We’ve been up here almost 2 years and we had yet to spend any time in Tacoma. So yesterday we took a drive down to the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium on the northern point of Tacoma. The grounds at the zoo are beautiful – they’ve done an excellent job at making it feel like a natural park. Many of the plants and trees are labeled so you know what type of species it is. It is a unique place since it has both zoo animals (ie, elephants, tigers, wolves, etc) and an aquarium with sharks, seahorses, beluga whales, and walruses.
Fortunately it is not very big so it makes it easy when you are lugging a couple of kids with you. Oh wait, this is for them, but we are still lugging them. We were only there about 90 minutes – we had to go get lunch since we got a late start. We doubled back on North Ruskin Way and ate at Ram Brewery along Commencement Bay.
After lunch we shot up to the Point Defiance ferry dock but it was still over an hour from leaving. So we drove across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (first time on it – famous for falling down in a windstorm in the mid 20th century), up the Kitsap peninsula and took the Southworth/Vashon ferry back home – this one drops off about a mile from home.
This morning I took Zach down to Seacrest Park so he could ride his trike. We also spent some time on the small pier there and had breakfast at Skylarks. Here are a few photos.
Zach loved the peacocks. Sophie would be jealous.
Yeah, I’m a little freaked watching these guys after what happened at the SF Zoo. They seem so peaceful and cute.
Looking east toward West Seattle from Vashon Island ferry.
Nate’s first ferry ride. What a ham!
Zach doesn’t like photos – so just getting this pose was lucky. He was actually having fun…really.