Recommendations wanted for middle Puget Sound cruise

[scross]

Our normal cruising ground is north of Anacortes.
Last year, since Canada was closed, we spent two weeks cruising the South Puget Sound from Olympia to Tacoma.
This year we are thinking about a 12-14 day cruise middle Puget Sound trip in late April or early May.
We will be putting in and taking out at the Port of Everett.
Our tentative agenda:
1. Port of South Whidbey @ Langley
2. Port of Edmonds
3. Kingston
4. Bell Harbor @ Seattle
5. Winslow Wharf Marina
6. Blake Island State Marine Park
7. Port Orchard Marina
8. Poulsbo
9. Port of Ludlow

So, to those of you that know this area, a few questions.
Excluding Bell Harbor in Seattle, which of these stops is worth spending two nights at? We have enough time to spend two nights at three or four of our stops.
Is there any place on the list that’s a dud and not worth visiting?
We like to hike and will only have a few dinners on shore. Which places have the best restaurants for dinner?
Any other tips for visiting this cruising area?
Thanks in advance for your recommendations.

 

[Beardco]

Living in Edmonds, I can give you some idea of what's here but, since I'm a cul de sac troll who doesn't leave home much, I can't speak to how it compares with the other destinations.

There is no hiking here except walking up and down the hill to the center of town or further up to the library. Some consider this a strenuous hike. You can always take a stroll through Woodway and look at the multi-acre multi-million dollar homes. It's much cheaper than actually buying one.

There are many restaurants in Edmonds. Arnold's is always a good bet. Outdoor seating on the water, moderate prices, and decent product. Arnie's is also on the water without the outdoor seating. Last time I had Sunday brunch, it was great. On the whole, Arnie's is quite expensive.

Further up the hill is San Kai sushi, which our family likes. Toshi's Teriyaki is inexpensive and quick. Salt and Iron, according to local residents, is expensive and average in product. There's a distillery near the water across the train tracks. Claire's diner is straight up from the ferry, in the middle of town. Rusty Pelican is in the middle of town, and we've always had a good breakfast there but, I haven't tried other meals. Las Brisas for Mexican food in the middle of town. You have to scrutiny your bill because they like to overcharge.

Many other restaurants along the main street. You can certainly spend a couple of nights exploring the beaches, landings, center of town, and window shopping at the marina.

 

[Bruce Moore]

Blake Island is a wonderful spot for a multi-night stay. Nice beaches at the top and bottom of the island and a nice network of hiking trails. Not sure what the status of Tillicum Village will be but they have a nice bistro where you can order food to take back to your boat when they're open.

Poulsbo is a great town. A handful of great little restaurants and one of the best bakeries in the region. There is a short waterfront hiking trail and safe sidewalks around most of Liberty Bay.

Not much in Bremerton or Port Orchard as I remember. But we haven't been back there in years since the early days of the Ranger Tugs Rendezvous (when 35 boats was huge!).

Kingston is delightful. We'd go there just for the crepes! Neighborhoods are very walkable and they have an EV you can borrow to provision if you don't want to walk to the grocery store.

Bell Harbor is a cool destination. We live downtown and moor at Elliott Bay Marina but we still cruise down every few years just to sit on the downtown waterfront. Easy access to Pike Market. More and more vendors and restaurants are coming back to life and hopefully will be even more active by then.

Cheers,

Bruce

 

[Red Raven]

Hi Al,

+1 for all of Bruce’s recommendations!
Hiking - Blake for sure. We stop here every year on our way South and North. Don’t really need two days though to do it all.
Food - Puolsbo #1 then Kingston, then Winslow. All great!
All around experience (at least without Covid) - Bell Harbor.

Curt

 

[TylerFromEverett]

Let me know when you’re in Everett. I work in tourism for the city and can give you lots of tips on anything you want to know/see/do. You’ll love it around here. We cruise to all the places you mention and you have a good list.

