Walking the Wedge

The historic neighborhood in Tacoma, called the North Slope, includes an area sometimes called "the pie wedge" because of its shape. An overcast morning gave way to a beautiful cloudless afternoon today, so I walked nearly 8 miles in the wedge. On the map below, you can see my route today as recorded by my GPS receiver. Today's track is yellow; the white tracks are from previous days. You can click on the map to enlarge it.

Yes, I took a detour into Wright Park for a pit stop.

Plenty of interesting sights await the walker in the North Slope pie wedge. One is the lovely courtyard of the Bayview Apts on N 2nd, with its beautiful palms and fountain.


Count the sparrows! On this warm afternoon, the birds could not stay away from the Bayview courtyard fountain. Even my presence only spooked them momentarily. When I stood still, they flew right back to splash in the water. You might want to click on this photo to enlarge it. Can you see the blur of the two sparrows flying away?

How about the movie mural in the basement parking area of the N 1st and Broadway Video Rental Store? The neon colors reached out and grabbed me. If you visit the Stadium district, stop by and see how many movies you can identify from the full mural (I've only posted part of it here).

On the final leg of today's walk, I happened upon this "still life" arrangement: a drooping boquet of sunflowers in a bicycle mounted vase. It struck me as a picturesque reminder that summer will end soon.

City of Reconciliation

Something happened in Tacoma 120 years ago that I wouldn't want to talk about if not for what happened today. In November of 1885 all the Chinese people of Tacoma were ordered to leave our city. Having helped us finish building the railroad, the Chinese had prospered to the point that Anglos felt that their own jobs and businesses would be threatened by the "Asiatics." The Chinese,even those who were baptized Christians, were libeled as "heathen" (and much worse) and driven from the city. Their homes and businesses were burned to ashes. This is why we have no Chinatown in Tacoma, as other major West Coast cities do. Our Chinese population of 600 in the 1880's has barely rebounded to 700 today (out of a total city population of nearly 200,000). This tragic history is perhaps best reported in Murray Morgan's book, Puget's Sound. See also a personal essay on Tacoma's anti-Chinese past by Jennifer Lee.

However, walking in Old Town today allowed me to attend the ground breaking ceremonies for the new Chinese Reconciliation Park at the east end of N Ruston Way. A camera man was interviewing Tacoma Mayor, Bill Baarsma, as I arrived. The Mayor welcomed the nearly 200 people who had arrived for the ceremonies, and then presided over the following program. Mr. Baarsma noted the appropriateness of his participation in a ceremony of reconciliation, since the Mayor of Tacoma in 1885 had been at the forefront of the efforts to evict the Chinese. Mayor Baarsma acknowledged our city's past crime against our Chinese citizens and then read a historic decree proclaiming August 19th Chinese Reconciliation Day in Tacoma!

During the program, Dr. David Murdoch, a Baptist Pastor, shared his reflections. When he first came to Tacoma in 1982, he felt that something was amiss in the spirit of our city. He investigated our history and discovered the ignominious expulsion of the Chinese. He then joined with others in seeking a way to address this wrong against our past neighbors. Dr. Murdoch noted, as does Murray Morgan, that some individuals, including a group of pastors, did stand against the eviction conspiracy in 1885.

In 1992, City Councilman Robert Evans and former State Rep. Art Wang, joined Dr. Murdoch and other community members to initiate the reconciliation process. On November 30, 1993, Tacoma's City Council recognized the efforts of this citizen's committee and unanimously approved Resolution No. 32415 to acknowledge that the expulsion of 1885 was "a most reprehensible occurrence." The City Council also approved the building of a commemorative park on our waterfront near the site where Tacoma's "Little Canton" once stood.

In 1994 our concerned citizens founded the Chinese Reconciliation Project Foundation to continue the reconciliation process. Under the tireless leadership of President, Theresa Pan Hosley (seen here ceremonially breaking the ground with others; 3rd from right above, first from right below) the foundation succeeded at last in beginning the process today of building the commemorative park.


