2016 - Charleston's Trailer Tripping: Day 47

We visited only one city in the state of Washington; Gig Harbor. We visited with our friends the Melchiors, picked up our mail, did a harbor tour (learned a lot about Gig Harbor) and visited a garden. We had beautiful sunny weather and a great time.

Gig Harbor (Sept 23 - 25)

This was a short stay in Gig Harbor; only three nights. We again stayed at GIG HARBOR RV RESORT. Besides the state parks, this is the only place in the area where you can “camp” with full hook-ups.

The first thing we did upon arriving in Gig Harbor was to go shopping and stock up on fruit and vegies. We had to eat all we had before crossing the border. We had to also drink most of our wine as we could only bring two liters back into the states. Fortunately, we left half a case with our friends.

We had a nice dinner with our friends on the first night when we picked up our mail and our wine. It was a nice evening of discussions and trying to solve the world’s problems.

Destiny Harbor Tours

Late afternoon on Saturday we did a 2-hour harbor tour of Gig Harbor, cruised by Point Defiance and under the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and back. We learned the history of Gig Harbor and heard the story of “Galloping Gertie”, the name given to the first Tacoma Narrows Bridge as it was swaying in the wind before collapsing in November of 1940.

This looks romantic

Tacoma Narrow's Bridge

Reflection of the Narrow's Bridge on the water.

We saw several Harbor Seals in the water

Homes on the water at Point Defiance.

The only way to get down to them is by water or a staircase going down the cliff.

High end waterfront homes. Must be nice.

Bloedel Reserve

On our last day we visited the gardens on the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island about 35 miles north of Gig Harbor. Bloedel Reserve is a 150-acre estate once owned by Seattle’s sixth mayor. The Bloedels purchased it, lived in the house for 32 years and then bequeathed everything to the public so that visitors can enjoy and relax in the tranquil setting.