 

[Hydraulicjump]

Since you are going as far as Kingston and have plenty of time, why not keep going? I am sure you have been to Mats Mats, the coziest anchorage in the PNW. But there is no beating Port Townsend for a place to hang for a couple of days. And if the weather is good, I still think Sequim is one of the prettiest anchorages with endless hiking out of the public dock. Finally, last summer, being country-bound due to covid, we headed over to Port Angeles. It is not a glamorous town (no "there" there), but you can rent a car and spend days exploring Olympic National Park, including driving to see where vampires hang out. I highly recommend a hike into the Elwha to see where the dams were removed. The road is washed out so folks can't drive in. Worth the hike and we were fortunate enough to see salmon spawning above the historic Elwha dam site that had blocked them for a century. And if you are feeling adventurous continue to head west in the boat. With the mild summer conditions I think us Ranger Tug owners miss some of the amazing parts of the Juan de Fuca Straits because we assume things will be rough. They are occasionally in summer, but keeping an eye on conditions opens up all kinds of possibilities.

We have even toyed with the idea of going to Neah Bay and waiting for good weather to take the boat to the mouth of the Columbia River so we can add "crossing the bar (at slack)" to the list of adventures. Don't know if a Ranger Tug has pulled that off yet, but if conditions are good, it should not be a big deal. Especially in those fancy 41s.

Off topic, I know, but it is time to start thinking about summer cruising!

Jeff

 

[BradOwens]

If the Tillicum Indian Village on Blake Island is open when you're here, I highly recommend the dinner show.

 

[Dubs]

Top picks would be Edmonds, Port Townsend, Port Ludlow, Everett and Shilshole. Just a couple notes not covered by other posts:

Everett is worth a couple nights, now that the Grand Avenue park overpass is complete. We can walk from the harbor to the nicest neighborhood in town and just blocks from downtown.

Another plug for Edmonds to include its Salish Sea Brewing on Dayton St, whose owners also just purchased American Brewing Company in Harbor Square. Gallagher's Where U Brew is also a great stop for a pint or growler. We walk 4-5 miles around Edmonds, enjoying the shops and the Bowl neighborhoods. We live here, so biased, but in all our travels on the Tug, Edmonds is still the nicest little town on the Sound.

Port of Seattle's Shilshole Bay Marina is the sailboat capital of the Northwest but also a great cruising stop to Tug Nuts. With a number of restaurants within walking distance and great urban hiking from Golden Gardens past all the piers, to the Locks and further on the Burke Gilman Trail, this is the best part of town, away from the homeless camps and drugs you'll encounter downtown near Bell Street. Have or rent a bike? The BGT connects all the way past the UW to Woodinville and Issaquah.

 

[scross]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! Looks like we may need to make a second trip to the area down the road!
Looking forward to April and being out on the water again!

 

[Cutwater28GG]

you've got some great recommendations above.

just wanted to add that our favorite is Poulsbo. two different experiences anchoring or on the dock, its the easiest anchoring location in the sound and makes a good place to get comfortable with the overnight anchor.

 

[Toki]

I'll throw this out: how about heading through the locks, checking out the canals, Lake Union and Lake Washington, and spending a couple nights at the Kirkland waterfront? Tons of excellent restaurant, art galleries etc.

 

[bluestreak]

We would like to go but the boat is in charter during that time frame.
Roxie and Bill

 

[Red Raven]

Al,

A bit on one you mentioned but not covered by others. Langley is a great town to visit. Highly recommended. Small town but lots of restaurants and art. Well worth a day or two. The Marina is very small so make sure to call ahead for reservations.

Curt

 

[FlyMeAway]

I'll throw this out: how about heading through the locks, checking out the canals, Lake Union and Lake Washington, and spending a couple nights at the Kirkland waterfront? Tons of excellent restaurant, art galleries etc.

This is a fantastic idea, and I was going to suggest it -- but perhaps if the OP comes back later in the season.

