If you should find yourself in Seattle for an extended period of time and want to see something besides the city, may I recommend a trip to the Kitsap Peninsula? Located on the western shore of Puget Sound, Kitsap is dotted with small towns, local craft breweries and some excellent non-chain hamburger joints and restaurants. A very nice change of pace from the city.
You have a couple of options to get to the Peninsula from Seattle. Take I5 south to Tacoma then take state highway 16 going north. This route will take you over the Tacoma Narrows bridge, the location of the famous bridge that tore itself apart in 40 mph winds in 1940. This drive takes about an 1 ¼ hours to get to the peninsula.
Your other option is to take the either the Seattle to Bainbridge or Seattle to Bremerton ferries from the downtown terminal. Vehicles should be in line at least 20 minutes before the scheduled departure time. The Bainbridge ferry is a shorter transit but you’ll be further from where you want to be when you land.
Regardless of how you get here, I highly recommend some of the following destinations:
Harbor History Museum
• Gig Harbor: named one of the best small towns in America by the Smithsonian magazine in 2012, Gig Harbor is beautiful town with many outstanding places to eat. But before you find a place to sate your hunger, spend a few hours at the Harbor History Museum. An interactive museum with numerous exhibits that describe the diverse populations that have inhabited the area and how their different adaptions to the environment have shaped the region. Starting with the Native Americans that first settled the area, the museum then follows the influx of pioneers to the Sound with a special emphasis on the settlers from the Scandinavian countries. The museum then focuses on water transportation, industrial development, commercial fishing and finishes up with the building of the Tacoma Narrow Bridges, (including the famous Galloping Gertie bridge mentioned above) and how those bridges forever changed life on the Peninsula. Attached to the museum is the Gig Harbor Boat Shop, where you can explore the refurbishment an old fishing boat.
Boat being refurbished at the Gig Harbor Boat Shop
Once you finish up with the museum, cross the street (Harborview Drive) to dine at the Gourmet Burger Shop. An amazing variety of burgers and shakes await you. As they say in Scandinavian: Smaklig måltid! (bon apetit!).
• Bremerton: further north lies the town of Bremerton. Primarily a U.S. Navy town, there are still a few touristy things to see and do, plus some small eateries to eat discover. Visit the Puget Sound History Museum, where you can explore what life is like for sailors onboard a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, specifically the USS John C. Stennis. You will also learn about Special Operations submarines and their role in modern asymmetrical warfare. The museum also has temporary exhibits that change on a regular basis.
Just a block or two away from the museum is the USS Turner Joy Museum. The USS Turner Joy was a Forrest Sherman class destroyer. She was launched in 1958 and decommissioned in 1982. You can tour the ship at your leisure, so I would recommend giving yourself at least 1 to 2 hours to get the full experience.
Once you have finished exploring the museums I highly recommend Tony’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria. Excellent food with a small but eclectic selection of craft beers.
Kitsap Peninsula
If camping and boating are more your thing, the Illahee State Park is also located in Bremerton. At 75 forested acres, the park is right on the Puget Sound waterfront, and has 23 standard camping sites, two full hook-up sites, five hike-in sites, one dump station, four restrooms (two ADA), and two showers. It does get busy in the summer months, so if you plan on camping there you’ll want to make reservations ahead of time.
Illahee State Park, Bremerton
Just a few miles north of Bremerton lies the town of Silverdale. The only thing of note in Silverdale is the Silver City Brewery, but what a note it is! Here you will experience some excellent hamburgers alongside a large variety of outstanding handcrafted beers. Ridgetop Red Ale is my personal favorite.
• Roughly 10 miles north of Silverdale lies the town of Poulsbo. Settled primarily by Scandinavian settlers, Poulsbo is sometimes known as “Little Norway” or “Norway on the Fjord”. Many shops and galleries line its Front Street. Liberty Bay Books is a very nice bookstore worth checking out.
Liberty Bay Books, Poulsbo
• Port Townsend: we close this tour out of the Kitsap Peninsula at Port Townsend, a town approximately 35 miles north of Poulsbo. There are several things to see and do in Port Townsend, but the biggest draw is the whale watching tours provided by Puget Sound Express. A family owned business with a staff and crew that are friendly and professional. My family and I took the 4-hour tour that took us along Whidbey Island and into the San Juan Islands in our quest to see the magnificent ocean mammals. Beautiful scenery along the way but unfortunately for my family and I, for the first time in several years, the crew was unable to find any whales for us to view. Ah, well, c’est la vie.
Another attraction at Port Townsend is Fort Worden. Activated in 1902, Fort Worden was fully operational by 1905. Placed here to protect the Puget Sound from enemy naval ships, Fort Worden bristled with numerous types shore-to-ship artillery. During WWI, the fort was used to train artillery-men destined for the European theatre. After WWI was over the number of personnel stationed here was drastically reduced. Changes to naval warfare between the wars led to major change of mission by the time America entered WWII. Fort Worden was beefed up again, only this time it’s primary weaponry was anti-aircraft guns. The fort was finally deactivated and officially closed in 1953.
The old fort was used as a center for troubled youth from 1957-71. In 1971 the state of Washington closed the youth center and in 1973 opened the old fort as the Fort Worden State Park. With just over 2 miles sandy beaches and high bluffs, this state park attracts residents and visitors as a multi-use recreation facility.
A brief note of interest – Fort Worden was named after John Worden, commander of the USS Monitor during the American Civil War.
I highly recommend the Courtyard Café as fine place to eat at the end of your explore of the Kitsap Peninsula. The Courtyard Café is located in an old house with mustard paint and green trim. You can’t miss it. Very friendly staff and excellent sandwiches.
Lighthouse near Port Townsend
So there you go, a nice little slice of the Kitsap Peninsula. Believe me, there is much more to do and see than just what I have posted here. But these highlights are a good starting point, and this will give you an opportunity to see more of Washington than just the Space Needle in Seattle.
