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Lakebay Marina is a Salty Sight From the Past

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The sights and smells of the vintage  Northwest waterfront are alive and well at the Lakebay Marina in Lakebay, WA.  Off the beaten path on the Key Peninsula near Gig Harbor, the Lakebay Marina harkens back to a rich, salty history.  The nearly 100-year-old marina, nestled in the Mayo Cove in Carr Inlet, offers safe harbor to a small fleet of pleasure craft in a stunning location. To reach the marina, you must first “walk the plank” or pier, out to the old structure. There is not a lot of signage welcoming you to the idyllic spot, but when you see the old, white building at the end of a rather long gang plank you’ll know you have arrived.   The original pier was built in 1884 for private use and in 1928 became well-known for servicing the Mosquito Fleet. The building has been a popular site for locals, serving as a dance hall and gathering place for the community over the years. It was once known as the Washington Cooperative Egg and Poultry Association Lakebay Station. The site was o
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The Pacific Seas Aquarium, Point Defiance Park

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The Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium If you are a water nut like I am, you're going to love a visit to the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium's new underwater playground, Pacific Seas Aquarium.  Recently opened last fall on Sept. 7, 2018, this long-awaited addition to the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium is a thing of beauty and a treat for all ages. The Pacific Seas Aquarium is one of two aquariums in the Point Defiance Zoo in Point Defiance Park, in the North End of Tacoma, WA.  The South Pacific Aquarium, also on the Zoo grounds, is home to 16 sharks, stingrays you can cuddle, and a tropical lagoon.  If you are a shark fan, this 225,000 gallon exhibit filled with sandbar sharks, blacktop reef sharks, nurse sharks, a sand tiger shark and a Japanese wobbegong is definitely the place to be.  The South Pacific  Aquarium has always been a favorite of mine, so I was anxious to see the new Pacific Seas Aquarium. Pacific Seas Aquarium, Point Defiance Zoo The Pac
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April is Tulip Time at RoozenGaarde!

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The Gardens at RoozenGaarde If it's April in the Northwest,  it's time to celebrate spring with a spectacular explosion of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and multitudinous flowering bulbs.  You're in for a visual feast! Just a quick trip north of Seattle  on I-5 will bring you to the fertile farmlands of the Skagit Valley and nearby La Conner, where flowering bulbs are the stars of spring. I visited the first week of April when the weather was beautiful and the bulbs were blooming at about 10%. Some varieties were in full bloom and others were holding out for a little more sunshine. The skies were clear and we had a full-on view of beautiful, snow-covered Mount Baker. Sweet Hyacinths One of the perks of visiting early in the festival was that the  fields are blanketed in yellow and white from the gorgeous daffodils. So, you may not get the amazing array of colors that tulips famously give, but the sweetness in the air from hyacinths, daffodils and tiny
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The Coastal Kitchen Restaurant on Capitol Hill

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Try the Coastal Kitchen for Fresh Oysters or "Blunch" on Capitol Hill… The Coastal Kitchen in Capitol Hill East. When you think of inland  Seattle restaurants, your first thought may not be  fresh, local seafood, but the  Coastal Kitchen at 429 15th Ave. East  is sure to surprise you.  This popular restaurant is dedicated to  serving our favorite local cuisine.  The Coastal Kitchen describes itself  as having a  “seafood-centric” attitude and is committed to  sustainably-raised and wild-caught fish.   That’s what we like to hear around the Northwest. We’ll go out of our way for conscientious purveyors of deliciously fresh seafood.  And the Coastal Kitchen delivers on our lust for everything sea-related. The Oyster Bar at The Coastal Kitchen.  The newest addition to this comfortable restaurant is the stunning Oyster Bar with its distinctive menu items featuring fresh seafood sourced from local waters and around the country,
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Visit the New Seattle Center Armory -- Fresh, Local, Delicious Cuisine...

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The Seattle Center House has received a much-needed facelift and you will hardly recognize her… The New Seattle Center Armory As a kid, in the years following the 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle, the Center House was one of my favorite places to visit. The original food court was filled with exciting temptations from the cutting edge Orange Julius to the ever-popular MacDonald’s. But over the past 50 years, time had taken its toll on the good, old Food Circus. The choices had become flat and predictable. It was uninspiring to wander through the food court and see that the once original and vibrant heart of the Seattle Center had become a pale version of its former self. The Food Circus is now The Seattle Center Armory... I was thrilled to hear that the Center House Food Circus was getting a facelift. Not only a facelift, but a name change as well. The first floor of the Seattle Center House – the former Food Circus -- is now called the “Seattle Center Armory” after i
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The Spectacular Gardens of Point Defiance Park

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A Diverse and Plentiful Garden Experience  When you think of Point Defiance Park in Tacoma , you probably picture elephants, sharks and polar bears -- and for good reason. Point Defiance boasts a world-class zoo and aquarium that are well worth a good long visit. The 29-acre zoological park is the number 2 tourist destination in Pierce County, Washington, second only to Mount Rainier, and attracts over 700,000 visitors a year. (We’ll save a more detailed look at the wonderful zoo and aquarium for another post.)  This post will introduce you to Point Defiance Park's magnificent display of gardens.  The Iris Garden at Point Defiance Park Welcome to Eight Unique and Beautifully Designed Gardens... Did you know that the 700-acre Point Defiance Park, which offers spectacular views of Mount Rainier, the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound, is also the home of eight beautifully designed gardens that will be at the height of their blooming season throughout the next few mo
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Chihuly's Garden and Glass Exhibition

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 The MUST-SEE -- Chihuly Garden and Glass Exhibit... Art Glass Display at Chihuly's Garden and Glass Exhibit As I sit down to write this post, I already know I will run out of superlatives before I am finished. But I will do my best… If you live in the Pacific Northwest and have not heard of Chihuly, I will assume your domicile is under a rock somewhere. If you are planning a visit to Seattle or the surrounding area and have not heard of Dale Chihuly, it is a little more understandable… but not much.  I believe it is safe to say that  Dale Chihuly , native son of Tacoma, Washington, is one of the most influential contemporary glass artists to ever walk the earth, and we are fortunate enough to have access to an unbelievably amazing (superlative numbers one and two) exhibition of his work located prestigiously in the Seattle Center. Chihuly Art Glass and the Space Needle I had visited the Glass Museum in Tacoma – amazing, yes. I have watched many
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