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The PenMet Parks Recreation Center has been open for almost a year now, and up until recently, I had only been there twice, once for a quick tour before it officially opened with my office, and another time to drop my daughter off at a birthday party. That was about it. My daughter had at least been inside for the party, but my son had never been, and my wife hadn’t seen it at all. So for something that’s such a big addition to the Gig Harbor area, we were a little overdue to actually check it out as a family.
That finally changed last Sunday. It was one of those days where it felt like the hottest day of the year—at least so far—and instead of trying to figure out something complicated to do, we decided to head over and keep it simple. My son just started track at school, with his first meet coming up this week, so I figured it would be a good chance for him to get a little extra practice in.
Our plan was pretty basic, just use the indoor track. One of the nice things is you don’t need a membership to use it, so it’s an easy option if you just want to get moving a bit. While we were up on the track, though, we noticed there was a pickleball tournament going on below us. The lower level has three full basketball courts, but two of them had been converted into multiple pickleball courts. It was actually pretty fun to watch, especially since I haven’t really spent much time around pickleball before. You hear about it all the time, but seeing it in person with a bunch of games going at once gives you a better idea why it’s gotten so popular. Meanwhile, my son was putting in some work. He ran about a mile, took a break, then got back at it again. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday, and probably a good call with his first meet coming up.
If you haven’t been to the rec center yet, it’s definitely worth checking out. It’s a really well-done facility with a lot more going on than you might expect. There’s a coffee stand when you walk in (which is always a nice touch), an indoor soccer field, basketball courts that double for volleyball and pickleball, and rooms for different classes and activities. And of course, the indoor track upstairs, which is what got us in the door this time. Right across the parking lot there’s even a mini golf course, which feels like something we’ll probably end up back for sooner rather than later.
It’s one of those places where you can keep it simple or get more involved depending on what you’re looking for. You can drop in and walk the track like we did, or sign up for classes, find open gym times, or just try something new. Either way, if you haven’t stopped by yet, it’s worth at least taking a look. It took us almost a year to get around to it… which, looking back, was probably a little longer than it should have.
