Visiting Tacoma & 15 Other Astonishing American Places

Yesterday I came upon a goofy gallery on the EDGE browser's Microsoft News page titled "16 Astonishing Places in the U.S. You've Never Heard Of".

# 15 was Tacoma, Washington. I think a lot of people have heard of this particular place. The description of what made Tacoma astonishing was a bit odd...

Tacoma, Washington, is a place that’s packed with unique experiences that are often overlooked. At the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, you can see all different sorts of animals and marine life.

At the Museum of Glass, watch or even try glassblowing. Or, why not gaze at beautiful antique cars at the LeMay Car Museum? If you are a sports lover, 24 hours of bowling and indoor mini-golfing at Tower Lanes might be for you.

I have been to Tacoma many times and have never heard of the LeMay Car Museum. And, what with all there is to do in Tacoma, mention is made of a bowling alley with mini-golf?

Bizarre.

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is mentioned, but not the fact that those two locations are just one part of one of the largest urban parks in the world, known as Point Defiance. 

Mention is not made of the Tacoma waterfront, with its many restaurants, or the Thea Foss Waterway, another attraction linked to the Tacoma museums, including the Chihuly Museum of Glass. No mention is made of Point Ruston, another waterfront attraction.

I have been to several of these "astonishing" places, and whilst finding some to be of interest, I sure do not recollect being astonished by any of them.

I've been to San Luis Obispo, Badlands National Park, North Park, Colorado, Flagstaff, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah and White Sands National Park.

I liked Badlands and White Sands, but neither was at all astonishing. 

Flagstaff? Last time I was in that Arizona town was in July of 2017. Stuck there for 7 hours whilst my vehicle got a new fuel pump installed. Now, the Grand Canyon, which is mighty close to Flagstaff, now that is one super astonishing place on the planet.

All I remember of San Luis Obispo is getting burgers at an Arctic Circle. That and the town's hilly location on the Pacific coast. There may be remnants of mission architecture, the likes of which one sees all over Southern California, none of which seems astonishing to me, though I do remember being impressed by San Juan Capistrano.

Anyway, what I got out of this is I am due for a visit to Tacoma, a truly astonishing town...