Winslow, Bainbridge Island – on a sunny day

Beautiful sunny days in Seattle just scream for a ferry boat ride. Popping over to Bainbridge for the day is such an easy way to scratch that itch. With a 35-minute ferry ride and a half-mile walk into Winslow you can even make it home for nap time! Read on to see how our family enjoys a sunny day on Bainbridge.

General Itinerary:

9:20 – Arrive at Seattle Ferry Terminal – Coleman Dock

9:35 – Walk-on the Bainbridge Ferry

10:10 – Arrive on Bainbridge, walk along the Water Front Trail to the Waterfront Park playground

10:40 – Explore Winslow Way and pop into Eagle Harbor Book’s cute children’s section

11:10 – Grab lunch to-go at Hitchcock Deli – eat at one of the outdoor tables on Madrone Lane

12:00 – If it’s Saturday from early April through November explore the Farmers Market just up the hill

12:30 – Mora Iced Creamery

12:50 – Walk to Ferry Terminal for 1:15 crossing back to Seattle

Bring:

Stroller or Baby carrier – you’ll be walking about 1 mile
A deck of cards or a puzzle for play on the ferry
Cash for the Farmer’s Market

Don’t Bring:

Lunch or Snacks – at least not too many… there is so much good food in Winslow

Weather:

This is the itinerary we use for Bainbridge on a beautiful Spring, Summer, or Fall day. Go when it’s warm and sunny so you can really enjoy walking around Winslow.

Details:

This day trip to Winslow is one of my family’s favorites. The combination of ferry boat ride, playground, farmers market, and ice cream shop usually checks the box for everyone in the family, making for an easy and low-key day.

The 9:35 crossing time I’m recommending here is from the 2022 summer schedule. If you’re in a different season, be sure to check the times to see if you need to adjust. I also don’t have any specific instructions on parking. With the state of the waterfront these days, who knows what will be going on down there 2 days from now! We’ve parked in the 4-hour parking right along piers – it’s a bit of a time squeeze, but those spots are just so dang convenient. We also like the lot at Spring and Western, but I recently read that Gonzaga owns that property and is going to be building something there… so like I said, who knows!!! If you haven’t been down to the waterfront in a while, maybe give yourself a few extra minutes for parking.

But definitely park and walk on the ferry. This is so much fun and very “Seattle”. The kids love walking across the “gang-plank” onto the boat and watching the cars load from the upper outside decks. You only need to buy a ticket to Bainbridge; the return trip is free. Be sure to say “Bainbridge” at the ferry terminal’s ticket counter, as there are ferries that go to Bremerton from Coleman Dock. There’s a little waiting area where people stand and gather while you wait for boarding to begin. If you’re traveling with a stroller be sure to line up on the side of the ticket gates that has the stroller opening.

Once you’re on the ferry, quickly grab yourself a section of booths along a window. Some sections have tables, some do not – pick what works for your family. Once we’ve secured a good window seat, we leave some non-valuables there to hold our spot and head over to the café for lemonades and a treat.

The crossing is fairly quick – just 35 minutes. One time we spotted Orca Man zipping around on his jet ski – don’t be alarmed (as I was… felt like a reason to call homeland security…), he’s a local guy who cleans up trash in Elliott Bay. Apparently, we were lucky to see him! But we like to spend the crossing playing cards, games of eye spy, and taking cute pictures.

You’ll walk off the ferry on the opposite side you entered. It’s fun to watch the ferry pull into the dock, so just before arrival head out to see docking. Then follow the sea of people as they head through the ferry terminal and up the hill towards Winslow.

About halfway up the hill take a left on Harborview Drive – just a bit down this road on the right-hand side there is a turn-off for the Waterfront Trail. This path is a scenic way to make your way into Winslow. Also a plus, it’s away from the busy roads, so little ones can walk a bit more freely. There’s a nice little playground just near the Senior Center. Stop here to get a bit of energy out before lunch!

After some play time, stroll onto Winslow Way to explore this cute little town. We like to pop into Eagle Harbor Book Co., grab a few picture books off the shelf, find a comfy chair for some reading time. The children’s section is way in the back of the store – it’s small, but very well done and the staff is helpful with suggestions. We of course always buy a couple books – got to support the independent book stores!

You also could pop into Calico Toy Shoppe or any of the other cute little stores and galleries along Winslow Way. But my boys and “cute little shops” don’t always go well together… and I certainly don’t need more toys in my life!

Our favorite little spot in Winslow is the pedestrian street right next to Blackbird Bakery called Madrone Lane. When we’re done exploring Winslow Way, we’ll stop into Cafe Hitchcock or Proper Fish and order lunch-to-go. If you’re on top of things, you can order from both restaurants online about 30 minutes before you’re ready to pick-up. Then we head right over to Madrone Lane and grab one of the patio tables to enjoy our lunch. One side note on dining in Winslow – The Streamliner Diner is a place you may see while exploring town. In the past I had been tempted by this very popular and cute place. We finally ventured in on one visit and it really wasn’t kid friendly. Save that for a kid-free trip (when you’ll also enjoy the “cute little shops” and the Ameila Wynn Winery tasting room across the street!).

After lunch, and if it’s a Saturday from April through November, head just up the hill to the Bainbridge Farmers Market. This market isn’t huge, but they have some great local stands and often music or farm animals to enjoy. After lunch head back down the hill towards heaven… I mean Mora Iced Creamery! This ice cream shop is a bit different from what you probably normally bring your kids too. You can’t actually see the ice cream, as it’s all stored in lidded canisters along the counter. I secretly love this, because my favorite gelato place in Rome (where I studied abroad in college) does the same thing… so I feel like this place must be legit! But feel free to ask for a taste of anything that sparks your fancy, and as in Rome, mixing flavors with a scoop of one and a scoop of another is the way to do it!

After, we like to pop into Blackbird Bakery to pick something yummy up for the ferry ride home or tomorrow’s breakfast. It’ll seem like over-kill after the ice cream… but it’s worth it, I promise.

If you’re not rushing home for naps (or to get your car from the 4-hour parking spot…) stop into the Kids Discovery Museum. We LOVE this little children’s museum. It’s small, but really well done. Downstairs, there’s a tree house with slide, and a “town” exhibit with a shop, doctors office, bank, etc. It’s a typical kid’s museum set-up but has some neat additional features – like a “working” atm machine (that I can’t get my kids away from). Upstairs there are some great hands-on exhibits: train tables, light wall, and these neat tracks for golf balls that my kids could play with for hours.

Or, if this sounds like more your thing: head over to Doc’s Marina Grill – grab a table on their lawn for an early afternoon cocktail. Kid’s can move around a bit on the grass.

Otherwise, by 12:50 start walking down to the ferry terminal to catch the 1:15 crossing. If you’re walking into the terminal at 10 minutes before the departure time you’ll be in good shape to catch the boat.