Everything You Need to Know to do a Bainbridge Island Day Trip From Seattle
Let me start off by saying, I have never been to Martha’s Vineyard or Cape Cod. What a weird way to start a post about an island on the West Coast of the US right? That is because, even though I haven’t been, Bainbridge Island had Martha’s Vineyard vibes to me. You know, from what I’ve seen in movies. I will visit those places someday I swear! Anyway, what I can say is that the island is the opposite of Seattle.
Seattle is the type of city that runs on high octane (probably from all the caffeine!), while things seems a little more chill on the island. So, it makes for the perfect day trip whenever you need a break from the city. However, there are a few things to know before you go! In this post we’ll discuss taking the ferry, where to eat, and what to do.
Want to skip to the city? Check out this Youtube Video!
Taking The Bainbridge Island Ferry
You know me, I’m an accountant. So, I like to get the planning and logistics part out of the way first. The ferry to get to the island is a very pleasant 30 minute ride and it gives you great views of Seattle and Bainbridge Island! The ferry picks up at the ferry terminal (duh!) in Seattle and drops off not far from the main strip on the island. The ride is $9 for adults and $4.50 for kids. It’s also dog friendly. You can get the ferry schedule here, and tickets can be bought online in advance or at the terminal.
So what’s there to talk about the ferry, you may ask? Seems simple right? Although taking the ferry is easy, it also requires a lot of patience. This is because the ferries often don’t run on schedule. The summer we were there, the ferries were extra delayed due to a fire earlier that month. We waited an extra hour for our originally scheduled ferry going back to Seattle. Therefore, I would highly recommend giving yourself a whole day to see Bainbridge. Don’t try to squeeze it in before going to the airport or something, because you might regret it!
Where To Eat
There is a main road on Bainbridge Island that is called Winslow Way. It’s a short 15 minute walk from the ferry terminal, and has lots of restaurants and shops to pick from. We had lunch at Bruciato, which was an awesome place for salad and pizza that you cut with scissors. The kids thought cutting their pizza with scissors was amazing and loved cutting everyone’s pizza up! We followed our pizza lunch with icecream from Mora’s Iced Creamery. It was so delicious. I got blackberry flavor which is their specialty, but we also tried vanilla and salted caramel. All out of this world good. I really don’t think you can go wrong.
Finally, there are lots of little wineries on the island. We stopped by Fletcher Bay Winery because it was the closest to the ferry terminal and we were able to have a full wine flight. They also have a second location on the island, and I think that location has a tasting room where you can do things like have cheese pairings with your wine. There were tons of little wineries along the main drag and they were all kid and pet friendly!
Sausage Pizza from Bruciato 
Pepperoni pizza from Bruciato 
Caesar Salad from Bruciato 
Fletcher Bay Winery red wine flight 
Fletcher Bay Winery red wine flight 
Blackberry ice cream from Mora’s Iced Creamery 
Blackberry ice cream from Mora’s Iced Creamery 
Margarita from Bruciato
What To Do
So you know I am the type of person who loves to indulge in life-changing food. But, if that’s not enough for you then Bainbridge Island has plenty else for you to do. We saw several people renting bikes and biking around (*cough* Martha’s Vineyard vibes, I know they do that there!). There are tons of parks and beaches that probably make for a killer picnic spot. There are also lots of golf clubs, for the avid golfer in your family.
The thing that I really wanted to try, but we didn’t have the time, was a full afternoon tea at the Bainbridge Apothecary and Tea Shop. The outdoor patio looked magical and I love a good afternoon tea. But alas, we skipped the caffeine and headed straight for the wine. Not a bad trade though right?
Then, of course, we hopped the ferry and headed back to the city! Don’t forget to get cute ferry pictures!
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If you HAVE been to Martha’s Vineyard, does Bainbridge Island give off the same vibes, but for the West Coast? Let me know in the comments!
