Bainbridge Island gets lots of visitors, many from Seattle coming over for a ferry ride and a day of exploring. We still have a few more weeks here before school starts, so if you’re coming to the island with kids, I thought I’d share some tips from a local.
If you walk on (to the ferry, that is), you may enjoy:
1. Kidimu — a Blue Man exhibit, crafts, and an outdoor dig for dino bones are the current attractions.
2. Waterfront Park — a nice playground easy to walk to from the ferry, we locals visit regularly (it IS next to a grocery store!); events include Wednesday free concerts at 7pm for another week this summer and Saturday night movies in August, too. Rent kayaks and canoes down at the water, too.
3. Eagle Harbor Books — large kids books section with toys to play with while mom and dad shop; they also have storytimes and other events for kids of various ages.
4. Lollipops — located in the Winslow Mall, they have fine children’s clothing, with an old-fashioned play kitchen my child must always check on.
5. Winslow Green strip center — you can run on the lawn, up in the gazebo, shop for kids at Skookum’s, Calico Cat and Possum, and break for cookies and lattes at Bainbridge Bakers nearby (my favorite bakery because they have lots of parking, more tables, herb cheese sticks, and decaf drip coffee–hey, it’s harder to find than you think!).
6. Paper Products — my child always begs for balloons from here, next door to the downtown Winslow Drug drugstore which always has some interesting doodads my child adores.
7. Blackbird Bakery — located on the “main drag” of Winslow, local kids get their TOAST with jam (I’m serious) and animal-shaped cookies; for fun, sit at the window counter and see how many folks walking by will wave back at you (we got 9 in just a few minutes). If you’re a knitter, sneak around the corner to Churchmouse Yarns, an awesome shop with incredibly helpful staff for knitting dummies like me.
8. Teriyaki Town — located in Winslow Mall, this restaurant has taught my child the thrill of egg rolls and gyozos (and she eats the chicken and rice, too); order at the counter (great prices, huge portions and brown rice if you like) and take it to go for picnics.
9. Mora’s Ice Cream — the BEST ice cream, almost gelato, it’s so soft (unfortunately, kinda pricey and no child-sized cups, but their sprinkle portions are astronomical).
10. Town & Country — gourmet grocery store with salad bar that includes pasta salads my child is always willing to try, sandwiches ordered to go, and the best fried chicken on the island (for us health nuts). We love the dried mango downstairs in the bulk section. Walk down to Waterfront Park with your favorites.
11. Doc’s Marina Grill — walk a little farther down Winslow to Madison, down hill towards the boat marina and you can eat outside at Doc’s; their food is decent and they have a kids’ menu including hot dogs.
12. Pegasus Coffee House — next to Doc’s, if you get this far, they have a nice cozy inside and now an outdoor patio as well.
13. Casa Rojas — next to Kidimu in the Pavilion mall, they have lots of high chairs and many options on the kids’ menu, along with roving musicians and singers if you time it right (or wrong!). Don’t we all just want somewhere to have a margarita while the kids eat (or throw their food)?
14. Cafe Andante — the newest coffee shop on the island, they have grill cheese sandwiches, friendly staff, and GREAT hot chocolate if our Northwest weather turns on you during your visit.
Driving over? Check out these places outside of Winslow:
1. Battle Point Park — huge playground, duck pond, and currently osprey nesting on the water tower.
2. Aquatic Center — great indoor fun (so come in winter, too!), tunnel slide, lazy river, toddler pool, and rope swing (check for open swim hours online).
3. Bainbridge Gardens and New Rose Cafe — our local garden store where kids can run up and down rows of plants, pricey but comes with expertise (as for the cafe, it’s tasty, but beware, last time I ordered to food to go, they charged EXTRA for bagging it up).
4. Bloedel Reserve — a large private estate on the north end of the island that requires parking reservations; little feet will definitely want a stroller (however, some areas are not stroller-friendly) although bigger feet will enjoy the trails, the Japanese garden and open spaces; you’ll spend a minimum of 1 1/2 hours here. Check out the photo albums in the house; they have great shots of eaglets in a nearby nest.
5. Bainbridge Library — a frequent stop for locals on cloudy days, with an entire downstairs for kids’ books, toys, puzzles and fish tank.
6. Fay Bainbridge State Park — picturesque park blending playground and beach fun located on the far north tip of the island; it’s usually windy here, so be prepared.
After a long day of exploring, bribe the kids back on the ferry with promises of popcorn and chocolate milk (okay, beer for you parents), race car video gaming or a popsicle. Plan ahead for a ferry wait if you are driving on, particularly on Sunday afternoons in the summer when lines can be long.
I could go on and on (oh, looks like I already did!). Feel free to comment or email me if you have any questions about visiting our green island. We are a friendly bunch!
For more discussions on family life on Bainbridge Island, check out Wendy’s blog, Let the dog in!