5 Ways to Have a Wonderful Winter in the South Puget Sound
Winter in the Pacific Northwest offers many opportunities for exploring the outdoors, enjoying fun and unique events, and getting out to meet your neighbors. In the South Puget Sound, we are especially fortunate to have a huge variety of events and happenings to discover this time of year! Hit the slopes for a snowy day trip, get festive at Valentine’s Day events, warm up with a hot drink at a cozy local cafe, and more.
Here are 5 of our favorite ways to embrace the season and make the most of all the South Puget Sound has to offer!
1. Take a day trip to go play in the snow.
One of the big perks of living in the South Puget Sound is of course all of the nature that surrounds us. That includes opportunities for playing in the snow, whether you love skiing, snowboarding, tubing, snowmobiling, winter camping, or snowshoeing!
Bundle up and head to Crystal Mountain Resort, The Summit at Snoqualmie, or Mount Rainier National Park to enjoy wintry wonderland adventure. Each of these destinations is only about 1.5 hours from Tacoma, making each spot perfect for a day trip from anywhere in Pierce County.
2. Do something fun and festive for Valentine’s Day.
When it comes to having some fun on Valentine’s Day, the South Puget Sound area has something for everyone! Here’s just a small selection of the Valentine-themed events and happenings you can check out:
February 8: Family Sweetheart Dance in Gig Harbor
February 8: Love Fest at Court House Square in Tacoma
February 8: Artist Craft Fair! At King’s Books in Tacoma
February 14: Valentine’s Weekend Glow Golf in Tacoma
February 14: A Night in Paris: A Valentine’s Day Special at Tacoma Armory in Tacoma
February 15: Sip Sumner Sweethearts Edition in Sumner
February 15: Valentine's Day 5k at Dune Peninsula Park in Tacoma
February 15 & 16: Love at the Zoo at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma
3. Grab a hot drink at a cozy coffee shop.
In the Pacific Northwest, there’s no shortage of coffee shops. You don’t have to travel far to find a cute cafe with great lattes! For this post, we honed in on a few coffee shops in the South Puget Sound that are especially cozy, most of which have fireplaces to gather around. Anthem Coffee is a popular local chain, and their 3 Puyallup locations are some of the most inviting spots around in part thanks to the cozy fireplaces. Gig Harbor is also home to a few of the coziest coffee shops in the area, including Davenport Coffee and Cutters Point Coffee (specifically the Flagship and Uptown locations). And Jewel Box Cafe at Point Ruston is the perfect place to warm up after a brisk stroll along the Ruston Way Waterfront.
4. Check out one of the many unique events in the South Puget Sound.
There’s always something interesting on the calendar, and here are just a few of the diverse happenings you’ll find in our area:
February 7 & 8: Reflections on Ice Road Trip at Sprinker Recreation Center in Spanaway
February 7-9: Anime Washington at Washington State Fair Events Center in Puyallup
February 21: Glow Run 5K & Dance Party at Chambers Creek Regional Park in University Place
February 22: Hilltop Healthy Kids and Family Carnival in Tacoma
February 22 & 23: Kitsap Antique Show in Bremerton
5. Celebrate Black History Month at a local event.
February is Black History Month, and our region has some great opportunities to celebrate and learn more about Black history. At the People’s Community Center in Tacoma, there are several activities to celebrate all throughout the month. On February 20, you can attend “We the People and the American Dream,” which is an evening of discussion and music at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma. You can also check out the 4th Annual Black History Month Market on February 23, which will feature 30+ vendors, live music, speakers, food trucks, workshops and more.
Be sure to take a look at our other blog posts for more info and insights on living in the South Puget Sound!