Project Description
February 20, 2016
I met Terona when I was still living in Florida. The story of our friendship was actually quite humorous. I was eating outside of Shake Shake; one just opened in Florida around 2014/5. Terona comes up to me asking if she could just set her food down so that she could take a photograph; she shared that after she is done, she will leave. I openly invited her to sit down next to me since I had no plans of occupying the whole bench. We talked about traveling, and she shared how she has a dream of visiting the 7 Wonders of the World. She went on sharing that she has never traveled by herself. I suggested that we should travel together.
Fast forward to when I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, Terona became a travel nurse, and one of her current assignments was based in Washington area. We kept in touch since my move and her multiple moves. This trip was symbolic because she shared that I was one of her first friends that visited her during her travel assignments. She showed me areas she loved about Tacoma, and we also explored new areas of Washington together.
High Steel Bridge – highest steel, arch railway in the United States that overlooks Skokomish River
Photograph of the view below High Steel Bridge
Photo Credit: Terona Theresa Wilson
Terona and I have a habit of following photographers on Instagram to get ideas of where to explore. There was a famous bridge called Vance Creek Bridge in Washington. We have both seen numerous photographs of this bridge, but the problem was it was CLOSED. There were safety issues regarding the bridge because there is no ledge when you walk across, and it was on private property. Our next best idea was to explore High Steel Bridge. Even though there was a ledge, you really get a sense of its height when you look down.
Olympic National Park – about a million acre national park that encompasses mountains, rain forests, and coastlines
Exploring High Steel Bridge did not take too much of our time so we were thinking about where to explore next. Our next idea was to hike up to Lake Crescent. However, we took too much time brainstorming and less time executing the plan. Thus, time was not on our side, and we still needed to drive to the starting point of the hike. The positives involved us making some pit stops for unique views of the park.
Photo Credit: Terona Theresa Wilson
Mount Storm King Hiking Trail – the sun was going to set soon so we decided to opt out on the last part of the trail, which was the best view of Lake Crescent; we met other hikers along the way who shared that you have to climb a rope up to a ledge to see the view
Check out this website for more details on how to finish the hike.
Mount Storm King or Storm King Mountain – views of mountains and trails that lead to views of Lake Crescent and Strait of Juan de Fuca
Although the view of Lake Crescent was breath-taking, I was in deep awe, admiring the views of Storm King Mountain. This photograph was one of my favorites that I shot of Storm King Mountain.
Photo Credit: Terona Theresa Wilson
Ruston Way Waterfront – one of Terona’s favorite spots in Tacoma
Chihuly Bridge of Glass – a bridge built from a partnership with the Museum of Glass, Dale Chihuly, and city of Tacoma (Museum of Glass, 2016)
The bridge is 500 feet long that links the Museum of Glass to downtown Tacoma (Museum of Glass, 2016).
The bridge was an experience because every step of the way, you are walking alongside art, glass to be specific. My favorite part of the bridge was the end of it because it had views of the waterfront and additional glass sculptures.
One of the spots Terona showed me while I was in Tacoma was Stadium High School. She told me it was famous for its scene(s) in “10 Things I Hate About You.” I noticed that it was not easily accessible, but I saw many athletes hop the fence to train at the outdoor stadium. I attempted to follow, but I only climbed the fence for this photograph.
W. R. Rust House – historic site; previosuly owned by William Rust, owner of the Tacoma Smelter and Refining Company (Sean Keeley, 2015)
Terona and I were drawn by the architecture, and we were surprised that the mansion was a historic site. Initially, we were afraid of trespassing on private property.
Photo Credit: Terona Theresa Wilson
Point Defiance Park – one of the popular parks in Tacoma area according to my research
There were many areas to hike within this park. We decided to drive through Point Defiance Park while stopping at each view point. This was one of my last memories of Tacoma before my flight back to the San Francisco Bay Area.
To check out hiking trails within Point Defiance Park, check out this website.
Reflections
We encounter different types of people in our lives. Some may have short stories, and some may also have a huge impact in our lives. Terona reminds me of my courage to explore solo but also appreciate travels with people as well. We share our love of traveling and photography together.
Where have I traveled in the United States?
United States
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