Sunday Drive to Gig Harbor

Gig Harbor is one of my favorite places to visit from our sailboat with its protected harbor, historic waterfront and great restaurants. However, you don’t need a boat to visit this charming town. Gig Harbor is easily accessible from the Narrows Bridge or from Highway 16 on the Kitsap Peninsula.

Gig Harbor was established as a fishing town by Croatian and Scandinavian immigrants. The harbor is lined with historic netsheds used for storing large fishing nets, many of which still stand today as restaurants, shops, and gathering spaces that keep the working waterfront character alive.

This visit we grabbed a spot on the public dock and enjoyed the weekend festivities. A few highlights:

• The Tides Tavern is a must-stop; right on the water with great views and reliable food. The Tides Tavern has a dock available for boaters while dining at the Tides.
• NetShed No. 9 is located in one of the historic netsheds, featuring fantastic food and dogs are welcomed on the deck.
• 7 Seas Brewing has great deck overlooking the harbor, beer and wine available, and a food truck in the parking lot for a casual bite
• The Midway is a favorite for breakfast and coffee before exploring the waterfront
• Devoted Kiss Cafe — we couldn’t get in this visit (the line stretched outside the door). This is on our list of places to check out next time.

There are often concerts and events at Skansie Brothers Park and Netshed. This past weekend celebrated “Fishermen Feed the World” with seafood, live music, and plenty of activities for kids.

A highlight of the visit was touring the Gig Harbor Boat Shop — still active, still building wooden boats, and historically significant as the place where the first Thunderbird sailboat was built. The Harbor History Museum holds Thunderbird #1 alongside the restored 65-foot 1925 wooden purse-seiner Shenandoah, once used by the Skansie family for fishing. If you have any interest in maritime history or wooden boats, don’t skip this.

Gig Harbor is an active community with genuine pride in its history. The waterfront is easy to walk and the restaurants, history, and harbor views make it one of the more rewarding day trips on the Puget Sound.

Gig Harbor ranks as the best places to retire in Washington State on my personal list (although why wait for retirement to move here!).

My Gig Harbor Mortgage Guide covers what buyers need to know about financing in this market.

If you’re thinking about buying a home in Gig Harbor or anywhere in Washington state, let’s talk! 

What are some of your Gig Harbor favorites? 

See more photos from our Gig Harbor visit via my Instagram account @MortgagePorter.

Looking for something to do this weekend? Check out my other “Sunday Drives”.