Point Defiance Park: Oasis in city has it all

The outing: If 702 acres of in-city wilderness doesn't excite your Northwest genes, nothing will. If you've never visited Tacoma's Point Defiance Park, home to these 702 acres, then it's time to excite your genes.

The park, celebrating its 100th birthday this year, is surrounded by Puget Sound on three sides and butts up against the tiny city of Ruston in the south. The park is doable by foot, but only if you really, really like to walk and are not put off by a main park feature — Five Mile Drive. The drive, for many, is the reason to visit the park. The paved, one-way road meanders the length of the point through old-growth forest, and there are plenty of places to get out and walk. In fact, every Saturday morning until 1 p.m., the drive is closed to traffic so walkers, runners and bikers can take over the roadway.

There's plenty more, however, at Point Defiance. Nearly all of the park's "to do" venues are clustered near the entrance at 5400 N. Pearl St. The zoo and aquarium, worth a visit especially if the children are in tow, are located uphill to the left inside the entrance. You can't miss them — if you don't hear the animals, you will hear the cacophony of small two-legged creatures.

Downhill to the right is the Boathouse Marina, featuring a public launching area, boat rentals, bait, tackle, licenses, food, beverages, you name it. And for the garden buff, there's plenty to fill the senses — seven gardens, in fact, among them roses, iris, dahlias, rhododendrons and a spectacular native-species garden.

Not too far from the main entrance, reachable after that soothing trip along Five Mile Drive, are Fort Nisqually Living History Museum and Camp 6 Logging Museum, two more of the park's notable features. The fort originally was built in 1833 in the Nisqually River Delta, about 17 miles south of where it is now. Two of the fort's original structures were moved to the park about 100 years later and the rest reconstructed according to the fort's original plans. Built by Hudson's Bay Company, Fort Nisqually is believed to be the first European settlement on Puget Sound.

If you're heading north at the end of your day, consider a couple of ferry rides instead of fighting Interstate 5 traffic. Just down the hill from the park entrance is the Point Defiance end of the Point Defiance-Tahlequah run to the southern tip of Vashon Island. Fifteen minutes and $17 for car and driver (passengers extra) gets you to the island; another 30 minutes, roughly, of driving gets you to the northern terminus, where the Vashon ferry will take you to Fauntleroy, included in the price of your original ticket.

Shopping op: About three blocks south on Pearl Street from the entrance to Point Defiance is Jungle Fever Exotics, a self-described nursery for the adventurous gardener. It's tiny, it's crowded with plants and it's definitely an adventure. And, as they'll tell you, they do have garden exotics and they do have some pretty unusual plants. Earlier this month there was a variety of young fig trees. A particular honeyed-Italian was purchased for $15. From now until September, the nursery is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays. 5050 N. Pearl St., 253-759-1669.

Good eats: After you've assuaged your jungle fever, move your car across the street to the parking lot of Antique Sandwich Co. The building, with a huge mural and good, old-fashioned-style phone number (SK 2-4069) painted on front, is roughly 60 years old — the sandwich folks, though not quite of that vintage, have been around for more than 30 of those years. A tuna-salad sandwich with chips will cost you $5.75. Then, when you've finished, order a piece of the huckleberry cheesecake ($3.50). Open daily 7 a.m.-7:30 p.m. (until 10 p.m. Tuesdays for open-mic music). 5102 N. Pearl St.; 253-752-4069. If you visit the park this weekend, there will be eats galore at the annual Bite of Tacoma. Details, Page 9.

Costs: Entrance to the park is free, as are many of the areas, gardens, etc. The park is open daily from sunrise to sunset. Sites with fees include the zoo and aquarium ($7-$8.75; 253-591-5337 or www.pdza.org); Fort Nisqually ($2-$4; 253-591-5339 or www.fortnisqually.org); and Camp 6 train rides ($2.50-$4; 253-752-0047 or www.camp-6-museum.org).

Getting there: By car: From Interstate 5, take Exit 132 (Highway 16); head west, then exit at Sixth Avenue, then right onto Pearl Street. Drive north; the park entrance is about three miles down, at the end of Pearl. For Washington State Ferries information, call 511 (in Washington state), or see www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries

Terry Tazioli: ttazioli@seattletimes.com or 206-464-2224