TravelMorgan Stone GretherJohn "Cinque" Synco, gondolier, gondola, Gig Harbor, Washington, Tacoma-Rainier Tour 2016, Tacoma, boat, ocean

Tacoma, Day 2: Gig Harbor Gondolier

TravelMorgan Stone GretherJohn "Cinque" Synco, gondolier, gondola, Gig Harbor, Washington, Tacoma-Rainier Tour 2016, Tacoma, boat, ocean
Tacoma, Day 2: Gig Harbor Gondolier

The second day of the July 2016 Travel Tacoma and Visit Rainier "instafam" tour was packed. The first thing (after breakfast at the Hotel Murano and checking out) in the morning we went to Gig Harbor, Washington, and met John "Cinque" Synco and his authentic Venetian gondola, Nelly. He runs Gig Harbor Gondola. John rowed us around the tranquil harbor, singing us Venetian songs and giving us a detailed history of gondoliers in America. Pretty great stuff! And the weather was truly perfect, as I think you can see from my photos below.

Nice person in Portland, Oregon, and beyond.

TravelMorgan Stone Gretherpoint defianceFive-Mile Drive, point defiance, Tacoma, Washington, pugent sound, raccoon, Mount Rainier, owen beach, beach, ocean, Tacoma-Rainier Tour 2016, travel

Tacoma, Day 2: Five-Mile Drive in Point Defiance, July 2016

For Travel Tacoma and Visit Rainier, five of us bloggers/instagrammers took part in an "instafam" tour of the greater Tacoma and Mt. Rainier areas in July 2016. Here is the first of several blog posts about the trip. One of the true must-sees when you're in Tacoma is the Five-Mile Drive through Point Defiance Park. You'll find hiking and biking trails through lush forest; you'll relax on serene Owen Beach with wonderful views of Pugent Sound and Mt. Rainier alike; you'll see thriving wildlife... particularly raccoons (one of my favorite animals). 

TravelMorgan Stone Gretherpoint defianceFive-Mile Drive, point defiance, Tacoma, Washington, pugent sound, raccoon, Mount Rainier, owen beach, beach, ocean, Tacoma-Rainier Tour 2016, travel
Tacoma, Day 2: Five-Mile Drive in Point Defiance, July 2016
TravelMorgan Stone GretherTacoma, Washington, Tacoma-Rainier Tour 2016, travel

Tacoma: Day One of the "Instafam" Tour

For Travel Tacoma and Visit Rainier, five of us bloggers/instagrammers took part in an "instafam" tour of the greater Tacoma and Mt. Rainier areas in July 2016. Here is a look at the first day, which includes flying there, checking into the hotel, walking around Tacoma (including a stop at the lovely little Tacoma Art Museum), and having a nice group dinner together at the Hub.

TravelMorgan Stone GretherTacoma, Washington, Tacoma-Rainier Tour 2016, travel
Tacoma: Day One of the "Instafam" Tour
TravelMorgan Stone GretherBluebeard Coffee RoastersTacoma-Rainier Tour 2016, Tacoma, Bluebeard Coffee, Washington, coffee, portrait, travel

Tacoma Day 2: Bluebeard Coffee

Day two of my Travel Tacoma / Visit Rainier "instafam" adventure was a long day full of kayaks and gondolas and going back and forth between Gig Harbor and Tacoma proper. We therefore decided to make a quick stop for caffeine at local favorite Bluebeard Coffee Roasters (renowned for their pistola mochas), and I got to snap a few portraits through their big, shiny windows (one of my favorite pastimes). And of course, no hip coffee shop these days is complete without a man-bun.

TravelMorgan Stone GretherBluebeard Coffee RoastersTacoma-Rainier Tour 2016, Tacoma, Bluebeard Coffee, Washington, coffee, portrait, travel
Tacoma Day 2: Bluebeard Coffee
TravelMorgan Stone GretherHeritage Distilling CompanyHeritage Distilling Company, distillery, Tacoma-Rainier Tour 2016, Tacoma, Gig Harbor, travel

Tacoma Day 2: Heritage Distilling Company

In between singing gondola rides and a tour of the Gig Harbor Museum, it was a very busy morning for our "instafam" tour, but we managed to squeeze in a tour and tasting at the Heritage Distilling Company, It is, in their own words, "the most awarded craft distillery in North American by the American Distilling Institute 3 years in a row (2014, 2015 and 2016)." Read more about them on their press page. Pretty cool stuff! Anyway, it is quite an impressive operation there at the distillery, and their spirits are smooth and flavorful, leaning toward the sweet side, which is just the way I like it. We tasted most of their spirits, and my favorite is the award-winning brown sugar bourbon. Definitely check it out sometime.  

TravelMorgan Stone GretherHeritage Distilling CompanyHeritage Distilling Company, distillery, Tacoma-Rainier Tour 2016, Tacoma, Gig Harbor, travel
Tacoma Day 2: Heritage Distilling Company