Washington State: Alderbrook, Bremerton, Puget Sound, Seattle, Pike Place Fish Market. Part I

By Jim Field

In early November (11-12 to be exact) I traveled to Washington State to work with the Providence Healthcare System and, specifically, give a presentation on health care reform to the boards of directors of a half-dozen of their hospitals located mostly in the southern half of the state. The retreat was held at the Alderbrook Resort and Spa--a beautiful and somewhat isolated place located on a southern branch of the Hood Canal, southwest of Seattle and across Puget Sound. My flight landed at SEATAC around 9:00 pm and I drove about 2 hours in the dark to reach Alderbrook. Once I had traveled to within one hour of the resort, I passed only two cars the rest of the way--so we're talking boonies. About 11:00 am the next day, having finished with my duties, I decided to take the scenic route back to Seattle, given that I was taking the Red Eye home, which didn't depart until 10:30 pm that evening.

My plan was to drive to Bremerton, WA and then board a ferry for Seattle for a ride across Puget Sound. I wanted to see Bremerton--having never been there before--because it is a major homeport for Pacific Coast submarines, and being a former boat sailor, I am always on the lookout to gaze at these machines and see what the various naval bases looks like. The surrounding country is spectacular: pine forests, blue water, and snow-topped mountains. (The photo at top shows a Trident-class nuclear fleet ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) transiting somewhere in Puget Sound.) Driving around the base on the way to the ferry, I was able to spot a few submarines along the pier, only their small black sails barely visible.


One section of Alderbrook Resort, with early morning rain and fog


Map showing Puget Sound's labyrinth of water, islands, channels


My timing was perfect: the ferry to Seattle loaded and departed only minutes after I had arrived and purchased my ticket. The sun appeared and burned the fog away, and a beautiful yet chilly day emerged. The ferry transit to Seattle took about an hour. The passage through a series of relatively narrow channels was absolutely beautiful--again, the 360 degree view of wilderness, water, mountains, etc.

Incredibly, we rounded one point of land, and there, off in the distance, appeared the Seattle skyline, looking every bit like the Emerald City. We tied up at the downtown piers, right next to the pier where we moored back in 1977, when I visited Seattle as a crew member on the USS Blueback (SS-581).

Departing the ferry, I drove up the hill to visit Pike Place Market, the subject of my next posting.


Onboard the ferry Kitsap


Bremerton US Naval Base and shipyard

Transiting down a channel in Puget Sound


Simply stunning scenery in every direction


A sister ferry headed to Bremerton


A first glimpse of downtown Seattle in the far distance


An impressive skyline perched right on the water