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Tacoma in Washington, is the state's third-largest city, with just under 200,000 residents. It is served by Sea-Tac airport, which serves Seattle, Tacoma, and the greater Seattle area.

Contents 1 Get in 2 Get around 3 See 3.1 Museums 3.2 Other 4 Do 5 Buy 6 Eat 7 Drink 8 Sleep 9 Get out

Get in

In addition to Sea-Tac airport (and taxi/limo or rental car), there are:

• Commuter rail service [1] from Tacoma to Seattle (mornings) and back (afternoon/evenings).
• A ferry to and from Vashon Island [2]. (Don't plan on walking anywhere when you get to Vashon Island; you'll need a car to get anywhere worth seeing.)
• Amtrak Cascades trains [3] running between Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada) and Eugene, Oregon, stopping in Tacoma. (Amtrak also has trains that go to California and to points east, from Tacoma.)

Get around

• Sound Transit Link Light Rail [4] (light rail) between Freighthouse Square (near the Tacoma Dome) and downtown, with a stop near the Washington State History Museum.

• Pierce Transit [5] operates local routes on buses ran on Natural Gas. It is rather average of a North American public transit system (not all that nice).

See

Museums

Tacoma is the home of three good museums, all within an easy walk of each other:

• Washington State History Museum [6]
• Tacoma Art Museum [7]
• Museum of Glass [8] - you can cross to or from this museum on the Chihuly Bridge of Glass [9] - and no, the bridge is not made of glass - it's 500 feet long, over Interstate 705, with glasswork exhibits.

Other major museums are planned:

• Museum of Motorcycles [10] - scheduled to open in early 2006.
• LeMay Car Museum [11] - tentatively scheduled to open in 2008.

Other

• The Seymour Botanical Conservatory [12], within Wright Park [13].
• Union Pacific Station [14] and its Dale Chihuly glass exhibits [15]. Next to the Washington State History Museum.
• University of Washington, Tacoma [16] - located in an old business district near downtown. A suggested walking tour [17] is available. (UW Tacoma is across the street from the Washington State History Museum.)
• Brown & Haley's Outlet Store The [18] near the factory (most famous for Almond Roca® candy).

A new convention center [19] opened in late 2004.

(The original bridge, built in 1940, and known as "Galloping Gertie", is well known because of its collapse [20].)

Do

• The Tacoma Regional Convention & Visitor Bureau [21] has its Visitor Information Center at the Courtyard by Marriott hotel in downtown Tacoma (1515 Commerce Street). Visitor guides, maps and brochures on area attractions are avaialable, and the center includes a new computer station where visitors can research travel information on the Internet.

Buy

• Freighthouse Square [22] is a building three city blocks long, with shops and eating places inside, near the Tacoma Dome. Open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

• The Tacoma Mall [23], near Interstate 5 (at the 38th Street exit) is a major shopping center in Tacoma. A wide variety of stores extending well to the north and south of the mall, as well.

Eat

6th Avenue has some affordable restaurants.

• Primo Grill (on 6th & South Pine). Moderately Priced, Italian/Mediterranean, Lunch & Dinner.

• Asado (on 6th & South Pine). Pricey, Argentinian, Dinner.

• Gary's SteakOut (a block from 6th & South Pine). Moderately Priced, Classic Steak House, Dinner.

• Gateway to India (on 6th & South Fife). Inexpensive, Indian, Lunch & Dinner.

• Southern Kitchen (on 6th & Division). Inexpensive, Southern/Soul, Lunch & Dinner.

• Wild Orchid (on 6th & South Cedar). Inexpensive, Pan-Asian, Lunch & Dinner.

Pacific Avenue has some of Tacoma's newest restaurants.

• El Gaucho (in Downtown Tacoma near 21st Street and Pacific Avenue). Pricey, Steaks & Chops, Dinner.

• Melting Pot (in Downtown Tacoma near 21st Street and Pacific Avenue). Pricey, Fondue, Dinner.

• Pacific Grill (near the hotels and Convention Center in Downtown Tacoma on 15th Street and Pacific Avenue). Pricey, Steaks & Seafood, Lunch & Dinner.

• Sea Grill (near the hotels and Convention Center in Downtown Tacoma on 15th Street and Pacific Avenue). Pricey, Seafood, Lunch & Dinner.

• Indochine (near the University of Washington, Tacoma is on 19th and Pacific). Not pricey (and rather enjoyable), Pan-Asian, Lunch & Dinner.

Drink

• Up on Tacoma's MLK Way is the terrific Tempest Lounge. Scenesters and neighbors mingle in this gay-friendly bar, craving the cool cocktails and tasty treats.

• Right around the corner from Tempest is the equally fabulous Monsoon Room. Featuring a huge list of traditional - and some very non-traditional - cocktails, they turn out some astonishing flavors. The Mai Tai is not to be missed.

• For old-school, straight-out-of-the-'70s flava, the bar at Johnny's Dock is a must [especially for the nice days on the deck]. From the naugahyde swivel chairs to the odd touches of brass, this place hasn't had it's mousse ruffled in a while. They serve workmanlike drinks, but they've got a great deck and happy hour prices apply during any televised sporting event.

Sleep

The four major downtown hotels in the city are:

• Sheraton Tacoma [24], downtown.
• Silver Cloud [25], on a two-mile long scenic waterfront, Ruston Way [26].
• A Courtyard by Mariott [27], which opened in June 2005, downtown near the Convention Center.

• Comfort Inn Tacoma [28] is a 90 room hotel located 5 miles south from the downtown corridor.

The Villa [29] is a highly rated, luxury six-room bed and breakfast hotel in the Stadium district. Their website has restaurant recommendations [30].

Get out

Near Tacoma are some other things worth visiting, listed roughly north to south:

• To the northwest, the waterfront town of Gig Harbor.

• To the northeast, Rhododendron Species Foundation and Garden, and the adjacent Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection in Federal Way, just off Interstate 5.

• Six Flags Wild Waves Enchanted Village, a water-themed amusement park, also in Federal Way, just off Interstate 5.

• To the south, Lakewold Gardens Estate, in Lakewood.

• Also to the south, Northwest Trek, a 615-acre park that is home to more than 200 North American animals.

• To the southeast, Mount Rainier National Park, and the nearby Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad.

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