VetsAid is a national non profit organization and benefit music festival founded by Joe Walsh to raise and disperse funds to veterans groups across the country. In 2017,  Joe began organizing an annual benefit concert along with other artists, to be held in a different city each year on Veteran’s Day.

VetsAid 2018 was held at the Tacoma Dome on November 11, 2018 with Joe Walsh, James Taylor, Don Henley, Chris Stapleton, Ringo Starr, the indie pop group Haim, and Steuart Smith, one of the lead guitarists from the Eagles.

 

 

 

Between musical acts during the concert, interviews of military personnel, veterans, and supporters played on the big screens. We were pleased to learn that Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans, one of our favorite local veteran’s groups based in Wheaton, Illinois, was designated as a beneficiary of VetsAid 2018. Each of the organizations chosen, deliver evidence-based, high-impact programs that have proven to positively impact the lives of military families.

This year $1.2M was raised to help veterans and their families with over 18,000 attendees at the concert. I don’t think the concert could be more fantastic, but we’ll see in 2019.  

With the concert as our primary reason for the trip, we made it a long weekend getaway with a visit to downtown Seattle and a day exploring downtown Tacoma. As with Seattle, there is so much to see and do in Tacoma, we had to prioritize our day, so…cars it is.

Our first stop was LeMay – American’s Car Museum, with 250 automobiles spanning over 100 years of automotive history, automotive artifacts, kids zone, and another 100 vehicles on exhibit loan from private collections.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were entertained for hours, and then enjoyed lunch overlooking the main exhibit floor.

Tacoma is also known for the Museum of Glass, which has works by renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly among its exhibits. The Glass Museum is at the end of the Chihuly Bridge of Glass which is a must see even if you’re not in the mood for a full museum visit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turn around on the glass bridge and you are presented with a view of Union Station Tacoma which currently operates as a Federal Courthouse, as the last passenger train departed from the station in 1984.  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, the rotunda can be rented out for events, and is worth a peek inside for the gorgeous Beaux-Art architecture.

 

 

 

This area of Pacific Avenue is known as Museum Row, and is home to the Tacoma Art Museum, the Washington State History Museum, which features hands-on exhibits and a model railroad, and the Children’s Museum of Tacoma.

You knew there would be shopping…The Goods at the Museum is located in the lobby of the Washington State History Museum and is a sister store to Shop Stocklist across the street on Pacific Avenue. They both offer unusual and local gifts, cards, soaps, stuffed animals, towels, Holiday items, it goes on and on….go there to peruse and support local economy.

The Museum Row area of Tacoma has a few nice hotels such as the Courtyard Marriott and Hotel Murano, as well as being steps from the Tacoma Link Light Rail, which is a free streetcar connecting the downtown core to the Tacoma Dome Station.

Exploring the downtown neighborhood, we found Tacoma to be artsy, visually entertaining at every turn, and a little hilly…so think about the scooters.

 

 

 

Tacoma is just an hour from Seattle and LeBonVie recommended for it’s museums, events, and walkability.

C’est tout!