Choose Your Summer Adventure: Raising Tacoma Style 2022

In typical Heather style, I had a summer bucket list going. Then the list kept growing and growing. When I tried to put together a cute one-page summer bucket list, it didn’t fit. Oops!

Yup, I tend to do that. There was a time when I had to share my list with my husband at the beginning of the weekend with all the things I wanted to get done listed (and guys, this was pre-kids). He would go through and cross off things because I always…ALWAYS…made it too long and ambitious. No human being could possibly get it all done and stay sane.

Instead of crossing things off on this mega summer list, I decided to share it all and have you “choose your own summer bucket list adventure!” Pick a few things from each section to design a summer bucket list catered to your family and kids. Some of these you can piece together to make one totally awesome day…in my over ambitious mind. ;) Perfect, right?!

Take a look - share what you want to do! Or ping me for a summer adventure together…I’m game!

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Summer Bucket 2022

Pools, Beaches, Lakes & Water Fun

• Kandle Wave Pool (opens July 6th)

• Fircrest Pool (Edwards Family Aquatic Center)

• Owen Beach - it’s renovated!

• Titlow Hidden Beach

• Spray Parks - Favs are Point Ruston, Jefferson Park, and Wright Park

• Horseshoe Lake in Port Orchard

• American Lake in Lakewood

• Sunrise Beach Gig Harbor

• Narrows Beach Gig Harbor

Parks & Trails

• Sehmel Homestead Park

• Kobayashi Park

• Nisqually Wildlife Refuge (and find the children’s center)

• Maple Valley Gnome Trail

Biking

• Point Defiance Outer 5 mile Loop

• Chambers Bay ‘Playground by the Sound’ & Path (the whole path!)

• Fort Steilacoom Lake Loop (really known as Waughop Lake Trail)

• University Puget Sound (UPS) campus

• Swan Creek Park BMX Bikes

Bigger Adventures and Events

• Kitsap Live Steam Train, Port Orchard

• Pacific Bonsai Museum in Federal Way

• Northwest Trek Wildlife Park

• Slime Factory in Factoria

• Olympia Hands-on Museum

• Vashon Island

• Bainbridge Island

• Tacoma Rainier’s Game Baseball game

• Washington State Fair (runs 9/2-25)

• Venardos Circus (runs 6/27-7/10)

• Wild Waves Water Park in Federal Way

• Emerald Downs Horse Races

Indoors for Hot Days

• Rock Climbing at Edgeworks

• Defy Tacoma

• Odyssey 1

• Go to the Movies

• Bowl or Arcade at Ocean 5 in Gig Harbor

• Bass Pro Shop (random, I know)

• Star Center Treetops (see my birthday post, too)

• Tacoma Glass Museum (check out the TPL for a free pass)

• Sprinkler Recreation Ice Bumper Cars

• Catapult in Federal Way

• Gotcha Arena

Outdoors:

• Point Defiance Dunes Chutes-and-Ladder-Style Slides

• Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, jazz it up with a show or bugs alive

• Fort Nisqually, check out their events

• Mini Golf (and/or go carts), like Mike and Terry’s in Puyallup

• Strawberry Picking, we like Picha Farms

Seattle

• Woodland Park Zoo

• Gasworks Park

• Ballard Locks

• Seattle Aquarium

• Discovery Park (psst, there is a lighthouse)

• Chihuly Glass Museum

• Space Needle

Around Town & Simpler Things

• Make popsicles

• Fire pit and S’Mores

• Eat dinner in the backyard

• Outdoor art project

• Lemonade Stand with Friends (or just make lemonade)

• Go on a bug hunt

• Make treats for neighbors/friends

• Go on a picnic

• Play in the kiddie pool

Grab a Cool Treat

• Melon Seed Frozen Yogurt and Deli

• Ice Cream Social

• Bliss Ice Cream

• Sam Choy’s to the Max Dole Whip

• Gelato at Metropolitan Market

• Menchies in Gig Harbor

• See my Ice Cream post (needs a bit of updating, though)