I appreciated that the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, which was here before either Anglos or Chinese, was represented by Connie McCloud. Buddhist disciples of Hsin-Tien Shi were scheduled to give a blessing of the park site, but when called upon by the Mayor, they declined to participate (contrary to the report on the CRPF website), apparently because their Master was absent.

The formal part of the program ended with a Dragon Boat Salute just offshore by the Tacoma Dragon Boat Association.

A stated goal of the Chinese Reconciliation Park Foundation is "Setting a reconciliation example for the other communities across the country that have encountered similar events [in their history]." Thank you Mayor Baarsma, Mrs. Hosley, and members of our City Council and of the CRPF, for helping us set right our city's past and making us a City of Reconciliation. As Solomon said, "He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy."

Rite of Passage

Near the end of my walk today, I stopped at a young girl's yard sale on N Yakima St. She told me she was selling her "baby toys." I had unfortunately just spent my last bills on an iced latte, but I bought a wooden ladybug (good for back rubs) for 50 cents. I asked the seller if I could take her picture, and she wisely went and asked her mother, who graciously consented. Young lady, may the wisdom and grace you already have continue to increase, and may you prosper in all your life's adventures! (Click on the photos for a closer view.)


Dolls looking for a home, and my yard sale lady bug!










Also on Yakima St I spotted the remains of a homemade children's swing, wedged in the y of an oaktree. What caught my eye was the graphic record of summer friendships.

The Outer Limits

My goal is to walk every street within Tacoma's city limits. Click here for the best online map I've found that outlines Tacoma's limits. It's a pdf file published by Metro Parks Tacoma, and shows the city in four quadrants, NW, NE, SE and SW. Though I've set no time deadline for finishing this project, I intend to post mapped updates of my progress at the end/beginning of each calendar month. I'm blessed by your interest!

Noisy Nikes II

Yesterday I deviated from my normal walking plan again to take Alexandria hiking at Mt. Tahoma (yes, Seattle, it's our mountain!). The weather was perfect for ascending the steep Paradise Skyline trail. Alie was able to climb the trail for nearly a mile and a half (she'd walked 2.75 miles by the time we got back to the car). We got high enough to look back over the Paradise peaks and see Mt. Adams in the haze. We got near enough to Rainier itself to look down on a glacier (do click on the photo!).
But half way up our climb, I suddenly heard that awful noise for which I returned my recent pair of Nikes. It was unmistakable: half way between a squeak and a ... well, never mind. I couldn't believe it! But wait, it wasn't me! We paused on the trail and realized that another hiker followed right behind us. As he passed, you guessed it, he was wearing Nike whoopee shoes!

Have I mentioned that my new Reeboks are perfectly comfortable and very quiet?

Mt. Adams and helicopter seen from the Skyline trail at Mt. Rainier.

Condos and Forests

So as to not have to walk Schuster Pkwy twice, we left one Camry at Starbucks on N 30th, and drove the other to Thea Foss park at the N end of E Dock St. We started walking from Foss Park, so the morning sun would be at our backs. As we arrived back at N 30th and Old Town, Kaaren saw the condo she decided she wanted. I think it was the upper deck of flowerpots with morning sunshine that sold her.


After the obligatory stop at Starbucks (drip coffee with room and a decaf sugar-free vanilla latte, please), and since we had both cars with us, we left one vehicle at the bottom end of Puget Park and drove the other to the top of the park at N 31st and Proctor. That allowed us to walk the trail down through the park. It was a perfect day for it: not too hot, not too cool. The 1-mile trail was only steep at the Proctor end, and soon leveled out under the dense tree canopy. The air was oxygen-rich and quiet. Half way down, we visited Napoleon's Sweet Skills geocache. Kaaren was disappointed that no one had left a "Vote for Pedro" t-shirt. We paused at the N Alder St end of the trail to admire the sunlight dancing on the stream, and the remains of the installation from which Soul Salmon had been stolen.

