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 Instagram and Facebook for all the kid-friendly places in and around Gig Harbor.

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

Two in Tow & On the Go: Kids’ Gig playground charms with nods to local landmarks

Jan 27, 2023

After two decades of play, faded paint and missing parts, much of The Kids’ Gig local history is lost to Gig Harbor newcomers like us. Until now.

Two in Tow & On the Go: Get to know Crescent Creek Park

Jan 12, 2023

Hey, guys! The new year is officially upon us and I’m excited to be writing my very first column in Gig Harbor Now, sharing all the local places to take kids in 2023. But, before we move forward, let’s take a quick look back. Way back. All the way to 1915 – when the site of Gig Harbor’s present-day Crescent Creek Park first took shape.