Our first explorations of the Olympic Peninsula!
We just moved to Silverdale, WA, a town west of Puget Sound from Seattle. We both signed 6-month contracts with Kitsap Physical Therapy & Sports Clinics. We have only been here a little over a week now, and our list of things to do is already way too long! We get new recommendations of places to go from friends, coworkers, and patients almost every day. Last weekend was our first weekend to explore this area, so naturally, we got right down to business!
We had received a BOGO in the mail from the Blazing Onion, a local burger joint in Silverdale, which lured us in, so we headed there after work on Friday. This restaurant is located in The Trails of Silverdale, a modern shopping area. The burgers were unique and delicious, and they had some good beers on tap with an extensive whiskey library. We tried a Heritage brown sugar whiskey that was quite delicious! After dinner, we headed to Old Town Silverdale by the water where we checked out Cash Brewing, a sports themed brewery with a variety of beers. We recommend the Pot Bunker Pale Ale.
Blazing Onion (burgers, beer, whiskey)
Cash Brewing in Old Town Silverdale
A sports-themed brewery
Blazing Onion (burgers, beer, whiskey)
Cash Brewing in Old Town Silverdale
A sports-themed brewery
On Saturday morning, we headed to downtown Poulsbo, an adorable Scandinavian town about 15 minutes north of Silverdale. Several people had recommended Sluys Poulsbo Bakery to us, so we stopped here for some pre-hiking fuel! The smell was intoxicating. It took us way too long to decide what to get because there were so many options, from donuts to cake! We walked a couple blocks to get to the waterfront and enjoyed our pastries with a view.
Downtown Poulsbo, a Scandinavian community
Sluys Poulsbo Bakery
Adam enjoying one of Sluys many creations!
Downtown Poulsbo, a Scandinavian community
Sluys Poulsbo Bakery
Adam enjoying one of Sluys many creations!
We then drove another 30 minutes to the northern end of the Kitsap Peninsula where Point No Point is. This is a beautiful beach with lots of space to spread out or play frisbee or walk the dogs. You can see mountain tops in the distance, including Mount Rainier, and downtown Seattle is visible on a cloudless day. They also have a historical lighthouse on the point. We didn’t spend a lot of time here, but we will come back for a lazy Sunday on the beach sometime!
Point No Point with our Travel PT friend, Nyssa
The Point No Point Lighthouse
Point No Point with our Travel PT friend, Nyssa
The Point No Point Lighthouse
From here, we drove about two hours SW to the Mount Ellinor Trailhead, located in the southeastern corner of the Olympics. The last 30 minutes or so of the drive is on a single lane gravel road with lots of turns that slow you down a bit, but this hike is very worth the drive! We chose to take the longer route to the peak of Mount Ellinor, so we started at the Mount Ellinor Lower Trailhead. All Trails website claims this trail is 5.3 miles, but we tracked about seven miles round trip. If you would like to take the shorter option (about three miles), you can hop on the Upper Trailhead which starts up the road from the lower trailhead. The last mile of the hike to the peak is pretty intense and does not have shade cover, but it is very worth it for the awesome 360-degree view you get from the top! There are also currently mountain goats in the hills, but not for long, as they are not native to the area and will be hunted soon.
A gorgeous lookout on the Mount Ellinor Trail!
Olympic National Park behind us
A gorgeous lookout on the Mount Ellinor Trail!
Olympic National Park behind us
The view from the peak of Mount Ellinor. Yes, that is Mount Rainier off in the distance!
We hung out with several mountain goats at the top!
The view from the peak of Mount Ellinor. Yes, that is Mount Rainier off in the distance!
We hung out with several mountain goats at the top!
We worked up quite the appetite after this strenuous hike, so our next stop was Silver City Restaurant & Ale House. This restaurant/brewery is in Silverdale, where we are currently living. We were quite impressed by the beer, food, and desserts! Some of our favorites were the Clear Creek Pale Ale, a mix of the Sun Glitter and Whoop Pass IPAs, the Fat Scotch Ale, any of the pizzas, and the warm brownie with ice cream dessert. We will definitely be making this place another visit!
Silver City Restaurant & Ale House
A perfect, post-hike delight!
Silver City Restaurant & Ale House
A perfect, post-hike delight!
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Be the first to read about our new adventures and recent travel tips!
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See our Privacy Policy below.
Wow looks like you guys didn’t waste anytime!! Looks and sounds like a fabulous weekend of adventure!! Already looking forward to seeing what you guys do next weekend!!
Love reading about your adventures!
So fun to share your experiences this way!
The three amigos! Beautiful