Carriage Rides Through Downtown Tacoma

Last week, after a rousing game of bocce, we went downtown and hailed ourselves a carriage. Horse-drawn carriage rides on Pacific Avenue began the week of the Go Local kickoff, but officially launched last week. It was the perfect Tacoma spring evening.  We had to try it.  We caught our ride near Matador.  Our thirty minutes (or so) round trip excursion got us to the Tacoma Art Museum and back.

It was surreal to watch Pacific Avenue in slow motion.  Car travel is too quick and focused. When walking, you don’t tend to look up or you might end up with an angry encounter and a freshly made Starbucks americano down your shirt. Riding in the carriage, we found ourselves looking all around, up, and down while admiring surprising architectural details we hadn’t noticed before.  We could see the streetscape, the buildings, the waterfront and the people. We watched folks on the sidewalks, saw old friends, office workers waved from office windows and kids stared in amazement.  Most astonishingly, all passing vehicles were polite and generous. Curious.

This city is so different from what it was ten years ago, yet somehow still retains its Tacoma-ness (thanks James).  It’ll be even more different in a few years.  The Luzon.  Park Plaza South.  Tollefson Plaza.  The gorgeous old bank buildings. The restaurants opening on both ends of Pacific.  This trip enabled us to take a mental inventory of what’s going on in Tacoma along just this one street in a relaxed atmosphere… with two mannerly paint horses, a few silk roses with twinkly lights and drivers in Victorian garb.

These special Tacoma rides will run every Thursday night through summer (except the last Thursdays of June and July). This means you could try it out TONIGHT!  The price for approximately thirty minutes is $50.  The carriages fit four people. Maybe more with small kiddos.  Less expensive than carriage rides in other cities.  More expensive than walking.  Personally, we see this as a decent way to get from the convention center or dinner at Pacific Grill to Matador, Vin Grotto, Paddy Coynes, or Meconi’s for a nightcap.  How about that for a designated driver? Go for it. 

The carriages are operated by Country Wagon Carriages out of Graham.  We were impressed.  P.S.  They also do weddings.