We didn’t have the whole day, but a 7:35 am ferry to Vashon with a return trip at 3:10 pm gave us enough time for coffee, pastries, trails, a little beach time, and a good lunch on Vashon Island before getting back to Tacoma for work.
If you’re looking for ways to savor summer in and around Tacoma, we invite you to take a look at our list of suggested ingredients for a summer well-lived. Ingredients like bright flowers, a burst of berry, honey from a farm stand, and a free outdoor concert.
Go easy on yourself if you’re the grading type, or if you get sweaty and crestfallen while comparing your summer life to “everyone” else’s. A lot of the ideas we’ve gathered are free, and they’re as simple or extravagant as you want them to be.
Even if you don’t get away for a vacation—even if no one invited you to a destination wedding (or you couldn’t afford to go), even if you’re not getting all breezy and tanned on your yacht, even if you mostly feel heavy about the state of the world and can’t muster the enthusiasm for a full-on getaway—you can find some ease and fun and sweetness nearby in these treasured weeks of summer near the Salish Sea.
Maybe we’ll see you out there.
Go to the Closest Spot Outside Where You Feel Comfortable And…
Not everybody has a back yard. But maybe there’s a balcony, or a public park, or a courtyard, or a friend’s house where you can go outside and just be.
do nothing
read a book
make a friendship bracelet
write a poem
make a garland or a flower crown
trace a shadow
call a friend
bring a friend
stare at clouds
make a list (not a to-do list, more like an “all the names I call my pet” list, an “everything I love about XYZ” list, an “ingredients I love with my whole self” list, a “blue things” list)
have a snack
fall asleep
drink some water
do nothing again
Pack a Picnic
Dune Peninsula
Morning-Brunch-Lunch Picnic at Dune Peninsula: Facing east/northeast, Dune Peninsula is perfectly positioned for light in the early hours of the day with good views of Mount Rainier too. It’s easy to find a spot for your picnic blanket in the big green lawns and you can watch the ferry go to and from Vashon Island while you eat and sip. Lay on your back and look up at the blue, blue, blue sky we hope you have for your picnic.
If you need picnic supplies, stop at Central Co-op up the hill on Pearl, get some to-go goodies from The Antique Sandwich Co. in Ruston (head across the street to Wren’s Nest Baking Co. for a gluten free menu), or stock up at the Waterfront Market at Ruston on the way.
Chambers Creek Regional Park
Late Afternoon-Evening Picnic at Chambers Creek Regional Park: You might think of this as Chambers Bay—same place, call it what you like. The lawn stretches toward the train tracks and the beach with open views westward over the sound toward the sunset. It’s the perfect evening picnic spot with that warm, golden late sun glow. Bring your kite if you have one, you’re bound to see some flying.
Stop at locally-owned Harbor Greens on the way if you need supplies (they have a nice deli with to-go items along with a well-stocked produce department where you’ll find local berries all summer), then drop into Trader Joe’s if you missed anything.
Community Festivals
It’s okay if you don’t love crowds, if you’re too grumpy to enjoy live music in a shady park in the evening while kids play nearby, if you just don’t give a care about the arts, or if you can’t find a single item of street food you want to eat. Go ahead and skip this section. Return to our “doing nothing” outside list, or our picnic ideas, or scroll down for a list of PNW beaches.
Proctor Arts Fest
On the other hand, if you’re ready to meet some artists, find a handmade treasure, crunch on some street food, and shimmy to a live band, this one’s for you:
Proctor Arts Fest
8/2/25 10 am-5 pm
Downtown Tacoma Block Party
8/3/25, 1 - 7 pm
Hilltop Street Fair
Hilltop Artists Arts Night Out Block Party
8/5/25, 4-7 pm
10th Annual Hilltop Street Fair
8/23/25, 11 am-7 pm
Old Town Summer Concert Series
Wednesdays, 8/6, 8/13, 8/20 & 8/27
be at The beacH
Owen Beach, Point Defiance Park, Tacoma
You don't have to be rich, belong to a club, own waterfront, have a friend who owns waterfront, take a vacation, or pay any money at all to spend time at the beach if you live in Tacoma. Here's what you need to do: get on the bus, your bike, your feet, your scooter, or into the car and go to the public beach of your choice.
Head to Titlow Beach for views of the Narrows Bridges, and especially keep it in mind for sunset! (Hint: Keep heading north and you’ll eventually find a little sandy beach below the old site of the Tacoma Outboard Association.)
Beaches Close to Home:
Settle in at sandy Jack Hyde Park in Old Town Tacoma and watch for seals, river otters, and Dall’s porpoise out in the sound. Closer to shore you might catch a group of cold plungers and folks launching paddle boards.
In celebration of all the improvements at Owen Beach in Point Defiance Park in recent years, we’ll list that beauty of a spot first. If you ride the Chetzemoka ferry from Point Defiance to Vashon Island in summer (another thing we recommend) you’ll likely get a cheering view of colorful towels and beach toys on the shore as people set up for an afternoon of saltwater wading and sunbathing at Owen Beach. Pack snacks, renta a kayak, go for a swim, or even reserve some sauna time at the new Svette Saunas!
Narrows Park faces east for nice sunlight earlier in the day, and if you’re lucky, the little tree swing will still be there.
For a long rocky beach with Narrows Bridge Views and the train tracks for company, head to Titlow on the West Side or take a walk along the beach at Chambers Creek Regional Park. For a series of mini beaches along a paved pathway with lots of restaurants close by, you'll want to meander Ruston Way where you'll find a sandy beach at Jack Hyde Park, as well as a nice little stretch of shore at Dickman Mill Park.
Follow trails through the woods at Penrose Point State Park to reach this spit between the lagoon and Mayo Cove. Continue around the point to the eastern shore for views across Carr Inlet to Mount Rainier.
