Happy New Year, Tacoma! If you’re like a lot of people you might be starting the new decade by taking a little break from the sauce. Or maybe you just don’t drink alcohol. We’ve polled some of our local sober friends for tips and tricks for Tacomans interested in checking out sobriety, whether it’s for one month or forever. Here’s some of our favorite places to hang out in Tacoma and not drink:
FOR A NICE WALK:
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Point Defiance Park Hike
Neighborhood: North Tacoma
Minutes from Downtown Tacoma is Point Defiance Park. Here you’ll discover hundreds of acres of unlogged old growth forest with hiking trails and views of water. We are so lucky to have an unlogged old growth forest right here in the city. It’s so great to be able to go for a quiet walk in the woods without having to drive forever. If you get the time, check it out!
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Bresemann Forest
Neighborhood: Spanaway
Just 30 minutes from Downtown Tacoma is Bresemann Forest. Part of the Clover Creek watershed, Breseman Forest has more than 70 acres of trails stretching from Spanaway Lake past Sprinker.
Sequalitchew Creek
Neighborhood: Dupont
A 30 minute drive on I-5 (or a scenic 45-minute drive through Steilacoom) gets you to the Sequalitchew Creek Trail Head, located in the back of the parking lot at Dupont’s City Hall. The one-and-a-half mile trail takes you through a forested canyon before depositing you on the rugged rocky beach with views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains beyond.
FOR SOME GROUP SUPPORT:
Alcoholics Anonymous
Going to an AA meeting can be super intimidating the first time, but most folks report being pleasantly surprised by how low-key it is. There are AA Meetings in every corner of Pierce County, and most communities have multiple meetings per day, seven days per week. There are also AA meetings for women only, AA meetings for men only, LGBTQ only meetings, and AA meetings in Spanish.
Click here for a list of AA meetings in Pierce County.
Buddhist Recovery
If AA isn’t your thing, you might dig Tacoma’s Buddhist Recovery Meeting. They meet three times per week at the South Sound Zen Meditation Space (in Court A, the alley behind Matador in Downtown Tacoma). With meetings Saturdays at noon, Sundays at 8am, and Wednesdays at 6:30pm, there’s probably a day and time that works for you. For more info on meetings and location for Buddhist Recovery meetings in Tacoma click here.
DRINKING WITH FRIENDS:
Let’s face it, sometimes not everyone you’re hanging out with is going to feel like keeping it sober on your nights out. Here are some spots that have great options beyond club soda with lime and diet coke:
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En Rama
Neighborhood: Downtown Tacoma
Located in the corner of the vast Old Post Office building on A Street in Downtown Tacoma, En Rama has a fantastic dimly lit vibe in the evening and a stellar patio in the summer. Bartender Chris Keil makes all kinds of sodas in house, as well as stocking different tinctures and drinking vinegars. Requesting a mocktail from Chris is a guaranteed next level flavor experience.
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The Mix
Neighborhood: Downtown Tacoma
The Mix is one of Tacoma’s fave LGBTQ bars, and one of the best places in town to watch the Seahawks, sing karaoke, and just hang with friends. They carry the non-alchoholic Coors Edge and they create a cranberry sugar free red bull mixer (the non-alchoholic version of their famous Blueberry Cocktail).
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Matriarch & Honey at Alma Mater
Neighborhood: Downtown Tacoma
Matriarch and Honey both came recommended from sober folks around town. Matriarch is the bar at Alma Mater and makes great mocktails. Honey is the restaurant at Alma Mater (most famous for brunch). For music, spoken word events, and other events, follow Honey on Instagram at @honeyatalma.
SOMETHING TO READ:
Maybe you just want to read a good book about not drinking. Well fortunately there are lots. Here are some books on quitting drinking that came highly recommended from our sober Tacoma sources:
This Naked Mind by Annie Grace
Quit Like a Woman by Holly Whitacre
Quit Drinking without Willpower by Allen Carr
Recovery: Freedom from Our Addictions by Russell Brand
