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View of First Beach from cabins at the Quileute Oceanside Resort

Beautiful view from our cabin at the Quileute Oceanside Resort

Time for an escape, and a little investigation of a location we would like to visit on a future Kitsap Tours’ tour.  We’ve stayed at a variety of places along Washington’s Pacific Coast but this time we decided to return to the Quileute Oceanside Resort  in LaPush, WA.  Dogs are welcome, although not in the luxury cabins - not a problem since the standard cabins are great and with tile and linoleum floors there is no concern about dogs damaging carpets.

The perfect beach cabins.  We stayed in a two story cabin with two bedrooms and a bath downstairs – each with a door to the outside.  Upstairs there is one large kitchen/dining/living area with a wood stove and great balcony.

Note: Do not go out on the balcony early in the morning, when no one is around and allow the door to close behind you, especially on a cold morning, in your nightshirt.  The door may lock and you may spend some time alone – too high up to jump but the view is spectacular!

Jim and the dogs on the beach

The biggest piece of driftwood I've ever seen!

What to do:  Beach walking, photography, fishing charters, curl up with a book or a friend, relax!

Dining: There is a restaurant at the resort, one a few miles down the road and a larger selection in Forks a little further down the road.  My suggestion is to take food and make use of the small but adequate kitchen.

In the area:  So much!  I can’t begin to list all there is to do close by but Forks, WA does a good job so check out their website.  If you, or yours are Twlight fans then, of course you already know that the Quileute Reservation is the home of Jacob, and Forks has its share of vampires. Click here for some Twilight information.

The Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean at La Push, WA

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Let Kitsap Tours show you Bainbridge Island!

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Don Paulson

Don Paulson

Kitsap Tours is pleased to have Don Paulson return as a guest on one of our Photo Safaris.  This year Don will join us June 21, 2111 for our full day Photo Safari around North Kitsap Peninsula in Washington State – just a ferry ride from Seattle.

In 1997 Don Paulson turned his longstanding passion for photography into a full-time profession.  Specializing in nature and travel photography, Don’s images are marketed worldwide by leading stock agencies, and are regularly reproduced in a wide variety of printed publications and on-line applications. He is represented by SuperStock, in Jacksonville, Danita Delimont Stock Agency in Seattle and Alamy Stock Agency in the UK.

Kitsap Tours is offering a special in June.  Use the Promotional Code “Photo!” and receive a 20% discount off the full price of the tour.  This includes the June 21 tour with Don Paulson.  Check out his website: http://www.donpaulson.com/, and hurry to make your reservations, this tour will fill quickly!

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Jim Boyle, retired U.S Secret Service

Jim Boyle, Retired U.S. Secret Service; bus driver extrodinaire!

When I started Kitsap Tours, just over a year ago, I thought it was going to be “my” project.  I would do it all and hire some help as things grew.

Along the way, perhaps when I started shopping for our very cool luxury mini bus, my husband Jim asked if he could get more involved.  I think, in part, he thought I was getting in over my head and needed his help.  On the other hand I think he really liked the idea of having a bus.

We had never worked together.  We always had careers and went in different directions during the day.  We hadn’t really had success at doing home projects together.  I didn’t think it would work, but, I did need his help, he was offering and I said yes.

This was probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.  Jim took over the bus; maintenance, driving and record keeping.  I do the marketing, networking, tour development, book keeping and talking on the tours.  We actually thought, in those first months, that we would take turns; each driving and talking on alternating days but after a couple tours together we realized that we wanted to do it together.  Not as much free time, but I have so much information in my head and Jim is a great driver* so we have continued working as a team on our tours.

Starting a new adventure after both having varied and very satisfying careers, I have to say this is the perfect job for us at this time.  We love working together, we’re having great fun meeting our guests from all over the country and the world and we’re both using skills developed over the years and careers.  Jim loves working and then at the end of the day, the job is over – a whole new concept for him!

* Jim is retired from Secret Service where he was a Special Agent for 23 years and spent a good part of his career at the White House on the Presidential Detail.  He also had the opportunity to take the specialized driving courses offered by Secret Service and during his career drove several presidents, heads of country and heads of state.  He is extremely qualified to drive our beautiful tour bus!

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Just a few pictures of the Bainbridge Organic Distillery that will be part of the NEW Kitsap Tours “Wine & Spirits” tour starting April 22nd.  Tour and tastings!

The tasting room is BEAUTIFUL!

Mark your calendars, or better yet sign up now, for the Wine & Spirits tour!

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The Japanese American Exclusion Memorial on Bainbridge Island was the site yesterday of a memorial remembering the day 69 years ago when those of Japanese ancestry, most of them United States citizens, were removed from their homes and sent to “camps”.

Nidoto Nai Yoni

"Let it not happen again"

The memorial has taken another step forward with a new entry gate, names on the wall and some of the new artwork in place.
Kitsap Tours Bainbridge Island tour, starting in May, will feature a stop at the memorial on the half day tour.

 

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Visiting or living in Seattle? 

