Went for a stroll with just me and my grandson in his stroller. Lots of places to roam and walk…read morewith lots of beautiful flowers and plants. A great place to spend a sunny day. The only complaint I would have is that online it says some areas are not wheelchair accessible but it should say most areas are not unless you park down below. Or maybe they should have signs to tell you where to go if you're in a wheelchair or stroller. It was very difficult getting around in a stroller with many stairs and there are lots of paths that you cannot go with a stroller or a wheelchair. Highly recommend bringing some kind of a backpack to carry your child in

A cute little garden in federal way. We went for the holiday lights but will likely go back this…read moresummer to see the garden in bloom. The garden tickets are a little pricey for the experience but it's a cute, family owned garden so worth it to support a small business. It would be a fun place for a small wedding (post Covid).

Visited around 11:00 AM and this place is beautiful right away. There is a lot to look at, but it…read morenever feels too busy or overly designed, which I appreciate because some gardens can start to feel like they are trying harder than everybody else. This one just feels peaceful. Go if you like plants, flowers, or quiet outdoor spots where you can slow your brain down a notch.

Lovely spot right near the Kent/Auburn line, about a mile south of Trader Joe's in Kent, take a…read moreleft and you're in a small garden paradise. You can meander about through the pathways, past a lily pond, a couple of buildings, and a sunflower patch. Visited for the art fair, which was a nice addition, complete with music and food trucks. They were kind enough to have people outside to help you park and to flag traffic so you could pull in and out. Free and open during normal daytime hours, so far as I know.

The rhododendron garden, not to be confused with the rose garden (which is gated), is a fairly…read moresmall section of the Point Defiance Park. If you get here early enough there's parking on the side of the road right by the garden. If not, there's a small parking lot nearby, or you can just get some fresh air and use the trails to come from many other areas. The garden's trails are overall well maintained, but they are "rustic" and mostly not ADA assessable. There's also a shelter in the garden so you can have a nice lunch in the shade. The garden is part of the trail network so you can continue on and walk for miles if you'd like!

Well, it RS nice that you can just come and go as you pls. But they didn't have much Rhododendron…read morethan I anticipated. But nevertheless it was a Nike little hike to the location where there was some. Great and fun way to just explore nature.

This mansion museum was a great way to spend a slow afternoon in Puyallup…read more It is currently a $15 fee for adults to do a self tour of the home. You are welcome to take photos, and please, take your time! There is plenty to read either on the pamphlet given to you at the entrance, or on the walls beside all the beautiful furniture, paintings, and artifacts. It's hard not to imagine yourself at the turn of the century, living in wealth in this fancy home, like the Meekers did. Ezra and Eliza Meeker were a fascinating couple who did so much with their lives, even into their last years. Traveling the Oregon Trail, hitting success with a hop business, Ezra being the mayor twice, Eliza founding the town's public library and strongly supporting the suffrage movement. I also can't help but to respect Eliza even more for her strength in character even though she was of small stature (4'8")! Especially for those who live in the area, I highly recommend you learn about this historic Puyallup family with a visit to the Meeker Mansion Museum!

I happened to be in the area and saw a sign for the Meeker Mansion, so I decided to check it out…read more Diane was very sweet and gracious and gave me a brief history of Ezra & Eliza Meeker. "Ezra was an American pioneer who traveled the Oregon Trail migrated from Iowa to the Pacific Coast. Once known as the Hop King of the World." A lot of good history of Puyallup. I didn't have time for the tour, but I appreciated seeing the mansion and getting a glimpse of this city's history. Next time, I'll have to do the tour. Thank you again, Diane, for being so nice and friendly!

The Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is a small-ish, well laid-out, easy-to-navigate place to see some…read moreanimals, including a number of exhibits specific to the Pacific Northwest. Whether you have little kids or you take your grandma here, getting around is fairly simple. Strollers, wheelchairs & electric powerchairs are available for rent, as are umbrellas (if you need one!). We arrived just as a bazillion elementary school children were getting ready to leave (was that good timing or what?) so the area inside was the gate was fairly congested with little kids and their accompanying adults but once they were gone, the place was pretty quiet. I actually thought it was kind of cool that the local school district takes the kids there at the end of the school year. Favorite exhibits included the meerkats, the tiger, the great big huge walruses, and the water exhibits in the aquarium where you could touch the starfish & the urchins who hugged your finger with their spines (or whatever they're called). The landscaping was gorgeous - flowers in bloom, unusual palm trees, huge monkey puzzle trees, and more. It's truly a beautiful facility. The day was warm, but not too hot, so there were animals that were hunkered down in the shade where we couldn't see them (arctic foxes, I'm talking to you!) but for the most part, everyone was out where we could see them. The zoo is the perfect size to see in 2-3 hours - by the time we left, we were looking forward to some lunch - somewhere else because the prices at the zoo/aquarium are outrageously high (a bottle of water was five bucks!). Parking was plentiful (even with all the school buses), ticket purchase went smoothly, directional signage well visible.

