Feb 9, 20183 min read

How to Spend a Day on Bainbridge Island

One of the best aspects of Seattle is its access to neighboring islands by ferry, one being Bainbridge Island. With just a 35 minute ride, you will be carried away to a very quaint island. The ride itself cost me under $10, roundtrip. Once getting off the ferry, I was greeted by a tiny vehicle offering free rides to the "Downtown area." Essentially, a 5 minute ride uphill brings you to the main area. This was surely a more fun way to see the island! Just over the span of a few hours, I was able to see the main things this small island has to offer.

Cafe Noila

According to the internet, Giada De Laurentiis from the Food Network visited Café Noila. Because this caught my attention, it was the first place I checked out upon arriving on the island. I ordered what they are known for, the Caramel Pecan French Toast, which was quite filling, considering it was made with challah bread.

Bainbridge Island Historical Museum

This was probably the highlight of my visit! Only costing $3, you get to learn a great deal of the history of the island and its connection to #JapaneseInternment. I was shocked to discover the first exclusion area for Japanese interment was on #BainbridgeIsland. I learned a massive amount through a 94 year old "town historian" who lived on the island for 50 years. She walked me through the highlights of the exhibit as well as shared her own memories of the island.

One of the memorable exhibits for me was "World War II: From An Island Perspective", which featured dozens of photos of people from the island who played a significant role during World War II. Four hundred ninety-two islanders served, 17 died. I found it interesting to see how the United States flag changed as we accumulated the last two states. They actually have banners of 48 stars, 49 stars, and 50 stars!

The other exhibit was "The Overland Westerners", which featured photographs of four horse rides (two from Bainbridge Island) and a dog named “Nip" who took a three year road trip to every state capital in the continental United States. In each capital city, they took a photo with the state's governor. Beginning in Washington State and ending in California, they set a world record for the longest horseback ride in history. There are actually life size wooden statues of the dog (inside the museum) and the horse (outside the museum). As a traveler, that was inspiring to see!

Mora Iced Creamery

My "town historian" recommended this place to me. I took the back way of the museum through the parking lot down the hill to find the place. It was a short walk in the rain and it was well worth it! The staff were very nice and allowed me to sample an assortment of flavors before I made my decision of one scoop of Dulce de Leche and one scoop of French vanilla By the amount of people there, it is a definitely a popular spot in town!

Blackbird Bakery

Seeing this place was packed as I was walking back to the ferry, my curiosity convinced me to stop by. For the sake of time, I grabbed a cookie and a cake to go. It was quite a tasty treat for my ride back to #Seattle!

Bainbridge Museum of Art

My last stop was conveniently the closest to the ferry station. Seeing pictures from a friend's travels made me want to prioritize this place. An extra perk was entrance fee being FREE.99. This #museum features art that I have not seen anywhere else. Entering the lobby, I saw a MASSIVE fork. Upon entering, I spotted a lot of art with Mexican influence. Further in the museum, there were many pet caricatures and jewelry as art.