Picnics In The Park

What’s more fun than having a delicious picnic at your favorite park? For my wife Leisha, not many things can beat this delight! So for Christmas a year ago she gave me a jar with 58 pieces of paper in them and invited me on and adventure to get to know Tacoma. Each of the pieces of paper had the name of the 58 parks our great city. I’ve always loved Tacoma’s parks, particularly the lovey Pt. Defiance Park where I often hike the trails for exercise. But I had no idea there were 58 gems around our city. Each park has it’s own neighborhood vibe and unique characteristics. In real estate, homes near or across the street from a park are often worth 5% or more above homes another ½ mile away. I thought it would be fun to share our adventures and introduce to you many of the special parks and neighborhoods across Tacoma. We’ll be trying to do one park a month and will post the updates here! I’d love to hear your feedback and thoughts!

  1. Kandle Park: North 26th and Shirley Streets  (January 26, 2017, 44 degrees & cloudy)Our first park just happened to be right across the street from my first boyhood home! My parents first home was at 2306 N. Shirley St., right across the street from this park opened in 1962 and was created by George Kandle’s two daughters to honor their dad. Just recently it has been completely redone and the new Kandle Wave Pool is the first wave pool in Pierce County and has been a highlight for families during the hot summer months. We ate at a newer picnic table, sharing sandwiches, chips, an apple and my favorite drink, Peach Snapple. We walked around the park (to stay warm), enjoyed the mostly residential neighborhood, and were totally reminded that “Life is Good.”
  2. North Slope Historic District Park (March 14, 54 degrees & windy)
    This small, quaint little park is located on the corner of N. 8th St. and N. K Streets in the historic wedge district near Stadium High. We took a picture of the special stone book monument above, then found a picnic table for our treat. My wife surprised me with fresh spring rolls from our favorite Thai restaurant and they were delicious! We found a small blue ball and batted it around volleyball style, our best efforts logging 21 hits. We still have some coordination left in us! What a lovely little park!
  3. Jack Hyde Park (July 28th  85 degrees and cloudless, sunny sky!)
    My son J.D. joined us for a dinner picnic of meatball sandwiches, carrots, chips, strawberries and chocolate! Leisha had turkey and cheese lettuce wraps & marinated cucumbers. We found a sunny table with a close up view of kayakers on Commencement Bay and enjoyed our delightful feast.
  4. Jack Hyde Park (July 28th  85 degrees and cloudless, sunny sky!)
    My son J.D. joined us for a dinner picnic of meatball sandwiches, carrots, chips, strawberries and chocolate! Leisha had turkey and cheese lettuce wraps & marinated cucumbers. We found a sunny table with a close up view of kayakers on Commencement Bay and enjoyed our delightful feast.Above is our panoramic view from our picnic table. This dinner break came in the middle of a remodel and was the perfect break from a hard week of work. Tacoma’s parks are filled with gems like this wonderful spot. Be sure and park on Ruston way and walk down to Jack Hyde Park and explore. Life is Good.

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