Want an easy getaway to get a taste of the Northwest beyond the city?

It’s as easy as 1-2-3!

  1. Check out the Bainbridge Island Lodging Association; select your lodging style and make your reservations.
  2. Book an afternoon or all day tour with Kitsap Tours for your arrival date.
  3. Let us know about your plans and we’ll take it from there.  You walk on the ferry in Seattle and we will meet you on Bainbridge Island, take you on a wonderful tour (choose from several!) and at the end of the day we’ll take you to your lodging of choice on Bainbridge Island or the Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort* (just off the island).

Leave the car behind and enjoy a hassle free getaway!

A couple suggestions:

  • Friday afternoon Bainbridge Island Wine & Spirits Tour, overnight at the lodging of your choice, take in the Saturday morning Farmers Market on Bainbridge Island and enjoy lunch at a waterfront pub before returning to Seattle.
  • Take a full day Bainbridge Island / Kitsap Peninsula tour and end your day at the Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort for some dining, gaming and then have a night cap in the hotel enjoying the museum quality contemporary art collection in the lobby.  Stay an extra day and enjoy one of the resorts great concerts!
  • Enjoy a guided tour of the beautiful Bloedel Reserve, a 150 acre, world renowned, estate garden.   Spend the next day checking out the great bakeries in downtown Winslow and exploring the art galleries and other unique shops before strolling to the ferry.

There is no extra charge for your ride to your evening accomodations but we may limit the number of people who can take advantage on any given tour.

*Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort offers free shuttles back to the ferry.  Some lodging is within walking distance of the ferry, some lodging may offer a ride to the ferry (ask) and others may require a cab ride back to the ferry.

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Bainbridge Island, Washington (March 23, 2011) — Beginning April 22, 2011 Kitsap Tours will offer a Wine & Spirits tour featuring three of Bainbridge Island’s artisanal wineries along with Bainbridge Organic Distillery.

After walking onto the ferry in downtown Seattle, and enjoying a scenic 35 minute ferry ride to Bainbridge Island, Kitsap tours will meet our guests at the island ferry terminal for our Bainbridge Island Winery & Spirits Tour.

Enjoy a picturesque sightseeing tour of charming Bainbridge Island in our luxury mini bus, stopover at three local artisanal wineries for tastings, and visit Bainbridge Organic Distillery, Washington’s first USDA Certified spirits producer. We’ll meet with winemakers to discuss their methods of winemaking; be shown how organic Washington grain is transformed into award winning organic vodka, gin and whiskey; and have the opportunity to purchase the creations of these skilled craftsmen.

The tour concludes with an option to continue tastings in Winslow (downtown Bainbridge Island), check out one of the many dining options, all within walking distance of the ferry, or return immediately following the tour to the ferry for relaxing ride back to Seattle.

Bainbridge Island Wine & Spirits tour will be offered on Friday afternoon starting April 22, 2011.

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Port Gamble in Fall

Walker-Ames House in FallThe tiny piece of New England on the shores of Hood Canal and Gamble Bay welcomes visitors during any season but Fall has a special look and feel. 

As Autumn arrived the trees in Port Gamble seemed to be a step ahead of the rest of the area and yet as we enter November the distinct look and feel of Fall continues.

Kitsap Tours visits Port Gamble as many as 5 days a week with our “” Island / Kitsap Peninsula Tour and our “Friday Photo Safari”.  

Every time we pull into town I feel a sense of stepping back in time; not just because of the 1880′s buildings but because of the people living there, running the shops and running the town. People wave, people smile and people walk down the middle of the streets. Some days we find a festival or fair, other days wedding parties pose with water & mountain and white picket fence backdrops.

Buena Vista Cemetery in Port Gamble, WashingtonFor a moment of quiet walk through the cemetery for a glimpse into the lives of those who pioneered this gem of a town. Buena Vista Cemetery, on the high point overlooking Hood Canal and the Olympic Peninsula, tells the story of families, babies lost, a military encounter and those from far off who settled this town.  An interesting place to enjoy a view and reflect.

With nature and an historic town as the backdrop, there are a unique collection of shops and eateries in Port Gamble.  Watch for postings about each of these locations and a little about the people who run them.

Port Gamble in Fall

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I attended the recent Green Roadshow and was a member on a panel discussion about marketing.  It was a joy to reconnect with some old friends and meet so many other like minded people interested in creating authentic, sustainable experiences for those visiting the Northwest.  This is the reason I’m doing what I’m doing!  Great energy!

Kitsap Tours officially joined P.U.R.E.

Pacific Northwest Uncommon & Responsible Explorations

P.U.R.E. is a network of local businesses with sustainable tourism products collaborating to support one another in a common effort to promote and support the sustainable tourism industry environmentally, socially and economically in the Pacific Northwest. As a non-profit professional association, P.U.R.E. exists to serve its members while working towards its mission and vision.

This organization is just starting and if you are interested in sustainable tourism, located in Washington State are operated a sustainable business or want to move in that direction then please take a minute and read more . . .

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