Washington- Fort Lewis- Where to land and where to stay?

[TheGolfPilot]

My younger brother is graduating from West Point in the spring and had just enough smarts to get his #1 pick for his service. Fort Lewis in Washington.
It looks like there is a lot to do there but where do I land? Where do I stay?
Olympia and Tacoma-Narrows both look like good options. Is one area "ghetto" or not worth staying over the other? Is one airport/area far better than the others?

 

[Smutny]

TIW is closer and there are some nice "small town" style accommodations in Gig Harbor. I'm sure you could arrange for a rental car through one of the FBO's. Be aware, that there is a toll to cross the bridge to get to the Tacoma side. So if you're here for a longer stay, there are nice hotels in Tacoma proper. The motels around the base are pretty much what you see around any military installation... Not 5 star....

Spanaway (S44) is probably the closest airport to JBLM, but that neighborhood is a bit ghetto...

 

[Flyhound]

KPLU is a good option. There are a bunch of good mid-level hotels (Fairfield INN, Hampton Inn etc.) in Puyallup just 5 miles up the road. It is also really close to Fort Lewis. That's where I'd head.

KTIW is the airport for Tacoma, but it is pretty far away from Joint Base Lewis McChord, and you have to cross a toll bridge over Puget Sound to get to Tacoma (or JBLM) from the airport. The bedroom community of Gig Harbor is close to KTIW, and it is a sweet little town, but again, not very convenient.

Olympia is the state capitol and there are good and bad places to stay there. The town is a nice mid sized burg, with many dining options. The big problem with both Tacoma and Olympia is the traffic along the I-5 corridor on weekdays. That is a nightmare. Staying in Puyallup avoids the freeway and keeps you on reasonable surface streets to the east of the freeway.

 

[Pilawt]

KPLU is a good option. There are a bunch of good mid-level hotels (Fairfield INN, Hampton Inn etc.) in Puyallup just 5 miles up the road. It is also really close to Fort Lewis. That's where I'd head.

Concur. But if you go, be sure not to pronounce it "Poo-yallup". For reasons I've yet to understand, it is and shall ever be, "Pyoo-AL-lup".

 

[Jeffythequick]

KPLU is a good option. There are a bunch of good mid-level hotels (Fairfield INN, Hampton Inn etc.) in Puyallup just 5 miles up the road. It is also really close to Fort Lewis. That's where I'd head.

KTIW is the airport for Tacoma, but it is pretty far away from Joint Base Lewis McChord, and you have to cross a toll bridge over Puget Sound to get to Tacoma (or JBLM) from the airport. The bedroom community of Gig Harbor is close to KTIW, and it is a sweet little town, but again, not very convenient.

Olympia is the state capitol and there are good and bad places to stay there. The town is a nice mid sized burg, with many dining options. The big problem with both Tacoma and Olympia is the traffic along the I-5 corridor on weekdays. That is a nightmare. Staying in Puyallup avoids the freeway and keeps you on reasonable surface streets to the east of the freeway.

Bonus points if you can say "Puyallup" without the locals correcting you.

 

[pmanton]

Ditto on KPLU. Tough time getting a rental car at Spanaway.