Simon Says

Follow Simon's Pierce County Adventures
Simon's seen it all. Festivals, fairs, museums, mountains, steam locomotives, boutique hotels and more!

Meet Simon
Name: Simon Johnson
Hometown: Hancock, Michigan
Past Residence: Nairobi, Kenya and Addis Ababa Ethiopia
Occupation: Student at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma
Travel motto: "Take nothing but memories. Leave nothing but footprints."

See for yourself what makes Tacoma + Pierce County a "must" adventure:
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Adventure 5

Simon's Courtyard by Marriott Adventure in downtown Tacoma

Date: October 2010
Adventure: Courtyard by Marriott
Experience: Urban!
Next stop: More Pierce County

"Discover the meaning of Ahh... I did!"
The Courtyard by Marriott is just blocks away from Tacoma's waterfront museums, restaurants and the Chihuly Bridge of Glass. So of course I chose to stay here partly because of its super cool downtown location. One of my favorite things about this hotel is the Pacific Grill restaurant! I made it down for Happy Hour and chose from an amazing selection of desserts, all half price!

Adventure 4

Simon's Puyallup Fair Adventure

Date: September 2010
Adventure: The Puyallup Fair
Experience: Glee!

"The best thing about the Fair is the scones... no matter how long the scone line."
The Puyallup Fair is one of the world's largest fairs. Pretty impressive I'd say! I'm planning my trip to the Fair with some of my closest friends. The best thing about the Fair is the scones... no matter how long the scone line. I'd wait in line for those scones all day!

Adventure 3

Simon's Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad Adventure

Date: July 2010
Adventure: Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad
Experience: Vintage!

"A fun adventure along mountain streams and over tall wood trestles!"
The Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad takes you on a fun adventure through the forest along mountain streams and over tall wooden trestles. The foothills in Mount Rainier are gorgeous this time of year! If you look closely, you may even see some wildlife right out your window. This vintage locomotive is a must ride! Learning about the train's history was very interesting. The Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad is the longest continuously operating steam train railroad in the Pacific Northwest!

Adventure 2

Simon's Washington State History Museum Adventure

Date: June 2010
Adventure: Washington State History Museum, Tacoma
Experience: Interactive!

"The 1,800 square foot model train and railroad is for sure a must see!"
The Washington State History Museum sure isn't hard to find! It's located right in the middle of downtown Tacoma. The Museum offers many engaging learning opportunities, which makes it a great place for families! Plus the building's architecture is an amazing sight to see! I toured the Icons of Washington State exhibit, which has several exquisite pieces of art and history specific to the state, including a wagon that had once traveled the Oregon Trails!

I then stopped by the History Lab Learning Center [They say it's geared more towards younger visitors, but I had a good time!]. Along with the colorful and highly interactive displays, the highlight for me was the 1,800 sq. ft. model train and railroad. This must see is a reproduction of the actual railroad lines starting in Tacoma's Point Defiance Park and stretching to the Cascades. Wow!!

Adventure 1

Simon's Museum of Glass Adventure

Date: January 2010
Adventure: Museum of Glass, Tacoma
Experience: Amazing!

"Seeing how the artists work together to create amazing pieces was very interesting."
As soon as we stepped inside the Museum of Glass we were greeted by friendly staff who were quick to explain where the exhibits were and what they were about. The whole museum was very welcoming and unique, like nothing I've seen before!

I enjoyed the Hot Shop Amphitheater the most. This is a huge room with theatre-style seating where you can watch artists perform live glassblowing. They explain what techniques the artists are using and what all the tools are used for. We saw three gentlemen make a glass replica of some kind of Dutch pastry pan. It was extremely fascinating! Then we headed to the main exhibit called Kids Design Glass. We saw turtles with flowers growing out of their back, a fish riding a banana riding a skateboard, and many other creations that simply must be seen to be understood and appreciated. The captions next to the pieces can be deep, are often hilarious, and are certainly always worth a look.