scubish.com: Scuba diving Tacoma - Washington - USA

Tacoma in Washington, is the state's second-largest city, with just under 200,000 residents. It is served by Sea-Tac airport, which serves Seattle, Tacoma, and the greater Seattle area. Tacoma often gets a negative description that is similar to the one given to Oakland, California but in the same way, this comes from those who have never lived in or even visited the city. While it has neither the tourist amenities of its neighbor Seattle to the north nor the suburban safety and rich history of Olympia and Portland to the south, one can certainly spend a few pleasant days in Tacoma and see the city's dynamic art scene as well as its great ballet.

Get in

In addition to Sea-Tac airport (and taxi/limo or rental car), there are:

Commuter rail service from Tacoma to Seattle (mornings) and back (afternoon/evenings).

A ferry to and from Vashon Island . (Don't plan on walking anywhere when you get to Vashon Island; you'll need a car to get anywhere worth seeing.)

Amtrak Cascades trains running between Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada) and Eugene, Oregon, stopping in Tacoma. (Amtrak also has trains that go to California and to points east, from Tacoma.)

Get around

Tacoma Link A light rail/streetcar line that runs between Freighthouse Square (near the Tacoma Dome and the train station) and downtown, with a stop that serves the Washington State History Museum / University of Washington, Tacoma area. Trains runs every 10-20 minutes, and the fares are free.

Pierce Transit operates local routes on buses ran on Natural Gas. It is rather average of a North American public transit system (not all that nice).

See

Museums

Tacoma is the home of three good museums, all within an easy walk of each other:

Washington State History Museum

Tacoma Art Museum

Museum of Glass - you can cross to or from this museum on the Chihuly Bridge of Glass - and no, the bridge is not made of glass - it's 500 feet long, over Interstate 705, with glasswork exhibits.

Other major museums are planned:

Museum of Motorcycles - scheduled to open in early 2006.

LeMay Car Museum - tentatively scheduled to open in 2008.

Other

The Seymour Botanical Conservatory , within Wright Park .

Union Pacific Station and its Dale Chihuly glass exhibits . Next to the Washington State History Museum.

University of Washington, Tacoma - located in an old business district near downtown. A suggested walking tour is available. (UW Tacoma is across the street from the Washington State History Museum.)

Brown & Haley's Outlet Store The near the factory (most famous for Almond Roca® candy).

A new convention center opened in late 2004.

(The original bridge, built in 1940, and known as "Galloping Gertie", is well known because of its collapse .)

Do

The Tacoma Regional Convention & Visitor Bureau has its Visitor Information Center at the Courtyard by Marriott hotel in downtown Tacoma (1515 Commerce Street). Visitor guides, maps and brochures on area attractions are avaialable, and the center includes a new computer station where visitors can research...