You did not state your expectations for your Bainbridge Island trip. It's unfortunate that it did not meet your needs, but it is, in part, a bedroom community hence the people. Last time I was in Spokane, there were lots of people in the parks. The beaches are usually well maintained (perhaps it's hard to keep up with the crowds due to the exceptionally warm summer weather). The island's lure is, among other things, walking off the ferry for a tour of the shops and restaurants. It is not typically a destination of itself. If I want rural or wilderness trails, I don't go to community parks.

I used to live on Bainbridge Is. I'm not sure what you meant by "unfriendly"--Bainbridge Islanders are just regular folk, but probably not there to provide tourist amentities.

It's too bad that you didn't use your B & B as a base for traveling farther into the Olympic Peninsula to Port Gamble and Port Townsend. Most of us take the ferry to Winslow, and then drive on across Bainbridge to weekend (or longer) recreation. There are also state parks in that direction with nice beaches. Hopefully, you chose a B & B that had a nice spa facility (I believe there is one on Bainbridge).

Perhaps in the future it would help to research before making travel plans to find tourist possibiliities that meet your needs. As the previous post mentioned, Bainbridge is more residential than a tourist destination.

I always research my travel plans. We were traveling in Sequim and the Olympic Pen. and wanted to explore more on the way home to eastern WA.

I hold firm to my comments regarding Bainbridge Island. The unfriendly attitude toward tourists by locals was palpable.

I have traveled the world, and you are right, Bainbridge Island is for residents who are not very nice - tourists are not welcome.

Not even a pretty place.

Difference of opinion I guess. I hated the place.

Re-read your post. Your negative attitude might be what created the "palpable" antagonism. Both my and the previous post were intended to be informative, positive responses as locals. Too bad you still harbor such an attitude.

Last tiime I looked, Bainbridge Island had trees, homes in little communities, some lovely waterfront homes. Just nothing to visit as a tourist, and I agreed with that. So what was REALLY your problem?

Don't bother to answer...nobody cares anymore.

I don't disagree with what's been said about the OP, but I do have to say that I think the southern portion of the island is much more enjoyable and I try to make recommendations for people to stay and visit in Greenbank or Clinton rather than Oak Harbor.

I have reported linmac as a hostile poster and recommended he be banned from the forum.

If one has a negative travel experience, yet cannot express that on this fourm, what may I ask, is the point of the forum?

I wish I would have read such a post as mine before wasting my travel dollars on Bainbridge Island.

I didn't wish to write a book about my unsatisfactory stay at Bainbridge Island - just gave the "low-lights".

I really hope this fourm will not deteriorate into a cascade of insults and become unattractive due to a few angry and hostile posters.

grow up

Say, local Bainbridge Islanders (who I am sure are very nice), I have business tomorrow and Thursday in Port Orchard and Silverdale. Can you recommend a place where I should stay?