#Hiking - Tacoma's Ruston Way

I haven't been hiking lately, but on January 2nd, I signed up for all the walks and hikes offered by the Auburn Senior Activity Center for the coming three months. Our first hike of 2020 was along Tacoma's Ruston Way, overlooking Commencement Bay.

The in-and-out route included exploring the new pedestrian bridge and slides near the Point Defiance ferry terminal and some of the Frank Herbert Park. (More about the slides below.) We'd originally planned to walk through the wooded Puget Ravine as well, but recent heavy rains made that option slippery and muddy -- unsafe for our group. The day's cold, drizzly weather didn't keep us home, however!

There are two options for getting from the bridge to the shore. Stairs or a series of slides. Only one member of our group chose the slides.

When he landed on his tailbone with a thump, the rest of us decided we'd pass on that experience! I'm guessing the slides would be more fun (and more crowded) on a sunny day.

We split up for lunch at various Ruston Point restaurants, then walked back to the van for a total trek of 6.75 miles.

Not bad for a bunch of seniors!

More info:

Tacoma's Ruston Point Restaurants
Tacoma's Ruston Point Park & Slides (and a little history)

I'm linked with:

Jo's Monday Walk -  Johanna at Restless Jo - Link HERE

Our World Tuesday - Link HERE

Saturday Snapshot - Melinda at A Web of Stories - Link HERE 

Outside My Comfort Zone - #SaturdaySnapshot

I'm a senior citizen. Although I'm active and hike and walk, my days and evenings are pretty tame--lunch with friends, meetings with writing groups, quilting, gardening, reading, watching movies on Netflix. I'm usually in bed by 11:00 pm. However, last weekend my son invited me to watch him perform at open mic night at Odd Otter Brewing Company in Tacoma. Here are a few photos I took during that step outside my comfort zone.

A 4-ounce glass of beer with just a little bit left. 
Delicious, and just my size!

I studied this device for a while before asking
my son, "Is this a jukebox?" He said, "Yes."
Quite different from the ones I remember.

Singers performed country songs, Beatles, and blues. One woman played the violin. Another recited poetry. None of them sounded like amateurs.

Here's my son, singing the blues and strumming on his Dobro-style guitar.
Sorry the photo is a little blurry. I couldn't get closer right then
and I didn't want to use a flash. I was trying not to be a pushy mom!

We had a great time. I plan to go to many more open mic nights in the future. It's fun to step outside my comfort zone occasionally!

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Melinda at A Web of Stories.

To join in or view photos from around the world:

Post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken, then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky on the website

(Link HERE) 

Photos can be old or new and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. Please don't post random photos you find online. 

Ruston Way, #Tacoma - #SaturdaySnapshot

Last week I posted photos of the hiking group's outing to Tacoma's Puget Creek Natural Area (HERE). Today I'm sharing pictures of things we saw on the walk along Ruston Way, leading to the hike's trailhead.
(Click on photos to enlarge.)

I found details about this bell online:
The Children’s Bell sculpture, which is located at 3800 Ruston Way, was a gift to Tacoma from “Washington Partnerships for Action, Voices for Empowerment (PAVE)” and other private donors in order to celebrate the life, spirit, and accomplishments of Washington PAVE Founder and Director Marty Gentili, who was born on May 28, 1942, and passed away on Feb. 28, 1993. The four-foot-tall bronze bell is decorated with children around the border and is meant to be rung and accessible by people with disabilities, according to Metro Parks Tacoma.

The Firefighters Memorial is located along Ruston Way, in front of the waterfront firehouse & fireboat station in Tacoma, WA. The memorial includes names of fallen local firefighters and a bronze statue of three firefighters, titled "Fully Involved" by sculptor Larry Perkins. Brick pavers are engraved with the names of donors that contributed to the building of the memorial.

This fantasy pterodactyl ("Sugar"), weighing 200 pounds, is part of a weather vane created by Mike Workman (and Janet Nix, painter). The entire weather vane is 28 feet tall, and the bird has an 11-foot wingspan.

Who fastened a Sears Tote-Cycle from the 1960s to this piling? Nobody knows.

Children at play, even on a wintry day. Mount Rainier on the horizon.

Walking back to the van with the snowcapped Olympic Mountains on the horizon.

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Melinda at A Web of Stories.
To join in or view photos from around the world:
Post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken, then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky on the website
(Link HERE) 
Photos can be old or new and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. Please don't post random photos you find online. 

Jo's Monday Walk is hosted by Johanna at Restless Jo. Link up HERE.

First #Hike of 2019 - #SaturdaySnapshot

The Auburn Senior Activity Center's first hike of 2019 is described this way in the brochure:

PUGET PARK & RUSTON WAY

MILES: 6.5

RATE: 2

Hikers will begin their trip along Ruston Way. After walking along the waterfront hikers will detour through the Puget Ravine. This lollipop trail follows a restored stream that once powered a sawmill and now provides habitat for salmon. The trail is wooded and may be muddy. Wooden treads help provide good footing for the downhill portion of the trail. Returning along the waterfront, hikers will be able to lunch at one of several restaurants. After lunch hikers will explore the trail along the water side of Point Ruston then return to the van. Except for the ravine the trail is paved and level. The ravine trail has elevation gain. 

(FYI: "Lollipop" describes the shape of the hike. We walk down a trail, take a loop, and then go back the way we came.)