If you cross the bridge to the Gig Harbor side, you’ll find Narrows Park, with 1,315 feet of waterfront. This beach looks east across The Narrows at Titlow. It’s a little more out-of-the-way, has some sand, and is a nice spot to take kids; just don’t forget there’s the bridge toll when you return.
Point Robinson on Maury Island offers views SE to Poverty Bay, SW to Dash Point, and north along the East Passage. And the old red-roofed lighthouse is pretty scenic too.
Beaches Farther Afield:
Head to Fort Worden for a sandy beach with driftwood, sea glass, and views of Mount Baker, Whidbey Island, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Visit the Point Wilson Lighthouse and follow the curve around the point to another long stretch of beach beyond.
Take a look at this map of State Parks in the Seattle/Tacoma region. In Tacoma we live on the shores of the Salish Sea, so waterfront parks with beaches and trails abound. Camp, picnic, take a trail, take a kayak, take the day.
Tip: Buy a Discover Pass for the year. It's only $30 annually (increasing to $45 on 10/1/25). These are required for vehicle access to our Washington State Parks.
Save Some Dollars: Hey, did you know you can check-out a Discover Pass for free from the Tacoma Public Library?
Here's our short list of some beloved parks in our area with their distance from Tacoma noted to help you plan:
Dash Point - 20 minutes, 12 miles, Federal Way
Saltwater - 24 minutes, 18 miles, Des Moines
The Tacoma DeMolay Sandspit Nature Preserve (aka Bella Bella Beach) - 28 minutes, 16.4 miles, Fox Island
Kopachuck - 30 minutes, 18 miles, Gig Harbor
Penrose Point - 45 minutes, 32 miles, Key Peninsula
Joemma Beach - 45 minutes, 34 miles, Key Peninsula
Point Robinson - 1 hour (plus ferry wait time), 18.6 miles, Maury Island
KVI Beach - 1 hour (plus ferry wait time), 14.5 miles, Vashon Island
Point No Point - 1 hour, 25 minutes, 58 miles, Hansville
Dosewallips - 1.5 hours, 85 miles, Brinnon
Fort Worden - 1.5 hours, 80 miles, Port Townsend
Go to the beach! Get salty. Bring a reusable water bottle. Pack a snack and pack out your trash.
A visit to the Proctor Farmers’ Market yields the best of summer flavor.
Seasonal Delights
Part of a satisfying summer is tasting and smelling what grows nearby. How about some berries, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, radishes, herbs, honey, jam, blossoms, blooms, bouquets, and more and more and more!
Treat Yourself to Fresh, Local Summer Produce
Local Farmers Markets
Lakewood Farmers Market - Tuesdays
Waterfront Farmers Market, Gig Harbor - Thursdays
Tacoma Farmers Market on Broadway - Thursdays
Proctor Farmers’ Market, Tacoma - Saturdays
Puyallup Farmers’ Market - Saturdays
Pick your own blueberries at Charlotte’s Blueberry Park, or visit Sidhu Farms for pints and flats of local berries.
Charlotte’s Blueberry Park: This is where you can pick blueberries for free! Yes! It’s a Tacoma park with 23 acres and over 3,000 blueberry bushes and this is the season. Take a basket, wear your sunscreen, and pick blueberries while you dream of pie and preserves and eat mouthfulls of berries straight from your palm.
Sidhu Farm Stand, Puyallup: Open April - September, 9 am-7 pm, the Sidhu Farm Stand is where you go if you missed them at the farmers’ market, or just want to see the land where the berries grow. Choose berries, honey, jams, and maybe some fresh veggies too. And come back in December for your Christmas tree (but they’ll also deliver your fir straight to your door if you like).
Janessa at Gloomy Bloom micro farm grows flowers that are anything but glum.
Treat Yourself (or Someone You Love) to Local Flowers
Gloomy Bloom, Tacoma: If you live in Tacoma you can’t get more local than a South Tacoma micro-farm full of blooms. There’s nothing gloomy about them. Order a bucket to make your own arrangements for a party, or order a bouquet. Pick-up on location.
Knutson Farms, Sumner: Do you think sunflowers might be the summeriest flowers of them all? Knutson Farms invites you to celebrate the joy of sunflowers from August 1st - 17th at their Sunflower Days Summer Festival & U-Pick Field.
Harbor Greens Markets, University Place & Gig Harbor: In summer this locally owned grocer carries bouquets from a local flower farm. This week I saw ones full of snapdragons—each like a whole garden wrapped in a cone of brown paper.
Farmers Markets: See above, can’t go wrong with buckets and buckets of $10, $15, and $20 bouquets to choose from.
Outdoor Dining & Day Trips
Maybe you know us and have already seen these two articles, if so, you’ve reached the end of our ideas for savoring PNW summer. If not, we think eating outside and getting out of town are both pretty good ingredients for summer life. Take a look at see if you agree.
Tacoma Outdoor Dining Guide
We’ve gathered over 60 of Tacoma’s outdoor dining spots by neighborhood to get you started. Take a look at our updated list of restaurants, cafes, and bars with outdoor seating, then get yourself away from the screen, out the door, and into the life of Tacoma’s summer.
Get Out of Town: Puget Sound Day Trips
Port Townsend and Vashon Island are two places we go again and again when a change of scene is calling. They’re places where the beach is always near, where parking is easy, where woods and trails beckon us away from the sidewalks. Places where small, local bakeries, coffee roasters, independent bookstores, and one of a kind shops outnumber chains by far. We’ll share some of the ways we pass the time and how we fill our stomachs (never a problem). Don’t worry too much about planning; these destinations are so close to Tacoma, you can show up again and try what you missed. Wake up one morning and just decide to go!
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