Schuster Pkwy: Poison Berries & Glacial Moraine

Usually when driving along Schuster Parkway, between the N end of Pacific Ave and the E end of N 30th St., we're watching the scenic water side. Today, I and my wife Kaaren walked the approximately 1.8 m stretch of sidewalk along Schuster, and paid more attention to the flora on the inland side (thanks in part to a stilled train blocking our waterside view).

The first things to catch my attention on the Schuster hillside were the beautiful ripe blackberries. (Do they thrive in the carbon monoxide of all the passing traffic?) The next thing Kaaren, the Master Gardener, noticed was the poisonous Red Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) growing right among the blackberries! The shiny red berries of the Nightshade, emerging green from their purple and yellow blooms, are an emergency room visit waiting to happen. If picking blackberries with your children, make sure they don't eat these inviting berries of the Red Nightshade!

Among other items of interest we saw along the Schuster hillside, was a spot where about 6 feet of the topsoil had fallen away to expose the glacial moraine. Any Tacoma homeowner who has attempted to plant a garden in their yard is well acquainted with this endless deposit of potato-sized rocks that dull our shovels and make us envy our Sumner friends!

Stones smoothed and dumped by ancient glaciers. Click photo for larger view.

Dinosaur Tracks in Old Town

You see more details of your surroundings if you're bicycling through them rather than driving. You see the most if you're walking.




One of the things I've enjoyed noticing on my walks are the creative items people use to make their house or yard unique. One house near N 22nd and Adams flies a Happy Face flag. Another house on N 28th near Starr St has dinosaur tracks in its parking strip. They're really only three-toed, concrete stepping stones, but they catch the eye and add a paleontological conversation-starter to the landscaping.

Of course, nothing says "unique" like the architecture of the house itself. I wish my friend, Paul Akiyama, of BCRA here in Tacoma, had been with me to comment on this beauty (see below) that crowns a side street in Old Town. (One of the most intereseting road trips I've ever been on was with Paul; you see buildings differently when traveling with an architect!) In lieu of Paul's professional analysis, I'll call this neo-New Mexico Aristo.

Please click on the photo for a larger view!

P. S. Paul Akiyama e-mailed to say, " I toured the Old Town house several
months ago... The interior design was inspired by Mexican Bajaian (made up word) architecture with colors, mini verandas, stucco and heavy timbers."

Mauled!

So, August 9th, I'm walking east on N 28th toward Starr St. and find a kitty out by the sidewalk. Awww, cute kitty. Is little kitty okay?


Next thing I know...



kitty grabs me by the leg, clamps teeth at my knee and throws me ...

into giggles.

Hmm. While the owner's away, the cat will play!

Noisy Nikes

Nike is generally the first brand I look at when shopping for a new walking shoe. Though Nikes run a little wide for my feet, I've found their AIR models to be very comfortable for walking in the city. And so, last May I invested in a new pair of the Nike Air Impel (why do the models I like always have to be the most expensive?). True to my history with Nike, the Air Impels feel real good. However, this pair has a bizarre problem. A good shoe should run quiet, and these do until they warm up on hot pavement. Then they make very embarrassing noises.

It took me a few miles to figure out what was happening. The shoes are perfectly quiet indoors and for the first mile outdoors. Then a kind of snapping noise begins. At first I thought I was just hearing the hard end of the laces smacking the top of the shoe as I walked. I eliminated that possibility by tying the laces differently. But yesterday was a beautiful hot day, and the shoe noise reappeared and got worse as my shoes got hotter. Before long, it sounded like a rude bodily noise with every step! The problem has to be connected to the air cushion in the heels. In yesterday's sunshine, the pretty girls were out washing their sports cars, the brawny landscapers were out shoveling beauty bark, and there I was walking past them on a pair of whoopee cushions. I got so embarrassed I came home and dug out my receipt to return the shoes.

