grizz55

My husband and I will be spending a few days in Bremmerton in March, where my son is stationed. I need some suggestions on what we should see and do. The problem is that my husband has back issues and cannot walk very far or very long. So I am looking for ideas that are either short walks, or easy to drive up to. I also may spend a day or two venturing out on my own to indulge in a little photography. We will be there from March 16th to the 21st. thanks

happytrailstoyou

What sort of attractions interest you and your husband?

azzure

So will you be staying in Bremerton? If so, take the ferry to Seattle; the ride is lovely and Colman Dock (in Seattle) is just a few blocks away from several waterfront attractions. You can take a Metro bus to go to Pike Place Market if that's too far for your husband to walk. (It's about 6-8 long blocks from the ferry landing).

A drive to Port Townsend would be good; it's an interesting town with a historic center, a lighthouse and lots of old Victorian mansions to view. On the way to PT, be sure to check out Port Gamble, another interesting village that was once a prosperous mill town.

Poulsbo, with its "Little Norway" theme, is another cute, walkable town not far from Bremerton.

Several great Olympic National Park sights are within a couple of hours drive from Bremerton; you can drive to and view Lake Crescent with no walking required. And you can drive to Hurricane Ridge (out of Port Angeles) if the weather is clear for spectacular mountain views...the road was closed due to a landslide in January but may be re-opened by the time of your visit.

suze

To see the downtown Seattle area, you could do one of the city overview tours, with little walking involved.

nukesafe

See, a specific thread works!

Since walking is a problem, I would suggest doing things you can drive to. Depending on the weather, you could drive North on I-5, and take the ferry to Whidbey Island, drive the scenic route up the island through Coupeville, then take the ferry from Anacortes to the San Juan Islands. From Friday Harbor you could drive around the island to Roche Harbor, see if you could see some whales, and then catch a ferry back to drive down I-5 to Seattle/Bremmerton.

Here is a link to the Ferry map and schedules: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/

bluepacifica

Whales aren't typically here in March although they're known to come by. You might see other marine life, though. Friday Harbor has a resident harbor seal, Popeye! She hangs around most of the time, especially down by the fish market for hand-outs. The ferry from Anacortes is a beautiful trip. You could also access Whidbey Island from Anacortes by going over Deception Pass bridge. Being that it's still before tourist season, you'll miss the crowds. You could see lots of things here on San Juan Island without walking far if you don't want to. Lime Kiln State Park, San Juan County Park, and the village of Friday Harbor are short distances to see plenty of sights. We even have an alpaca farm right off the road plus a camel, Mona, that lives across from the San Juan Vineyard! We have it all. LOL

Bobmrg

If you decide to stay in Bremerton and ferry over to Seattle, there is a bus along the waterfront that takes you from the ferry terminal north. Take it up to the Pike Place Market Parking Garage (hard to miss) where there is an elevator up to the market...saves a lot of hill/stairway climbing.

Attnymom

We will be visiting Seattle on those exact same days! Maybe we'll run into each other in the airport : ) I am so looking forward to getting away from all this SNOW that I will be the one skipping through the airport whistling a happy tune!

I agree with all the above suggestions - especially the ferry from Anacortes. We did that last summer (to Orcas Island) and it is beautiful. We had a fantastic brunch at the Outlook Inn on Orcas.

grizz55

We will be staying in Bremerton at our sons apartment. I like the idea of taking the scenic drives. Do the ferry's carry cars? If not, would we need to rent vehicles once we arrived to Whidbey/SanJuan islands? What is the typical temperature in March? I will be on the lookout for the skipping/whistling travelor at the airport! LOL

nukesafe

There are passenger only ferries, but most do carry vehicles. All of those leaving Anacortes for the San Juan Islands carry cars and trucks. Look at the schedules on the site I posted above, and try to arrive a bit early to be sure you get on. They will be running the Winter schedule in March, so there will be a few less boats running, but unless you choose to go at rush hour on a Friday, you should not have a problem.

Orcas

The only passenger only ferry is between Seattle and Victoria. All the rest, you get to pick, car or walk-on. You can easily walk on to go to downtown Seattle. Take your camera! The views are great.

The weather in March - we've had a very nice winter. This week, highs in the fifties. We've had fog, sprinkles and blue skies all winter. I'd expect more of the same in March this year - highs probably in fifties, sprinkles and sunshine. So, dress for wet chill, but not cold or warm. Layers are good.

grizz55

Thank you all so much for your input. I am going to check out the stuff you have suggested and may have more questions later.

tchoiniere

Could go to Snoqualmie Falls. It wasn't a far walk to the viewpoint on the top. I didn't get to walk down due to pouring rain.

grizz55

I was actually thinking of spending one night at the inn right at snoqualmie falls. Anyone been there?

tchoiniere

The outside of it looks great and the view is outstanding. Did not go inside.

nukesafe

We stayed at the Salish Lodge http://www.salishlodge.com/ a few years ago. Nice enough room, with a fireplace, but do not expect to see the falls from your window, as the falls are below the Lodge. Some of the more upscale rooms do have a view of the river, however.

The restaurant experience was really excellent when we were there.