Gettng There
The Kitsap Peninsula lies between Puget Sound and the east side of the Olympic Peninsula and is bounded on its west side by Hood Canal (which is not a canal, but rather a long fjordlike extension of Puget Sound). Wash. 16 connects the peninsula with I-5 at Tacoma via the two spans of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Wash. 3 connects the peninsula with U.S. 101 west of Olympia and continues north to the Hood Canal Bridge, a floating bridge that serves as the Kitsap Peninsula's northern link to the Olympic Peninsula. Bainbridge Island is connected to the Kitsap Peninsula by the Agate Pass Bridge on Wash. 305.
Washington State Ferries (tel. 800/84-FERRY or 888/808-7977 in Washington, or 206/464-6400; www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries) operates three ferries between the Kitsap Peninsula and the east side of Puget Sound: the Fauntleroy-Southworth ferry (a 35-min. crossing) from West Seattle, the Seattle-Bremerton ferry (a 60-min. crossing) from downtown Seattle, and the Edmonds-Kingston ferry (a 30-min. crossing) from north of Seattle. On the Seattle-Bremerton or Edmonds-Kingston route, fares are $12 ($14 from May 1 to the second Sat in Oct) for a car and driver, $6.70 for adult car passengers or walk-ons, $3.35 for seniors, and $5.40 for children 6 to 18. On the Fauntleroy-Southworth route, fares are $8.90 ($11 from May to the second Sat in Oct) for a car and driver, $5.20 for adult car passengers or walk-ons, $2.60 for seniors, and $4.20 for children 6 to 18. Car passengers and walk-ons only pay fares on westbound ferries.
Visitor Information
For information on the Kitsap Peninsula, contact the Kitsap Peninsula Visitor & Convention Bureau, 32220 Rainier Ave. NE (P.O. Box 270), Port Gamble, WA 98364 (tel. 800/416-5615 or 360/297-8200; www.visitkitsap.com). For more information on Poulsbo, contact the Greater Poulsbo Chamber of Commerce, 19351 Eighth Ave., Suite D, Poulsbo, WA 98370 (tel. 360/779-4999; www.poulsbo.net).
Festivals
In Poulsbo each May, the Viking Fest celebrates traditional Scandinavian culture, as does the December Yule Fest.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
