Welcome to Tacoma (Washington)
Welcome to Tacoma – the “City of Destiny”
Tacoma is a port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. It is 32 miles southwest of Seattle and 31 miles northeast of the state capital Olympia. The Mount Rainier, which is famous for the activities you can do there, is nearby and gave the city its name as the mountain originally was called Mount Takhoma. Tacoma is known as the “City of Destiny” as it was chosen to be the western endpoint ot the Northern Pacific Railroad. Its port is the center of international trade on the Pacific Coast. It has been named the most walkable and livable city in the country but also the most stressed-out city.
Information and Facts
Sightseeing
The city is famous for its glass art which mostly can be marvelled in the Museum of Glass.
The Broadway Center for the Performing Arts houses three theatres in which are several performing arts organizations like for example the Tacoma Opera, Tacoma Philharmonic and the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra.
Tacoma is a paradise for nature lovers. It is located next to the saltwater banks of Puget Sound and has a lot of parks, gardens, wildlife and beaches. You can choose between a kayak or boat tour, hiking, climbing, riding a camel or swimming.
Moreover, you can visit one of the farmers markets which offer fresh products, music, arts and crafts.
One must see is the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. You can get really close to the animals while taking breathtaking views of Mount Rainier and the Olympic Mountains. It combines a Wildlife Park, a Marina Complex, a Nature Center, a golf park, a sports park and a Botanical Conservatory.
Shopping
There is a lot of shopping variety in Tacoma, from several shopping districts to malls and boutiques. Tacoma Mall has over 150 stores including accessory boutiques, gift shops, department stores, fashion and electronic stores. It also has a lot of restaurants. The smaller one is called the South Hill Mall.
You can also go “downtown shopping” at Freighthouse Square or Fem Hill District. Another good place to go shoppong is the central shopping area of Tacoma.
Nightlife
Tacoma offers a lot for unforgettable nights. There are a lot of pubs and restaurants as well as nightclubs like the Encore Nightclub or the Club Silverstone where you can play pool as well. Another good evening plan is to see see professional stand-up comedy at The Tacoma Comedy Club.
Public transportation
Getting around Tacoma is very easy with Pierce Transit (http://www.piercetransit.org/). Getting to Tacoma is really easy as well as there is an airport called Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. It is a cooperation between Seattle and Tacome (http://www.portseattle.org/Sea-Tac/Pages/default.aspx). There are flights throughout North America, Europe and the Middle East.
Climate
Tacoma’s climate normally is mild and it is less rainy than in New York City. The warm season is from June to September with an average temperature above 21 degrees. The cold season is from November to February with an average temperature of 10 degrees.
Time
Pacific Standard Time UTC/GMT -8 hours