This year instead of our usual early spring whole family visit to Arizona, we opted to split up.  Slaed and Bergen jetted off to the Peoria area for Mariner’s Spring Training, and to spend time with Gramma (Slaed’s mom).  Georgia and I held down the fort back in Seattle, and enjoyed some local adventures.

One of the our highlights was a day trip to Bainbridge Island, Washington.  In case you aren’t familiar with this local gem, Bainbridge Island is just across Elliott Bay from downtown Seattle.  A beautiful picturesque ferry ride gets you there in about 30 minutes. Donuts optional.

We most often opt to board the ferry as walk-on passengers in favor of the simplicity, and it’s cheaper price tag.  As walk-on passengers, it costs just $8.50 (since Georgia is under 6, she’s free).  To take your car on the ferry, a round trip ticket is $30.70.

As visitors of Bainbridge Island several times a year, we often follow a similar routine.  We walk off the ferry, and explore town, we might grab coffee, visit the playground, walk on the beach, and enjoy a good meal.  Of course getting there (and returning) with gorgeous views of the city, the water, and Mount Rainier if we’re lucky, is half the fun.

This most recent visit seemed like the perfect opportunity to check out Bainbridge’s Children’s Museum: Kid’s Discovery Museum (KiDiMu).  7.5 years of having kids, and we had never made it a part of our Bainbridge Island adventure!  The rainy day, and the fact that it was just Georgia (4 years seems almost ideal for children’s museums) and me made it a no-brainer.

After exiting the ferry, we walked just 5 minutes, and arrived at KiDiMu, which is tucked behind the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art.  There are 2 floors of exhibits, plus a small outdoor area with a climbing wall, and other toys. The main floor has a pirate tree house, and several inter-connected rooms called Our Town.  Our Town includes a grocery store, bank, Medical Center, and a construction zone.  There are also some neat transportation opportunities including a ferry boat, and a real electric car!

Following the staircase up, we found the science and literacy hall.  Here, Georgia was most engaged in the Fun with Physics installation where she could put golf balls through various simple machines.  The ramps and pulley systems were super exciting for her, and she loved shooting golf balls down to see if they would make it all the way to the end.

Also upstairs: train tables, large blocks to play and construct with, tons of books, puppet theater area, microscope station, art room, and a giant light bright! I was more impressed with the light bright than Georgia seemed to be, though she gave it a try.  I think this would be something Bergen (7.5 years) could spend an hour tinkering with. 

We went up and down several times, another perk of having just one of my kids, as Georgia’s interests changed, and she got more comfortable with activities.  For good measure we even checked out the small outdoor space, where we would have stayed longer if my stomach hadn’t been growling so much! Note for parents of kids who are 0 to 30 months: There is a small dedicated Waldorf-inspired TOT area allowing for more quiet, infant and small toddler play.  It’s also a cozy out-of-the-way spot for nursing moms.

Even though I’m sure Georgia was hungry for lunch too, she did NOT want to leave! Luckily, I was able to tear her away with the promise of pizza.  Don’t tell Georgia, but we could have come back as the museum provides an “all day pass” as long as you sign-in.  Bruciato serves delicious Neapolitan-style pizza, and it is one of our favorite places on the island to grab a bite.  And it’s definitely in my top 5 pizzerias in the greater Seattle area. 

The space itself is gorgeous: Wood tables, large bar area, exposed ceiling, and view of the pizza oven with their creations going in and out.  Most importantly though, I love their creative topping/flavor combinations.  Georgia and I settled on a prosciutto and date, which was beautifully sweet and savory.

After lunch, we made the quick trek back to the ferry, and sailed back home.  Such a fun way to spend the day, and since we also took advantage of the bus to and from downtown, we never had to use our car!

Because it’s been a while since I’ve posted about Bainbridge Island, I thought I’d also share some of our other go-tos/favorites:

Coffee, Dining & Dessert:

• Pegasus Coffee Has a nice neighborhoody, local feel, and good coffee.  Also a good destination since you walk through town to get there.
• Bruciato Pizzeria (mentioned more above!)
• Doc’s Marina Grill: We love coming here for brunch & beautiful waterfront views.
• Hitchcock & Hitchcock Deli: Hitchcock is on the fine dining, fancier side (seasonal, northwest style, delicious, while the deli is obviously more casual, grab & go, amazing sandwiches from house-cured & smoked meats) And by the way, Hitchcock & Bruciato are part of the same restaurant group.
• Fork & Spoon: Lovely little lunch spot.
• Mora’s Iced Creamery : Deliciously rich ice cream, with usually generous portions.
• Town & Country Market: Sometimes we just grab ice cream bars here, and walk back to the ferry.

 Parks, Gardens, Playgrounds & Beaches

• Eagle Harbor Park/Playground: Small, but walkable from ferry terminal, and a great place to walk to after getting ice cream.
• Hawley Cove Park (+beach): During a sunny summer visit, we walked to Hawley Cove Park (thanks to a friend who lives nearby), which connects to the beach that’s visible from the ferry.  We explored the beach for a while then, connected back up to town via stairs.
• Bloedel Reserve: This amazing garden is a must visit for all Pacific Northwesterners.  It’s much too far of a walk for walk-on passengers, but for those taking their car or bike, it’s a lovely destination.
• Calico Toy Shoppe: It’s not a beach or a park, but I couldn’t NOT mention this wonderful toy store.  My kids ADORE visiting this shop.  The owners do such a good job of making it inviting for kids. Interesting and innovative toys, friendly staff, and just an overall welcoming vibe.  We always end up buy some sort of trinket here (even if we don’t need it!) because we love supporting them.

Share your Bainbridge Island favorites in the comments! Also, do you do one-on-one travel with your kids? Tell us about some of your experiences.

Come join the conversation! You can keep up to date with each and every post by subscribing to the blog via email. We’d also love to have you join us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page, following us on twitter, and joining us on Instagram! If you enjoyed this post, please “like it”, “tweet it” or “pin it”!