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Tacoma (Washington, U.S.A.) - June 13-15, 2008

Why Tacoma

Tacoma is an underappreciated but quite lovely city. We will be in Old Town, and most activities will be within walking distance or a short drive. Running trails, Commencement Bay, great Northwest cuisine, and a waterfront hotel are all part of the deal. The climate is perfect - where else can you schedule running events in June and not worry (too much) about the heat? Seattle is close enough that a visit there is entirely do-able. Finally... it is time to meet in the Pacific Northwest again! Mark your calendars!

Who is behind the Conference

We are a small group of NoWDeads who have agreed to work together to organize the event. So far this group includes Ruth Obadal, Chuck Hammonds, Travis Bernritter, Ellen Schaefer, Dennis Koho, and Indro Neri.

Agenda for the weekend

Agenda

• Thursday evening: suggested arrival.
• Friday morning: choice of two organized activities, tour of Microsoft or visit downtown Seattle and Pike Place Market.
• Friday afternoon: free.
• Friday evening; Casual dinner at Old Town restaurant, maybe The Spar.
• Saturday morning: Sound to Narrows 12K and 5K.
• Saturday afternoon: Museum of Glass Hot Shop. Following lunch at a nearby restaurant.
• Saturday evening: Dinner with featured speaker John "The Penguin" Bingham.
• Sunday morning: semi-organized run on Ruston Way along Commencement Bay.
• Sunday mid-day: picnic at Owen Beach in Point Defiance Park.

Other local activities & attractions

• Seattle: Pike Place Market, Space Needle, a Mariners game (or not)
• Hiking on Mount Rainier

Accomodations

Hotels

• PRIMARY HOTEL / Silver Cloud Inn on Ruston Way in Tacoma. It is in a great spot right on Commencement Bay with spectacular water views and convenient to Ruston Way activities, including dining, running, walking, bicycling, and sea kayaking for those so inclined. We were unable to negotiate a suitable agreement with the hotel to hold a block of rooms for us. Being the only waterfront hotel, it is in a prime spot and will be booked solid throughout the summer, but there are still rooms available. You can reserve directly with the hotel, but you will get a better rate by using Orbitz.com or Travelocity.com (you could also use Expedia.com, but they'll charge your credit card right away, and the others don't charge until you check in or out of the hotel). If you experience booking difficulty with Orbitz, Travelocity, or Expedia, try the Canadian or European versions of these sites - sometimes they have lower prices, or rooms that are unavailable on their U.S. sites (start with Travelocity.ca or Expedia.ca). The nightly rate is $169 U.S. plus tax, or more, depending on the type of room you get, if you use one of the travel websites. If you use the Silver Cloud website for your reservation, the rooms start at $199 U.S. per night. No pets allowed.
• Courtyard by Marriott - Tacoma is located in downtown Tacoma and has slightly lower rates than the Silver Cloud, starting at $159 U.S. per night. The on-line rate is $149 with AAA discount, with Travelocity. If you are over 62 years old you can get a cut rate. We are working with them to get a group rate, so the cost could be lower yet. If you reserve at the Courtyard, you should book directly through their website. No pets allowed. Stay tuned for more details.
• The Inn at Gig Harbor is an option for people traveling with pets. It is not actually in Tacoma but just across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. It is about a 15-20 minute drive from downtown Tacoma. The nightly rates at The Inn start at $145 U.S. If you want to book here and want to call, their numbers are 253-858-1111 and 800-795-9980.

Camping spots

• Kopachuck State Park is on the west end of Gig Harbor, about a 35-minute drive from the Silver Cloud Inn. Looks remote and beautiful. They don't take reservations - it's first come first served.
• Dash Point State Park is right across the bay from the Silver Cloud. You would probably go around by land, which is about a 30-minute drive. It is a high-use park, so they do take reservations.

About Tacoma

Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city in Washington (United States of America) named after the nearby Mount Rainier, which was originally called Mount Tahoma from the indigenous name "tacobet" ("mother of waters"). Inhabited for thousands of years by American Indians, predominantly the Puyallup people, who lived in several settlements on the delta of the Puyallup river (and called the area where Tacoma would be built "Squa-szucks"), Tacoma has been visited by European and American explorers, including George Vancouver and Charles Wilkes, who named many of the coastal landmarks. It is known as the "City of Destiny" because the area was chosen to be the site of the western terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad in the late 1800s. The decision of the railroad was influenced in part because of Tacoma's neighboring Commencement Bay. By connecting the bay with the railroad Tacoma's motto became "When rails meet sails". Today Commencement Bay serves the Port of Tacoma, a major player in international trade on the Pacific Coast. The discovery of gold in the Klondike in 1898 led Tacoma's prominence in the region to be eclipsed by the booming development of Seattle. Tacoma has been named as one of the most livable areas in the country, and was also recently listed as one of the most walkable cities in the United States.

Travel information

Useful resources Tacoma official tourism website Official site of City of Tacoma

Tacoma is situated on a peninsula on the southern end of Washington's Puget Sound, 32 miles (51 kilometers) southwest of Seattle, and 31 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of the State capital, Olympia. Car - Interstate highway 5 links Tacoma with Seattle to the north and Portland, Oregon, to the south. Train - Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Tacoma: Amtrak train 11, the southbound Coast Starlight, with service to Olympia-Lacey, Portland, Sacramento, Emeryville, California (with bus connection to San Francisco), and Los Angeles; and Amtrak train 14, the northbound Coast Starlight, with daily service to Seattle. Amtrak Cascades trains, operating as far north as Vancouver and as far south as Eugene, Oregon, serve Tacoma several times daily in both directions. Airplane - The nearest airport is the Seattle-Tacoma International airport.

How do I sign up?

Join our mailing list - Let us know that you are interested in participating to the DRS World Conference by joining our dedicated mailing list (for statistical purposes only - no obligations). You will receive details and updates on what we are preparing for your visit, and you will be able to ask your questions to us and other DRSWC participants like you.

Buy your ticket - We do not provide flight transportation, so you have to arrange this yourself. Let us know when you are planning to arrive and we will arrange the transportation if necessary.

Ask questions - We want to make your experience memorable, as a runner and as a visitor. We are here to help and assist you. If you do not find your answer here, then do not hesitate to ask us by joining our dedicated mailing list.