Pierce County Library Administration Building

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My group had a tour of the Pierce County Library Administration Building at 3005 112th St E. Tacoma, WA 98446-2215 and I loved getting to see where the books come into the library system and are process. I didn’t realize there is actually a small public library in the lobby of the building. I’m especially enamored with the wonderful, space saving shelving that wheels flush. And there was a glimpse of the bookmobile! Little known fact, I applied to drive/manage the bookmobile many a year ago! Anyway it was a great tour.

 

Potato Chip Nachos at Southern Pacific, Tacoma

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So a while back Buzzfeed proclaimed that Pacific Southern at 3832 S. Pine Street Tacoma, WA 98409 had one of the best nachos in America. It was one of only thirty restaurants to get this honor and the only restaurant in Washington State.  I made a note to go try them sometime. The Buzzfeed link is here and the Facebook Page for the restaurant is here.  All we ordered for two of us for dinner was the nachos and we ate about 1/2 of them (all the pulled pork). They were delicious and very filling. I hadn’t realized that the nachos themselves were potato chips, so that was a first for us.  I didn’t think to take a picture until we were part way through, but there is a better photo on the Buzzfeed link. Other dishes of note included Waffles and Chicken, catfish, grits and cinnamon roll French Toast.

The service was great. This restaurant had previously been known as the Pinecone and it is across the street from the Tacoma Mall.

The signs of the Lincoln District, Tacoma

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Today was the celebration of the Lunar New Year in Tacoma’s Lincoln District and I took the chance to snap some photos of the new signage that reflects the revitalization of the district. An article on the revitalization project can be found here. I love this district and am really looking forward to how the revitalization project proceeds. It was also a joy to see how some of the more recent immigrants are positively shaping the country.

 

Art House Cafe

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I’ve been meaning to visit Art House Café at 111 North Tacoma Avenue in Tacoma’s Stadium District for ages. And this weekend I finally got around to it. The service was pitch perfect and the food was amazing. I had a bacon and onion stuffed bisquit with an egg on top, It didn’t look huge, but it was so rich and filling that I didn’t finish. The restaurant has charming space with featured art on the walls and an unexpected upstairs with a meeting room. Their website is here.

 

Neat Vintage Sign at the Daffodil Motel

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I was up well before the break of dawn driving down Highway 99 and went past the Daffodil Motel at 7909 Pacific Highway (Highway 99) in Milton. So I stopped to take a photo of the terrific vintage sign featuring a daffodil and the promise of free movies.


The lunch view at Marketplace Grille in Gig Harbor

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The Marketplace Grille at 8825 North Harborview Drive in Gig Harbor has been in place for 16 years, but dear husband and I just discovered it and we are glad we did. The reasonably priced restaurant has a quirky layout with seating on either side of an open air hallway. We arrive at about 2:30 for a late lunch and were seated at a table for two with an impressive view of the harbor (see photo). Marketplace Grille is known for its clam chowder, made without bacon, and it was indeed delectable. We each had our own chowder and then we shared the three piece halibut and chips. There was enough left over that we got a to go box. Our server, Carline, was professional, warm and upbeat. I felt like I made a friend! Afterward dear husband drove off to a bookstore and I took a chilly, but stunning, walk into town. As you can see with the last photo, the mountain (Mt. Rainer) was out.

More information, including a menu, can be found here.

 

Deep Lake at Millersylvania State Park, Olympia

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I found a little bit of winter at Deep Lake at Millersylvania State Park in Olympia. And while I’d like to write that I took a long healthy walk on the trails, the truth is that I stood admiring the lake for about 10 minutes and then gave in to the cold and trotted back to the heated car. I haven’t seen a lake completely frozen over in decades and it brought back memories of ice skating in New Jersey during my high school years.

The image below is on a shady rural street. I thought the ice configuration was interesting.

Kids Don’t Float, Life Jacket Loaner Station

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I was delighted to see a couple of seals swimming in the icy cold Puget Sound while dear husband and I enjoyed our lunch at Anthony’s at Point Defiance. Afterward lunch I took a brisk stroll and found this Life Jacket Loaner Station. A little research informed me that stations such as these are fairly common. A list of many of them (but not this one!) can be found here.

“Colored” Art Exhibit

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I read about the “Colored” art exhibit located in the Carpenters Building at 1328 Fawcett Avenue, Tacoma, on the King 5 News Website. Dear daughter, her friend and I arrived around 4, which apparently was well after it had closed for the day. When I mentioned that dear daughter was returning to college and that this was her only chance to see the exhibit, they kindly allowed us to go through. It was a great exhibit and I plan to go back and spend more time. The murals, by Chris Jordan, were painted in inverted colors. We looked at them normally and then with our iPhones set to reverse colors and the difference was amazing. Chris Jordan even spared us a moment to visit with us about his art.  When I go back I’ll be sure to spend more time and to appreciate the other artists as well.

My understanding is that the exhibit has been extended to run an extra few weeks.

The exhibition space is in the Carpenters Building which had been the Carpenter’s Union Hall which was designed by McGuire and Muri, architects and was constructed in 1955. The Kiro article said “The inside ones (murals) will soon be hidden by the upcoming Carpenters hall renovation“.

#colored2017