Tonya Strickland

Tonya Strickland is a Gig Harbor mom-of-two, longtime journalist, and Instagram influencer in the family and travel niche. Her blog, Two in Tow & On the Go, was recently named among the 10 Seattle-Area Instagram Accounts to Follow by ParentMap magazine. Tonya and her husband Bowen moved to Gig Harbor from California in 2021 with their two elementary school-age kiddos, Clara and Wyatt. Find her on Facebook for all the kid-friendly places in and around Gig Harbor.

14 names to remember this Memorial Day

May 29, 2023

This Memorial Day, I’ll be reflecting on 14 special names.

Inscribed on Gig Harbor’s World War II Veterans Memorial Monument at Kenneth Leo Marvin Veterans Memorial Park from last week’s column, are the names of Peninsula residents who died in accidents or battle while enlisted. Here they are.

Two in Tow & On the Go: Kenneth Leo Marvin Veterans Memorial Park

May 19, 2023

With Memorial Day right around the corner, we wanted to give a local shoutout to Clara and Wyatt’s current playground of choice – Kenneth Leo Marvin Veterans Memorial Park on Gig Harbor’s west side. With its tall tower slide, friendship-making disc swing, and a stone monument for local veterans, this Gig Harbor city park is sure to be a fast fave.

Two in Tow & On the Go: A family-friendly day at Tacoma’s Cheney Stadium

May 05, 2023

Remember that time I told you I wasn’t particularly sporty? Well, I can now say the tides – they are a turnin’ because I’ve been to what (I think) is my very first professional baseball game! Here’s why seeing the Rainiers at Tacoma’s Cheney Stadium could be your family’s next favorite thing to do.

The man behind Adam Tallman Nature Park

Apr 24, 2023

Giant lily pads and colorful duck sightings are all well and good, but I know what you’ve been thinking since reading my latest kid-venture story on Gig Harbor’s Adam Tallman Nature Park:

“Just who is this Adam Tallman fellow, anyway?” 

Don’t worry, I’ve got the answer. You didn’t think I’d leave ya hanging, did you?

Two in Tow & On the Go: Nature, but nearby, at Adam Tallman Nature Park

Apr 21, 2023

Today’s adventure explores Gig Harbor’s Adam Tallman Nature Park, a mostly paved half-mile path that weaves you through wild wetlands and boasts a surprise duck pond obscured from the street. 

Two in Tow & On the Go: Gig Harbor Youth Sports Guide

Apr 07, 2023

Here’s our new go-to guide for which local sports are available around here so signups will never feel like a chore again! (Hopefully).

Two in Tow & On the Go: Megalodon at Point Defiance, a PNW tradition

Mar 24, 2023

Last year, Clara, Wyatt, and I stumbled upon a much-loved tradition that locals have been carrying out for decades.

And now that we know, it’s one we’re adopting forever.

Two in Tow & On the Go: Getting out of the house

Mar 09, 2023

Now that we’re on my fifth column here at everyone’s favorite news site, you know a little more about the kids and me. Like how I’m a sucker for a historical throwback, Clara and Wyatt are officially willing to forgo swings for forests, and that we’re never too old for a fenced-in playground. But how about I take it one step further?

Two in Tow & On the Go | Harbor Family Park – A Forest of Fun

Feb 23, 2023

One thing I’ve noticed about Washington is the reminder that not all parks are playgrounds. What may seem like a simple synonym snafu is actually quite the conundrum when kids hear “park” and expect the slide-and-swing variety. Then again, the PNW might just sell us on the whole idea. Here’s why.

Two in Tow & On the Go: Three Mom Hacks for Walking the Tacoma Narrows Bridge with Kids

Feb 09, 2023

Being from Southern California, I’ve never lived in a town with bridges before. You know, besides the concrete jungle freeway overpass variety. But I’ve always been wowed by crossings that span a divide. And the surprisingly long, green-tone Tacoma Narrows Bridge, with its harrowing “Galloping Gertie” backstory, is no exception. Walking across the bridge was