18 | DISCOVER KITSAP 2018
BAINBRIDGE discover more Bainbridge Island will be to Seattle what Long Island is to New York,” proclaimed an advertisement in the Aug. 22, 1906 edition of the Seattle Star. An anonymous advertiser was selling 34 acres of property on the island — with a thousand feet of waterfront, a 7-acre orchard, and 15 acres of cleared land — for $6,000. “This is the greatest bargain ever offered in Seattle,” the ad announced. Bainbridge Island hasn’t become the West Coast version of Long Island, of course, a detail that delights visitors and residents new and old alike.
town, to find multiple art galleries, boutiques, one-of-a-kind stores, cafes and coffee shops, remarkable restaurants and one of the best independent book stores in Puget Sound. Winslow Way has changed with the times but is still rooted in the past; a pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare that for more than 140 years has served the diverse residents of the Eagle Harbor towns of Madrone, then Winslow, and today, the city of Bainbridge Island. On the south side of Bainbridge, in the heart of Lynwood, is Pleasant Beach Village, a shopping, dining and entertainment haven hidden just off the island’s busier roads.
Even so, a visit to Bainbridge Island itself is one of the best bargains to be had, thanks to a 35-minute ferry ride from downtown Seattle.
The area is home to the historic Lynwood Theatre, the outdoor/homesteading depot Bainbridge Island Outfitters + Depot, holiday and lifestyle store The Barn Cat, used clothing and accessory boutique Sash Mercantile, among others.
Thousands of visitors who come to the island every year don’t even bother to bring a car; “walk-ons” board one of the two ferries that serve Bainbridge from Seattle’s Colman Dock (Pier 52) and step off the boat just minutes away from Winslow, the
While you are strolling around make sure to stop in The Treehouse Café which is an exciting and welcoming pub and pizzeria located in the historic Lynwood Center
island’s downtown.
The heart of downtown is just a short walk from the ferry terminal. Get your bearings at The Waypoint, the city’s gateway park that was built by volunteers a few years ago, before heading into town. Just across the street from The Waypoint is the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, a crown jewel in Kitsap County’s cultural offerings, a free-admission facility that opened in 2013 and features artists from Bainbridge and across the region. Continue along Winslow Way, the main street through down-
Grab a bite at the Marketplace, self-serve froyo spot Island Cool, “Best of Bainbridge” hamburger pick Hammy’s Hamburgers, The Beach House Bar & Grill, or get even classier at Manor House Restaurant. Don’t forget the furry family members either - or maybe meet a new beloved pet - because Pleasant Beach boasts two specialty spots for critters: Salty Dog Wash and PAWS at Pleasant Beach, an adoption advocacy and education center. There’s even a pool - a 25-yard recreation pool, a children’s wading pool and a hot tub, too - at the Pool at Pleasant Beach.