Blog Posts

World Water Ski Racing Championships

Water skiing is the perfect summer sport; come see how the pros do it! From Wednesday, July 26th, to Sunday, August 6th, get the chance to watch the 10-day long Wold’s Water Ski Racing Championships at Point Ruston in Tacoma, WA. These championships occur every two years. In 2015 they were held in Wellington, New Zealand, and this year, they will be held here in Tacoma, WA! Don’t forget to bring your camera to capture the excitement on video! You won’t want to miss out on this epic competition. Watch in awe as 180 competitors from 50 international teams compete in some extreme and dynamic water ski racing. This year’s competitors include teams from the United States, Australia, and Austria. Along with the water ski racing, there will also be a skydiving demonstration from World Champion Skydiver Luke Aikins, Extreme sports entertainment from Air Chain and Hyperlite Wakeboarding, live bands, and food. This event is free to the general public. Also be sure to appreciate the unparalleled beauty of both Seattle and Tacoma by taking the opportunity to explore them while you are there. What to bring — Don’t forget your camera to record the incredible talent of these professional athletes. — Wear clothes that you can get wet in, just in case. — Bring waterproof sunscreen and be sure to reapply every few hours. — Bring along a refillable water bottle to stay hydrated. — Carry some cash in case you see something you want to buy from a vendor. You won’t want to miss this exciting watersports summer event at Point Ruston in your city of Tacoma, WA, not too far from your apartment. Thanks for reading this Nantucket Blog post! What are you most looking forward to seeing at this event? Let us know in the comments. Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Tacoma Freedom Fair

Come celebrate the Tacoma, Washington annual Freedom Fair , a 40-year tradition of festivities, recognized as one of the top Fourth of July celebrations in the country. Kicking off on July 1st the festivities last four days, with the 4th being the ultimate finale with festivities starting at 9 am and lasting until 11 pm! Come celebrate all these patriotic festivities here in Tacoma, or pick and choose the ones you want to attend. A car and air show are both fun parts of the Freedom Fair. Do you have a unique, tricked out, or classic car? Come show off your hot ride! Just fill out a car show application on our website, but hurry because spots fill up fast! Or check out our air show that is sure to awaken your inner patriotic spirit. All events are free to the general public, except for the Wings and Wheels car and air show on July 2nd at the Tacoma Narrows Airport which requires tickets to be purchased in advance before the show. Tickets are available online for purchase here . Parking at the airport is limited and can be reserved for $5 until all spots are filled. There is also a free shuttle service to and from the Airport, stopping for pick up at St. Anthony's Family Medical Clinic ( 4700 Pt. Fosdick Dr NW Gig Harbor, WA 98335 ). The event will run from 11 am to 4 pm. Fireworks will be on the 4th at the close of the Freedom Fair Festivities, for the fireworks schedule click on the link. Come appreciate these beautiful and colorful lights display at the close of your Independence Day weekend! Make the Tacoma Freedom Fair a part of your July 4th celebration tradition! Share with us some fun ways you plan on spending the Fourth of July in Tacoma. Thanks for reading the Nantucket Gate Blog!

Celebrate National Hot Dog Month

Summer is the perfect time for hot dogs, which explains why July is National Hot Dog Month . So to help you get into the holiday spirit, here are a few fun recipes, ideas, and restaurants near you to try out this summer. Head on over to Hot Rod Dog here in Tacoma, WA and choose from a wide selection of tasty hot dogs made-to-order to help you get into the holiday spirit. Or check out Shake Shake Shake and try one of their specialty hot dogs, burgers, or milkshakes. Check out these two awesome local restaurants for tasty food and a great local experience. If you enjoy cooking and trying out new recipes, check out some of the following unique twists on the classic hot dog brought to you by the Food Network . Keep it simple with these grilled link hot dogs with homemade pickle relish or give your hot dogs a little twist with this nacho dog recipe. If you like a little bit of kick, try out this chipotle chili cheese dog recipe . Make it extra spicy by adding jalapenos or habaneros. The possibilities are endless. You could even try a new recipe for every day! Go big or go home, right? Maybe hold a hot dog cook-off with some friends giving out silly prizes for the winners of different categories such as most creative, spiciest, and overall best flavor. Have the perfect excuse to hold a hot dog eating contest in your apartment community! Express the depth of your love for hot dogs with all sorts of hot dog themed decor . Show the world your love for hot dogs without saying a word with one of these hot dog themed t-shirts . Whatever you do to celebrate is completely up to you, we won’t judge. Share any of your unique ideas with us for fun ways to celebrate National hot dog month in the comments below. Thanks for reading the Nantucket Gate Blog!

