All the way to Tacoma
Caitlyn Smith’s Tacoma rooted itself in my brain and somehow became the jumping off point for this crazy open ended house sitting adventure of mine. Seattle was a last minute addition, but I had no idea that booking a trip for a sandwich could leave such an indelible mark on my heart.
Tacoma is just 30 miles south of Seattle but it feels a world away. It’s also a coastal town with fantastic food and breweries, beautiful art museums, proximity to gorgeous natural treasures, and relatively convenient to several wonderful day trips. It was a perfect home base for me and my family for some eventful weeks.
Seattle wasn’t the only 10 Things I Hate About You filming location, Tacoma was home base for more of the film. Stadium High School stood in for Padua, and has a very interesting history. It is absolutely beautiful, even if you don’t have an affinity for the flick. I tried to recreate the iconic jumping photo and really messed up my foot on my first day of sight seeing. I didn’t even get the shot, but I had a lot of fun. The walking boot slowed me down for the rest of my explorations, but I still managed to hit a lot of the sights. I’ll call it worth it. The Stratford House is a gorgeous Victorian with a great view of the water. I’m sure both destinations would be better with a Joseph Gordon Levitt sighting, but it’s a quick and easy walk down memory lane with beautiful architecture to appreciate.
Dale Chihuly is from Tacoma. His Gardens and Glass exhibit under the Space Needle is still my favorite place to see his work, but Tacoma is full of some gorgeous gems too. The Bridge of Glass leads you to the Museum of Glass Dale helped found. There is a beautiful retrospective on Dale and his contribution to the art of glass in the Tacoma Art Museum, there are a several exciting exhibits and it’s free on Thursday nights. In non-covid-times, the courthouse at Union Station has a jaw-dropping display open to the public. You know I love me some trains and stunning stations, so I found myself with my nose pressed to the glass ogling through the doors on several occasions.
I discovered the Karpeles Manuscript Library in Tacoma. It’s the world’s largest private collection of manuscripts and historical documents. There are 13 locations in historical buildings around the country, and the collections rotate every quarter. Right now they have notated drafts of the Treaty of Versailles, Charles Darwin’s diaries and drafts, drafts of Puccini’s Madam Butterfly, the original documentation for the creation of the Olympics. Other locations have handwritten compositions by Mozart and Beethoven, Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, the first printing of the Ten Commandments from the Gutenberg Bible, The Bill of Rights, and John Hancock’s cover letter for the Declaration of Independence. It’s a pretty cool experience, bonus points that it’s totally free and next to a gorgeous botanical garden. The Victorian conservatories were closed for renovation, but it would make a perfect weekday afternoon.
McMenamins are a PNW institution. I’ve been kicking ideas around to marry the concept with some other ideas I have, so I did some research visits to several locations while I was in the area. The old Tacoma Elk Lodge is the perfect place to explore and hang out, and was my absolute favorite discovery in Tacoma this trip. The lobby feels like something out of a Harry Potter movie. There is a tiki bar much like the iconic Tonga Room in San Francisco, Spanish Steps the Romans would adore with incredibly inventive cocktails made with local spirits. The ballroom is beautiful with great live music, there is a hidden bar you find by pushing on random walls, the restaurant is full of incredible architectural salvage.
The PNW doesn’t just have the corner on coffee. There are some fantastic wine and beer options to explore. Black Fleet Brewing was my top pick in Tacoma. They had excellent food, fantastic flights, and I’ll be daydreaming about their raspberry lemonade beer for many many (many) years to come. Odd Otter had an excellent selection of fruity beers- the pineapple was so unbelievably good I couldn’t even judge the bra guys pounding them and being douche bags at the bar. Pint and Pie is pure perfection, the atmosphere, food, and beer are all top notch. I never order dessert, but I couldn’t say no to the lemon meringue pie and I have ZERO regrets. E9 had an incredible sour and their pizzas looked amazing. Dystopian State has a beautiful taproom full of games and flights of fabulous beer. Sluggo Brewing doesn’t offer flights or even make their own beer, but this slightly off the beaten path spot has fantastic Mediterranean food.
I saw and did a lot of wonderful things in Tacoma, but my favorite parts were getting to know Marse, my lovely host, and hanging out with Josh, the world’s sweetest Pittie pup. Marse came back early and we had an amazing family meal of spring rolls and stories. She took me to the beautiful Grand Cinema, an art house theater that made me a little homesick for The Belcourt. Marse is an OG Spoiled Spinster, living her best life and supporting her loved ones. She’s an explorer with similar passions, and spending time with her felt like an optimistic glimpse into my future. There was a Chihuly in her bedroom, a tower of hats and racks of scarves in her hall, stacks of travel books and biographies, and I was captivated by her gallery of travel photos and inspired by the mementos around her home. Josh was sweet and craved attention I couldn’t wait to give him. We survived a historic heat wave together and hid from the oppressive 113 degree heat in an A/C free house living like Beyonce under every fan from the house. They both became parts beloved members of our family, and I couldn’t be more grateful to this crazy adventure for bringing them to my life.
