Category Archives: Did You Know?

Winterfest 2014 at Seattle Center

Will you be spending the new year at our motel in Puyallup? Take a trip up north to celebrate 2015 the Seattle way. The Emerald City’s famous Seattle Center is a dazzling center of activity during the holiday season, and the annual Winterfest is the height of their festivities. Running from December 28th to New Year’s eve, the 2014 festival is sure to provide the whole family with good old fashioned seasonal fun.

This year’s events are many and multifaceted. Visit the Armory building to see the winter train. Strap on your skates for the Winterfest Ice Rink. Catch the music of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra down at Key Arena. There’s all of this and much more, including good food, enticing drinks, and New Year’s fireworks. Visit the Seattle Center website to find out more about this year’s lineup.

Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour

There are many tours that will take you through, around, and even over Seattle. However, if you want to take a trip beneath the Emerald City, the Underground Tour is the only game in town. If you’re in the mood for a stranger, grittier look at Seattle during your stay at our motel in Puyallup, take the trip up to the historical Pioneer Square district to walk the hidden halls of the city’s comical past.

This tour starts out in a restored saloon from the 1890’s. It is here that your knowledgeable and witty tour guide will guide you into the subterranean passages that once made up the roads and storefronts of downtown Seattle. Learn the stories behind the city’s convoluted road map, see an original flush toilet imported from England, and stop in on the Rogues Gallery to buy a copy of the scandal-filled book that served as the genesis of the tour. Visit the tour’s website for more information.

Smith Tower Chinese Room & Observation Deck

No trip to our motel in Puyallup should be deemed complete without taking a proper look at Seattle. And, if you want to get a truly good look at the Emerald City, you can’t beat the view from the top of the Smith Tower.

The Smith Tower, located in Seattle’s historical Pioneer Square district, was once the tallest building in the entire West Coast. It is here, via its Observation Deck, that people have been enjoying stunning 360 degree view of downtown Seattle, Mount Rainier, the Cascades, the Olympics, and the Puget Sound for over one hundred years. Check out what the city has to offer, then explore the history of the Chinese Room. Visit the Smith Tower website for ticket information.

Tacoma Nature Center

When you want a fun and educational outdoor activity for the whole family, consider taking the trip to nearby Tacoma. It is here that you can find the Tacoma Nature Center.

The nature center is seventy-one acres of preserved wild lands, including Snake Lake and portions of the surrounding forest and wetland areas. Walk along the hiking trails, spotting over twenty different species of native mammals, one hundred different kinds of bird, and various other animals. Children enjoy the Discovery Pond natural play area. Facilities can even be reserved for group events or parties, so visit the center’s website for more information.

The Seattle Aquarium

The Seattle area has a rich, long-standing relationship with the local waters. If you would like to get an in-depth look at the world of the Puget Sound and the further reaches of the ocean during your stay at our motel in Puyallup, take a trip up to the Seattle Aquarium. Located on the famous waterfront of Seattle, this aquarium is a great, family-friendly outing sure to both educate and fascinate.

Get up close with some of the ocean’s stranger denizens. Explore the world of a Puget Sound tide pool. Step into the Underwater Dome, where you can get a stunning 360 degree view of an enormous 400,000 gallon tank of some of the area’s more fascinating aquatic species. Visit the Seattle Aquarium’s official website to learn more, or to plan your own visit today.

Paintball Sports Park

Need a fast-paced activity for a large group? When you’re staying at our motel in Puyallup, consider trying your hand at paintballing. It is here, in Puyallup’s own Paintball Sports Park, that locals will gather for games of friendly, paint-splattering fun.

A family-friendly facility, Paintball Sports Park offers amenities to suit children and adults alike. Full rental packages are available, including paintballs, protective gear, and guns, with discounted packages available for people with their own equipment. Reservations are available for Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Visit the park’s website for further details, or to book your time slot.

Washington State History Museum

Are you looking for an education outing to learn more about Washington State? If so, take a short trip west of our motel in Puyallup. It is here, in the nearby city of Tacoma, that you can visit the Washington State History Museum.

Take a stroll through the Hall of Washington History, full of engaging and interactive exhibits depicting the lives and culture of the area’s early settlers. This hall offers a number of permanent, year-round exhibits that include walk-through dioramas, videos, texts, and authentic historical artifacts. Follow this up with a visit to the museum’s enormous model railroad, showing the rail lines from Point Defiance to Stampede Pass. For more on current and upcoming exhibits, visit the Washington State Historical Society’s website.

2014 America’s Largest Antique & Collectible Shows

Are you a collector of rare antiques or collectibles, or simply a fan of such relics? If so, secure a room at our motel in Puyallup for November 8th and 9th of 2014. It is at this time that America’s Largest Antique & Collectible Shows sets up shop once again at the Sleep Country ShowPlex.

This show, now in its seventh year in Puyallup, features an exciting array of vintage clothing, estate jewelry, rare action figures, antique silverware, and much, much more. See over 400 booths of exhibitors from all over the Puget Sound area as they trot out the best of their antique collections. Bring your own antiques and collectibles to take advantage of the Evaluation and Identification booth.

The Antique and Collectible Show returns to Puyallup twice a year, in November and February. Visit the Christine Palmer website for more information.

‘14 Washington Snowmobile Expo

Are you looking for the next big thing in snowmobiles? Do you need to outfit yourself for your next big snowmobiling adventure? If so, take some time off while staying at our motel in Puyallup this October to visit the 23rd Annual Washington Snowmobile Expo and Swap Meet.

Hosted by the Washington State Snowmobile Association, the Snowmobile Expo gives enthusiasts a chance to get together with other snowmobilers to look at new products, attend educational seminars, and buy and sell snowmobiling goods. See the 2015 snowmobiles, purchase clothing, accessories, aftermarket parts, tools, and other products, and get the latest information on good riding trails.

This year’s event is to be held at the Washington State Fair Events Center on October 18th and 19th. Visit the Washington State Snowmobile Association website for more information.

Ryan House Museum

The area surrounding our motel in Puyallup has a rich pioneer history to it. If you would like to delve into this history, take a short trip over to the city of Sumner. It is here that you can see the historical Ryan House Museum.

The Ryan House started life back in the 1800’s as a three room cabin. A delightful example of 19th century architecture, it is crafted from local cedar and serves as a vision of the classical revival style of the time. A second story was added in 1872, and a new wing was created in 1885. The house served as a city library after it was donated to Sumner in 1926 and, after a new library was constructed in 1979, it became the home of the Sumner Historical Society. Here you can see the restored 1890’s aesthetic of the parlor, the dining room, and the kitchen, along with other museum exhibits offered by the society. Visit the historical society’s website for more information.