A Reminiscing Kind of Day … Olympia to Tacoma

Tuesday, 15 May 2018
Gig Harbor RV Resort — Gig Harbor, Washington
Temps: 66F (19C) / 53F (12C)

Have been settled in at Gig Harbor for three days now.  We took the first two days at our home base easy — the adrenaline rush that was keeping us going since leaving Houston just under a month ago fizzled out I think … we just felt weary.  The weather cooperated with blue skies and sunshine, though.  We took advantage of that to enjoy our patio … and also strolled into and around Gig Harbor.

Colorful blooms are in the gardens all around Gig Harbor.

We had a typical PacNW day today … with clouds and gloom giving way to sunshine and cheer in the afternoon.  The temp was on the cool side when we set off around 10:00a, but it warmed up nicely when the sun came out.

We spent much of the day focusing on our primary reason for being here — determining if we want to settle in the area eventually.  We’re still a long ways from making that decision, but we checked out a variety of neighborhoods in the Olympia area and toured model homes in new-build subdivisions.

Then we turned our attention to sightseeing and reminiscing.  The dingy-looking Capitol dome in Olympia was a real downer.  I surely don’t remember that being the case when we toured the building in 1982.

Our first two attempts for al fresco dining in area parks were a bust.  Mui had found nice waterfront parks overlooking West Bay, but the landscapers were using their blowers and creating quite a racket at the first … busloads of school kids were unloading at the second.  So, we headed over to Tumwater Falls Park for a trip down memory lane instead.

A true blast from the past … note the can of Olympia Beer in Mui’s hand

The park wasn’t crowded at all.  Despite the overcast, it made for a nice spot for a quick bite and a stroll.  We found a bench overlooking the falls … formed by the Deschutes River taking a short cut to the salt water of Puget Sound.

We make new memories at the falls today.

The name Tumwater comes from a Chinook word that means “noisy water.”  Indeed the falls here roar downriver, following the drainage route the river carved out for itself by cutting away the softer rock until it reached the hard volcanic basalt underneath.

We wandered around the park awhile … reading the scattered information panels and learning about historic Tumwater … viewing the falls from different vantage points … enjoying the colorful blooms that added color to the otherwise drab afternoon.

The totem pole was a gift from the Olympia Salmon Club.

Tumwater Falls is next to the old Olympia Brewing Company.  The brewery was established in 1896 and operated successfully for many years … closing only during Prohibition.  When it reopened in 1934, it did so at the facility overlooking the Upper Falls.  The brewery was sold by the local owners in 1983, and finally closed permanently in 2003, so Olympia beer is no more.

The buildings above the falls once brewed Olympia Beer.

Though my journal from 1982 reflects that we visited Tumwater Falls Park in June, we toured the brewery exactly 36 years ago today.  How’s that for a coincidence ;-)

Memories from our 1982 tour of the brewery.

Next up was a quick stop at JBLM [Joint Base Lewis-McChord] … which back in the day was two separate military installations … Lewis being Army; McChord being Air Force.  We went to the Lewis post exchange for Mui to get a haircut.  Then we stopped to pick up groceries from the commissary.  The bonus to dallying at JBLM — it gave the skies time to clear and suddenly we had a beautiful afternoon to do some more reminiscing.

Heading into Tacoma, we programmed the GPS to take us to 8300 Phillips Road NW … to the apartment we rented after I got a job at KCPQ-TV.  Wow!  Nothing had changed … except the apartment doors that were once brown were now white!

Firsts in 1982 — our first apartment … our first car.

Onward to Point Defiance Park … also in Tacoma.  This urban park overlooks the Tacoma Narrows.  It is home to a zoo and aquarium, has a botanical garden, and offers trails through the old-growth forest with overlooks that give hikers expansive water views.  We’ll be back another time to do some hiking … today we just wandered around the grounds willy-nilly … stopped to check out the Shinto Shrine near the Japanese pagoda that was built in 1914 … strolled around a pond at the botanical garden.

The word torii translates as “bird abode.”  These traditional gates are commonly found at the entrance to Shinto shrines.  This one was donated to Tacoma by sister city Kokura.

Beautiful blooms in the botanical garden.

By dinner time we were back home after a day of exploring the new and reminiscing about the old.

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