Kitsap, It's a Lifestyle
Updated: May 11, 2021
It’s no secret I love the Kitsap Peninsula. So much so that I wanted to take you for a ride-along of my ideal Saturday in the Kitsap area with my family. We love starting our day with a treat from Sluys Poulsbo Bakery. Poulsbo, is a picturesque town known for its Norwegian immigrant influence, Poulsbo is a popular place to visit and live. Downtown has a beautiful waterfront and many unique boutiques, art galleries, breweries, restaurants, and coffee shops. Poulsbo has over 10,000 people and has grown quite a bit in recent years. But it maintains its charm while offering bigger city conveniences. Sluy's is our go-to for homemade Viking Cups (croissant like cinnamon rolls) and of course grab some coffees to wash it down.
Next, we head to The Bloedel Reserve to walk it off 😉. The Bloedel Reserve is a 150-acre forest garden on Bainbridge Island. It was created by Virginia and Prentice Bloedel in the 1950s. The Reserve has been voted one the top 10 botanical gardens in North America. I love the layout of The Reserve. It takes you room by room through forest, pond, meadow, bog, open lawn, formal Japanese garden and many other smaller garden spaces. It is truly magical.
"Nature can do without man, but man cannot do without nature." Prentice Bloedel
Afterwards, we pay a visit to Indianola Beach. Indianola is a tranquil place with great views and a friendly community vibe. Indianola is part of the Port Madison Indian Reservation and tourists and locals love to visit its 900-foot pier and adjacent beach. We love to take pictures here, look for sea glass and walk the tidal flats during low tide hunting for moon snails. We also often bring kayaks and stand up paddleboards when the tide is up.
As the sun gets lower we head back to Kingston to find some takeout dinner at our favorite spots. Kingston offers quaint shops, cafes, breweries, a golf course, a movie theater, bakeries, and restaurants. From poké to tacos, burgers to farm-to-table delicacies, there's something here for everyone. There are also great nature trails, stunning views of Puget Sound and Mount Rainier on a sunny day. My husband is a HUGE fan of Sourdough Willy's Pizzeria & I love the new Ono Poke Too. Once food is in hand, we head home for a bonfire and sometimes even smores for the kids, the perfect end to the night.
