From the docks to old town

From the glass museum, there’s a boardwalk north along the bay, though you have to get back on the road in some places. If you’re lucky there might be an event on like the maritime festival.

The further north you go, the city starts to rise above the bay.

from the 4th street bridge, you can take Pacific Avenue north and follow the bay around with the growing wooded hills separating you from the city above. Towards the north end, it gets more industrial.

Finally around North 30th street is old town…

From here it’s mainly residential and you can start heading south again through the city streets.

 

a nice break in the middle is Wright Park

surrounded by some interesting properties…

Beyond Seattle… Tacoma!

Tacoma is Seattle’s sometimes maligned little sibling. Named after Mt Tacoma before its name was changed to Rainier, it shares a lot with the mountain – the last time the volcano blew, mud flows made it all the way to Commencement Bay.

Depending on what you’re after though, it may have something to offer you… Only 40-50 minutes outside of Seattle, it’s worthy of a day trip.

Heading down the I5, the first noticeable landmark is the Tacoma dome,

though unless there’s an event on, the first stop is usually the docks. Here you can find the Glass Museum (more on that later) and Union Station.

If you have a bit of stamina, you can do the loop up the docks to old town, then back through the City to the theater and commercial districts – you have to make your mind up early though due to a curious feature of Tacoma – downtown is a good 100ft or so above the waterway with few connecting routes – after the 4th street bridge, you’re pretty much committed.