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Explore Washington State Logo Shape of Washington State
  • Aerial view of Tacoma waterfront
    Food and Drink | Pierce County | Tacoma | Things To Do

    Dive, Bars, and Drinks: Tacomaโ€™s Top 5 Dive Bars

    ByElla Lucnete May 27, 2025October 27, 2025

    Living in Tacoma for most of my life, I have found the restaurant/city life to be particularly exciting. Want lobster? No problem. Looking to try an elk slider? Yes, we’ve got that too. As I turned that whopping 21 years of age, I found it even more enticing to go into the bars and taverns…

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  • Tacoma sculpture by Elk's Temple in Tacoma, Washington
    Destinations | Pierce County | Tacoma

    Tacoma In Two Days: An Ambitious Itinerary

    ByBritt Board October 10, 2024October 27, 2025

    Updated February 2024 Tacoma’s reputation precedes itself. For all the negativity that has clouded perceptions of Tacoma, the narrative has drastically changed over the past decade. There’s been a collective awakening about the virtues of this town, which has been a blessing or a curse to locals, depending on who you ask. The ever-popular “Keep…

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  • Sasquatch
    Chelan | Tacoma | Things To Do

    Washington Cryptids

    BySarah Prentice June 12, 2024November 16, 2024

    Learn about Washington’s Cryptids, where you’ll find them, and what legends these mystical creatures come along with.

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  • kegs
    Beer | Destinations | Food and Drink | Pierce County | Tacoma | Things To Do

    Visiting Tacomaโ€™s Brewery District

    ByChris Boone June 1, 2024October 27, 2025

    With spring rapidly approaching and sunny weekends right around the corner, my mind is already trending towards brighter days. Those days that make living in Washington State so worth the gloomy months. As the sun reappears to dry out our soggy backyard fire pits, springtime in the Pacific Northwest is all about getting outside and…

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  • Aerial view of Tacoma waterfront
    Destinations | Featured | Pierce County | Tacoma | Things To Do

    Spending a Weekend in Tacoma

    ByBrandon Fralic September 25, 2020October 27, 2025

    Located 33 miles south of Seattle, Tacoma is a dynamic waterfront city whose art museums, outdoor recreation and brewery scene have turned it into a thriving Washington destination. In 2019 the city completed a major transformation โ€” converting its former smelter site into a stunning waterfront park at Dune Peninsula. Tacomaโ€™s waterfront walks alone are…

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  • Point-Ruston-waterfront
    Destinations | Fun with Kids | Pierce County | Point Ruston | Tacoma | Things To Do

    Visiting Tacomaโ€™s Point Ruston Way

    ByMarsha Perry February 15, 2020October 27, 2025

    Point Ruston and the surrounding waterfront have come a long way from a place of mills, boatyards, warehouses and an infamous copper smelting plant. As a child Iโ€™d beg my mom to drive under the looming smelter tower via a 325-foot tunnel that had such a curve before the north entrance, drivers were directed to…

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  • Proctor district view
    Destinations | Pierce County | Tacoma

    Visiting Tacomaโ€™s Proctor District

    ByChris Boone November 15, 2019October 27, 2025

    As the 20th century approached in the city of Tacoma, Washington, industry, and more importantly, money, began flowing into the city. With much of the downtown land being dominated by the railroad companies, newcomers were forced outwards, into the forests that encircled โ€œNew Tacoma.โ€ One young investor was Allen C. Mason. Mr. Mason began buying…

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  • Mt Rainier Washington
    King County | Pierce County | Tacoma

    Home Is Where The Heart Is

    ByMacKenzie Passegger June 24, 2018October 19, 2022

    Having lived abroad in Europe for the last six years, Iโ€™ve lost track of how many times someone has asked me where Iโ€™m originally from. Being born in Washington, and then moving to Ohio, Nevada, and then back to Washington for high school, the only place thatโ€™s ever felt like, โ€œhome-home,โ€ is Washington. But knowing…

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  • Dash Point Park and Pier View of Puget Sound
    Destinations | Tacoma | Things To Do | Videos

    Dash Point Park and Pier – Tacoma, WA

    ByExplore Washington State November 16, 2017October 27, 2025

    One of our favorite little spots to frequent in the south sound is the Dash Point Park and Pier in NE Tacoma. This cute condensed beach and pier is sometimes referred to as the “Lobster Shop Beach” because the restaurant by the same name used to own a quaint waterfront location just across from the…

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  • LeMay Car Museum in Tacoma
    Destinations | Museums | Pierce County | Tacoma | Things To Do

    LeMay Car Museum in Tacoma

    ByExplore Washington State July 12, 2017October 27, 2025

    The LeMay Car Museum in Tacoma is one of the coolest places in Washington to see historic cars. If you love history, cars, or both, this museum is a great way to enjoy an afternoon in the south Puget Sound! Roll up your sleeves, because this museum is anything but boring. Enjoy interactive exhibits, learn…

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  • Browns Point WA
    Destinations | Federal Way | King County | Pierce County | Tacoma | Things To Do

    Browns Point Lighthouse Beach

    ByExplore Washington State May 25, 2017November 20, 2024

    Children crying because it’s too hot outside? Dad wants to take the motorcycle for a spin? Mom just wants to read her book in the shade? Then grab your arm floaties and your fishing rod, and head down to Browns Point Lighthouse Park just southwest of Federal Way. Pictures can give you an idea of…

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  • Point Defiance Park in Tacoma Washington
    Destinations | Fun with Kids | Pierce County | Tacoma | Things To Do | Videos | Wildlife

    Point Defiance Park

    ByExplore Washington State May 2, 2017November 20, 2024

    Point Defiance Park in nestled at the end of the scenic Ruston Way Waterwalk in the north end of Tacoma, and is home to three of the city’s most popular destinations for families and large groups. History of Point Defiance Park Point Defiance Park began as a military reservation after the Wilkes Expedition visited Puget Sound in…

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