Either it’s new or it’s new to me. But finally there is one place to go online that tells you about all the wine tasting events around town. Thanks to a calendar, compiled by Suzy Stump at the Weekly Volcano called “Sipping Out”, you can now find out where to go every day of the week to sniff and slurp in public. I may bookmark this one myself. Our guests need to know where to go!

Toodles,
Danielle

Props go out to Tacoma Mama for her redesigned website. She is truly one of the best mavens for all things Tacoma on the Internet. Just to prove it, drop by her site, which is split up into several family-friendly categories, including Eat, Play, Learn, Celebrate, Shop, Explore, Talk and Cool. Click on the Celebrate page and you’ll get all sorts of ideas for things to do during the holidays. My favorite? You know how I like trains. I learned we can ride the Mount Rainier Scenic RR Snowball Express up into the snow-covered mountains. Kids’ll even get to meet Santa and get a gift from The Old Guy himself! It runs now through December 21, and you can get details here.

–Dale

Now, here’s a deal that I can go for. Savi, our in-house day spa and salon has just come out with a new set of membership packages. Better than ever, the new Platinum and Gold Memberships have greater discounts, freebies and more fun! Consider these memberships for yourself or as the ultimate gift for anyone on your holiday list! (Hint, hint!)

–Danielle

On the other hand, maybe you want to connect with other film lovers right here in the T-A-C of the O-M-A. Stop by the Tacoma Film Club and get your membership started, where you’ll get discounts on movie rentals, a nifty membership card and access to movie lovers just like you. Cool!

–Danielle

It might be just a little bit geeky for me, but the other day I found a very cool website, where you can watch great movies on line (high-definition and everything!) and then chat about them with other movie fans. At www.theauteurs.com you can download movies from the site and then connect with other viewers right there to chat about it. It’s kind of like being in an online film club. Check it out!

–Danielle

And it seems just like yesterday when it opened. At least, that’s what the younger members of the Murano staff have been kidding me about. The Seymour Botanical Conservatory in Wright Park is celebrating its 100th birthday, and in honor of that, a special collection of Dale Chihuly glass (about 250 pieces in all) has been installed, to mingle as it were with the flowers and plants. If the grey skies have you pining for a walk through the garden, come here and take a stroll through the conservatory’s exotic tropical room.

–Dale

Hi there! I’m Danielle Rae Stoeck, Front Desk Supervisor at the Hotel Murano, and I’m very excited to be contributing to this blog. For me, a typical day includes checking guests in and out, serving as concierge, making reservations, resolving guest service issues and concerns. So this is another chance for me to help people feel welcome, even before they arrive in Tacoma.

I was born in Tacoma and raised in Puyallup. I’m the oldest of a family of 6 and have three younger brothers. I graduated from Emerald Ridge High School in 2004 and attended Washington State University for two years. After leaving WSU I moved to Seattle and worked at a salon for about a year. Needing a change of career and scenery I applied at the hotel (still as a Sheraton) and moved back down to Tacoma.

I love working here and will never forget how crazy the hotel was during the renovation process! Moving the front desk across the lobby, trying to check in guests, answer phones while being surrounded by jack hammering, retiling, putting together artwork and decor – phew! It was quite an experience but after all is said and done it turned out beautiful and it was great to be a part of the change.

Outside of work I enjoy working out, but my passion is running. I’ve run two triathlons and right now I’m training for a half-marathon. I enjoy sports, going out, shopping, going to concerts, crafting (scrapbooking) and going to the movies. I spend most of my time with my family, friends, and boyfriend.

So, when you visit the hotel, be sure to look me up. Chances are, I’ll be greeting you!

–Danielle

Greetings to you! My name is Dale, and I’m the Bell captain for Hotel Murano. I recently celebrated my 63rd year on the planet, with 39 of those years enjoying Tacoma, Washington.

Here’s my story.

Fresh out of college with my Doctor of Chiropractic degree, I drove to Tacoma where I my met my wife (now of 38 years) Gail. I chose a busy corner, hung the sign, and began “adjusting the vertebrae” to relieve the kinks and the “Oh Gosh, I hurt” issues for a ton of folks who remain friends and family many years later. At the same time, Gail and I started a family that includes daughter Pam, a Tacoma police officer the past 10 years and son Bryan, a CPA in Bellevue, Washington.

A discontent of sorts set in after 15 years of serving “pain and suffering” and so I moved in a whole new direction. Sold the practice, closed the office, and started over.

First was the Bottled Water chapter. I started a business delivering fresh water to offices. That was a great ride for seven or eight years, and I met many wonderful families and friends who remain in my life. Soon, though, Tacoma was discovered by many other water companies, who offered my services for half the price and I graduated again.

After that, a short seven-year stint with a local manufacturer doing sales. Fun, yet not
hitting the bulls eye !

Then comes the best part. I entered the lobby of Hotel Murano (it was the Tacoma Sheraton at the time), found a dear friend who worked here and announced “the bellstand is mine!” They took me to Human Resources, handed me my name pin, uniform, handbook etc. and now 5 years later this past July 08, the joy remains!

I now serve as Bell Captain, which brings a daily dose of fun, plus some paper shuffling, parking some awesome automobiles, sweeping the curb, opening the huge front doors with a big smile, creating memories and generally having the time of my life. Creating a welcoming experience for total strangers to Tacoma is priceless.

Now that you’ve heard my story, I’d like to hear yours. So program that GPS system for Tacoma and come visit us soon—-I can’t wait to meet you!

On the other hand, tired of seeing the kids cooped in the house all day? Ready to do anything to tear the X-Box controllers from their sweaty little hands? Pile those kids in the car and head to Point Defiance Zoo for an evening of Zoolights.  Featuring half a million lights, this annual night-time event is just like a walk through a video game. At least, it’s like a video game, circa 1983.

–James

A good place to start, if you have little ones, is the Children’s Museum of Tacoma.  The Story Time sessions and Learning Lounge are intriguing enough, but parents might especially enjoy the “New Digs” feature. According to the website, it’s “a neighborhood brimming with container gardens and interactive window boxes. A produce stand and delivery truck offer abundant opportunities to sort, count, weigh, buy and sell a vibrant bounty of fruits and vegetables. Garden to table connections are made as children role-play in the sidewalk cafe, whipping up tasty treats or ordering a fresh lunch.”  Sounds like a tasty idea to me.

–Dale