Washington State is a beautiful part of the country that has both open, unspoiled spans of wilderness and some of the most fascinating cities in America. The mighty Puget Sound is home to plenty of natural and civic beauty, and this includes the mid-sized city of Tacoma Washington. Find out more about this dynamic urban center by reading on.

Geography

Tacoma is nestled at the southern end of Puget Sound. The city’s permanent site was chosen for its proximity to Commencement Bay, an outstanding deep-water port. This convenient access has made Tacoma an important port for Pacific shipping since its earliest days.

The land around Tacoma is heavily forested, with national parks in virtually every direction. The horizon in the city and the surrounding region is completely dominated by the looming bulk of Mt. Rainier. This enormous volcano is the largest freestanding mountain in the continental United States, and it is home to the only active glaciers south of Canada.

Early History

Prior to the arrival of European colonists, the land around Puget Sound was home to the Puyallup Indians. Violent conflict between the natives and the first settlers delayed permanent European settlement until late in the 19th century. Those who chose to come to Tacoma after the Civil War lived in the perennial hope that the city would be selected as the terminus for a transcontinental railroad. While the first such route ended up in Sacramento, Tacoma was chosen as the Pacific end of the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1873.

This led to an explosive boom in the town’s fortunes and population. In just ten years (between 1880 and 1890) Tacoma went from a sleepy village of roughly a thousand people to a sprawling port town with more than 35,000 residents. Celebrated British poet Rudyard Kipling visited in 1899 and called Tacoma’s boomtown growth “literally staggering.” The city’s two prime transportation resources — the port and the railhead — led the city’s residents to choose “When rails meet sails” as Tacoma’s motto.

Tacoma Washington In The 20th Century And Beyond

Tacoma was a relatively quiet city throughout the 20th century. Steady shipping traffic continued through its port and significant industries (primarily paper manufacturing and petroleum refining) grew on the tidal flats around the port. With the coming of the Second World War, activity at McChord Field just south of the city ramped up considerably. Most of the bomber crews who served in the Pacific theater (including the men who flew the Doolittle Raid) trained at McChord Field.

Tacoma’s other claim to fame in the mid-20th century was the calamitous story of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Opened in 1940, this suspension bridge suffered from a serious design flaw that was not discovered until it was under construction: Its exceptionally thin road deck was susceptible to literally twisting in the wind. Nicknamed “Galloping Gertie,” the bridge survived for only four months before a 42 mph wind off the Sound caused it to collapse.

Towards the end of the 20th century, Tacoma Washington went into a serious decline. A steady flow of residents towards the suburbs left the city’s downtown practically deserted, inviting comparisons to other blighted US cities like Detroit. Fortunately, this trend has been reversed in the 21st century by extensive campaigns to rehabilitate and revitalize the downtown area, and today central Tacoma is once again thriving. Its main districts routinely win awards for livability, and it’s been recognized as one of America’s most walking-friendly cities. (i.e. cars are not required to get around.) Tacoma is served by a wealth of bus lines, and it has both internal (Link streetcar system), regional (Sounder Commuter Rail), and national (Amtrak) rail service.

Local Attractions

Although Tacoma lacks some of the world-class draws to be found in Seattle at the northern end of the Sound, there are more than a few sights worth seeing in and around the city.

As noted above, Tacoma is extremely close to Mount Rainier and its associated National Park. While climbing the mountain is a severe challenge — mountaineers routinely suffer life-threatening accidents during the ascent — the lower altitudes around the volcano are popular year-round destinations for a variety of outdoor activities. Tacoma is also quite close to Olympic National Park and the Capital State Forest on the other side of Puget Sound.

Inside the city limits proper, Tacoma boasts a pair of charmingly offbeat museums that are well worth a visit. The Museum of Glass is an arts center with a fairly self-evident focus on glass art, and its distinctive conic hot shop is one of Tacoma’s most recognizable landmarks. Tacoma also offers America’s Car Museum, a public exhibition built on the posthumous donation of Harold “Lucky” LeMay’s cars. Prior to his death LeMay amassed the largest privately-held fleet of automobiles in the world.

Tacoma boasts a surprisingly vibrant theater community, with three different theaters including the historic Pantages Theater. The community has its own opera, a full symphony orchestra, a ballet company, and several smaller classical music groups.

Fitting in with Washington State’s progressive marijuana policies, Tacoma is also home to the Cannabis Farmers’ Market, the world’s first legal farmer’s market for medical marijuana. This market actually predates the state’s decriminalization of marijuana by two years, having been in operation since 2010.

In today’s world, Marijuana is Legal as we know.  Here are some other Dispensaries in the area;

Highway 7 Weedmaps

Rainier on Pine Leafly

With its small population, natural beauty, historic character, and progressive sensibilities, Tacoma is a perfect example of what makes the Pacific Northwest unique. Tacoma is not the biggest city in Washington State, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s still well worth a closer look.   Dispensaries near me, Marijuana Near, Closest dispensary to my location, find local dispensaries, weed near, find cannabis.