Great Expectations: Tacoma
On the nightstand: The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey by Candice Millard. Great recommendation from Mom!Coming through the speakers: Jason Isbell's new album Something More than Free. Like Southeastern, it grows on me with each listen.
Grit City. T-Town. City of Destiny. Tacompton.Grey skies greeted me as I stepped off the Tacoma-bound bus. My expectation level hovered around the bus fare amount: $2.00. I've always been a bargain thrill-seeker. Knowing adventure lies in all things, I confidently walked past the bus station and up to the Tacoma Dome. My $2.00 expectation fell just short. What is it about bus stations and their surrounding environs? As the clouds began to lift, I started my walk into the city.The Museum of Glass, Dale Chihuly's hometown showplace. The Bridge of Glass. Old Union Station. The Washington State History Museum. The former Thea Foss superfund site is now a thriving riverfront cultural center. I wandered around the red-bricked buildings, making note of what I would do on my return trip, then jumped on a light rail train that dropped me off in the city park.
I had the luck of stumbling on the Music and Art in Wright Park (MAWP) Fest. Free punk music. Kitsch vendors. Food trucks. And a beautiful afternoon. Tacoma resembled the Seattle of 20 years ago, at least the Seattle I've been told existed. Unpretentious. Alternative. Small-ish, but big enough to feel part of something. Much too raw for a hipster movement, which made me appreciate it even more. Of course, all Seattle-ites would instantly disagree. They can write their own blog if they feel that strongly about it.
After a nap at the punk rock fest (seriously, I can sleep anywhere), I continued the wanders. The residential architecture. The public architecture. It may not be true today, but at one point, serious amounts of money flowed through the city.
The walking worked up quite a thirst. The local brewery was the obvious choice for thirst-quenching. The beer hall overflowed with picnic tables and games and cold beverages. I ended up next to three guys who told crude jokes while laughing about missing the day's beer fest, which had overtaken the city center. We cheers-ed the beer in front of us, then they were off to start their own beerfest.I caught the next bus to Seattle. The return fare had jumped to $3.00. No worry. I still considered it a value adventure.