Things to Do in Lacey

A day at Emerald Downs can take on many forms. Some visitors sprawl across blankets in the facility's park, while some scoot to the edge of their reserved seats in the grandstand. Still others relax in the Redhook Turf Club, an all-inclusive, members-only area for dining, wagering, and watching the races. It's this flexibility that has made Emerald Downs a popular summer destination since 1996. On every level, the stadium features self-service or clerk-operated betting windows, and its programs come packed with jockey bios, postpositions, and other bettor-friendly tools. Even during non-racing season, Emerald Downs offers full-card simulcasting so fans don't have to resort to betting on slowly drifting clouds.

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.

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.

Apex Karting satisfies your undernourished need for speed by letting you experience the thrill of finally outracing your cheetah half-sister on one of the Pacific Northwest's longest indoor racetracks. And you'll do it all behind the wheel of an 11-horsepower Stratos Kart, a clean-burning conveyance that can reach speeds of 40 miles per hour. Races may be split between family, friends, and medieval scholars, and after you retire from the tracks for the evening, you can unwind in Apex's beer garden; while sipping one of their barley-pop selections (starting at $3), you can reflect on how much more thrilling engine-powered speed is compared with leg-powered penny-farthing rides. Your Groupon may also be redeemed for a $110 credit toward private-track rental (usually $725–$800 per hour).

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).