Riding on the Ferry
So if you ever happen to get a chance to come to Washington State, there are many things you can do. Obviously, there are the main attractions- the Space Needle, Pikes Place Market, Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, etc. But there is another excursion that not many people think about, but I love doing. Seattle is right on the Puget Sound and there are islands and peninsulas all the way up and down it. Because so many people live around it, and the drive to get all the way around is kind of insane, we have a ferry system run by our Washington State Department of Transportation. Obviously it sounds semi boring, BUT there is one route that makes for the best small excursion. There are a couple ways to do it.
The Washington State Ferries currently run around many different ports and places. One of the most underrated ones, in my opinion, is the Bremerton to Seattle ferry line. The run uses the Olympic Class ferries. They definitely don’t look it, but they hold 144 cars and 1500 people on each one! For a good day trip, I like to drive around (from Tacoma, usually) over the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (which has an interesting history in itself!) and up to Bremerton. The drive is absolutely gorgeous on a sunny day and is definitely a plus for the trip. Once in Bremerton, there are many museums to visit and places to eat.
Once you have had your fill there, the ferry ride over is an excursion itself. It winds through the Puget Sound, where you can view the islands and areas that the sound has to offer. On a good day you may even see the orca whales that live in the area! The wind can be something fierce, so I recommend stowing your hats in a backpack, but carrying a camera is a must.
As you get closer to Seattle, the ferry comes in at the perfect angle to take in the city in its entire beauty. You get to see the whole skyline with the Cascade mountain range behind. Truly, it is one of my favorite things to show any visitors that come to the northwest. For one, the entire trip is super reasonable on a budget, if you already have a car available, rented or otherwise. You also get to see the whole ferry system. If you are from a land-locked state, or even some on the coast, the ferries that are used are much larger and more interesting than others most people have been on. Finally, once you are done, you are right back in Seattle! This puts you in a place to do even more site-seeing and visiting and, of course, eating.