Sports Authority was greeat about take the Air Impels back. After getting my card re-credited, I went over to the shoe racks and saw that the Impels are now on sale for 23% off! Hmmm, one wonders if others are having problems with them. Be that as it may, for the next few miles I'm trying a new pair of hopefully very quiet Reeboks.

The Whoopee Shoe

Tacoma Churches 001: Central Lutheran

My walk today took me by Central Lutheran Church. I saw lights on inside, so stopped and chatted for a few minutes with Dr. Redal, the pastor. My wife tells me that it was at this church where she first heard the gospel. Indeed, Pastor Redal reminded me today of Central Lutheran's commitment to the inerrancy of Scripture and expository preaching. Central Lutheran has influenced countless people over the years through their special services and their sponsorship of Faith Seminary. The church was founded in 1925 by second-generation Norwegian Lutherans who felt the need "make the gospel of Christ known to their children in the English language."

Take a look at the auditorium of Central's first building in downtown Tacoma. You'll also enjoy the online display of the stained glass windows in Central Lutheran's current building.

Hide Me Away on N Stadium Way

Between Stadium High School and Garfield Park, lies a quiet and secluded neighborhood of beautiful older homes. I walked the whole neighborhood today, from N Stadium Way to Tacoma Ave, covering it in 4.9 miles (including a couple of repeated blocks). Once again I enjoyed finding palm trees in our evergreen city. My wife (the Master Gardener) says that many people have probably obtained their palm trees from the tropical nursery on N Pearl St, but that even Lowe's is selling palms now.


Seeing the old (original?) building of the Washington State Historical Museum brought back memories of field trips taken while attending Robert Gray Jr. High School. I thoroughly appreciate the new WSHM on Pacific Ave, but it's displays seem a tad sterile compared to the earlier building's musty and gritty old artifacts that so fascinated us as kids.

My youngest daughter and my granddaughter joined me for the first two miles of my walk today. Alexandria enjoyed the play area in Garfield Park. Here's Alie ready to come down the tube slide. (Click on the photo for better resolution.)

Cars, Camels and Comida

I varied from my North End routine today. My wife joined me in walking up S Park Ave to the Fern Hill street fair. This annual gathering of displays and commercial booths is held in the historic business district at 84th st. The main attraction at the street fair is the large gathering of custom and classic cars. I particularly liked the paint job on the Li'l Whiner below.














Among the dozen or more vendors at the street fair, one displayed some "antiques," an item of which I recognized instantly. It had been a while since I'd seen the distinctive rounded can, but the Camel Repair Kit for rubber tire inner tubes was a close companion during my bike-riding youth.

Grace Community Church, a congregation that has served Tacoma for many years, has recently relocated here at 84th and Park Ave. They held their regular Sunday morning service while the street fair was in progress, and also manned a table outside for people interested in registering their children for the Daily Vacation Bible School coming up in another week.

The Safe Streets folks were also manning a table in front of the Turning Point salon. I can recommend Turning Point, as I get my hair cut there and most of the females in my family get their hair done there as well. Next to the salon, tienda Los Caballero was selling tamales for a dollar! There were several food options for people who wanted to stick around and listen to Steve and the Good Times play oldies, and $10 massages for anyone who rocked too hard. It was another brilliant sunny day today; great weather for the Fern Hill community to hang out together.

Patriotic Tacoma

On the evening of July 28, 2005, I walked streets between N 30th and UPS, beginning from the home of my friend, Pastor KM. I again enjoyed the many flags I saw flying from house fronts, like this one on N 30th. I suppose some of the patriotic bunting was hung in honor of the 4th, but homes flying both the American and British flags tell me that we are thinking of the 7th as well.
Speaking of the war on terrorism, I commend the Fiqh Council of North America for their fatwa against terrorism just issued. May God bless all who signed it!