The morning started out chilly and overcast.

Before long we left the paved walkway and headed into the Puget Ravine.

A climb up a steep path took us to the bridge.
We crossed it and walked through this park...

... then headed back down to the ravine.

With all that up and down, my legs sure felt sore the next day!
Next Saturday I'll post photos of the sculpture and scenery we saw on our hike back along Ruston Way.

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Melinda at A Web of Stories.
To join in or view photos from around the world:
Post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken, then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky on the website
(Link HERE) 
Photos can be old or new and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. Please don't post random photos you find online. 

Ruston Way, Tacoma - #SaturdaySnapshots

The first hike of 2017 was a long one. Seven miles! Although the group had planned to traverse Tacoma's Puget Park, our leader was concerned about ice on the trail, so we opted to follow the paved path that runs alongside Commencement Bay. I guess she didn't want to deal with a bunch of slipping and sliding seniors! With temps in the twenties, that was probably a smart move. Even though the trek was flat, seven miles is a good distance.
(Click on photos to enlarge.)

With views of the snow-covered Olympic Mountains to the northwest ...

and Mount Rainier in the haze to the southeast, plus ships coming and going from the port, these condos must be an interesting place to live. 

Benches like this one line the path. They reminded me of those things sailors tie their boats to when they dock, which was certainly appropriate for this area near the Tacoma docks. When I got home, I looked online and discovered they're called horn cleats. I can see how they got their name!

After lunch at a nearby restaurant, we continued our walk to Tacoma's Chinese Reconciliation Park. 

The park's website says:

"The Chinese garden motif allows the park to stand both as an acknowledgment of the forceful expulsion of the Chinese population of the City of Tacoma by municipal leaders and a large crowd on November 3, 1885, and as a celebration of the city's multicultural past, present, and future. The expulsion was an act of exclusion in response to complex conditions of the time, among them economic decline and anti-Chinese sentiment. The park is an act of reconciliation and inclusivity toward appreciation of the people of diverse legacies and interests who are part of the city as a dynamic community." 
(Link for more info)

I'm ready for our next adventure!

Click on map to zoom in (+) or out (-)

Saturday Snapshots is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads.

To enjoy a variety of beautiful pictures from around the world, 

click HERE or on the box below.  

To participate in Saturday Snapshots: post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) 

have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky on the host blogsite. 

Chihuly - Saturday Snapshots

Several years ago when a friend visited from Florida, we decided to drive over to Tacoma to Dale Chihuly's Museum of Glass. I'm so glad we did! Not only did we see an exhibition of gorgeous works of glass, we actually saw artists creating their glass sculptures in the museum's Hot Shop. Here are some photos I took of that visit.
(Click on pictures to enlarge.)

The distinctive stainless steel cone marks the museum's location.
Mt. Rainier peeks over the hill in the background.

The Chihuly Bridge of Glass (pedestrian walkway)
 is dominated by these huge glass sculptures. The bridge also
includes a covered display featuring smaller works.

One of the glass objects featured
in the covered display on the Chihuly Bridge.

A glass artist at work in the Hot Shop. 

You can watch glass artists at work here: Hot Shop Video / Live Feed

By the way, Chihuly Garden and Glass opened in Seattle in 2012. I haven't seen the exhibition, but it's supposed to be glorious. Here's more info: Chihuly Garden & Glass - Seattle

Saturday Snapshots is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads.

To enjoy a variety of beautiful pictures from around the world, 

click HERE or on the box below. 

Gig Harbor, WA - Saturday Snapshots

Taking advantage of our beautiful weather while it lasts, my friend Nan and I ventured to Gig Harbor, WA, today for lunch. It's about a half-hour drive from our neighborhood to the MarketPlace Grille, a small cafe with good food and a gorgeous view. Here are a few snapshots from our excursion. 
(Click on photos to enlarge.)

View from our table at the restaurant.

We walked a little ways along Harborview Drive and were
rewarded with a view of Mount Rainier, peeking over the 
trees on the horizon.

Since Nan and I share a fabric addiction, we stopped
at this delightful quilt shop. Beautiful fabrics.

Then back across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge
headed for home (with views of Mount Rainier
along the way)

Saturday Snapshots is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads.

To enjoy a variety of beautiful pictures from around the world, 

click HERE or on the box below. 

Point Defiance - Saturday Snapshots

When I suggested to my husband that we take advantage of our beautiful weather before the autumn rains set in, he readily agreed. So we headed off to Tacoma and Point Defiance Park and Gardens. It's about a 45-minute drive from our house, but once we're there, it feels like we're hundreds of miles from civilization. Here are some photos of our excursion. (Click to enlarge.)

The park is filled with gigantic trees like this one
in the Japanese Garden section.

Here's the dahlia garden with row after row of gorgeous
blooms. There are separate gardens for roses, fuschia,
iris, rhododendrons, and northwest natives. 

The colors and types of dahlias were endless.

I was delighted to catch a bee in one photo.

I'd love to visit the garden when this rose arbor is in bloom.

And this lovely setting is surrounded by Puget Sound.

That's Vashon Island across the water.

You'll find more information about Point Defiance Park here.

Saturday Snapshots is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads.

To enjoy a variety of beautiful pictures from around the world, 

click HERE or on the box below.