Make 2022 Your Best Year Yet in Gig Harbor
If you’re at all like me, I love having something to work towards and achieve, and the beginning of a new year is always a perfect time to re-evaluate priorities, set fresh goals, and find extra ways to challenge yourself. Gig Harbor is full of so many opportunities to give back and grow, whether volunteering, joining a club, or learning something new. Read on for lots of ideas, and here’s to making 2022 your best year yet!
Get Outdoors
You’ve probably heard it said about the Pacific Northwest that if you wait to do something until it’s not raining, you’ll never do anything! Gig Harbor offers an abundance of places to walk, hike, or ride as you enjoy the great outdoors. Besides the Cushman Trail and 360 Trails in the immediate vicinity, be sure to check out this list of recommendations for the broader area. They’re all kid- and dog-friendly, too!
Whether you’ve done water sports in the past or have been thinking about giving them a try, this is the place to do it! There are multiple sailing, rowing, paddling, and kayaking associations to get involved with, for kids as well as adults.
The easiest place of all to take advantage of the fresh air is in your very own backyard! Make this the year that you finally tackle your list of gardening projects. Get help, landscaping ideas, and plants at Rosedale Gardens, Woodbrook Native Plant Nursery, Yang’s Nursery, and Glenwood Gardens. Or consider volunteering at the Wilkinson Farm Community Garden.
Find a Hobby
For those days you’d rather not venture outside, pick up a new hobby or sharpen your skills on an old one. If you like needlework, Rainy Day Yarns and Fibers Etc, Tacoma sell supplies and provide classes and help clinics for knitting, crocheting, spinning, and weaving. Looking to up your game in the kitchen? Consider taking a cooking class from Sue’s Table, French Moods, or EAsT Kitchen. Learn to paint with local artists Gretchen Giese and Tami Figliola, check out the DIY and craft classes at AR Workshop, or master some sewing skills at Stitch-O-Roo & Art Too.
Can you play an instrument? Dust it off and join one of the music groups in the area. The Gig Harbor Peninsula Civic Orchestra welcomes amateur adult musicians who love to play, and the Narrows Music Society has several bands and chamber groups for wind and percussion players. There is also the Peninsula Community Chorus for any singers out there. Even if you aren’t musically accomplished, these groups as well as Symphony Tacoma and the Seattle Symphony can always use your support!
Learn About Gig Harbor
There is so much history associated with the harbor and surrounding areas. The Gig Harbor BoatShop celebrates where the Thunderbird sailboat was born as well as the working waterfront which was home to three boatbuilding companies. The Harbor History Museum honors the Peninsula’s rich heritage, and you can also follow its restoration of the Shenandoah, a seine fishing boat built in 1925. Understand more about the harbor’s commercial fishing industry at the Skansie Brothers Netshed, and get an idea of what else is under the water through Harbor WildWatch’s free public programs.
Other museums and learning opportunities about the broader vicinity include:
Join a Club
Gig Harbor’s small-town backdrop provides the perfect setting for joining a club, and there are so many options available! Get to know your neighbors and others in your community as you do what you love, achieve personal goals, or just have fun. Want to read more? Become part of a local book club. Are you a mom that could use some support from others in the same season of life? Check out associations like FIT4MOM, Gig Harbor Moms, Harbor Moms, MOMS Club, or MOPS. Thought about joining a golf club? There are multiple courses in the area, including Canterwood, Gig Harbor Golf Club, and Madrona Links, to name a few. The harbor’s New Neighbors and Welcome clubs also offer an abundance of activities to participate in, whether arts and crafts, theater and travel, or anything in between!
Get Involved in the Community
There are multiple nonprofit organizations around Gig Harbor that can always use neighbors willing to give of their time and talents. These charities help a variety of demographics, including kids, teens, mothers, seniors, and animals. Or consider volunteering with the Downtown Waterfront Alliance, which aims to strengthen the local community and preserve the character of the harbor.
Make a point to get out in the community more, and shop local! So many individuals have built their livelihoods around this little town of ours, and they depend on their neighbors to help keep their shops and restaurants up and running. For the ultimate guide on small businesses in the area, pick up a copy of my newly reprinted and expanded book, Inside Gig Harbor.
On the Home Front
Planning to sell your house or buy a new one this year? You all know how crazy the market was in 2021. But whatever happens with it this year, I’ve got you covered with expert tips to make buying or selling as painless as possible. Let this be the year you find your dream home!