A ferry boat ride was high on our list of things to do in Seattle. Neither of us had ever been on a ferry boat, and the idea of driving onto a boat to drive off onto an island seems so fun! With only a day to explore and ride a boat, we chose Bainbridge Island - nearby, but far enough to give us a good ride on the boat.

We drove our rental car to the ferry loading zone, and got in line. It’s funny to sit with people reading the newspaper, napping, eating breakfast… like they are sitting in traffic, but they are parked waiting for their boat as a regular part of their daily commute. Soon enough, the loading process started, and we drove onto the ferry.

We headed upstairs so we could see the view of the city and enjoy the ride with wind whipping at us. Our boat was the Wenatchee, and it had a cafeteria and coffee shop inside. The ride was smooth and chilly and windy and wonderful. It's so big, it really doesn't feel much like being on a boat, except for the wet wind!

Madison Cafe for Breakfast

Once we were on the island, we needed some breakfast and coffee in a desperate way. On the recommendation of our rental car guy, we found the Madison Cafe and proceeded to eat a very large and yummy breakfast. This is a streetcar converted into a diner, and it’s super cute. The food was classic diner style food, and it was good!

Storyville Coffee Company

One of the main things I wanted to see here was the Storyville Coffee roasting facility. I love Storyville coffee - easily some of the best espresso around - and a great company behind the beans. We could see where they roast the beans and bake the pastries. We spent our time in the cafe and enjoyed playing a game (Irk!, it's like Aggravation) with each other... and, of course, a few good cups of espresso.

Fay Bainbridge Park

Now that we were well caffeinated, we took off to see what we could find around the edges of the island. Fay Bainbridge State Park was what we found. This looks like a cool spot to camp and spend some time. We had no idea that there was camping available on the island, so I think we’ll visit again someday with a tent and sleep here. This time, we parked out by the beach, and strolled along the waterfront. There is driftwood everywhere, and where the waves roll in, a carpet of green grasses. A funny thing was happening, as I stood watching the water, little squirts of water would shoot out of the grassy areas. I don’t really know what was causing it, maybe anemones, or mussels, but I didn’t want to trample the grass or squish whatever was squirting the water. This was a great place to spend some time exploring the coast.

Bainbridge Island Brewing Company

We stopped at a pizza shop near the “downtown” area and picked up a warm pizza to take to a local brewery. The Bainbridge Brewing Company has a good selection of beers - from Kolsch to IPA to stouts, when we visited. The beer was flavorful and very refreshing on a warm day.

Harbor Stroll

We took a walk along the harbor side of the island after enjoying our pizza and beer. Lots of boats were bobbing in the water. A quick stop for gelato and then we headed back to the ferry line to get ready for a sunset ride back to Seattle.

Sunset On A Ferry Boat

If you plan a trip to Bainbridge Island, we would highly recommend that you plan your trip back to Seattle at sunset. Wow, the view and the colors! Mt. Rainier looms in the distance, the water reflects some beautiful colors in the sky, and the city turns a beautiful color in that golden light!

Kerry Park

Once we were back on the mainland, we headed to Kerry Park. This is a super crowded spot that we kind of wanted to avoid, but also wanted to experience. It's a high point in the city, which gives a good view of the Seattle Downtown skyline. It was, as expected, super crowded, but we got a couple of fun city light photos!

This one day adventure to an island was so much fun. Have you been to Bainbridge? Tell us about it!