Here's the part of Tacoma I've walked so far, filled in with light magenta:

Something Fishy

Tacoma has maintained a forested area around a creek that feeds into Puget Sound near where N Alder St meets N Ruston Way. I've walked all around this Puget Park now and have also walked the lower half of its densely canopied trail. My friend TW helped me find the Napoleon's Sweet Skills geocache there.

On my first exploration of Puget Park on June 15th, I wandered into an overgrown picnic area and was delighted to discover a fish out of water. It's another of the delightful salmon sculptures displayed in our area. It's a beautiful fiberglass work called "Soul Salmon," and I couldn't figure out why it was in a rather hidden location off the main trail. It seemed vulnerable to vandalism -- or worse -- to me. Sure enough, last week someone stole it! The News Tribune announced the disappearance and that the salmon was worth about $10k. I was very grateful to have snapped a photo of it when I saw it, because I pessimistically thought a sculpture of that value would probably be in the home of some out-of-state collector by now.

The good news is that, now a week after the theft, "Soul Salmon" has been recovered. The person who had it said he got it in trade for some bicycle wheels! The sad news is that someone in our city stole a $10k sculpture and traded it for bicycle wheels! Someone poached "Soul Salmon" and then didn't know what to do with it. I guess in Tacoma "the women are strong, the men are good looking, and [not] all the children are above average."

Guess The Price

Daughters Rachel and Leslie joined me to fill in N 29th between Junett and Union. We parked the car in front of the home of our friends, Todd and Debbie, and enjoyed the quiet shady neighborhood one block from busy 30th. We immediately happened upon the sweetest looking Victorian surrounded by shade trees. Please click on the photo below to get an enlarged view.


We played "guess the sale price" when we passed houses for sale. A house I guessed at $190k was $250k, and another I guessed at $390k was offered at $620k. Shows how out of touch I am with N End prices.

After we walked some cross streets, I had the girls drive the car down to Starbucks in Old Town while I walked down the 30th st hill just to get some more exercise, on this beautiful sunny evening of July 24, 2005. My walk totaled 2.88 miles this time.

E Dock St Terror!

On the gorgeous morning of July 18, I walked most of E Dock St, starting from 4th and Pacific. While standing in a parking lot taking photos of the Old City Hall clock tower, I suddenly jumped out of my skin at the most horrendous, percussive sound I had ever heard. The ground shook, the telephone wires were humming and I thought, Oh, no! A terrorist bomb has gone off and the debris may strike me in the next split second! It took me a long moment to realize that what I had just experienced was nothing more than the sound of train coupling on the Burlington Northern railroad across the street. The jamming together of boxcars occurred a track or two in from the street, so I had no warning; the railroad cars I could see were motionless. I mentioned it later to my friend, RT, who works in Tacoma's port area. He chuckled and said that where he works they hear that sound on an hourly basis. I salute you if you work near Tacoma's rail lines and have had to get used to that crashing thunderclap of a noise; it would take me a long time.



P. S. There is a very clever geocache hidden in the marina area off E Dock St. There is another cleverly hidden geocache at the Museum of Glass.

Tacoma's Victorian Houses

Our neighbor to the NW, Pt. Townsend, touts its historic Victorian buildings, but it's got nothing on us. Here's my favorite Old Town Victorian so far, digitally photographed on the cloudy morning of June 29, 2005. I love the sunrise tracery in the windows!



Please click on the photo for an enlarged view!

Where'd I Get The Idea?

I got the idea of walking every street in Tacoma from an article about Caleb Smith. He walked every street in the city of New York (700 miles)!

Where I've Walked So Far

I know I've got years to go on this project, but here's my small beginning. The streets I've covered in my first 3 months of Walking Tacoma are highlighted with a light fuchsia color. I rarely walk more than 2 miles at a time. I prefer to walk a minimum of 3, but I get so interested in what I'm seeing and in taking photos, that I run out of time and must hurry to other commitments!