Located along the eastern shore of Puget Sound between Seattle and Tacoma, Des Moines is a city of 29,270 inhabitants. It’s well known for its marina (pictured above) and beautiful sunset views of Vashon Island and the Olympics.

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So how did Des Moines (pronounced duh-MOINZ) acquire its name? The town was settled in 1870 and named in 1889 for the Des Moines Improvement Co., which had been named by one of its principals for his hometown in Iowa. In the 17th century, French explorers Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette named a Midwestern river Riviere de Moingouens for a tribe of Indians. Over time, the tribal name was shortened to de Moings, which was eventually misinterpreted as the French de moines, meaning “of the monks.”

To learn more about Des Moines, go here . Photo courtesy of Des Moines Marina.