Lake Washington is best cruised when it is warm enough that it feels like swimming in a pool, usually around late July through Labor Day and sometimes week or two after.

This is a great idea, and a definite treat, but save it for the next trip!

 

[scross]

Great additional info everyone!
Really want to try to see Lake Union and Washington going through the locks. But maybe on the next trip. I think I we have a whole lot of new places to see in the two weeks we have for this trip.
Vicki and l got our first dose of the MODERNA vaccine today and will be fully vaccinated and ready to go out and about by mid-April. Hopefully many establishments will be fully open by then as well. If not, well we had a great time last July making do with the restrictions in the South Sound area.

 

[Karll]

We live up north but if you like Scandinavian shopping Poulsbo. Port Ludlow is a great harbor but you are a few miles from town. If you like to golf the golf course will send a van to pick you up and take you to the course. Our Cougar Yacht Club used to have an annual tournament at Port Ludlow. They also have a nice area for group get together with a fire pit that you can reserve.

 

[Cutwater28GG]

im curious as Ive never been, is there anything interesting up in Dyes inlet near the port of silverdale?

 

[Haifisch]

Re. Bainbridge Island, Winslow Wharf is a condo marina and although they sometimes have sublets available while owners and renters are out boating, they are not very plentiful. The city dock (Just east of Winslow Wharf) has an excellent new and larger dock with water & power available. Easy walk to groceries, shops & restaurants. No rez, but very open on weekdays and they encourage raft. Alternatively the anchorage in the harbor is pretty good and the city allotted plenty of room for dinghy tie up.

Re: Silverdale/Dyes Inlet: Calm waters and looks pretty much like the rest of the area. There is a rather large and almost always vacant city marina at the end in Silverdale. I don't know why more people don't use it. It is quite nice. Some restaurants and bars < 1/2 mile walk. This would be a really good shakedown spot for someone that is newer to owning their boat.

Re. Bremerton: Best kept secret. Always lots of room with some fun restaurants right outside the marina. Current + wind inside can occasionally be challenging. The city spent a ton revitalizing the area with some success. There is one really fun restaurant just across the entrance to Dyes inlet called the Boat Shed. It has a small dock and my 31' took up 2/3 of it. Could dinghy over from the marina.

Re. Poulsbo: Also a favorite of ours. Excellent anchorage and lots to do downtown. Brass Kracken is my favorite bar in Kitsap county.

Wish you all wonderful trips while in the area.

 

[scross]

Based on the input and Waggoner’s Guide, here’s our itinerary for a great middle Puget Sound 12 night cruise. We start next week. Reservations were easy. Weather for the first few days looks great! Really looking forward to being back on the water again and visiting so many new places!

Day 1 Tow boat to Portland to Everett. Launch and spend nite on guest dock.
Day 2 Take trailer to storage and cruise to Port of South Whitney @ Langley 10 miles
Day 3 Cruise to Port of Edmonds 16 miles
Day 4 Cruise to Kingston 5 miles
Day 5 Cruise to Seattle. Pump out. 15 miles
Day 6 Cruise to Winslow Wharf Marina 9 miles
Day 7 Cruise to Blake Island State Marine Park 7 miles
Day 8 Stay at BISMP
Day 9 Cruise to Port Orchard Marina. 9 miles
Day 10 Cruise to Poulsbo 14 miles
Day 11 Cruise to Port Ludlow 30 miles
Day 12 Cruise to Port of Everett. Spend night on dock. Pump out. Pick up trailer. 25 miles on water.
Day 13 Boat on trailer. Boat and trailer to storage. Drive home to Ashland

Hope to see some of you out in the water!

 

[boaterjoe]

winslow wharf marina on Bainbridge island is a great stop with lots of restaurants and shops within walking distance. Covid means some might be limited however. good place to stop. Also if in a yacht Club you can get one night free with reciprocal from the Eagle Harbor YC.