Good zoo and had a great time despite the cloudy day and downpour by the end of the trip…read more Things we really enjoyed - 1. The Sumantran Tiger - oh so majestic! 2. The MuskOx, Red Wolves, Meerkats & Artic Foxes - you usually do not see them in other zoos. Absolutely adorable meerkats - you will fall in love at first sight. 3. A gaint walrus - never seen that big one. 4. So many different types of starfish - all found in PNW and you can touch them too! 5. The Kids Zone - cute little playground for kids of all ages. We couldn't see the Leopard & Polar Bear (was hiding too well) or the Penguins (think it was closed) Overall great trip - good layout and well routed, you can go around without criss crossing different sections. Tickets are reasonably priced and thankfully they do not do weekend surge pricing.

We love this farm. Started coming 4 years ago when they first opened…read more They staff are friendly and helpful. We just parked and walked up got out basket and scissors and got our own bunch of lavender (which they have rates for) We also got some soap, lavender syrup (for my coffee) and honey. They have their own honey bee hives and make their own honey now YAY! Can't wait to try it This is a must stop if you're in the area around lavender time

Love the place. The hosts were very welcoming. My kiddos learned how to cut the lavendar stems to…read moremake a bundle, and they were having fun. The farm opens from mid June to first week of August. If you are looking for blueish Lavendar instead of purple one, you should be here in the first half part. Now everything is closed to the end and the lavender is purple, but still enjoyable. Will come back next year to get what we missed from this time. (Information upto 2023) Parking fee is $5 U- cut $8 per bundle The farm closed on Mondays, or you can stop by during 9am- 4pm without reservations.

I stopped by around 1:30 PM on a Saturday thinking I would do a quick walkthrough and be out and…read morethat plan lasted maybe six minutes. This is not a huge museum which helped. It never got tiring or repetitive and the layout made it easy to take in without the feeling you get when every display starts blending into the next one. I kept finding little things that made me slow down and actually read instead of doing the polite museum skim where you nod at a plaque and keep walking. What stood out most was how connected it felt to Auburn. It did not come across like random displays filling space just because a building needed exhibits. It felt rooted here. That matters more than people think. By the time I left, I felt like I understood the area better than I did when I walked in, and that is really the whole job. my daughter would have absolutely been the kid reading one fact out loud and then asking eleven follow-up questions on the way to the car, so maybe I should have brought her and committed to the full experience. For a smaller local museum, this surprised me in the best way. Go when you have an hour and want something interesting without turning it into an all day thing

This is a small, well-run historical museum with a growing, well-deserved reputation that has led…read moreto it's increased prominence on both a regional and national level.

Amazing farm! When you go onto their website, make sure you read the details. At first I was a…read morelittle disappointed because the day I wanted to go was sold out, but be sure to keep checking for cancellations! I did and was able to reserve. I really liked that they had time reservations because it was not crowded at all! Sometimes everyone is busy doing other things that you get the whole area to yourself. The petting farm was so fun! All of the animals looked really loved and cared for. Plus they were really friendly. Also the place did not stink and was well tended! I commend them for that! The play area was cute, with a three separate buildings. The only thing is there wasn't much to do inside, hopefully they get more toys for the place. They had some bouncy ride ons and a little area to catch cows with ropes. They had a few face cut out pictures to take pics and a decorated truck to take pics. Hopefully they'll be more in the future for cute pictures. Tractor ride was exciting for the kids. $5 a barrel for a child and adult. Be aware they paved a nice path but it was still fairly bumpy. Pumpkins were set out nicely, not really what I expected for a pumpkin patch but really nice. Not much snacks to buy. Possibly in the future it would be nice with a small area for the hangry little kids. There was a 90 min end time, which didn't bother me since it was pleasant and no overcrowding. Overall my family and I had a blast. Will definitely return!

What an adorable fall outing for families in Gig Harbor area. Sweet petting zoo, western style…read moretown, and barrel train ride for kids. Wholesome fall fun, hooray for the vision of this family.