Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
6
South Puget Sound &
West Sound
W
ith more arms than an octopus,
the southern reaches of Puget Sound
are a region of convoluted waterways,
inlets, bays, and harbors. Tucked
among the coves, peninsulas, and
islands that separate all this salt water
are some of Washington's most charm-
ing little towns. Past glacial activity
gave this region the look of Scandina-
vian fjords, and it was that very simi-
larity that more than a century ago
attracted Scandinavian fishermen who
founded what are today two of the
region's most picturesque towns:
Poulsbo and Gig Harbor. However,
this region is also home to a couple of
the state's largest cities—Tacoma and
Olympia. While there aren't many
major attractions in the area, there is
an abundance of natural beauty (with
plenty of parks to explore) and, in
Tacoma, several interesting museums
and attractions as well.
The people who choose to live in
this region, as well as those who visit,
tend to do so for the water. Forest-
ringed waterways, old fishing villages
turned yacht havens, idyllic rural set-
tings, the romance of living on an
island—these are the aspects of life
that attract people to this area. How-
ever, down in the southern reaches of
the Sound a very different aesthetic
rules. Here are found Tacoma and
Olympia. The former, once derided as
an industrial wasteland, is in the mid-
dle of a renaissance that has turned it
into a very livable city. The latter, as
the capital of the state and home of a
particularly liberal, liberal-arts univer-
sity, has a mellow, laid-back air and,
when the state legislature and the uni-
versity shut down, becomes one of the
quietest cities in the Northwest.
While green forests and blue waters
are this region's dominant characteris-
tics, life here is ruled by ferries and
bridges, and visitors are advised to
keep this in mind as they explore the
region. While distances here are not
great, missed ferries and traffic back-
ups at the Tacoma Narrows bridge can
add significantly to travel time. Leave
plenty of room in your travel schedule
for unforeseen delays.
However, it is these transportation
problems that provide much of the
region with its slower pace of life, and
that slower pace in turn presents
opportunities for Seattleites and oth-
ers to make quick escapes to the coun-
try by simply crossing to the west side
of Puget Sound, where island time
prevails and the views of the Olympic
Mountains are just that much better.
1 Bainbridge Island
10 miles W of Seattle (by ferry), 35 miles NE of Bremerton, 46 miles SE of Port Townsend
Bainbridge Island, popular for its miles of waterfront, sound-and-mountain
views, and rural feel, is for the most part an affluent bedroom community
