Traveling While Black: Kitsap Peninsula
Basecamp in Kitsap: TWB's Exploration of the Kitsap Peninsula
Western Washington’s natural beauty is no secret, but if you ask us, the Kitsap Peninsula is one of the region’s most overlooked gems. With its panoramic views of the Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains, it’s the kind of place that appeals to both adventurers and those looking to unwind.
But the Kitsap Peninsula is much more than a pretty backdrop. It’s a collection of cities, towns, and cultural landmarks that offer an incredible range of experiences—from outdoor adventures and deep-rooted Indigenous history to food, art, and a strong sense of local identity.
With Seattle set to have multiple worldwide events in the coming years, we thought it was the perfect time to shine a light on the Kitsap Peninsula as the ultimate basecamp destination. So, this is one of three visits to the Kitsap Peninsula, showing you why it should be added to your list!
Poulsbo: Your Kitsap Peninsula Basecamp
For this visit, we are naming Poulsbo as our basecamp! The city of Poulsbo, nicknamed “Little Norway,” embraces its Scandinavian heritage with Nordic-inspired architecture, Viking statues, and an overall charming vibe. It’s central to the entire peninsula, making it the perfect basecamp for Kitsap adventures.
Getting to Poulsbo isn’t very difficult either. From Seattle, there are two options: driving or taking the ferry. For this visit, we took the Seattle–Bainbridge ferry. We love driving onto this ferry! It’s super easy, and the views are breathtaking. Tip: Be sure to check the ferry times before you head to the ferry terminal.
Once you land on Bainbridge Island, Poulsbo is just a short drive across the Agate Pass Bridge.
Once we landed in Poulsbo, we checked into our hotel, Hotel Scandi. Hotel Scandi is an upscale boutique hotel that was first established in 1892 as the first hotel in Poulsbo. It’s now completely remodeled and situated at the heart of downtown Poulsbo. It was great being steps from the action of the town… see, another reason why Poulsbo is a great basecamp destination!
To learn a little bit more about our basecamp, we took a walking tour with Judy Driscoll from the Poulsbo Historical Museum. She shared fascinating stories about the town’s founding and how the 1962 World’s Fair helped inspire its themed architecture. Thanks again, Judy!
Fun Across the Peninsula
If Poulsbo is going to be your basecamp, you’ll want to know about the fun things you can do while on the peninsula! Here are some museums, outdoor adventures, and restaurants that we definitely recommend you visit too.
Let’s start with one of Anthony’s favorite things to do when visiting a city… museums!
Suquamish Museum (Suquamish): This beautifully curated museum explores the history and culture of the Suquamish people. It’s a must-visit so you can learn more about the first inhabitants of the Kitsap Peninsula. Near this museum, you can also visit the gravesite of Chief Seattle.
Naval Undersea Museum (Keyport): This museum is all things Navy. And it’s the only official Navy museum dedicated to undersea operations. It has everything from torpedoes to trained sea life displays.
The Kitsap Peninsula has an abundance of opportunities to get outdoors and into nature. Here are a few of the places we checked out during our visit:
Bloedel Reserve (Bainbridge Island): The reserve is a must-visit when on Bainbridge Island. It’s a 140-acre oasis of gardens and wildlands. It’s peaceful, serene, and stunning in any season.
Port Gamble Heritage Park (Port Gamble): This park has walking trails, biking trails, horse trails… basically anything for someone wanting to explore outside. What’s awesome is there are hiking options for outdoor enthusiasts of all levels.
Port Ludlow Falls Interpretive Trail (Port Ludlow): This hike was more Marlie’s speed. It was a loop trail that led to waterfall views. Perfect for someone that wants to get in a quick hike.
Thinking about where to eat while on the Kitsap Peninsula? Here are the restaurants we checked out on this visit:
Butcher & Baker Provisions (Port Gamble): This restaurant has your classics! Great sandwiches (we both got the fried chicken sandwich), great salads, and pastries. We’ll definitely be returning here when we come back in future episodes.
Sluy’s Bakery (Poulsbo): This bakery is iconic! You can find it in downtown Poulsbo, steps away from Hotel Scandi. Stop here for pastries, sweets, or their bread!
Restaurant Lola (Bremerton): One of the best meals we had while on the peninsula! It’s also Black-owned! We both can’t wait to go back to the peninsula for this restaurant.
Via Rosa 11 (Bainbridge Island): This family-owned Italian restaurant (and market) is a great option when on Bainbridge Island. We got to do an olive oil tasting while there. Before we headed back to Seattle via the Bainbridge ferry, we made sure to drop by again and order some pasta to go!
We really enjoyed our visit to the Kitsap Peninsula. We hope this helps you plan your future visit there as well! As a reminder, this was only Part 1 of our Basecamp in Kitsap series, so stay tuned for other amazing options when visiting the peninsula!