Fun Roadtrip Games To Play In The Car

Road trips are perfect times to make fun, uninterrupted memories with your family or friends. It can be all too easy to become restless or bored when you are stuck in a car for several hours at a time. Fight boredom by playing these entertaining games in the car to keep your mind awake and focused. The Song Game Music lovers unite! The song game is both entertaining and fun. You’ll want to turn off your radio. Don’t worry if you aren’t a great singer, just have fun! How to play: Someone gets the game started by singing part of a song, any song. They choose a word from the song and then one of other players must come up with a different song with the same word in it and sing it back. (You must sing at least 7 different consecutive words, including the chosen word, for your song to count.) The person who responded first selects a new word from what they just sang and this pattern continues. When players get stumped and can’t think of a song with the specific word they can challenge whoever picked the word. The person challenged must then sing a new song that contains the last word they picked. The Alphabet Game This game is perfect if there are lots of road signs, billboards, or you are driving through lots of populated towns/cities. There are several versions of this game and the rules can be tweaked as needed. Each person or each team looks for words on the road signs, billboards, etc. that start with every letter of the alphabet. However, they must start at the beginning of the alphabet and continue in alphabetical order. The only modifications to this being that if you find a word starting with the letter ‘q’ you can check that one off anytime and that a word does not have to start with ‘x’, it just has to have ‘x’ in it. The first one to get through the entire alphabet wins. The same word on the same sign cannot be used by more than one player or team, so speed and great eyesight are advantages. Try playing it backwards starting with ‘z’ and ending with ‘a’ for a new challenge. The Cow Game If you happen to be driving through places with lots of cattle this game is a lot of fun. However, it involves a lot of adding, so a calculator or a pen and paper to keep track of your points might be a good idea. This is a good two-person game or two team game. Each person or team gets a side of the road and counts the cows on that side. The person/team with the most cows at the end of the trip wins. However, if there is a cemetery on your side of the road, you lose all your cows and have to start over. Also if there is a church on your side of the road, then you double your amount of cows. Bring on the cows! Thanks for reading this Nantucket Gate Blog post! Share your favorite road trip games with us in the comments! We hope that you have a great month here in Tacoma, WA!

Stain Removers for Almost Everything

It seems that our favorite clothing items are always the ones to get stained first, but if you can catch that stain before it goes in the dryer, it’s possible to save it. In this post, the Nantucket Gate Blog is featuring some of the best stain removal tips and tricks. Grease: We’ve heard that putting soda ( particularly Coca-Cola ) in with your grease stained clothing, can take that stain right out. Another option is to first sprinkle baking soda onto the stain for it to soak up any excess grease. Then, rub the stain with dish soap and wash in hot water. Makeup: Try using shaving cream to remove makeup from clothing. Another idea would be to gently rub dish soap onto the stain, let it sit, then wash in hot water. Using dish soap is a good idea when dealing with more oily or liquid makeups, such as liquid foundation. Sweat: For a tougher sweat stain, create a mixture of baking soda and water and rub into the stain. Let that sit for a while before washing. Another option would be to mix dish soap, hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda . Scrub the stain and let sit before washing. Blood: Soak the stain in cold salt water and gently rub to then take out the stain. Another option would be to soak the stain in hydrogen peroxide and gently rubbing it out before washing. Coffee: Mix up 1 teaspoon of white vinegar and 2 cups of water . Use a sponge to apply and rub out the stain. Or use baking soda to absorb out the stain, gently rub it out, then wash to fully remove it. Chocolate: When removing chocolate stains from clothing use a paper towel to remove excess chocolate. Then, soak the stain in milk . Lastly, wash the stain in cold water. What are your stain removing tips and tricks? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading! Check back soon for life tips, apartment tricks, community events, and more. We hope that you have a great month here in Tacoma, WA!

Fitness at Nantucket Gate

Want to get in shape for the summer? Work out this month at the gym at Nantucket Gate or head to Fitness Testing and Weight Management in Tacoma, WA. Nantucket Gate has discounted Zumba classes and discounted fitness counseling and training at Fitness Testing and Weight Management. The Nantucket Gate also has packages for weekly menus and grocery lists, body fat analysis, body typing/composition, cardio fitness and strength evaluation, caloric breakdown for goals, and personal training. This month the Nantucket Gate Blog is featuring four fitness tips for anyone who wants to get in shape this summer. From Livestrong: Strengthen Your Core “Your core is much more than a six-pack of muscles hiding beneath your gut -- it's a system of muscles that wraps around your entire torso, stabilizing your body, protecting your spine from injury and keeping you upright. Fire these muscles before every exercise to keep your back healthy, steady your balance and maintain a rigid body position. You'll get the added bonus of isometric exercise for your middle, which could reveal the muscles in your core you'd like everyone to see.” From BodyBuilding.com: Remember to Warm Up Stay safe and healthy by warming up before any and every workout. Bodybuilding.com recommends “[targeting] the specific muscles you intend to work that day. Dynamic warm-ups like mountain climbers, bodyweight squats, and walking lunges help increase blood flow and heart rate while warming up muscles. Save stretching for a post-exercise release.” From WebMD: Just Do It! Is your goal for the summer to workout? Just do it! If you want to work out, don’t limit yourself by saying that you have to workout for X minutes everyday. Just remember to work out! A short workout — any workout — is better than no workout. If you want to work out this summer, head to the gym just steps from your apartment here at Nantucket Gate. Do you have any workout tips for us? Leave your advice in the comments. Thanks for reading our post! We hope that you have a great month in Tacoma, WA!