Before the pandemic, we loved this place. Now it is unbearably (for us older folks) overcrowded and noisy.
There is a good assortment of restaurants, an ice cream parlor, carts to be rented & pedaled, fun stuff for kids'.
We were lucky to find a spot in the huge but very full parking garage. It had a LOT of signs warning us to pay to park, which we always do.
Except this time, a guy approached and said, "Ignore those signs. Don't pay. I've parked here dozens of times, even overnight, and have never paid and never had a problem." We took a chance and we didn't have a problem not paying. Next time we will probably pay -- it's too risky.
The lobby of the Franciscan Healthy plastic surgery offices had a great historic display about a lead smelter that became a copper smelter, its famous brick tower, and it ownership and name changes. "In 1888, an enterprising businessman named Denis Ryan built a smelter on the North end of the Tacoma waterfront. He hired William Rust to run what became the Tacoma Smelting & Refining Company. In 1890, Mr. Rust bought the smelter from Ryan and ran it so well that the town of Ruston was named in his honor."
That's cool! Isn't there a Neil Young song, "Rust on, rust on . . . ?" (joke)
Beautiful area for an easy family day. There are a lot of activities to do . Walking, bicycling, running, going on a scooter etc. The views are beautiful when you are able to see the mountain. There is a water park available during the summer.
