Tag Archives: Mt. Rainier

A Glorious Day at Thun Field

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We are going through a miraculous run of lovely weather for the beginning of February. The temperature went up to 57 degrees and it was sunny. I found myself in the South Hill area of Puyallup with a couple of hours to myself. I drove myself to Thun Field and for the price of a cup of tea and a piece of pie I sat outside in the sun and watched small planes take off and land. I especially enjoyed seeing three generations (grandfather, father, son) enjoying a late breakfast and watching the planes.

Thun Field is owned by Pierce County. Their website says “Thun Field was built in 1944 and purchased by Pierce County in 1979. Situated just south of the City of Puyallup in the South Hill neighborhood, Thun Field offers spectacular views of Mount Rainier. There are approximately 225 aircraft based at the airport, and approximately 89,000 operations (take-offs and landings) each year.”

http://www.co.pierce.wa.us/pc/abtus/ourorg/pwu/airport/

Big M Stained Glass/Boys Club/Longfellow School

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Big M Stained Glass at 711 south 25th Street Tacoma, WA 98405 has one of the best signs in Tacoma! The building is home to pretty much anything one would need to make stained glass and they also do lovely custom work.

http://www.bigmsg.com/

The site has an interesting history. In 1886 the South School was constructed. And in 1889, the three story primary school was renamed the Longfellow School. The school closed after 50 years in 1936 because the building had deteriorated. The school’s first 4th grade teacher was Fay E. Fuller who in 1890 because the first woman to climb Mt. Rainier. More information about the Longfellow School can be found here http://search.tacomapubliclibrary.org/buildings/bldg1up.asp?n=3810

The school was demolished in 1936 and the Tacoma Boy’s Club was constructed on the site in 1942. The club even had a year round swimming pool, which was added in 1951. In 1979 the Boys Club moved their operations to Stanley Playfield, where it is today. In 1983 the property was purchase and remodeled.

Trail of Shadows

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Today was too lovely to stay inside or even in town, so I grabbed dear daughter and we went to Mt. Rainier to take a stroll on Trail of Shadows in the Longmire area of Mt. Rainier.  It is a short trail (.7 miles), but really lovely with views of open areas, Mt. Rainier, wooded areas and a pioneer cabin.  James Longmire settled in the area in the late 1800s and when he saw the mineral springs he built a spa to capitalize on them. The one photo below with the reddish mud is the remains of one of the Longmire Medical Springs. There is a sign near the springs that says “Please don’t drink this water. It can make you very sick!” Never crossed my mind that somebody would actually drink it!

 

 

The World’s Tallest Totem Pole

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Firemen’s Park at South 8th and ‘A’ Street in Downtown Tacoma is reputed to have the world’s largest totem pole.  At 105′ long (82′ above ground) the 1903, red cedar totem pole certainly is tall. The park also features a bronze statue, Leading the Way, by Larry Anderson.  Mr. Anderson has several sculptures around town including the one in front of Union Station. Today somebody placed a shawl on the logger, perhaps to help with the cool nights!  The park is rounded out by views of Commencement Bay, the Port of Tacoma, the Murry Morgan Bridge, Mt. Rainier and the Tacoma Dome.

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Mt. Rainier Railroad Dining

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We go to Mt. Rainier a couple of times a year and always go past the Mt. Rainier Dining Co. Restaurant, which is situated in a train. Today we decided to give it a whirl for a late lunch. I love the idea of eating in a rail-car, but lunch itself was only alright. The bright notes were the desert (bread pudding) and the waitress.

It was a great day to be out and about and a real treat to see the Elbe steam train. On the way home we saw the most unusual peacock walking around in the middle of the street!

Thea’s Park, Tacoma

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Thea's Park, Tacoma by Gexydaf

Yesterday’s new place was Thea’s Park, where my dear daughter and her classmates were having a picnic. I often forget about this little park because it isn’t part of Rustin Way and I don’t typically drive past it. But the setting makes it worth remembering! It has a great view of the grain elevator, the rail line, the Thea Foss Waterway, Mt. Rainier and the Port of Tacoma. In addition there is a peace pole, a giant globe, picnic tables and a boat ramp. That’s an awful lot for a park that is only 3 acres!

For more information, see the Park District web page. http://www.discoverparks.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=ParkDetails&PropertyID=339

Welcome to Oakland/Madrona

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This scenic mural is located at 3265 South Union just north of Center Street in Tacoma. It is painted on a retaining wall and features Mt. Rainier and lovely madrona trees. The artist is unknown and I also couldn’t readily find any information about the date of the art.

Urban Grace

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We were fortunate this evening to attend a performance at Urban Grace Church in downtown Tacoma.  While I’ve often admired the Gothic Revival style church, I’d not been previously been inside.   This imposing four story building, which is on the historic register, was constructed in 1925 with F.H. Heath acting as the architect.  From 1884 to 1923, the site was occupied by the original First Baptist Church. Until 2005 the church had been know as First Baptist Church.

F. H. Heath was also the architect for Stadium High School, Lincoln High School, Pythian Temple (all in Tacoma) and Paradise Inn at Mt. Rainier.

To see a photograph of the current building when it was under construction, go to: http://search.tpl.lib.wa.us/buildings/bldgdetails.asp?id=BU-11471&vhash=M&i=3

In the Fall of 2010, Tacoma Arts Commission’s presented the 2010 “Arts Patron” award AMOCAT Art Awards to the Urban Grace Church for their support of the arts in Tacoma. The Arts Commission stated “Urban Grace’s commitment is exemplified in their establishment of the Poet Laureate position for Tacoma in 2008, their partnership with Fab-5 to create a mural for the Rialto Theater in 2010 and in providing ongoing opportunities for exhibition and performance in all artistic disciplines.”

902 Market Street
Tacoma, WA 98402-3605
(253) 272-2184 

Urban Grace’s website is at http://urbangracetacoma.org/

And a Facebook Page devoted to the building being added to the Tacoma Register of Historic Places is here.  http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=194822323896