Seattle has had a very warm summer and with no boat, we needed to get out on the water somehow! Last month, we hopped on the Seattle-Bainbridge Ferry and headed to Winslow on Bainbridge Island. This is a quick 20 minute ferry ride that only costs $9/pp!
Though it was almost 80 degrees, it was very cool on the bow of the ferry as we were moving and it felt great! Just to be outside and enjoying the smell of saltwater put a smile on our faces!
Ironically, Scott and I have never been on this ferry or to Winslow for that matter. Once you arrive into the bay, it’s a short distance to the ferry terminal with minimal marine traffic.
Walking around Winslow
Once you step off the ferry, you will follow a “herd” of people to the “city center”. The walk into Winslow takes about 10 minutes.
Immediately, we came upon a brewery and some quaint locally owned shops. After owning our own retail business for over ten years, we know the importance of shopping local. As we approached the downtown core, we realized they were having an art gallery tour this weekend.
Our first stop was the Burgerhaus for a beverage, a pretzel and deep fried mushrooms. Everything was delicious! The burgers looked amazing, but we wanted to leave room for more food later.
Winslow wharf marina and docks
After walking around the heart of Winslow, we headed to the Waterfront Park and City Dock to check things out.
The path walks all through the park and then down to the waterfront, where you can follow a trail towards the Winslow Wharf Marina.
The walking trail is very nice and includes some cool rock sculptures. We also took note of some private sailing charter companies, for another option to get out on the water for a day!
Pub crawl in Winslow
Our first stop along the walking trail was the Harbour Public House. We got a great table next to the window, where we could enjoy the views and the breeze. They had a huge menu, lots of seating and it was a really cool bar! This is when we decided to turn our exploration into a Winslow pub crawl!
Looking out the window, you can see DT Seattle in the distance.
From the Harbour Pub, we headed back along the trail to Doc’s Marina and Grill. They had tons of seating inside, but they also had a lot of tables outside. We ended up grabbing a spot along the fence to enjoy a beverage.
Scott and I still had an hour before our ferry left, so we looked for the next bar and grill in Winslow to visit. We walked back towards the city center to see what we might find.
The internet suggested San Carlos Bar and Grill. It is actually a Mexican restaurant and we were able to grab a table on the back deck. There we met a couple that had lived on Bainbridge for over twenty years and they just sold their condo to move to Colorado. They said they loved it!
Could we live in Winslow and commute?
This was definitely a town we could live in and totally enjoy. The catch is, could I do the commute everyday? Right now, my commute is a fifteen minute drive. There are always sacrifices to get what you want. So if we found the right liveaboard in Winslow, we would definitely consider it! We will also probably come back in the winter to see what it’s like to be on a ferry when it’s cold and dreary.
Watch our YouTube episode below for a full walking tour of Winslow.
As always, thank you for following our journey! Be sure to subscribe to our blog for updates and follow us on social @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney. See you next time!
Cheers, Scott and Ally
Sounds like a fabulous day trip. You should totally try and do the live aboard in Winslow. It’s your dream. Sometimes you can’t do your dream where you are and need to find the place you can do it. You can always make the commute work and maybe even find a new, more local job after you move.
We recently sold our big house of 17 years and moved south 200 miles to a smaller house on a tiny lot so we could be near old friends and reduce our expenses to help fund our dream of traveling in the Airstream 4-6 months a year.
It’s been a crazy 7 months but we are almost “settled “ in and are really enjoying seeing our friends more often and not having a mortgage.