Gig Harbor
Jill Guernsey
The Boater-Friendly Destination
Boaters visiting historic Gig Harbor will be rewarded with one of the most extensive and sheltered anchorages in Puget Sound filled with a vibrant array of watercraft and a lively downtown shoreline dense with marinas, docks and boats. Visiting boaters have a choice of dropping anchor, reserving moorage at Arabella’s Landing Marina or tying up at Jerisich Dock where power and water will be added this summer.
The community of downtown Gig Harbor welcomes boaters to visit their pedestrian-friendly streets filled with a pleasant mix of coffee bars, cafes, restaurants and shops. It’s a pleasure to provision at the new Harbor General Store which provides groceries, wine, a deli and espresso, as well as ice! Ship to Shore is an excellent full-service marine chandlery that has seen its business explode since expanding three years ago. Devoted Kiss (near Anthony’s Shorline Restaurant) and Net Shed #9 both offer unique and delicious breakfast and lunch menus.
The good news is that Pierce Transit offers a convenient trolley service from Gig Harbor’s downtown waterfront to the Uptown shopping area. This efficient service runs from June through Labor Day.
The new and colorful Waterfront Farmers Market launched on June 4th this summer operated at Skansie Park each Thursday between 3 pm and 7pm through September. Keep that in mind for next season. With a mission to bring fresh foods and high quality products to Gig Harbor from local farmers, vendors and producers, the market will join the Downtown Waterfront Alliance’s existing Thursday Night Out event that encourages visitors to shop and dine downtown. New in summer 2015 is Bella Kitchen & Home, a store for people (including boaters) who are passionate about cooking and entertaining.
Free outdoor concerts and cinema in the park fill summer nights on the waterfront with music and entertainment. Dozens of festivals and events take place throughout the year as well as guided history walks. The Harbor History Museum operates a state of the art facility which reveals the story of the Native Americans, Croatian fishermen, Scandinavian farmers and Civil War veterans who settled here.
Find out more at the Visitor Information Center at the historic Skansie House, 3207 Harborview Drive, and www.gigharborguide.com.
Photo by Mike Martin
Article is provided by Jill Guernsey Mayor, City of Gig Harbor
