Category Archives: The Holidays

Reindeer at the North Pole (or Watson’s Greenhouse)

 

15910306452_2e818bc6d4_k 15723477868_ec750aa6e7_k

Dear husband and I went to see real reindeer today, Luckily we didn’t have to go to the North Pole (though that would have been fun!). Watson’s Greenhouse has a small herd (2) of the sleigh pulling helpers, When we got there it was really cold and the deer were taking a nap. I was very impressed with the size of their antlers!

15723480618_b4978e945b_k

The Tiger at Zoolights

11471488994_e2bb98b9e1_bZoolights at has a new tiger light and its spectacular. We had a perfect Zoolights evening, not too cold, no rain and light crowds. While we were there, we checked out the aquarium and of course the other lights.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

My Morbid Mind

morbidSo 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.

11125040986_4e065770f7_b(1)

The Wall That Heals

the wallThe Vietnam Veterans Traveling Wall is in the Auburn Veteran’s Memorial Park at 411 E Street NE this Veteran’s Day Weekend. The exhibit is a half size replica of the Washington DC Vietnam Memorial Wall which was designed by Maya Lin. It was really a very interesting exhibit. So many dead — 58,195 names are listed. And there is an iPhone App to help one find any name by panel number and line. The original wall is listed as number 10 for America’s favorite piece of architecture per Wikipedia. While I was at the park I snapped some photos of the rest of the park including mural art representing many of the major US wars.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Halloween House

IMG_7226

Halloween HouseI was looking for a Halloween House because its Halloween when I got an email about this place off of A Street and South 58th Street on Tacoma’s eastside. I pulled up and thought, well that’s nice there are some big ghost in the yard and a couple of pumpkins and blowup creatures. But then I noticed the heads bopping around in the window! OK, that’s pretty cool. And the window behind the witch has zombie like creatures shuffling along. I hadn’t seen anything like it before! So, you should really click on the 5 second video to get the idea. The video is the link above the photo. The second time you watch it, you might notice the zombies 🙂

Halloween at Hunter Pumpkin Patch, Olympia

pumpkins blogHunter Pumpkin Patch at 7401 Yelm Highway is an extravaganza of family friendly Halloween fun. They have two corn mazes, plenty of animals to see, wagon rides, a hay maze, a pumpkin sling shot, a pillow jump (like a trampoline), a shop and a snack shop. Mostly it was fun to see the kids running around and having a blast. In December Hunters also has a Christmas Tree Farm with assorted Christmas activities. There website is here and their Facebook page is here.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Buy Your Fireworks Here

sun July 4thDear husband and I were on our way to a movie in Puyallup’s South Hill area when we passed this delightful display! Fireworks are illegal in Tacoma (not that that seems to stop folks), but there are stands surrounding the city and this is one of the larger ones.

Veteran’s for Peace, Memorial Day

8860116999_8e0b58ea00_o

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.

8860726160_e289a82565_o(1)8861317442_b741ee7f5c_b(2)

 

Merry Christmas

8308112977_a6afa2a98e_bAccident & Injury Chiropractic at 1702 South 72nd Street, Tacoma, makes good use of its building to share holiday joy! The building has colonial pillars wrapped in red ribbon (plastic?) and a huge wreath in the center of the second floor. Their website is here http://www.accidentandinjurychiro.com/

And now I’m back to making the ham and mashed potatoes for Christmas dinner 😀 Happy holidays everyone!

Tacoma Elf Storage on Christmas Eve

8305957078_463350461a_bWhat better way to celebrate Christmas Eve then to take a family photo in front of Tacoma Elf Storage at 2602 South Holgate Street  Tacoma, WA 98402. Eleven months of the year, this facility is known as Tacoma Self Storage, but in December they darken the S and make it a handy spot for Santa to store the toys and one assumes, elves. Their link is here http://www.tacoma-selfstorage.com/

The legend goes that a bird shorted out the letter S during the holiday season in 2007 when the business was new. It was so popular that the owners have purposefully recreated the dimming each year.

The building was originally Tacoma Ice & Refrigerating Co. and A.W. Sterrett was the architect. It was constructed in 1923. In 2000 it was known as Alpine cold storage. In November of 2006 it opened as its current use, a self storage facility.

8305952354_3c1d255ab2_b