For many families, a car serves as a backup home, providing storage, emergency supplies, a quick getaway if kids get fussy and a nap spot for sleepy ones.
So ditching the vehicle for a foot-only day trip to Bainbridge Island adds a little thrill of adventure: No safety net! But it's cheaper and a lot less hassle to walk on to the ferry.
For kids, the 35-minute ferry trip is eminently more fun than a similar jaunt strapped in a car seat; once on Bainbridge, the downtown area of Winslow accommodates foot travelers with its sidewalks and downtown attractions. On a weekday, visitors go against the commuter traffic.
On a recent visit, we caught the 8:45 a.m. ferry in Seattle and returned on the 2:55 p.m. ferry from Bainbridge, leaving plenty of time to sightsee, play and eat. The island's new children's museum served as the centerpiece activity.
Our itinerary:
1. Waterfront Trail: Heading out from the ferry terminal, we ditched the traffic and turned off the main road to follow the Waterfront Trail as an alternative route to downtown. (Turn left at the Eagle Harbor signs; partway down the hill, the paved trail is to the right.) Kids can see the sailboats in the harbor. After walking over a bridge, we came to ...
2. Waterfront Park: A dirt trail follows the water and leads to a small beach area. Up by the parking lot, kids can play at the small playground with slides and swings. From here, follow Bjune Drive to Madison Avenue North. Turn right on Madison and walk a block to...
Ferry tips
Molly Hogger, president of the Kids Discovery Museum board of trustees, offers advice for taking the ferry with kids.
Leave time to find parking in Seattle. I have missed many boats trying to dash to the ferry with little feet that can't go as fast as mine!
Bring food and drinks for the ferry rides. Your kids will hit you up to buy food if you don't bring your own. My family likes to make eating an adventure by packing a light picnic. My daughter helps and insists on real silverware and a table cloth for a "special" ferry lunch.
Dress in layers. Kids will want to go outside on the ferry, and it is cold even on nice days. If kids have energy to burn, head to the sun deck for more space and less need for quiet.
Bring a stroller or wagon for young kids. Even though Winslow is small, it's a trek for kids. At the end of the day, walking back to the ferry can be a challenge for tired feet.
Keep the ferry schedule handy. Plan out when you want to return to Seattle so you avoid long waits.
3. Bainbridge Bakers: If kids need a mid-morning fueling, here's a place to pick up a snack (or coffee, for parents). Sit and enjoy a quick break at one of the pleasant outdoor tables. We can recommend the whole-grain pull-apart roll and delicious carrot-cake muffin.
4. Kids Discovery Museum: A few blocks up Madison is Bainbridge's new children's museum, which opened this spring. The 3,700-square-foot museum is small, but my 4-year-old found enough to stay entertained for two hours. A science show with liquid nitrogen was a highlight; most days there is some sort of educational activity or demonstration, usually in the morning.
With a rainforest theme, the exhibits feature dress-up clothes (costumes, capes and headbands to transform into different animals), games, a crawl-through log and a tunnel shaped like a snake.
Kids can also use their imaginations with stuffed animals, a puppet theater and arts area.
5. Marina District: Leaving the museum at lunchtime, we debated between Big Star Diner, located in front of the museum in a restored 1948 dining car, or Doc's Marina Grill, which the museum staff recommended for its outdoor seating and view. We opted for the popular grill, walking down Madison Avenue to the Marina District. While the marina boats were a nice kid distraction, we weren't impressed with the food ($12.95 for three-piece fish and chips, $8.95 for a Caesar salad).
Nearby, a section of the Waterfront Trail along here features a raised boardwalk.
6. Downtown: A sidewalk mosaic, Beach Glass Quilt, on the corner of Madison and Winslow Way East, will charm kids. But the boutiques along Winslow Way, the main drag, probably won't hold much interest for most of them. One exception is the Eagle Harbor Book Company, which has a surprisingly large children's area. If you didn't eat lunch out and want a snack or picnic to carry back on the ferry, stop at Town & Country Market, a conveniently located grocery store with take-out food and a large salad bar.
There are also numerous restaurants along Winslow Way, several with patios.
