The GPS said only 124 miles but 3 hrs and 14 minutes to Poulsbo, WA – our next stop. Seemed odd, so looking at the detail I see there is a ferry crossing involved. Now, of course, GPS doesn’t know we are pulling a camper; so I get a bit worried. But if the RV park is in Poulsbo, well, there must be a way to get on to the island and hopefully it doesn’t mean looping around some way to gain access. Looking at the Washington ferry website, all looked fine to take the trailer on the ferry – which would be so cool. BUT to be sure, I called the campground and they assured me yes, your camper would fit.
Cool! What a nice break from driving; and indeed it was a lovely scenic ferry ride from Kingston to Edmonds. We left the truck & camper below and went up top to cross the Puget Sound. It was a lovely trip.
We got setup in the campground and decided to bike into town to pick up a few things. Unfortunately GPS took us on the highway which was a bit dicey, but we made it to the Central Market Poulsbo and I was blown away! Since we only had a small backpack, we vowed to return the next day to restock (we didn’t get there until the day we left, but we did get there). Fantastic market … maybe better than Wegmans.
The next day we ventured in to Seattle for some urban hiking and sightseeing. The ferry from Bainbridge to Seattle is even better than the day before – reminded me of my days taking the Staten Island Ferry into Manhattan. And you could easily see Mt. Rainier from the ferry.
We first went to see the statue of one of my favorite rock stars, Chris Cornell that was unveiled outside the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPop) last year. Amazing musician, gone way way too soon. IMO, statue did not do him justice. He was much better looking than that. The image on the right was better.
Honored in bronze 
Much hotter here 
If only…
One has to do the Space Needle, doesn’t one? So, we did. Since I was last there with my BF Ann in 2014, they have added a revolving glass floor on another level. Whoa, kind of a freak out for B – was very leery of stepping out and seeing the world down below. But, he did, sweaty palms & all.
We also met up with Riley Bauer, a (HS & college) friend of Keefe’s, for lunch. It was so nice of him to come and meet us and to find out how he is doing there. He gave us a few good tips about his city and I was so impressed by this smart young man who not once during our conversation take out his phone. Don’t see that very often these days.
We had to pay a visit to the flagship REI store and spent a decent amount of time wandering around and picked up a couple of items. Had some free sorbet outside at the Thursday event, featuring live music, for valued customers. The we went over to the marina to watch the sea planes come in and to visit the Center for Wooden Boats.
REI – outdoor show! 
Marina 
Center for Wooden Boats
We had a looong wait for the ferry back to Bainbridge, but the dusk view was worth it.
Our second full day on the Olympic Peninsula we crammed in riding, hiking and the hot springs (mineral springs). We thought the bike ride was going to be short and sweet because the trail (Spruce Railroad Trail: Lake Crescent) said 11.2 miles out & back. The start of the trail was not good – many rocks and treacherously small trail near the lake dropoff; but we kept going, even through the dark tunnel. It was a mixed use trail, so also had to be mindful of hikers. But after the really hard part (some of which I walked my bike through); we came to gravel and then asphalt that just kept on going, so we did too. But not many others did, which was even better. Quiet, peaceful, lake view and forest. Come to discover when we met up with a quad of other bikers, it is part of the Olympic Discovery Trail.
The Olympic Discovery Trail is a designated non-motorized, multi-use trail spanning the north end of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. The route spans around 140 miles[1] between Port Townsend, Washington and La Push, Washington. As of August 2017, 80 miles of this trail are complete and additional miles under construction.[2] The remainder of the route can be ridden using a combination of public roads. Someday it would be cool to bike the entire trail. But for now, this is a snippet of the Lake Crescent area trail:
We ended up going nearly 21 miles. Loved it.
Luckily we brought lunch and devoured it when we returned to the truck. That not being enough, we drove over to the Lovers Lane Trail near the Sol Duc Hot Springs so, duh, we could “take the waters” as they say. Which was a very good thing, because after the hike, we were exhausted – but it was a beautiful hike in the woods with waterfalls and gigantic trees.
Invitation to Peace 
Tree with a tumor 
Tree Cave 
Bridge over falls 
Giant trees 
Falls 
Falls 
Sol Duc Hot Springs 
Since we were so late, we did not get to the market, so we decided to make a late start the next day as our drive was short to our campground near Mt. Rainier. We rose early and went to a vigorous (read very sweaty) yoga class. After which we hit the local bakery for scones and some bakery bread. We felt like we deserved a treat! Poulsbo is a very interesting little town with a Scandinavian theme and I wished we had more time to wander around. But, we had to get to the market where we LOADED up on many items, including our favorite, not yet found elsewhere on the road, Fruffalo wings. Mmmmm…
All in all, the Olympic Peninsula, ferries, proximity to Seattle made this one of my favorite places so far. Most of the places we leave feeling like we got most of the best of it, but I felt like there was more to be had in Olympic.
Wanderlust In Silver 