Point Ruston, near Tacoma, is an easy weekend getaway for us at only a 60- to 90-minute drive from our apartment. We really like the Water View Suites at the Silver Cloud Hotel, pictured above, with their sweeping view to Commencement Bay and Point Ruston. Something of interest is always happening, either on the water or the pedestrian path beneath the window. The hotel also has a large and well-equipped gym for our morning workout, and several good restaurants are nearby. Other local diversions include the Ruston Way Waterwalk, the town of Ruston, the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, and Fort Nisqually.

Below are highlights from November 7th through 9th, 2025. Click any image for a larger view, or click the position to view the location on a map. And a map with our most recent log entries always is available at mvdirona.com/maps.

11/7/2025

Ram Brewery Position: 47°23.11’N, -122°14.10’W Lunch at Ram Brewery in Kent, about a 30-minute drive south of Seattle. James had some business meetings in Kent, so we met up here and continued south to Point Ruston for the weekend.

Fall Colors Position: 47°16.61’N, -122°28.22’W Vibrant fall colors along Ruston Way as we drive to the Silver Cloud Hotel at Point Ruston.

Copper & Salt Position: 47°18.04’N, -122°30.31’W A delicious dinner at Copper & Salt in the Silver Cloud Hotel at Point Ruston, where we are spending the weekend. Before the sun set, we had a fabulous view to the Port of Tacoma and Mt. Rainier.

11/8/2025

Silver Cloud Position: 47°18.06’N, -122°30.36’W We really like the Water View Suites at the Silver Cloud Hotel at Point Ruston, with their sweeping view to Commencement Bay, pictured, and Point Ruston. There’s always something happening of interest either on the water or the pedestrian path beneath the window.

Mt. Rainier Position: 47°18.00’N, -122°30.28’W A great view to snow-covered Mt. Rainier from the Point Ruston Waterwalk. The top of the Point Ruston Ferry is just visible through the trees at bottom right.

VO2 max Position: 47°17.85’N, -122°30.17’W Our Garmin watches (Fenix 8 for James and Venu 3 for Jennifer) produce surprisingly accurate VO2 max scores compared to gold-standard lab test. But we need to do a 10-15-minute run, cycle or walk outside in order to get a score. Here we are running outside at Point Ruston to update our score.

Malibu SS LT1 Position: 47°17.96’N, -122°30.32’W A beautifully-maintained mid-60s Chevrolet Malibu SS LT1 at Point Ruston. The LT1 designation means it has been retrofitted with a modern LT1 V8 engine

Boran Royal Thai Cuisine Position: 47°17.99’N, -122°30.34’W A delicious and fun meal at Boran Royal Thai Cuisine across the road from the Silver Cloud Hotel at Point Ruston, where we are spending the weekend.

11/9/2025

Farmer’s Carry Position: 47°18.03’N, -122°30.34’W Most weekend mornings we do a farmer’s carry to improve strength, particularly grip. We alternate and do 20 sets of 30 seconds each, with a 30-second break between each. Here James is carrying 130 pounds, while Jennifer carries 80 pounds.

Combined weights Position: 47°18.03’N, -122°30.35’W The maximum weight of most gym dumbbells is 50 lbs, so to allow James to use heavier loads in a farmer’s carry, we devised a velcro system to connect two weights. We wrap two wide pieces of industrial velcro completely around the handle of a smaller weight, then wrap two narrow strips about 20″ long over both handles to connect them. The velcro around the handle of the smaller weight stabilizes the narrow straps and prevents them from slipping along the handles.

35 to Zero Position: 47°35.71’N, -122°19.91’W We returned from Ruston Point this morning in order to attend a Seattle Seahawks NFL game. In an unusually high-scoring first half, the Seahawks are up 35 to nothing against the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals eventually racked up 22 points, but the Seahakws won with 44.

La llorona Taqueria Mexicana Position: 47°36.69’N, -122°20.48’W As we were walking home from the football game and trying to decide where to eat dinner, we passed La llorona Taqueria Mexicana on 2nd Ave. We’d not been in before, but they had a great window table open, so we decided to give it a try. The margaritas were excellent, and the food was yummy too.

Click the travel log icon on the left to see these locations on a map. And a map of our most recent log entries always is available at mvdirona.com/maps.