Tacoma Travel Guide: A Hidden Gem on the West Coast! 🌊✨

🌸 Day 1: 🍳 Breakfast options from Vancouver: Totem Family Dining in Everett (Instagram-worthy!) Mr. T's Family Cafe in Mt. Vernon 🥞☕ 🏭 Gas Works Park (Seattle): Feels like a real-life Howl’s Moving Castle! 🏰⚙️ Great views of the Space Needle 🗼 and a cool industrial vibe. 💦 Waterfall Garden Park: A charming urban waterfall — originally the site of UPS! 📦🌿 Many come here just for photos. 🍣 Dinner: Suma AYCE (All-You-Can-Eat Japanese!) — check my full review in the highlights! 🍱🎌 🌸 Day 2: 🏔️ Dune Peninsula at Point Defiance Park: Climb to the top for that iconic Mt. Rainier photo 📸⛰️ (It was cloudy when we went — but still gorgeous!) 🌹 Point Defiance Rose Garden & Japanese Garden: The most beautiful rose garden on the West Coast! 🌷✨ A long flower tunnel and serene vibes. You can also visit the zoo — plenty to do all day! 🦦 🥪 Antique Sandwich Co.: A retro sandwich shop with fresh ingredients 🥖🥬 + a cute picnic garden outside. 🚶 Ruston Way Waterfront: Perfect for a breezy seaside stroll 🌊👟. Lots of great restaurants along the way — Duke’s had a 30-min wait, so we skipped! ⚖️ Tacoma Chinese Reconciliation Park: A moving park that tells the painful history of Chinese exclusion 🕊️🍃. A meaningful and educational stop. 🔴 Fireman’s Park: Features a unique red urban sculpture 🚒❤️ — great for photos! 🎨 Chihuly Bridge of Glass: Tacoma is glass master Chihuly’s hometown — this bridge is a dazzling open-air gallery! 🌈🔮 🍻 Odd Otter Brewing Company: Loved their watermelon beer! 🍉🍺 Refreshing and unique. 🍨 Medzo Ice Cream: Highly-rated — creamy and delicious! 🍨💫 🍽️ Dinner: Harvest Buffet — all-you-can-eat feast! Check my foodie highlights for details. 🛍️ Tacoma Mall + Nordstrom Rack: Great spots for shopping! 🛒👗 🌸 Day 3: 🔙 On the way back, we revisited Seattle: 🐟 Pike Place Market: Always lively! Watched the famous fish toss — so fun! 🐠🎉 🌳 Green Lake Park: A relaxing lakeside walk — the perfect end to the trip 🚶‍♀️💚 Tacoma is packed with charm, nature, art, and deep history — definitely a West Coast treasure! 💎 #Tacoma #TacomaEats #SeattleDayTrips #VancouverGetaway #WeekendVibes #TravelGuide #PNWTravel