Begin by taking the ferry from W. Seattle to Vashon Island. We ambled over last Friday, the last day of Mid-Winter Break. The little town of Vashon has many sweet spots to grab a meal, coffee, or picnic fixins. From there, you have options: beaches, farms, playground, cinema, galleries, library, an outdoor pool in summer, teepee camping in warmer weather.
It was too early for the spring lambs when we went, so we headed to that vestige of Vashon called Maury Island. Allegedly it is a separate entity, but as it is physically attached, although by a narrow slip of land tissue, it is a wonder that each segment is considered an "island". On Maury is Pt. Robinson Lighthouse and park. It hosts a narrow stretch of beach with sightlines from Seattle to Tacoma and in the distance, Mt. Rainier. The sand is a coarse, light brown adorned with small blue seashells and white seashells ranging from ring-setting size to salad plates.
Being the Pacific Northwest in February, even on one of those rare sunny, mild days that bridges life from early Fall to Spring, a beach trip calls for hats, wading boots, and sweaters. That this is beach gear didn't strike me as odd until my mother in Georgia commented on the fact when I emailed her a photo. When you grow up in the South, beach means powder-soft, white sand and hot sun, bare feet and bathing suits. Funny how I've grown to enjoy these bundled up tidepool adventures as much as the bare-footed, sandy-bottomed kind.
After shell hunting and listening to a seal sing to the heart of the world, head over to the south end of Vashon for the ferry to Tacoma. (You'll have to retrace your path over the connective tissue between Vashon and Maury before heading south to the ferry.) This ferry is free. Ride to Pt. Defiance, see the zoo if you're up to it; then wander downtown for art: the Tacoma Art Museum, Museum of Glass, and Washington State History Museum. All three cluster in the rehabbed brickwork of old downtown. The TAM presently hosts an exibit of Renoir prints that's worth seeing, and its art room for patrons to try their hand at creating the types of art exhibited in the museum is well set up. I wanted to try printing techniques, since we'd just seen the Renoir, but my daughter was tired and more interested in the quilting blocks, so we made quilt designs. After Frank joined us, we took paper and pastels and drew images of our day or from our imaginations.
After such a long day, it's time to eat! In the museum district lie an array of cafes, restaurants, and shops. Take your pick. Or head into another part of the downtown area to find other pearls. We retraced our steps to a park being renovated up the hill near the Church of Christian Sciences (the name was similar to this). Someday this park will not doubt stun us with its beauty and usefulness. It is still in construction phase, but boasts a large central path for strolling, smaller paths throughout the trees, a playground area, and a conservatory on top of the hill. We also wandered around a bit looking at gorgeous old churches and architecture, which this part of Tacoma boasts in abundance. Then, we meandered home up I-5 to sleep.
Trust me, 6 year old and adult-somethings will enjoy the trip. The costs could be small or large, depending on whether you drive, take public transportation (combined with biking, this could be exhilarating), pack food to take along throughout the day, or eat in restaurants, and how many pay sites you visit. Third Thursdays are free at the museums. Wednesdays the three museums hosts a one ticket entrance fee for all three (less than the cost of all three purchased individually on another day).
TAM (admissions info)
Museum of Glass (admissions info)
Washington State History Museum (admissions info)
Point Defiance Zoo
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