Eat. Do. See.

The Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium If you are a water nut like I am, you're going to love a visit to the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium's new underwater playground, Pacific Seas Aquarium.  Recently opened last fall on Sept. 7, 2018, this long-awaited addition to the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium is a thing of beauty and a treat for all ages. The Pacific Seas Aquarium is one of two aquariums in the Point Defiance Zoo in Point Defiance Park, in the North End of Tacoma, WA.  The South Pacific Aquarium, also on the Zoo grounds, is home to 16 sharks, stingrays you can cuddle, and a tropical lagoon.  If you are a shark fan, this 225,000 gallon exhibit filled with sandbar sharks, blacktop reef sharks, nurse sharks, a sand tiger shark and a Japanese wobbegong is definitely the place to be.  The South Pacific  Aquarium has always been a favorite of mine, so I was anxious to see the new Pacific Seas Aquarium. Pacific Seas Aquarium, Point Defiance Zoo The Pac

The Gardens at RoozenGaarde If it's April in the Northwest,  it's time to celebrate spring with a spectacular explosion of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and multitudinous flowering bulbs.  You're in for a visual feast! Just a quick trip north of Seattle  on I-5 will bring you to the fertile farmlands of the Skagit Valley and nearby La Conner, where flowering bulbs are the stars of spring. I visited the first week of April when the weather was beautiful and the bulbs were blooming at about 10%. Some varieties were in full bloom and others were holding out for a little more sunshine. The skies were clear and we had a full-on view of beautiful, snow-covered Mount Baker. Sweet Hyacinths One of the perks of visiting early in the festival was that the  fields are blanketed in yellow and white from the gorgeous daffodils. So, you may not get the amazing array of colors that tulips famously give, but the sweetness in the air from hyacinths, daffodils and tiny