TACOMA IS PRETTY >>>

This fall The Tacoma Regional Convention + Visitor Bureau, otherwise known as the catchy TRCVB, held a photography contest seeking the most awesome photo of Tacoma and Pierce County.

The judges have made their decision.

Congratulations to Sharon Styler for her shot of Ruston Way (see above).

For more details on the contest, read the TRCVB press release after the jump:

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WESTPORT RULES >>>

Thing: Fresh fish

Company: Boat Seafoods, Inc.

Boat: Howard H.

Float: 7

In: Westport, Wash.

Deckhands: Five total

Owned by: Barb and Douglas Fricke

Been fishin': Over 40 years

Nicest couple: I've ever met (for fishermen)

Steph DeRosa defends Westport, Wash., and come sclean on its fresh fish. Read her column here.

POPCORN AT 11 AM >>>

UPDATE: The video is posted below.

This morning I had the pleasure of joining a small theater full of folks at the Grand Cinema to see the debut of the new "Tacoma + Pierce County Destination Video," which will soon be coming to a trade show near you thanks to the Tacoma Regional Convention + Visitor Bureau - with plenty of help from JayRay Ads, Bellingham's Hand Crank Films and others. The short (2-3 minute) commercial for Tacoma and Pierce County is designed to help the Tacoma Regional Convention + Visitor Bureau  sell our region to potential travelers and event planners, created, according to an official press release, to be used, "on social media, in presentations to clients, for media purposes and shared with global audiences."

(I assume studies have shown potential visitors prefer the plus sign to the actual word "and.")

So who and what gets featured in the video? Obviously, Tacoma's many museums come up big. There's the obligatory cupcake shot from hello, cupcake. Terry's Berries makes an appearance, as does the Hotel Murano, Bite Restaurant and superstar bell captain Dale Rush. Crystal Mountain gets some face time. And Chambers Creek makes John Ladenburg proud.

The video ends with one of the prominent actors offering, "See you tomorrow." In all, while not exactly as real as something like this, it's sharp packaging of the marketable amenities and natural wonder Tacoma and Pierce County residents experience every day.

Local singer songwriter Heidi Vladyka opened the event, doling out acoustic versions of Bush's "Glycerine," Dido's "Thank You," and even a surprisingly-great rendition of the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling." The pairing makes sense, as Vladyka's still photography was included in the video.

Because building hype is the name of the game, the video won't officially drop until Aug. 31. When it does it will be available at traveltacoma.com.

HIGHLIGHT FROM OUR SUMMER GUIDE >>>

You might see Poulsbo and think it's time to buy an RV, but you're in luck because there's more to the story. Poulsbo is a quaint seaside town on Liberty Bay just a bit northwest of Bainbridge Island, but, best of all, this is the place to get your inner Viking on.

Calling itself Little Norway, the small downtown area has an old-world feel and many shops, antique stores, restaurants and galleries to explore - you can buy everything from a unique engagement ring to cheesy Got Lutefisk? shirts. Don't miss ducking into one of the bakeries on the main drag of Front Street to grab a traditional Norwegian pastry or some lefse.

Within a few blocks is also the town waterfront where you can sit or stroll whilst watching boats come into and out of the marina. There's even some nightlife in this cute area - Tizley's Europub is worth checking out and is filled with Scandinavian treats to delight your drunken senses. Poulsbo is about an hour drive from Tacoma, making it a great half- or whole-day trip, but there are also plenty of hotels if you want to explore the idea of Weiner Schnitzel for breakfast.

For more details, go to visitkitsap.com

HIGHLIGHT FROM OUR SUMMER GUIDE >>>

If you aren't scared of the dark, or the possibility of running into Sasquatch (as this is his rumored stomping grounds, and this is not a beef jerky commercial nor is John Lithgow your dad), grab your hiking gear and flashlights and visit the Ape Caves, located at Mount St. Helens.

Boasting the longest lava tube in the United States, with over two miles of underground hiking made possible by scorching hot magma that traveled through thousands of years ago, the Ape Caves are less scenic and more adventurous.

The first part of the cave hike is a cinch - a bit chilly but pretty much a nice, dark walk through the lava-created cave, complete with slimy walls. It's a neat, roughly hour-long experience. The second cave, however, is not for the faint of heart. Think: boulder piles, an eight-foot lava fall and two and a half hours of pitch black, athletic activity. There's a reason three light sources are recommended along with extra batteries, lest you intend on trapping yourself in a horror flick starring creatures of the deep.

After your adventure you can take in some sunshine and the local scenery that involves trees. 

LINK: Summer guide 2011

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LYNN >>>

Some people send out Evites, Facebook messages or launch a phone tree to orchestrate their own big birthday bash. Others, such as Tacoma artist Lynn Di Nino, simply hang out at a neighbor's house in socks. Ironic, since Di Nino has been responsible for some of the biggest bashes in this town.

