Fircrest Park is located at 471 Electron Way, but also fronts on Contra Costa Avenue and Spring Street. It features a community building, an outdoor pool, picnic areas, ball fields and a sidewalk area around the perimeter.
On our way home from Long Beach, we visited the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge at 3888 State Route 101, Ilwaco, WA 98624. It was really a treat! There is a small display room in the ranger’s work area and of course a delightful ranger. There is a short, level boardwalk area with plenty of interesting art. The boardwalk goes next to a pond, which was full of newts! For the more ambitious walkers, there is a trail that is relatively steep and has nature facts along the way. It is a lovely and challenging walk and at the end is a meditative labyrinth.
Their website is here http://www.fws.gov/willapa/
I’ve often wondered about park that I see when I cross the Narrows Bridge and today I went to visit. I didn’t realize that the entrance was at the end of a park and ride. In fact I didn’t realize that there was a park and ride there. The War Memorial Park “Living War Memorial Park” located at 6th Avenue and McArthur Street.
The park was dedicated in 1952 and honors the sacrifices of Tacoma area military men and women. It is a 2.5 acre park and is mostly grassy area with areas to reflect on the lives lost during different wars. There is a terrific view of the Narrows Bridges.
The park features the bell from the USS Tacoma, a 1900 protected cruiser ship. There were five other sister ships each named after a city: Denver, DesMoines, Chattanooga, Galveston and Cleveland. In January 1924 the Tacoma broke up in heavy seas, though her bell was saved.
http://www.cityoftacoma.org/Page.aspx?hid=7001
I didn’t realize that Tacoma had a park named Optimist Park (1330 N James St.). Today was lovely, so I went to find this darling neighborhood park. There is a baseball field and some really cool playground equipment, some of which plays music!
Lincoln High School at 701 South 37th Street in Tacoma opened its door to students in 1914. The building was named after president Lincoln and a 9′ tall bronze statue of the president was created by Tacoma sculpture Alonzo Victor Lewis and installed in 1918. The Knights of Pythias formed a committee to pay for the statue and coordinated a giant bake sale (2,000 cakes!). The school’s original name was Lincoln Park High School, but the Park was dropped in 1917.
The Lincoln Center is part of Lincoln High School and is defined as a program to “immerse students into academic life, boost their studying skills and social development and prepare them to graduate four years later as college or career-ready. This is done through a program of enrichment and intensive academic support. Students attend school from 7:35-5:00 four days each week with a normal school day on Friday. Students receive approx. 540 additional hours of academic time each year, with summer school and two Saturdays a month adding to their academic workload.” About 25 to 35% of the student enrolled in Lincoln High School are also part of Lincoln Center.
The website for the school is http://www0.tacoma.k12.wa.us/schools/hsx/lincoln/
It is a pretty chilly day, but pleasantly sunny. I was thinking about taking a walk and I asked dear daughter what she thought. She said no (something about a school project), but both dogs heard the W— word. Oh no! They pranced and danced and barked and whined and when I took down their leashes, the smaller dog (lLilly) grabbed the end as if to just walk herself. Well, OK then. Wapato Park has a nice, short walk around the lake. My coat was plenty warm enough, but I hadn’t counted on the breeze off the lake and wish I had brought a hat. The dogs thought it was the best walk EVER! We saw other dogs, ducks, geese, lots of crows and some kids. The park includes a covered picnic area, a bathhouse, grassy areas, playground equipment and a observation dock. Apparently the name Wapato comes from some of the native vegetation and means small potato!
The park’s website is here http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=285
The small park next to the Washington State History Museum is now informally known as Occupation Park. Dear daughter and I walked through it this evening, taking some photos and visiting. The folks there were articulate and warm (their personality, not their bodies which are going to be cold camping this late in the year!). Perhaps my favorite moment is when I realized they had created a small lending library!
In solidarity with #OccupyWallStreet and countless other @Occupy movements across the world, Occupy Tacoma is part of a peaceful, nonviolent movement fighting corporate abuse of American democracy. We are gathered together in solidarity, to exercise our First Amendment freedoms of speech and peaceful assembly. We are the 99%. Please join us.
http://www.facebook.com/OccupyTacoma
I was driving around with my dear husband looking around for a new place when we happened upon Stewart Heights Park. Well, I hadn’t realized that this was the park that he like to take our daughter to when she was young. So it brought back memories for him. It has changed a fair amount since our daughter’s playground days. The playground equipment has moved and there are more trails. I didn’t get a good photo of the pool or the skate park or Lisa’s Garden, so I’ll do those spots some other day.
McKinley Park at 800 Park Street East sets above the downtown and dome districts of Tacoma. The park has a relatively steep terrain and is prone to being overrun with Himalayan Blackberry, English Ivy and Scotch Broom. Several times a year, the Park’s Department rents about 230 goats from Healing Hooves to clear out this unwanted, invasive vegetation. The goats must arrive hungry because they set right to work! They are contained inside an electric fence and each day of their six day stay, the fence line moves.
The park continues approximately 25 acres and the majority of it is undeveloped. There is a trail along the upper ridge of the park and some picnic tables. And there is also a rather nice play area for the kids and a skateboard park.
http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/news.php?id=221
We went back a couple of days later to see the work of the goats and they had gotten a great deal done. When we went back they were mostly on a coffee break! We also discovered the skate board park the second time.
The community garden at the corner of Center Avenue and Tyler Street has the most unusual art of any of the local community gardens. The entry arch is appropriately titled “Working”and features a hammer, chisel and gears. A near by bench has pliers and a saw. The art is by Otto Youngers. The garden itself, known as Tyler Square Park, is only half occupied, but that half is full of healthy looking vegetables.
Tacoma Weekly recently wrote an article on the space, It can be found here:
http://www.tacomaweekly.com/citylife/art/know_your_public_art_oakland_madronas_working_gateway/
The artist’s website is here: http://www.ottoyoungers.com/
