Category Archives: Unique Shopping (stores with some personality)

A 1967 Amphicar at Sharp & Sons USA of Yesterday Motors

Leave a reply

This car on display at USA of Yesterday Motors at 455 St. Helens, Tacoma, is one of 500 remaining Amphicars left in existence. The informational sign said that these amphibious cars are capable of crossing between England and France!

The USA of Yesterday building was constructed in 1948 and contains 61,000 square feet of space. It was originally known as the Mueller-Harkins Motor Co. Building and Silas E. Nelsen was the architect. It was a Buick Dealership. It is now U.S.A. of Yesterday Motor Car Co. (see the link below) and besides showroom space has a large banquet room in the style of the 1950s. In 2007 there was talk of demolishing the property to make way for a downtown grocery store, but that didn’t happen.

http://collectorcar.com/

A picture of the building from 1950 can be found at Tacoma Public Library http://search.tacomapubliclibrary.org/buildings/bldg1image.asp?j=2&o=2&n=24408&i=8170#text

1912 Buick in the showroom.

The Taste of Summer

Leave a reply

   

Driving back from an estate sale, dear husband and I stopped at the seasonal produce stand at the northwest corner of South 72nd and Waller Road where Pipeline Road East cuts through at a diagonal. They had a bunch of fresh, local fruits and vegetables and some that they brought in like pineapples. Oh, and flowers, those too. We came away with wonderful raspberries and tomatoes and green beans and walla walla sweet onions. We also treated ourselves to old fashioned sodas (black cherry for him, blood orange for me).

 


View Larger Map

Heathergems

Leave a reply

There is only one place to buy jewelry made from the heather plant and that is from the Heathergems Factory in Pitlockry, Perthshire, Scotland, UK. The making of the gems is a cool process. First the roots of the heather plant are gathered and cleaned, then they are cut and dyed different colors from local, natural dyes and then they are bound tightly. Over time they roots compressed into a single multicolored piece which can then be cut and shaped like stone. Once shaped, the gem is shellacked and mounted for jewelry.

http://www.heathergems.com/

Fircrest Swim Shop

Leave a reply

Dear daughter needed a swimsuit. We were at Target anyway, so we checked there. She hated them all. Fine. Then later we were at the outlet mall in North Bend, so we checked there. Nope that didn’t work either. Then I remembered The Fircrest Swim Shop at 620 Regence Boulevard in Fircrest. I remember my husband saying he bought his bathing suit there and that they had a good selection and reasonable prices. He was understated, they have a great selection and very competitive prices! They also have friendly, helpful (but in no way pushy) sales staff. We found a darling suit and since I was there I found one too 🙂

Their Facebook Page can be found here

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fircrest-Swim-Shop/154837334552579

Lively Market, Tacoma

Leave a reply

We wandered over to the Pacific Avenue Street Fair today, but got there too late to see all of the cool old cars. But dear daughter declared that she had to have a Popsicle! Lively Market at 4505 Pacific Avenue had a fairly nice selection of Popsicles including Rice Pudding which I got, but didn’t eat yet. Dear daughter got one of those rocket, multicolored frozen treats. Lively Market was been a neighborhood market (most likely) since it was built in 1923.

For the Birds

2 Replies

My husband in particular admires these lovely bird houses that are for sale in front of the house at 4613 Sixth Avenue. They are pretty spectacular and available for purchase by calling 253 226 0086.

Clinton’s Music House is still there!

1 Reply

When I saw that an antique mall had moved into the Clinton’s Music House space at 2301 Tacoma Avenue South, I figured that Clinton’s was gone. But no! When I stopped to snap this photo I discovered that Clinton’s is still there, but in a smaller space. Well, that’s good. Information found on the web says that Clinton’s has been family owned and operated since 1898. They have been at this location since 1964. There is a second location in Olympia.

http://sites.google.com/site/clintonsmusichouse/home

Childhood’s End Gallery in Olympia

Leave a reply

Childhood’s End at 222 4th Avenue West in Olympia is one of my very favorite galleries. They feature Northwest and national artists and have a delightful combination of unusual and lovely decorative and functional items. Today I bought a pair of earrings that feature a tree design.The exterior wall of the store has this dramatic mural.

http://www.childhoods-end-gallery.com/

 

Tacoma Glassblowing Studio

Leave a reply

The Tacoma Glassblowing Studio at 114 South 23rd Street in Tacoma offers glass art that is lovely and unique. We got there almost at closing and were told that there was no rush. We came for the charity bake sale to benefit orphans in Romania, but ended up with a lovely blue class ball and information on taking a glass blowing class. Dear daughter is pretty enthused about the possibility.

I especially liked the way the evening light made their pumpkin glass pieces glow. They make pumpkins year round and in the fall they have pumpkin patches in different spots. How cool is that?! I’m looking forward to going to a couple already. 🙂

Their website is here www.tacomaglassblowing.com

Northern Fish Co.

1 Reply

Northern Fish Company at 2201 Ruston Way in Tacoma has a wonderful setting with Commencement Bay out its back door (if it had a back door!). There are two Northern Fish Co. locations in Tacoma with the other one being at 3911 South 56th. The Ruston Way location not only offers seafood to prepare at home, but also seafood chowders and baskets to either eat there or at home. Their website is here http://www.northernfish.com/