Things to Do in Artondale

The Dive & Adventure Travel Expo 2013 will connect scuba and snorkel enthusiasts with some of the industry's top experts, brands, and innovations. More than 50 seminars scheduled throughout the weekend will showcase the diving deftness of speakers from across the country, enabling attendees to net information on such topics as underwater photography and safety. ReefID founder and editor John Fifer will host two of these gatherings, sharing ways his online database of diver-captured photos is helping raise awareness for marine life. Fifer will also play host to the expo's signature Saturday Night Film Festival event at 7 p.m. alongside 3D photographer Mark Blum and other presenters.

In addition to engaging activities, the Dive & Adventure Travel Expo 2013 is also home to the best in dive-related gear and information. Approximately 140 exhibit booths connect attendees with purveyors of international adventure from global hotspots including Palau, Yap, the Virgin Islands, and Fiji. In addition to resort representatives, booths also house all of the equipment needed for undersea excursions, with new products ranging from snorkel and scuba innovations to travel accessories and luggage. During face-to-face conversations, dive skills clinics, or snorkel sword fights, expo-goers can get travel tips or plan dive vacations around the globe. While parents research, younger visitors can decamp to a youth section filled with interactive attractions designed for youngsters aged 8–12.

Attendees who come for the education should probably stick for the prizes; the expo plans to give away over $50,000 in door prizes, including a massive grand prize: a full set of dive gear including a drysuit, Weezle undergarments, ScubaPro G260 regulator, Aqua Lung BCD, a TUSA mask, fin, and snorkel set, an Oceanic dive computer, and trips including weeklong Philippine dive adventure from the Marco Vincent Resort.

The handsome, 12,000-square-foot museum is home to four exhibition galleries and a permanent collection that focuses on the wealth of regional talent in the Northwest, in addition to housing Japanese woodblock prints and European paintings. Tacoma's own Dale Chihuly fills a gallery space with his permanent installation of playful and fantastical glasswork, much of it inspired by his love for the sea. Brush up on your goose-whispering skills at the Secret Language of Animals exhibit, a family-friendly flock of approximately 40 paintings, sculptures, and videos depicting rodents, birds, horses, dogs, crazy uncles, and more.

Helicopters Northwest's squad of certified flight Instructors and commercial pilots mans a fleet of Robinson R22 and R44 helicopters for training sessions and tours. Teachers team up with students for individualized new-pilot preparation or add-on sessions for experienced pilots eager to acquire additional ratings in one of five areas, including private pilot and certified flight Instructor - instrument.

Individuals interested in taste-sampling the skies can stick out their tongues during introductory 30-minute flights and aerial-photography flights, designed for snapping shots of boats in motion or breathtaking scenery below. Said scenery is also accessible via Helicopter Northwest's three Seattle tour packages, which hoist guests 500-1,000 feet in the air for bird's-eye views of cherished Seattle landmarks such as Snoqualmie Falls.

The Broadway Center aims to provide outstanding theatrical venues in which to entertain artistic attendees of all ages. Your Friend membership grants you a year of performance perks, as the best seats for season shows at the Pantages Theater, the Rialto Theater, and the Theatre on the Square are held for members. You'll also have the opportunity to purchase tickets before the general public and get wait-list priority for sold-out events. Use your status as a newly christened member to snag primo tickets to upcoming shows such as Twist and Shout: The Ultimate Beatles Experience on March 31, or the Tony Award–winning musical Fiddler on the Roof on April 26.

You and your golf pal will receive a wealth of feedback from Tacoma Firs' PGA- and LPGA-certified instructors over the course of each of your hour-long lessons. They tailor instruction to individual needs, so novices can learn the fundamentals of the game, and expert ball-swatters will season their swing, perfect golf posture, and hone alignment. The staff's careful instruction, observation, and friendly demeanor make it easy to make balls to soar more gracefully than an ultralight made of dreams.

Bowlers at Narrows Plaza Bowl sling spheres down 40 synthetic lanes, each trimmed with automatic scoring and optional bumpers. After duos slip into their respective rental kicks and lace up their throwing arms, players draw orbital weapons and set to work mowing down pins in back-to-back bouts. Players leave point tallying to a computerized network that festoons 40-inch LCD screens with scores converted into the Xs and /s commonly taught in American math classrooms. Lanes can also be bumperized, enabling bowlers of any experience level to competently compete while balancing the fickle forces of geometry and physics. Between rounds, bowlers can slide over to the re-energizing food court full of pizza and libations (not included in today's deal).