Welcome to God's country, Jim! If you're from California, don't tell anyone. Your secret is safe with me.

I'm from the area (I currently live in Sumner, which is down by Puyallup -- look for Tacoma on the map, and then slide your finger east).

There is a lot of wonderful folk music in this area -- the seattle folklife society is a good place to start (see their website -- search on google for "seattle folklife society"). There is a place in Fremont (a Seattle neighborhood) that has a weekly open mic, as well as the Antique Sandwich down in Ruston (on the tip of Tacoma close to the zoo) which also has a weekly open mic (sponsored by Victory Music). I'm just certain there is an open mic in Olympia, which is far more bohemian than either Seattle or Tacoma, but I'm not familiar with the scene down there.

There is a song circle that meets in a Quaker meeting house in Tacoma that I've been to (once); if that's your sort of thing (they use RUS of course) I highly recommend it -- pretty good singing (too far away and too late at night for me, alas!). I'm sure there must be one in Seattle too but I'm not at all sure where -- again I think this might show up on the Seattle Folklife Society's webpage.

And then there are smaller venues, like the Acoustic Cafe right here in little ol' Sumner, which has open mics several nights a week.

Lots of wonderful music here -- it's not all grunge and post-metal-industrial-bleck!

Alex