Your knowledge of Tacoma’s historic lore would not be complete without the story of “Gallopin’ Gertie,” the first Tacoma Narrows Bridge that collapsed in 1940. I just ran across some footage (on YouTube, of course) that depicts the collapse in color, up-close and personal. This footage is not for the faint of heart, but it does portray a heroic attempted rescue of a dog stranded in an abandoned car on the buckling monstrosity. All I can say is, wow.

–Dale

Back in July, the Looking Glass announced that a new excursion railroad route would soon open up. Envisioning five-star dining and old world amenities, the train was to take riders from downtown Tacoma up to Lake Kapowsin.

Unfortunately, this is one train that will be leaving later than thought – if at all.

The hang-up seems to be – as it often is – money. According to Tacoma Weekly, the Tacoma City Council was split about various issues involving the use of public funds to finance the project, as well as the logistics of the tourist excursion itself. Looks like my dream of reliving the orient Express will have to be put on standby.

Dale

Josh mentioned all the ways you can get to Tacoma. Here’s the latest – and most posh route: Grandluxe Railways (formerly American Orient Express) has announced that it will be adding Tacoma to its route, which includes other stops around beauty spots in the western half of the United States. Think: Champagne, 5-star dining and real beds on a restored classic train. Not sure if your ticket price includes a visit from Hercule Poirot, though. Nevertheless, I just have two words to say here: All aboard!

Then again, if you want to stay closer to home, The Spirit of Washington Dinner Train has announced that it will soon begin departing from Tacoma. The train will depart from Freighthouse Square and amble out Lake Kapowsin in Eatonville for its regular four-hour round trip excursions.

Dale

Here’s one of the coolest things you can do to get around Tacoma: hop on our very own light rail, a.k.a. the LINK. Right now, the line is only a mile or so long, but that’s all you need to get from the far end of downtown out to the Tacoma Dome. You’ll run right through the Theater District, past Hotel Murano (we’re only a block away from one of its stops), along the Museum District and on out to the Dome. The train runs about every ten minutes, and best of all, it’s FREE. Not a bad price for clean, convenient and easy travel.

-J

On the other hand, if you ARE thinking of finding another way to get here, there’s the Tacoma Amtrak Station that you can almost walk to, and SEA-TAC airport which is about 15 minutes North of here, between Seattle and Tacoma. (Get it? That’s why they call it SEA-TAC.) If you’re thinking of arriving by these means, drop us a line. We’ll leave the light on for you!

-Josh

I should also mention the architectural marvel we’ve got near here. With its distinctive towering arches, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge is another cool feature you should check out. One of the longest suspension bridges in the country, it links Tacoma to the city of Gig Harbor. It’s also one of my favorite drives, because, to get there, you’re driving through the trees, and then suddenly you’re in the air for about a mile, and then you’re back in the trees again. Gig Harbor is pretty cool, too.

This Tacoma Narrows bridge was built in 1950. And now, after five years of construction, a parallel bridge is slated to open in just a couple of months. It runs right next to the current bridge and it looks pretty much the same. Nice to see the architects got that right. Watch this space for opening celebration details.

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Josh