Reunited, and it feels so good, or Uff da

The most important thing is that Brad and Kate arrived for a few days of zany frivolity.  Actually the most important thing is that Dana survived her bout with Covid and returned to the boat in Poulsbo, but the Brad and Kate thing was the first most important thing.  They jumped aboard in Tacoma and we zipped over to Gig Harbor to get things started.

It’s hard to play games without Dana—Sammy lacking opposable thumbs and all—so the rest of us walked over to the Harbor History Museum.

Very neat little place.  The main topic seemed to be the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse, which we’ve previously referenced and which might be the biggest thing to ever happen in the area.  Here’s some twisted steel from that day in 1940 when “Galloping Gertie” drew her last breath.  Uff da.

Plenty of other historical stuff in there as well, generally starting with the dawn of civilization—meaning when early pioneers ran off the natives—continuing through the age of fishing, and up to the current tourism.

Those early pioneers had to entertain themselves, and what better way than the old “round rock” competition?  Seriously, they gave prizes for the “roundest rock.”  Uff da.

In 1925, Gig Harbor shipbuilders put together Shenandoah, a trawler destined to work in Alaska and the San Juans.  She’s now being restored to former glory at the museum.

Here’s the Midway Schoolhouse, built in 1893 at a cost of $135.

They’ve faithfully included all of the furniture and equipment that predated the school’s closure in 1941, right down to the color monitor showing interviews with some of the former pupils.

Then up to Poulsbo, past Naval Underwater War Center Division Kitsap.  More on that later.  Nothing too interesting from the water.

As we’ve previously noted, Poulsbo claims a rich Norwegian heritage.  Unlike, say Leavenworth and its bogus Bavarian shtick, Poulsbo is legit.  The giant Norseman (photo credit to Kate Mead) and the “Velkommen til Poulsbo” signs prove it.

Also, if Poulsbo wasn’t a true Scandinavian town, would we be able to keep making visitors put on Viking helmets with horns?

We started off at the end of F Dock but the marina was remodeling and made us move to the breakwater, where our old seal friends from Poulsbo were hanging out.

If we hadn’t moved we’d also have missed out on Virgil, which may be the smallest trawler we’ve ever seen.

Now back to NUWC, which is home to the Naval Undersea Museum.  The submarine sail on the left came from the fast-attack submarine USS Sturgeon, and was specially reinforced so it could be used as an ice breaker.  Which is way cooler than those dumb games where strangers in a group have to tell each other their favorite food and most embarrassing item of clothing.

Now this is one awesome museum.  Torpedo development through the years, submarine command centers, and the workings of Trident MIRV warheads are just a few of the awesome exhibits.

Uff da indeed.

Anyway, Poulsbo never fails.  It’s extra fun when Dana returns and can walk Sammy on empty streets under a full moon.

After Poulsbo we headed down to Port Orchard.  Not because there’s another cornhole tournament, but because Brad and Kate wanted to see the aircraft carrier.  Passing Puget Sound Naval Shipyard we spotted not one, not two, but at least SIX of our twenty-four Los Angeles-class nuclear attack submarines.  Crazy.  We could identify USS Jacksonville, USS Pittsburgh, and USS Oklahoma (and the recently decommissioned USS Providence), but the others are back there as well.  Combined with the Ohio-class deterrent subs with their Trident nuclear warheads over on the Hood Canal, there’s enough firepower within ten miles of Bremerton to destroy the entire world.  Uff da.

Our old seal friends from Port Orchard were hanging out when we arrived.  No river otters to be seen, because they’re all being trapped and killed after one dragged a child off a dock last week.  True story.

Did we mention how much we enjoy spending time with Brad and Kate?  Great folk, those two.

With Dana back aboard finally we were able to ramp up the competition a bit.  Although we easily handled Brad and Kate in Code Names and Kate waxed all of us in Paper Cuts, we don’t consider Brad a loser.  No losers on our boat.

Sadly, yesterday we dropped the Meads off in Des Moines.  We intended to get a photo of them before they left the boat, but we forgot.  Then we intended to get a photo of them while they were waiting for their Uber after a delicious last lunch at Wally’s Chowderhouse, but we forgot.  Then they left, and we cruised up to Bainbridge Island.

Bainbridge Island is both an island and a town.  And what looks to be a secret ferry burial ground.

The main commercial district is about what we expected.  Full of cute shops and restaurants and such.  Heck, there’s even a Dana’s.

There’s some unexpected interesting stuff around here too.  For example, our Uber guy stopped us by a labyrinth “that uses color, symbols, patterns, and numerology in the design created from stones found on Bainbridge Island beaches.”  We didn’t have time for the “reflection” and “meditation” promised by the designer, but here it is anyway.

As we referenced back at the Nakashima Barn, after the attack on Pearl Harbor FDR wasn’t shy about rounding up and imprisoning Americans of Japanese descent.  On March 30, 1942, soldiers marched 227 of them down a path, off a dock, and onto ships, all at gunpoint.  Probably not our finest hour as a country.

The path they marched is pretty, and pretty sobering.

But who are we kidding here?  The main point of Bainbridge Island is the Stover residence, located 3743 Pleasant Beach Drive.

Because the Stovers now own the property where—in 1965—three dads cobbled together a game using a whiffle ball, ping pong paddles, and a badminton court.  Yup, pickleball was invented right there on Pleasant Beach Drive.  The original court they used still is there, although they’ve obviously upgraded the net.  Now this, this is awesome.

Tomorrow we start the last leg of the summer.  We’re excited to welcome Tom and Deb to share it with us.  Wooo!