---
title: "The Ferry Commute Life"
url: https://stacklist.com/card/634a7ac1-4875-47fa-ac69-897c47148ca5
source_url: "https://www.nwtravelmag.com/washington/a-tranquil-escape-to-bainbridge-island-washington/article_2e8c4e0f-60b5-4e80-a107-3ee2cd7c3f23.html"
stack: https://stacklist.com/c/places/stack/bcce9eb0-6867-4d10-bec7-36ef0ac28853
summary: "Bainbridge Island, a 30-minute ferry ride from downtown Seattle, offers a slow-paced retreat featuring walkable shops, wineries, acclaimed dining, and rich cultural attractions in the town of Winslow. The island also boasts outdoor destinations like the 140-acre Bloedel Reserve and the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial commemorating the WWII internment of local Japanese residents."
tags: "bainbridge-island, seattle, ferry-commute, puget-sound, travel-guide, wineries, outdoor-attractions"
key_entities: "Bainbridge Island (location), Seattle (location), Puget Sound (location), Winslow (location), Bloedel Reserve (location), Brendan McGill (person), Eagle Harbor (location), Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial (event), Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (organization), Eleven Winery (organization), Thomas Dambo (person), Executive Order 9066 (event)"
classification: "reference"
content_hash: "sha256:b39150ad95f6bc43b3575bc5efb0043ffad6e9eb9e7a4cf781e224774deaa789"
acp_version: "0.2"
token_counts_approximate: 1527
visibility: public
agent_accessible: true
status: "final"
---

# The Ferry Commute Life

Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Pia the Peacekeeper artistic troll by Thomas Dambo Iandewarphotography - Dreamstime Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Only a 30-minute ferry ride from downtown Seattle, an island rests in Puget Sound, a world away from the city for those who reside there and a slow-paced retreat for those who visit. As the ferry glides toward the island, the Seattle skyline slowly retreats until it becomes a distant, jagged contour on the eastern horizon. Welcome to Bainbridge Island—left behind by Ice Age glaciers that carved out Puget Sound millennia ago—a 10-by-5-mile enclave of forests, villages, farms, wineries and miles of scenic shoreline. Eagle Harbor Visit Bainbridge Island Winslow The ferry deposits you in Winslow, the largest town on the island, which sits on Eagle Harbor. Winslow is the urban hub of the island, its downtown streets covering approximately four-by-two walkable blocks of boutique shops, galleries, wine tasting rooms and eateries from casual to fine dining along Winslow Way and a few side streets. On Winslow Way, tasting rooms include Eleven Winery, Fletcher Bay Winery, Amelia Wynn Winery and Bainbridge Island Brewing. A few blocks away is Sisters’ Cider House. Downtown dining offers up some outstanding choices with renowned Chef Brendan McGill owning and operating three of them, which focus on local sourcing, including from McGill’s own farm. Seabird, as the name implies, celebrates local seafood and sea-farmed ingredients for a true taste of the region’s nutrient-rich local waters. Café Hitchcock is all about casual dining with fresh local ingredients for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. At Bruciato, you’ll find classic Napolitano pizza done right. These are but three of the dozens of dining choices on the island that include coffee houses, exceptional bakeries, a classic 1948 diner that serves breakfast all day and more. A stop at Mora for hand-crafted ice cream is a necessary indulgence. Browsing the unique shops on Winslow Way is part of the fun of a Bainbridge Island getaway. Shops like Salt House Mercantile, Plum, Danger and Millstream, to name only a few. Visual artists and other creative types are drawn to Bainbridge Island, and this fine arts aesthetic is reflected in Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (free admission!), located in Winslow. The museum showcases contemporary art and crafts created by Puget Sound regional artists. From Winslow, which is located mid-island on the eastern shore, roads fan out, making the rest of Bainbridge Island easy to explore. Outdoor Attractions Near Port Madison on the northern end of the island, Bloedel Reserve is one of the nation’s premier gardens. The expansive (140 acres) and varied gardens sit on the former estate of the Bloedel family, who, with the help of notable landscape architects, took meticulous care to create and maintain the gardens during their 30-year residency. The Bloedels’ eventually gifted the property to the community and created a non-profit to manage its operations. Several distinctive garden environments sprawl across the property. Especially lovely in the fall is the Japanese Garden and Japanese Guest House. Other environments include a moss garden, a rhododendron glen and a pollinator meadow, bird marsh and more. You can also visit other notable gardens, like Bainbridge Gardens, owned by a descendant of survivors of the Japanese internment during WWII. Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial Bainbridge Island had a large pre-WWII population of Japanese immigrants. When FDR signed Executive Order 9066 in 1942, the Japanese residents of Bainbridge Island were the first in the country to be relocated to concentration camps. Today, the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial, located on the south shore of Eagle Harbor, commemorates that event with a self-guided tour through the memorial displays and the dock where the interned were loaded onto boats. A visit there is both educational and moving. In line with the island’s peaceful vibe, you can also visit Pia the Peacekeeper, one of Thomas Dambo’s larger-than-life trolls made from recycled wood. Go Kayaking You’re on an island, so why not take a guided kayaking tour? Aquatic Exotics offers a menu of tours from paddling around Eagle Harbor to venturing out of the harbor to island destinations nearby. Cycling the Island The island’s backroads are perfect for a cycling adventure where you can discover the island’s attractions at a slower pace. Bring your own bike or rent an e-bike from Bike Barn Rentals, open Memorial Day weekend through mid-October. You can cycle the entire island easily in a day or just a portion. Explore scenic routes, like the South End route, which gets minimal traffic as it traces the south shoreline along Rich Passage. Take a Tour A convenient way to explore unfamiliar territory and learn from an insider is to hire a tour guide. Two tour companies operate on Bainbridge Island: Bainbridge Adventures and Tour Bainbridge. Tours vary by interest, but one of the most popular offered by both companies is a tasting tour of the island’s wineries. Bainbridge Island sits in the Puget Sound AVA, and some wineries with vineyards focus on growing the cool-climate grapes that thrive in the region, resulting in some unique wines not commonly found elsewhere. Eleven Winery Eleven Winery Lodging Inn at Pleasant Beach in Pleasant Beach Village is only eight minutes from downtown on the south shore of the island. The resort includes uniquely appointed rooms and suites, restaurants, retail shops, a pool and a fitness center. Pleasant Beach suite Pleasant Beach Village When you go: Visit Bainbridge Island, visitbainbridgeisland.org Bainbridge Adventures, bainbridgeadventures.com Tour Bainbridge, tourbainbridge.com Inn at Pleasant Beach, pleasantbeachvillage.com/the-inn Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Tags Washington Bainbridge Island Featured 52 Getaways 2025 Puget Sound Kayaking Wine