7. End-of-the-day treat: To get back to the ferry, keep walking along Winslow Way (the downtown area is about three blocks long). If kids start lagging, bolster them with a stop at Island Ice Cream & Coffee, on the corner of Winslow Way and Olympic Drive, before you head down the hill to the ferry terminal. Tot cones are $1, junior sizes $2. Chances are, you won't hear any more complaining until cones are finished — and by then you'll be in line to get back on the ferry.
If you go to Bainbridge Island with kids
Ferry
Ferries leave for the 35-minute trip about once an hour from Seattle's Pier 52. Walk-on passengers are advised to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to sailing. Adult passenger fare (paid one-way only) is $6.10; youths ages 6-18, $4.90. Children ages 5 and under are free. Vehicle and driver pay $13.30 each way.
There is no parking at the terminal. For the nearby parking garage at Madison Street and Alaskan Way, the early-bird special is $10 a day.
From Interstate 5, take the Safeco Field exit (164B for I-5 northbound, exit 164 for I-5 southbound). The offramp goes to Fourth Avenue. Turn right onto Fourth, then go one block and turn right on Royal Brougham. Drive several blocks and turn right on Alaskan Way. The ferry terminal is about a mile north.
www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries or call 800-843-3779.
Waterfront Trail
The trail runs along the shore of Eagle Harbor and connects the ferry with downtown Winslow. From the ferry terminal, head up the hill, then turn left at the Eagle Harbor sign. Connect with the paved trail to the right. Print out a map from the Walker & Bicyclist Guide (pages 8-9) at www.ci.bainbridge-isl.wa.us/news&events.asp.
Kids Discovery Museum
305 Madison Ave. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and 1-4 p.m. Sundays. Closed Mondays. $5 person. 206-855-4650 or www.kidimu.org. Special events include scrapbooking summer photos, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; the Bubble Man, 11:30 a.m. Wednesday; aikido demonstration, 1 p.m. Thursday; storytelling, 11 a.m. Friday; and yoga for kids, 10:30 a.m. Aug. 27.
Restaurants
Bainbridge Bakers, 140 Winslow Way W. Baked treats and coffee, outdoor patio.
Big Star Diner, 305 Madison Ave. N. Located in front of the children's museum. Diner food, kid's menu (with drink and ice cream, $4.50-$5).
Doc's Marina Grill, 403 Madison Ave. S. More expensive fare (kids menu, $4.95-$5.95).
Downtown
Eagle Harbor Book Co., 157 Winslow Way E.
Town & Country Market, 343 Winslow Way E.
Island Ice Cream & Coffee, 584 Winslow Way.
Special events
Bainbridge Farmer's Market, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays through October. Located in Winslow between City Hall and the BPA Playhouse.
Elsewhere on the Island (car required):
Battle Point Park
11299 Arrow Point Drive N.E. The 90-acre park features a large wooden playground, jogging trail, pond, observatory and lawn play areas. Take Miller Road to Arrow Point Drive. Turn west onto Arrow Point. For more on community parks, visit www.biparks.org.
Fort Ward State Park
The forested, 137-acre park has a long beach on Rich Passage with views of the Olympic Mountains. As the name suggests, there are some military structures left in the park. From Highway 305, turn west on High School Road and follow signs to the park, located on the southwest side of the island. $5 parking fee.
Fay Bainbridge State Park
This 17-acre park offers sound and mountain views from its 1,420 feet of saltwater shoreline along the island's northeast corner. During low tide, it's possible to hike several miles along the beach. To get there, continue straight off the ferry onto Highway 305. Continue out of town about five miles; turn right onto Day Road Northeast. After two miles, the road comes to a T-intersection. Turn left onto Sunrise Drive Northeast and continue about two miles to the park entrance. $5 parking fee.
Bainbridge Island Aquatics Center
The Don Nakata Memorial Pool has a play area, lazy river, tot pool, spa and a 180-foot-long water slide. The pool is located just north of High School Road on Madison Avenue. $4.25 adults, $3.25 ages 3 to 17, free ages 2 and under. For public sessions: 206-842-2302 or www.biparks.org/pool/pool_facility.html.
Stephanie Dunnewind: 206-464-2091 or sdunnewind@seattletimes.com
