There is a bike stuck in the pier along Ruston Way toward the southeast end. I searched and searched and can’t find record of why it is there or how it got there. I spotted it as I walked from one end of Ruston Way to the other (Old Town Dock to Point Ruston).
To celebrate Friday and dear daughter’s last day with us for a while we took the dogs to Thea’s Foss and took a photo of a traveling new place, the Jin Rui, a bulk carrier built in 2009 and flagged out of Hong Kong, China. This ship is on its way to South Korea and should arrive in about two weeks. Interestingly, I am writing this as I watch All is Lost, about a man (Robert Redford) lost at sea after his boat is damaged by a lose shipping container.
Today the Worldwide Photo Walk toured Ruston Way this morning. These stairs leading to this scuba diving beach were donated by the Washington Scuba Alliance. That little black dot in the water is a scuba diver 🙂
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.
I’ve been past this part of Ruston Way a bunch of times and hadn’t realized that it was the home of Tidal Pool, an art installation featuring mosaic shells and a sand dollar. This low lying piece is next to the fire station and between Duke’s Chowder House and Katie Downs.
An article about the lovely art can be found here http://www.tacomaweekly.com/citylife/view/know_your_public_art_ruston_ways_tidal_pool/
and the artist’s website is here http://www.tacomaweekly.com/citylife/view/know_your_public_art_ruston_ways_tidal_pool/
There are many lovely things to see along Ruston Way including this monument from one of Tacoma’s sister cities.   It is called the Kunsan, Korea Monument and it is located at 3771 Ruston Way, Marine Park, Ruston Way. This granite monument states “In commemoration of the centennial anniversary of the great state of Washington, the citizenry of Kusan City herein inscribes its friendship”.
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/
It was a lovely day to walk Ruston Way with three of my friends. Along the way I stopped to photo the Tacoma Fallen Firefighters Memorial near the Lobster Shop on Ruston Way. The sculpture is called “Fully Involved” by Larry Perkins and it was dedicated in honor of those firefighters who have given their lives in the line of duty in 2001. There are twelve names on the memorial with the most recent being from 1963. A plaque near the memorial tells me that the first volunteer fire company was formed in Tacoma in 1880 and the first paid fire department in 1889. The first African American firefighter joined the force in 1972 and the first woman firefighter in 1981.
Katie Downs at 3211 Ruston Way has the best pizza in the Puget Sound. The Weekly Volcano’s 2011 Tournament of Pizza Champion had 64 competitors and Katie Downs came out on top
Now I hadn’t actually gone to Katie Downs for pizza, but while I was there my dear daughter called wanting me to stop for thai food. I talked her into wanting pizza instead and brought home a double cheese, pesto and fresh tomato pie. It was delicious!
 
It was such a lovely day that I took a quick stroll along Les Davis Pier at 3427 Ruston Way. There were all types of folks out and about enjoying the day. They were fishing off the pier, jogging, pushing strollers, walking hand in hand and one poor guy was sitting in his fancy car facing the water and working on his laptop. Per the Metro Parks Tacoma site, there is an artificial reef created with piece of the old Tacoma Narrows Bridge under the pier, making it popular with scuba divers. Les Davis was a Tacoma fisherman.
