Start the Year Fresh in the Great Outdoors

As a kid, my favorite thing to say in the New Year was, "I haven't done this all year!" At the start of the year, I still feel a new enthusiasm, motivated to get out and do things "we haven't done all year." Avoid getting hung up on resolutions and instead focus on quality time with your family in the great outdoors. Here are a few of my family's favorite winter outdoor activities nearby.

Snow Tubing at the Summit

Picture this: no hauling a sled up the hill, smooth slopes, easy parking, and tons of fun. Where do you find this magic? The Summit at Snoqualmie. Before you go, you must pay for your session pass for a select date and time. This pass gets you 1.75 hours of snow tubing. As part of the tubing, there is an awesome covered surface lift (like an escalator) to the top, so you don't have to trudge your kids' and your tubes up the hill every time. Also, there are 7+ tubing lanes at the top and loads of tubes available for you to use. It's worth the price with all the amenities and fun! 

Read More: Here is my past blog post all about Snow Tubing at the Summit!

Prairie Line Trail Urban Hike

Sometimes, getting to a trail is tough with kids and the weather. The solution: an urban hike! As luck would have it, the Prairie Line Trail is a perfect Tacoma urban hike. The Prairie Line Trail is about a mile-long stretch through downtown along the retired, historic Prairie Line railroad corridor. 

You can start the hike near the Children's Museum of Tacoma. You will see the old train tracks to follow through your urban hike. Walking (or scootering...because kids), you'll pass some cool art structures like the "Shipment to China," a bronze, antique train truck sculpture. 

You will continue up toward the Tacoma Art Museum. My family tends to stray off course, cross over to the other side of Zeek's Pizza, and walk along the tracks through the University of Washington campus. 

There are more sculptures along the way. We enjoy the Terminus, which is granite that references travelers' suitcases. Inspiration is from this being the end of the Northern Pacific Railroad. 

Cross over the Chihuly Bridge of Glasss to the Foss Waterway Marina area to extend the urban hike. Otherwise, head to the Brewery District and grab lunch or a snack at Camp Colvos or 7 Seas Brewing

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium 

We are so lucky to have the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in our town. It makes for a great way to spend time outside. Those of us with little ones can motivate them to keep moving to see the next animal. They are also safe to run around and be free. You can head to the aquarium for indoor time when you get cold. There are a few other things to consider: the carousel, the goats, and the playground. It's an enjoyable outing for the whole family. Check out their hours before going since they have less time open during the winter season.

Start 2024 outside with the family. It will refresh you and start the year off right.

Checking it Out: Debbie Dolittle's Indoor Petting Zoo

Checking it Out: Debbie Dolittle's Indoor Petting Zoo

I’ve been curious about Debbie Dolittle's Indoor Petting Zoo for a while. I was really hoping to find someone that had been there to see what it’s all about, but everyone I talk to is just like me: never been but curious. One recent Saturday afternoon we had nothing to do and I figured it was the perfect time to see what the place as all about.

Now, I can be that person to you - you know, the one I was looking for to tell me all about it. Yup, here I am ready to share all the details with you. Before I dive into this, I do want to say I have no insights or information about any of Debbie Dolittle’s animal practices. I saw some stuff online a while ago shaming it for poor animal treatment, but I really don’t know the whole story - what’s true, what’s not true, I don’t know. I’m just going to share what our experience was that afternoon with our kids.

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Top 10: Topics that didn’t make it to a Blog Post

Top 10: Topics that didn’t make it to a Blog Post

I really wanted to post something with more oomph today, but that obviously didn’t happen. Nap/quiet time all week was filled up with household tasks like making dinner, laundry, dishes, cleaning, tidying, or me trying to stuff lunch in my face. I am currently brainstorming my next post which will be about where to eat on date night in Tacoma. Does that sound interesting?

So I came up with Friday Five. Then I realized I had more to say and went with Top 10. Which also made me think of David Letterman and his Top 10 lists. My parents used to watch him in the evenings after my sister and I went to bed (ha, I get it now)…But back to the Top 10. I am gonna say this is the top 10 things that I have on my mind and also wanted to share but didn’t have enough time or interesting enough to make up an entire post. So without further ado, here’s the…

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