it became the Intertribal Cultural Arts Center. When looking at the spectacular doorway, I noticed that the Lion King is hanging from a coconut over the doorway. I bet there is a story there!
