Tacoma

Last night my brother had the preposterous idea of exploring Tacoma today. Since the dawn of stinky-ass paper mills, Seattle has proven its superiority over the competing city. I scoffed, "Let’s not go to Tacoma!"

Steve Miller sings "I've been to Phoenix Arizona, all the way to Tacoma..." Yeah, now you know what I'm talking about. Tacoma is the city that Pee-Wee Herman lands in after he's driving on a dark, windy road and falls off a cliff.

Tacoma and Seattle have been striving for attention since the settlers stole the land from the natives. They both had accessible sea ports, but Seattle's won the popularity contest. Then T-Town built (plug nose here) paper mills. Ten minutes ago the paper mills were closed and the entire city was refurbished revealing brick buildings, original painted adds and views of Puget Sound. Today Tacomans are using art to attract tax-payers.

Tacoma has grown into an attractive, small town version of a big city. They have been planting art galleries, architecturally interesting bridges and mass transit systems. They have worked, and paid some architects to bring the city to the present, while preserving the historic brick buildings and the history.

We did indeed travel to Tacoma with the fulfilled intentions of observing the William Traver gallery and the Museum of Glass. At noon on a Thursday, there were virtually no people around and we shared the galleries with only old people and school kids.

Among others, we saw Dale Chihuly's work. www.chihuly.com He's a glass artist... big hair. Have you seen the ceiling of the Bellagio in LasVegas?

Our day didn't suck. We saw art and the city didn't stink.