Tacoma is our happy place. We have a few scattered across the state, but Tacoma is the closest, the easiest, and the most familiar. When we’re craving inspiration or a meal that knocks us sideways, when our wardrobe needs a jolt or we want to be stopped in our tracks by street art, we head south.

Sometimes we just want to kick back with a naughty rum cocktail and multiple (compostable) straws. It doesn’t hurt that we’ve got a friend there who shares our obsessions — books, food, and sundowners with a view of the Sound. So, what keeps us coming back? Take your pick: excellent bagels, treasure-hunting at thrift shops, briny oysters, the grit and grace of the Puyallup Tribe, and yes, swimming with sharks.

A Local Tribe Takes to the Air

We lift off in a Kenmore Air seaplane, the city shrinking beneath us as we soar over the endless blue. The shimmering expanse of Puget Sound stretches out below, dotted with sailboats and framed by the verdant hills of Vashon Island and imposing views of Mount Rainier. The famous Tacoma Narrows Bridge glides underneath as if in miniature, its graceful arches connecting the Kitsap Peninsula to the city.

Touching down on Commencement Bay, we return to the Puyallup Tribe’s Ruston Way terminal — a gateway not just to Tacoma, but, as of May 15, to international adventures. The Tribe’s partnership with Kenmore Air now offers seasonal flights connecting Tacoma to Victoria, B.C. Other flights visit the San Juan Islands, or our short, breathtaking scenic loop over the South Sound.

Kenmore Air Ruston Way.

Photo courtesy of Kenmore Air

Glass, Glorious Glass

Our base for the weekend is Hotel Murano, the high-rise downtown with one of the most impressive art collections in any hotel. From the lobby to the guest room floors, world-class glass art is integrated into every level, curated as a self-guided museum experience. Each floor highlights a different artist, turning the walk to the elevator into something far more interesting than usual. Downstairs, the latest outpost of Barlow Gallery displays more wares from local and global artists.

Barlow Gallery outpost at Hotel Murano.

Photo courtesy of Barlow Gallery

We head straight for Tacoma’s cultural core. First stop: the Tacoma Art Museum, a beautiful collection with a strong focus on Northwestern and Indigenous artists. Just across the Chihuly Bridge of Glass, a destination in itself, we find the Museum of Glass, where live glass blowing demonstrations mesmerize us.

Tacoma Art Museum

Photo courtesy of Tacoma Art Museum

Chihuly Bridge of Glass – A 500-foot-long pedestrian overpass that links the Museum of Glass to downtown Tacoma.

Photo courtesy of Museum of Glass

But watching isn’t enough. We want to try it ourselves. So we sign up for a hands-on session at Tacoma Glassblowing Studio, where, with a patient instructor’s guidance, we craft molten blobs into prismatic ornaments. Producing artistic glass takes years of training, but making imperfect, deeply satisfying art in a couple of hours is well within reach.

South Tacoma Way

A once-overlooked stretch of South Tacoma Way is the place to be, with unexpected shops and flavors. At Howdy Bagel, we devour thick, airy rounds slathered with scallion schmear and stacked high with lox. Down the street, Church Cantina is an incongruous but delightful, witchy-goth-Mexican fusion event space with burritos and vegan wraps amid neon lights and vintage horror movie posters. Shops such as Studio 56 Collective and Crafty AF purvey consignment furniture, handmade jewelry, and a used vinyl rack that produces several “Look what I found!” moments.

Howdy Bagel serves a variety of hot and cold bagel sandwiches.

Photo courtesy of Howdy Bagel

Sixth Avenue Treasure Trove

We spend time on Sixth Avenue, one of our favorite go-tos, the lively stretch known for vintage finds, local craft beer, and laid-back local energy. Our top score: a gem-festooned jacket from Scorpio Rising, a must-visit vintage shop packed with well-curated fashion and quirky surprises. We step into High Voltage Records & Books, which has enough rare new and used vinyl to impress even the nerdiest audiophile. We cap it off at the historic E9 Firehouse & Gastropub, home to some of Tacoma’s best beer. The original firehouse setting doesn’t hurt, either.

Scorpio Rising

Photo courtesy of Scorpio Rising

Sips, Bites, and Smooth Starts

We wander through downtown and grab coffee at Ebony & Ivory Coffee, a sleek, Black & White-owned roaster whose warm interior and single origin beans feel like a reward after gallery-hopping. We also reset with a healthy breakfast at Three Hearts, a cheerful café where eggs and grain bowls feel like the best way to start a lazy day. We would eat every breakfast there if we could.

Meals in Tacoma are all about fresh local seafood and produce. Woven, the waterfront restaurant at the seaplane terminal, delivers both. The name speaks to the connection between land, water, and community, and the menu echoes that with king salmon, wild mushrooms, and warm, attentive service.

Another day, we stretch our legs with an effortless ride along the Sound on an e-bike. Exercise points earned, we  indulge in Massaman curry and spicy noodles at Boran Royal Thai in the Point Ruston development, the strollable, family-friendly waterfront hub.

For a special night out, we make time for a classic: The Lobster Shop, the longtime waterside restaurant where the views are only matched by the seafood bounty — from Dungeness crab to Hama Hama oysters. Similar to Ivar’s or Duke’s, it’s a place where the expectation of perfectly cooked seafood makes us hungry with anticipation.

Lobster Shop – A seaside spot for Pacific Northwest seafood, prime steaks, and signature lobster dishes.

Photo courtesy of Lobster Shop

It would be a fitting grand finale for a perfect weekend, but Tacoma has one more surprise in store.

Eye-to-Eye with Sharks

At the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, the Eye-to-Eye Shark Dive isn’t a thrill ride, it’s a meditation. After a detailed orientation we step into dry suits, and with expert guides and oxygen tanks above, descend into the gin clear water. As we relax into the warm, peaceful plunge, nurse sharks, zebra sharks, and blacktip reef sharks glide silently past.

There is no fear, no adrenaline rush, just awe. The sharks move with effortless calm, ancient and undisturbed. Curious about their new visitors, they approach within inches, separated only by the metal cage. Time slows. Our breathing becomes rhythmic, mindful. For those few suspended minutes, the outside world vanishes.

The aquarium’s mission is conservation and education. The experience leaves us with a deep respect for these creatures and a sense of peace that stays long after we dry off.

Mission accomplished.

We lift off in a Kenmore Air seaplane, the city shrinking beneath us as we soar over the endless blue. The shimmering expanse of Puget Sound stretches out below, dotted with sailboats and framed by the verdant hills of Vashon Island and imposing views of Mount Rainier. The famous Tacoma Narrows Bridge glides underneath as if in miniature, its graceful arches connecting the Kitsap Peninsula to the city.