We had heard from several friends and coworkers that the Gorge Amphitheatre is must see venue, and we stumbled upon it online a couple times within “best music venue” lists, so we knew we had to get there at some point during our time in Washington. The Gorge, which is located on a bluff above the Columbia River, offers up weekend outdoor concert series with camping opportunities on select weekends from end of May through September. We checked our weekends and really the only one that worked in our schedule was this past weekend for Phish, so we took advantage of the opportunity! It’s about a 3.5-hour drive to get to The Gorge from where we live in Silverdale through the Snoqualmie Pass, so we decided to stick around in town on Friday night and experience the Bremerton Summer Brewfest! This was the 8th annual, so you should be able to expect another one happening next mid-July. There were 36 Washington breweries who set up tents right on the waterfront and they had some unique beers! A couple of our favorites were: Icicle’s Dark Persuasion (a German chocolate cake ale), Illuminati’s Stormborn (scotch ale), and Fremont’s The Rusty Nail (a very strong, yet smooth 14.5% ABV bourbon barrel aged imperial stout). After we got our beer fix, we headed inland to Bremerton Bar & Grill and got some tasty salmon for dinner. Unfortunately, this is the only good thing we have to say about our experience at this restaurant. If you park in the Harborside Commons parking ramp ($6 for 1-4 hours) and go to eat at this bar & grill though, they will currently knock off the parking cost from your bill!
Bremerton Summer Brewfest
Enjoying some live music at the Bremerton waterfront.
Bremerton Bar & Grill
Bremerton Summer Brewfest
Enjoying some live music at the Bremerton waterfront.
Bremerton Bar & Grill
On Saturday morning, we started our trek to central Washington. We wanted to break up the drive a bit, so we first stopped at Snoqualmie Falls (right off I-90 or 18). This is the most visited waterfall park in Washington, and you can tell, because it is crazy busy. Upon arrival, there is a traffic cop needed to keep the peace and pace. There is a small parking lot right next to the park for $7, or there is a much larger free lot across the street. There isn’t really a hike to get there, so it’s very accessible. There are some very short, paved trails near the falls, but unfortunately you cannot hike down to the bottom of the falls. The waterfall is pretty and worth a visit, but you won’t want to stay for long due to the traffic or if you’re searching for something more secluded. We got lucky with free parking, getting there around noon on a beautiful day, but if you are visiting at any time in the summer, we would recommend parking in the overflow lot about a half mile away down the hill, so you don’t get trapped in the craziness. There is a nice, grassy area in the park that would be a good spot for a picnic if you have nowhere to be. We tried to check out Snoqualmie Falls Brewery for lunch (which looked like a great spot about a mile from the falls in downtown), but there was an hour wait, so we had to move on.
Snoqualmie Falls – The most visited waterfall in Washington.
Snoqualmie Falls Brewery and Taproom
Snoqualmie Falls – The most visited waterfall in Washington.
Snoqualmie Falls Brewery and Taproom
Our next stop was Franklin Falls, a waterfall in the middle of the Snoqualmie Pass. This was our favorite waterfall out of the two. There is a trail that’s a little over two miles round trip to get to Franklin Falls and back. They take their parking very seriously, so make sure you put your National Park Pass (that we highly recommend) signature side up on your dash or pay the fee and put your slip on the dash. We saw countless tickets given the day we were there. There weren’t quite as many people at this waterfall as at Snoqualmie, but it was still a high traffic trail. It was nice to be able to get to the bottom of the waterfall at this one and feel the mist on your face! The trail also follows an amazingly clear river the whole way, so feel free to stop at a large rock and picnic or sunbathe along the way.
Exploring off the Franklin Falls Trail 1036.
Franklin Falls
Exploring off the Franklin Falls Trail 1036.
Franklin Falls
Even though there were lots of people, we were able to snag a pic with just us!
And a beautiful pic with nobody in it!
Even though there were lots of people, we were able to snag a pic with just us!
And a beautiful pic with nobody in it!
After our two waterfall stops, we made our final two-hour jaunt to The Gorge. We had purchased camping tickets (which are very expensive-gorgecamping.com), so we didn’t have to worry about parking. We got lucky and were upgraded to “Premiere Camping” because the “Standard Camping” had filled up by the time we arrived. We didn’t see the standard camping, but we can’t imagine these two areas are that different, so we don’t recommend spending more money on the upgrade. There aren’t any campsites here; they just funnel as many cars into a huge field as they can, and then you can pitch your tent right behind your car. Needless to say, there is not much privacy, so chill out and make some new friends! Most of the camping areas are at least a 0.5 mile walk to The Gorge, so keep that in mind as well. The camping is a flat fee for the weekend, so the more nights you stay, or the more friends you invite, the more you get your money’s worth.
We had to drink some Rainier while in Washington!
Our campsite at The Gorge.
We had to drink some Rainier while in Washington!
Our campsite at The Gorge.
We only attended one night of the concert, but you can buy packages for as many nights as you want. They do a different show each night. Neither of us are hardcore Phish fans, but it didn’t matter because the venue is so awesome that I’m pretty sure any live music would be enjoyable here! You get to watch the sun set behind the gorge right behind the stage (a truly unique experience) and then when it is dark the stage has the ability to put on a great light show. The only downside- the food and beverage costs within the venue are extortionist and priced above most stadium rates. So, we recommend arriving with your stomach full of tasty food and beer. Even though it’s a bit pricey and a trek to get to, we both highly recommend getting to a concert at The Gorge in your lifetime!
Phish concert at The Gorge!
The coolest concert venue we’ve been to yet!
It was even cool after dark!
Phish concert at The Gorge!
The coolest concert venue we’ve been to yet!
It was even cool after dark!
On Sunday, we were hoping to find a way down to the Columbia River from our campsite to swim, but it did not exist. In fact, we learned that there are no trails down to the river within The Gorge venue. The closest trail down to the river starts at Cave B, a local winery located behind the security gates. This is an eight-mile trail (four miles down to the river and four miles back up). We weren’t in the mood for a long hike on Sunday morning, so instead we drove to the river! There is a day use area called Rattlesnake Cove in Sunland, about a 10 minute drive from The Gorge. You just drive out like you’re leaving the concert, and a few miles down the road you’ll see Sunland Rd. You simply take a right turn to get down to the river. We swam in the chilly, very clean river here. If it was slightly warmer, and we had more time, it seemed like an awesome place to hang out during the day prior to the concerts at night.
We swam in the Columbia River at Rattlesnake Cove in Sunland.
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