Takhoma

image from tacomatravel.com

Takhoma

“In November 1885, a mob, led by the mayor of 

Tacoma, evicted several hundred Chinese from 

their homes, forced them to take a train to 

Portland, then burned their homes.

--Tacoma Tribune.

When I was a kid,

growing up a Seattle brat, 

30 miles south of us

was the sister city of Tacoma,

named after the Native American

term for Mt. Rainier--

Takhoma or Tahoma.

It had several pulp mills,

that fouled the air,

creating the Tacoma Aroma;

a stink like a cross between

rotted sauerkraut and rotten eggs.

After a decade

of living in California, 

I returned to the Pacific Northwest, 

finding that Seattle had become

high dollar real estate;

so I settled into the South Sound

and adopted Tacoma as home.

The pulp mills had been cleaned up,

which was a plus.

It’s a port city, built along

Commencement Bay.

It’s called the “City of Destiny”,

because in the late 1880’s,

it became the railhead

for the Northern Pacific,

before Seattle was connected;

starting a rivalry between them.

It is also called “America’s Most Walkable City.”

On a warm summer day,

one can have quite a walkabout,

walking along the Foss Waterway,.

passing by several yacht clubs

and fancy seafood restaurants,

dry docked fireboats, beaches, & parks.

There is an Old Town that runs parallel

to the waterfront, dotted with Pioneer

buildings mixed with new condos.

At the end of the walkway

there’s a city park, complete with

a huge Japanese Temple 

that is surrounded with Asian art and sculpture.

Then you come upon a ferry terminal;

connecting you to the many islands

in Puget Sound. It is inexpensive to walk on,

pick an island, and extend your walking tour.

Above the terminal there’s a winding road

that leads to a very large County Park

at Point Defiance. You start by checking

out a restored and relocated Hudson Bay

fur trading facility--Ft. Nisqually.

Walking further, you come to a fabulous

Zoo & Aquarium. Then you discover

an Arboretum, adjacent to a large garden.

Lastly you come to a viewpoint where one

can see the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

Walking south out of the park, you enter the 

suburb of Ruston, a lovely mix of Victorian

homes and antique shops. A strong walker

can manage this seven mile jaunt

in one long day.

Glenn Buttkus

Posted over at dVerse Poets Pub--Poetics