To Di Nino's surprise, her friends would have other plans for her. Last night, the Tacoma arts community barged in on Di Nino at Sue Pivetta's house with food, gifts and hugs - especially the hugs as Di Nino just returned from Uganda where she and other Puget Sound artists taught members of the Batwa pygmy tribe to explore their creative minds in the midst of their terrible nomadic living conditions.

Sure enough, the partying included an impromptu geo-economic lecture by Di Nino on her experiences in Uganda.

"They (Batwa pygmy tribe) live in the current tense," she told her friends. "They have no tense for the future, and there is no way of even saying how to save for a rainy day."

Di Nino and the other artists taught the villages to express their culture in the art they create rather than simply make trinket baskets that are void of personality. The crew came up with necklace designs made from bottle caps, woven mats and paper mache puppets.

Di Nino is editing photos and organizing a show of the work the group created as a way to promote the cause. Stay tuned. Until then, happy birthday Lynn.

STAY-CATION = LOTS OF TIME TO FOOL AROUND >>>

If you're in a LTR - you know, a Long Term Relationship such as marriage - a stay-cation during Valentine's weekend is a fun way to stir and reignite the proverbial embers of love into a roaring fire. Or it just might be the fireplace suite at The INN at Gig Harbor making it hot.

Either way, it's hard to go wrong at this ultra-romantic spot. Sweet in-room bonuses of red roses and bubbly or vino await your arrival; it's a sure win for scoring effortless points with your amore. So is choosing a Jacuzzi suite.

On the dining front, stay-cation packages at the INN at Gig Harbor include a Heritage Restaurant prix-fixe dinner for two including delightful sounding selections like Firecracker Chicken, Caribbean slaw, lemon and caper pan-seared Alaskan halibut, jerk-style pork chop with mango apple chutney, smoked white truffle mashed potatoes, orange curry glazed scallops and jumbo shrimp, pecan-espresso encrusted sirloin and amaretto-sauced bread pudding.

If that doesn't blow the mind, next day breakfast from Heritage Restaurant is included, too. A menu of Pacific Northwest-influenced American cuisine includes omelets with ingredients like Dungeness crab, sun-dried tomatoes, avocado, meats and artichoke hearts. Grilled King salmon or broiled rib steak can take the place of typical sausage patties or bacon with eggs. Enjoy homemade biscuits, buttermilk pancakes, fruit platters and breakfast breads. 

Hot damn. They thought of everything.
[The INN at Gig Harbor, 3211 56th St. N.W., Gig Harbor, 253.858.1111, innatgigharbor.com]

WE'RE NUMBER EIGHT! >>>

The Hotel Murano made the Top 10 List on the Conde Nast Traveler's 2010 Readers' Choice Awards with a 93.5 oversall score. In fact, the downtown Tacoma hotel hit the number eight spot for hotels in the United States. Click here to see how the magazine scored the Murano.

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Edible crayons!

Yikes! Puerto Rican-born man is almost deported to Mexico.

Watch out for the omajinaakoos!

You should probably cancel your trip to Jamaica.

MICHELLE MERRITT'S MEMOIR CONTINUES >>>

"I left Tacoma on April 1 in my Ford Escape," writes Tacoman Michelle Merritt from Wilmington, N.C. "At the moment, I'm couch surfing at a friend's house. I was supposed to be in Italy right now, but had to postpone the trip until May 10. After my stops in Orlando and Tampa - and a little side trip to see Cape Canaveral - I will move on through Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, then leave my car at my son's house in Tucson to fly to Italy for a week. Once I'm back in the states, it's Hollywood and four stops in California."

Such is the life of author Merritt who is on a national promotional tour for her new memoir, One Night in Rome and the End of Life as I Knew It.

Instead of flying, Merritt is couch surfing her way across the country with the help of friends. Her adventures described above detail the first half of her 8,500 mile, 28 state promotional road trip. She has already visited 14 cities and broadcast the adventure via her YouTube channel, Web site, Facebook, and Twitter. Tonight, she will do an impromptu book signing at ladies night at the Melting Pot in Wilmington.

"I could go on about all of the amazing people who have opened their doors and homes to me," says Merritt. "Most of them are folks that I had never even met before: The college student who took me on a tour of Butte and loaned me blankets for the night, my second cousin's wife in Minnesota, a Facebook fan in Fort Wayne, Ind., the 82-year-old parking lot attendant at Oprah's studio in Chicago, my cousin's house outside of Pittsburgh, And the launch party for Over 40 Females in New York City."

Merritt's memoir picks up after the death of her parents in 2007 when she embarked on a soul-searching journey with her stepsister. After a series of unexpected events, Merritt found herself alone on her journey. While in Southern Italy, Michelle reunited with the fascinating man she met one night in Rome. Romance ensued.

"I wrote this story in the hopes that it would inspire others to overcome their own personal tragedies and learn to live again," Merritt writes in her book's press release, "and the people I've met on this trip have made every mile matter."

She will return to Tacoma at the end of May - maybe with experiences for another memoir.

One Night in Rome and the End of Life as I Knew It is available for sale online at Amazon.com and other channels and will soon be available at bookstores around the globe.

LINK: Merritt hosts a contest for a night in Rome