Spring Traditions in Pierce County

Van Lierop's Bulb Farm in Puyallup Washington is a traditional stop in March. It is such a wonder to see miles and miles of the perky yellow blooms especially since the rain has dominated our weather system for half a year now.

Photos Orting Washingtron



With Mount Rainier in the background, the Daffodils are being groomed for their big day - The Daffodil Parade that is held in March.





These are just a couple of shots of an old train and a shed next to one of the nurseries - Windmill to be exact.

Gig Harbor Washington

Gig Harbor - what a beautiful place to relax on a sunny day in the northwest!
http://www.gigharborguide.com/
The walking path is actually a sidewalk that runs along the waterfront. It winds graciously through the quaint harbor town starting at the famous "Tides Tavern" of which is famous for their deck service that includes a dock for the boaters to tie up and have a great meal and a beer!
The atmosphere in this place is amazing - everyone rich or poor - young or old seem to be together like one big happy family reunion. This is a must for tourist and locals alike.
   The walk: definitely rated easy. It is a smooth hanging basket lined sidewalk that is large enough for all to share, which is convenient since on a sunny day it is crowded. The enticement: it is so interesting -

there are historical markers and point of interest reader boards, docks to walk out on, statues like the one above, and lots and lots of boats to ogle over. You will see everything from kayaks to one man sailboats to yachts and fishing rigs.

As you wind your way down through the town, you will find a beautiful resting place right on the water. It is now a park. It was donated by a long time resident that lived in the harbor back in the early 1900's. He left his home located on the other side of the street - now known as the "Christmas House" to his family. His daughter was married to someone that I am sure loved her very much as he has made it obvious by continuing to fill a wooden vase located on a picnic table over looking the water with fresh fresh flowers. The vase is accompanied with a beautiful testimonial to her that is in a protected sheet of plastic. Boy talk about LOVE!   
 Walking through the town you will find many shops brimming with beach wear, paintings, photography, handmade jewelry, pottery, gadgets, used books, antiques, and of  course everything you would need for boating. 

The "Harbor" as the locals call it, is filled with other great restaurants besides the Tides - to include: Chef/Owner Thad Lyman's Brix25•, Sue Glenn's Green Turtle,  and another one of my favorites - Spiro's Pizza and Pasta. 
The idea behind this blog was to combine a good walk with investigating and seeking out the best Farmer's Markets in our area of the Northwest - well to my disappointment the market in the Gig Harbor area was not easy to find. I did however, find  great place to buy fruits and vegetables. It is located along Olympic Drive heading towards Fox Island.  "Harbor Greens" a very cute store filled with awesome fruits and vegetables - lots of organic there too! They also have everything you would need to create that perfect picnic - hand made sandwiches, wines, desserts, crackers, salads, cheese.

Point Defiance (5 mile drive) and Taste of Tacoma

The Rose Garden at Point Defiance is so beautiful right now - if you are a gardener - this is the time to pack your lunch and and spend a couple of hours browsing through all the brilliant colors and petal combinations while making your planting lists. Some of the color combinations actually took my breath away.
I begin my five mile walk through the park in this garden for a couple of reasons, one because it is so beautiful and two - it is an easy place to meet others that want to walk with me. The walk itself is quite breath taking as you have the lush forest, water views, glimpses of wildlife and as you pass the zoo, chances are great that you will be able to spot a few Caribou, Peacocks, and the others that are playing outside at the moment.

I love this walk and recommend it to all. I would rate it as moderate. There are not many hills as long as you stay on the drive. The other bonus, on weekends they don't allow the vehicles to drive it until about noon.

The farmer's market focus this week was actually the "Taste of Tacoma" which was a perfect match for my walk because it is held in the Point Defiance Park. This is an annual event that I have been attending off and on for about 20 years! My family visits from Las Vegas during our cool summer months and this was one of the highlights.



This shot was taken at 10:45 in the morning and the "Taste" didn't even officially start until 11!


So much food to choose from and the number one item that I saw being consumed was the foot long hot dog!! Go figure - it's America!!






Korean Tacos .... they actually looked quite yummy.






This "Blues Band" was the mornings attraction - people were setting up their party sites by 9am. What a fun way to spend your Saturday.




This Colossal Sundae stand looks quiet right now but by the time I finished my walk and the sun came out in full force - it was packed. When they say colossal - they mean HUGE.  It was so fun to see the kids figuring out their plan of attack on this once in a lifetime dessert.

The event was blessed with beautiful weather and lots and lots of people. It really made for an interesting walk and subject to report on. Next week  - I will be in Gig Harbor ..... See you then, Cyn.

Puyallup Farmer's Market

I got into the habit of walking regularly while getting into shape for the "Sound to Narrows" 12k annual run/walk that was held June 12th this year. We would meet and walk the Chamber's Bay Links on Wednesdays after work and Saturday mornings we would walk the 5 mile drive at Point Defiance. Now that it's over I wanted to continue the tradition but decided to make it a little more interesting by including the exploration of local Farmer's Markets.
I started this adventure last weekend in Puyallup. I had no walking plan but thought I could walk the area around the market or the neighborhood but was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was Meeker Days and the entire Main street was filled with booths, art and fair rides. It made for a very interesting walk as there was sooooo much to see!
I did the regulation 5 miles and continued on to the market.
The Puyallup Farmer's Market is one of my favorites as I have been shopping for my veggies here for about 20 years! It was just a small market back then. Every summer when my family would visit from Las Vegas we would head out early every Saturday morning. The market has changed so much since then - it has grown from several local farmers to a huge fair filled with flowers, art, food, and of course veggies galore. They now have a permanent structure that holds about 15 to 20 vender's that sell everything from yummy sweet rolls, salmon, jewelry, handmade doggy wear to potpourri. This structure is nice when it's pouring down rain and the bonus is a very clean restroom just inside the door.
The park is filled with flowers - big beautiful bouquets for $15.00 or potted plants ranging from garden vegetables to rose bushes and big beautiful hanging baskets - (these are my favorite areas). This is where you want to buy your herbs and tomato plants as they have just been potted for sale that morning.
Art is in abundance - things like bird houses, carved bears and yard art, hand painted tiles, hand made jewelry, pottery, clothing, water colors, and photography. The most interesting, I thought, was the painted and shellacked gourds. The artist has carved a design in the skin of the gourd and painted them with beautifully tinted stains then sealed them with a shiny coating. I mean just beautiful!
Food is everywhere! Barbecued ribs fill the air with the sweet smell that only it can. You can get anything from hot Fair Scones to Burritos, Pad Thai, Roasted Corn on the Cob, Lattes, Philly Steak Sandwiches, Ice Cream, Strawberry Shortcake, and Elephant Ears. There's more but I think you get the picture.
The reason I have returned all these years is, there is no better eating than fresh organic fruits, herbs and vegetables. I have a ritual that I do most weekends - it starts with going to the market and picking out my weeks bounty. When I bring it home, I clean and prepare everything for the week so that when I get home from a long day at work, everything is ready to go - Life is so simple.
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