A Puget Sound women’s history adventure, exploring the wild beauty and bonkers history of the City of Destiny!
Tacoma: where old growth forest meets the sea, where rail meets sail – the Puget Sound’s best kept secret.
May 28-31, 2027; Memorial Day Weekend.
$1175 per person with a roommate. For your own room, $1475
Includes:
- Hotel in Tacoma, three nights May 28, 29, and 30
- Katie & Olivia as your adventure leaders
- Local Tacoma guides everyday, including Jennifer Trahan, guest on THE TUGBOAT PIONEER Thea Foss
- Tickets to everything on the itinerary:
- A visit to Thea Foss Park with Jennifer Trahan
- After-hours exclusive access to Foss Waterway Maritime Museum (site of Thea’s Boat Company). Plus, ghost stories! with Pretty Gritty Tours
- A day exploring the Puget Sound on the water! Our own charter yacht with Captain Rick Stevens and Dr. Dawn Hardison-Stevens will take us to:
- The Thea Foss Waterway, where Thea Foss’ first houseboat started it all
- Around Point Defiance Park – larger than New York’s Central Park, and full of old growth forest!
- Salmon Beach, the last known location of Thea Foss’ original houseboat
- Tacoma Narrows Bridge, famous for its kraken legend and its wild story of collapse in 1940
- Wildlife sightings if we’re lucky! Tacoma is home to orcas, whales, Great Pacific Octopus, sea lions, otters, shore birds and much more
- A delightful and leisurely walking tour of Old Town Tacoma including:
- Stadium High School – made iconic in the film 10 Things I Hate About You
- The house made famous in The Hand the Rocks the Cradle
- “Old Woman Gulch”Â
- Historic Wright Park – 27-acre arboretum with 600 spectacular historic trees
- Historic homes of fascinating women in Tacoma history
- Beautiful Seymour Botanical Conservatory –Â Victorian glasshouse full of rare species
- Tacoma Women’s History plaques including one for Thea Foss
- Carr Cabin Museum, Tacoma’s first cabin, where our group will “meet” Founding Mother Rebecca Carr (her story is bonkers!), reenacted by storyteller Karen Haas
- Historic Union Station
- Tacoma city tax, county tax and tourist tax
- Ground transportation (light rail and yacht!) on our adventures
- All gratuities for the group
- A Smoothness Team to support you along the way
- A happy tribe of fellow Nameiacs to explore with – priceless!Â
Doesn’t include:
- Transportation to and from Tacoma. It’s easy to get to Tacoma in an hour by bus or train from Seattle-Tacoma Airport
- Meals
- Shopping/optional activities
CNN named Tacoma one of America’s Best Towns to Visit in 2024!
There’s so much to see and do. If you’re considering extending your stay…
- Every Memorial Day, Tacoma Historical Society holds a service at the war memorialÂ
- Vashon Island is quite magical with an amazing troll, Oscar the Bird King by famed sculptor Thomas Dambo
- Tacoma’s Museum of Glass has the largest glass-blowing hot shop in the US – and you can learn how, hands-on!
- Point Defiance Park is so huge you could spend days exploring, kayaking, hiking, rose gardening, zoo-ing
- Tons more walking tours by Pretty Gritty Tours, and 64 parks!
- Of course, you could also head into Seattle and visit the Wing-Luke Museum and Klondike Gold Rush National Park!
I will look at the whole world as my country, and all men as my brothers.
-Thea Foss
What to expect:Â
After you register, you’ll get an invoice via email to pay your nonrefundable $300 deposit to secure your spot!
This is not your typical tourist tour…NOTHING like it, really! These tours are personally curated by us, and we’ll be by your side. We never use travel agents, instead making all the arrangements ourselves. That way we can ensure authentic, eco-friendly, whimsical travel that connects with real locals and takes us off the beaten track, deep into women’s history! Time to soak up a place and to connect with real people is paramount.
There will be lots and lots of walking. You can also expect to do a lot of laughing, staring in awe, and tasting wonderful things.
What’sHerName Tours build welcoming tribes where you are free to be yourself! We all abide by Rule #1: Do What You Want. That means you can always opt out of anything without judgement, and catch up with the group later.
Most folks come solo, so go for it! This is the happy tribe you’ve been looking for. After all, they’re all Nameiacs too!
FAQs
OK, I’m searching flights. What info do I need to know?
You’ll want to arrive at Seattle-Tacoma Airport (SEA) airport by 3pm on May 28 (our first gathering will be at 4:30pm, to head for our first adventure!). Make sure you allow yourself plenty of time to get out of the airport, and to the hotel (about an hour by bus or train). You can depart anytime on May 31, Memorial Day.
Tell me more about the roomie situation.Â
Most folks come solo, so go for it! We’ll match you with another Nameiac. When you fill out the registration form, you can list your roomie preferences (gender etc) which we always do our best to meet. You’ll have separate beds, just share the same room and bathroom. Many a strong friendship has been forged this way! If you’d prefer your own room, just select that option and pay $1475.
I live nearby. could i join in the fun without the hotel?Â
Absolutely, we’d love to have you! You’d just meeting us at our hotel each morning, to join in all the activities, and still be part of the Nameiac Travel Family. For this option, just select on the registration form: “I’m local and want to commute.” The sans-hotel price is $940. We can guarantee a glorious time, but do acknowledge that the price might feel a bit steep for what may feel like a Staycation. Worth it! It’s the people you meet– it’s always the people.
I LIVE NEARBY. could i join for just one day, or part of a day?
Love that you’re wanting to join! These tours have some kind of magic. Somehow, groups of strangers turn into a tightly bonded travel family that stays connected for years. We want to honor that by ensuring one steady group for the duration. We hope you’ll join for the whole thing!
How much should I budget for spending money and meals?Â
It’s so hard to say. The range of options for meals can suit all budgets and tastes – from street food to fine dining. Same goes for shopping. You know you best! A typical business travel per diem is around $55/day, if that helps.
What if the trip gets canceled?Â
If we cancel the trip, you’ll get a full refund. If you have to cancel, you’ll forfeit your $300 deposit, to help cover the expenses we’ve already paid in your name. If you’re worried about having to cancel, you should request to be billed for the full amount, and then get travel insurance.
How does payment work?
After you register, you’ll receive an invoice via email from our bank, Relay, to pay your $300 deposit. You can pay with a card, ACH transfer, Online Bank Transfer (Plaid), or wire. You’ll pay the remainder in two more payments, evenly spaced out between your time of registration and May 2027. You could also choose to pay in full anytime you want. The full amount must be paid before departure, of course.
I want to go for it – but I’m a little nervous. Is this a crazy thing to do?
If it is, it’s GOOD crazy! This is a great way to try out What’sHerName tours – low risk, one weekend, so so much fun! Go for it!
“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” – Anais Nin
