Things to Do in Tacoma

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.

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.

Maneuvering on the 16-foot poles at Poledello may seem daunting to anyone but a firefighter, but the fitness pros that teach pole-dance classes can quickly dash any trepidation a student may have. Each staff member each has safety training, and classes are conducted in groups of 10 or fewer students to ensure each dancer gets personal attention when working on moves. That said, the class members include beginners and pros alike—pole dancing can be helpful to anyone seeking increased core strength, flexibility, and enough upper-body muscle to win the annual company wheelbarrow race. From intro classes, to four tiers of Trick and Spin, to Aerial Hoop and Silks, each of their sessions offer a different level or type of sensual dance, with an end goal of honing a tighter physique.

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).

At Iron Horse Casino, chips clack down on the green felt tables as joyful tension builds over big poker hands and the adrenaline-infused table games unfolding throughout the casino. The onsite restaurant keeps bellies fed with a hearty menu of American fare, serving up breakfast meals all day long. Patrons can cure parched throats hoarse from cheering over a big win with cocktails, beer, and wine, and live entertainers may or may not infuse their routines with subliminal messages on how to always win at roulette.

Though the historical gems of a museum tend to be its artifacts, the vintage autos of the LeMay Family Collection at Marymount only tell half the story. The Marymount location opened in 1923 as a boys' military school, which became a center for English education in 1975 and eventually the home to the family's vintage automobiles. Beginning with a few vehicles gathered by Harold and Nancy LeMay in the 1960s, the collection has grown into a one-time Guinness World Record holder of more than 1,900 vehicles. Many of these classics, including a powder-blue 1950 Chrysler Windsor, rest fully restored alongside toys, antiques, and farm equipment within the year-round museum.