CC Travel Blog

May, 2009

Take a ferry and within half an hour you arrive at Bainbridge Island.

Seattle is very seasonal. In April, you can drive an hour to Mt. Vernon for the lovely tulip festival. In July, you can go to Olympics National Park and smell the aroma of lavender. In May, the tulips have gone and Mt. Rainier is still too snowy to open; but thank goodness we still have the islands.

I never imagine Seattle has outer islands and yet so close to the city. Taking a ferry is not about leaving the hustle bustle city behind in Seattle, it is about looking back and admire its beauty.

With the downtown on one side and the mountain range on the other, I feel that a true vacation unfolds.

The ferry itself is a multi-deck boat that takes in cars and provide ample spaces for riders.

From almost any angles in Seattle or near Seattle, Mt. Rainer is present and beautifully extending its submit to our visual calling.

At the end of May, the weather is sunny, warm but not hot, slightly breezy, perfect for a ferry ride to enjoy the scenery.

Twenty minutes later, Bainbridge Island is right in front of us.

We never know how big is Bainbridge Island because Peggy and Richard are leading us to an adventure.

Vegetations are abundant in the island with dynamic breeds and kinds.

The beach is pleasant with the locals setting up BBQ and having a nice sun bathe.

On a good day, we see Mt. Rainier, happy clams blowing out water from seaweeds, and lots of overly sun-bathed crabs.

There are nice houses on the island as we drive around.

Along the way, we pass a sign of a farm, so we go in. Bainbridge Island has this magic that lets you in anywhere you want in the island, casually without reservations.

Carol, the farm owner, totally inspires Richard. Her farm fetches eggs and plants loads of spices. This is the tree size hops that can go into beers.

Carol has grown her hop to a Christmas tree size. That must be good for many many kegs of beer!

Carol’s farm is relatively small compared to the other bigger garden shop. I start to feel that Seattle is more than just food, it is also green.

You can find all kinds of garden utilities here, trees, plants, flowers, spices, fountains, pots, tools, and even pick up a few vegetables from the green rooms.

The sun, the flower, the beach, the ocean and finally the wine! Eagle Harbor is a small wine production on the island, but don’t let the scale discourage you. Hugh has a passion for wine making and his recipe is just delicious. We visit his factory but he also has a tasting room in downtown.

I am not a Chardonnay person, so when he pours me the Chardonnay, I hesitate. It’s not the same, Peggy assures me and indeed she is right. Hugh’s Chardonnay is sweet, well balanced without the oaky flavor. It is a blend, but a good one. We also tried his Syrah, smooth and strong in flavor, another good product. The cab is equally fabulous and begs for some longer time aging to bring out the maturity.

Eagle Harbor Wine Company info:
9445 NE Business Park Ln
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
206.227.4310
ehwineco@comcast.net

Bainbridge’s downtown is a few blocks of street lined up with shops and restaurants. In there, we find a nice ice cream place, Mora. Advocated for local made fresh ingredients, the ice cream comes with different flavors and churned so smooth that the creaminess and smoothness dance on the taste buds.

So in half a day, we have beach sunkiss, herb and garden tour, wine tasting and ice cream indulgence. Who doesn’t love Seattle?