A Kid’s Guide to Gig Harbor
Hey guys, it’s Paige with AskPaigeSchulte.com and today we’re going to give you a glimpse through kids’ eyes of what it’s like to live in Gig Harbor. Everybody in our office has children: Falynn has four, Joel has two, and I have three. When we moved here, they were three, five, and six, and we had some really special times with them exploring all the things in Gig Harbor. So we’re going to take you on their rabbit trails.
Downtown Gig Harbor
B’s Bagels & Butters
We’re going to start at B’s Bagels & Butters. They just opened, and it’s one of my son’s favorite places to go. Joey just loves this place and so does the rest of Gig Harbor. They sell out really, really quickly, so get there early if you love a good properly made bagel.
Thoughts From Joel: So the line may be really long, but trust me, it’s worth the wait.
Skansie Brothers Park & Jerisich Dock
Next we’re going to Skansie Brothers Park—this is where the farmers market is and Summer Sounds at Skansie—and Jerisich Dock, the public boat launch and pier. My kids would go down there and look for seals and all the sea life: they would get on their bellies on the dock, put their hands in the water, and find the sea anemones. So you can see all of the marine life that’s down here, you’ve got Mount Rainier views, and you’ve got really good places to eat. If you have any kids that are really into this, this is such a good way to spend the day.
Thoughts From Falynn: When I was a kid, my grandparents lived on the Hood Canal and we would spend our summers like this. When the tide is really low, you can see the crabs, and we would dive down and grab them and go crabbing by hand. My kids love coming here to see the marine life because there are all the sea anemones and the crabs and stuff crawling up the post. It’s super cool and entertaining for them.
Java & Clay Cafe
We are now headed into Java & Clay Cafe where kids can paint and parents can grab a drink. They are known for their lavender lemonade, coffee, and pottery. You can hang out with your mom friends at the front and you have picturesque views. You can also bring grandma, or it’s a fun place for babysitters to come. You can do indoor painting if it’s raining outside, you can have birthday parties here—it’s super cute for all seasons.
Harbor WildWatch
Across the street from Java & Clay Cafe is the informational center and Harbor WildWatch, which is known for training little kids to be stewards of the Puget Sound. They take kids on low tide beach walks and teach them about the intertidal zone. When we first moved here, all summer long my son would walk with the specialists and learn all about sea cucumbers and sand dollars and jellyfish and octopus at low tide across Port Orchard, Olalla, and Gig Harbor. So it’s just an awesome nonprofit organization that we support, and they have a little science station right in downtown Gig Harbor.
Crescent Creek Park, aka Boat Park
Now we’re going to go to Boat Park. The real name is Crescent Creek Park, but no one knows it by that name. If you are a local, it is known as Boat Park or City Park.
Thoughts From Falynn: When I first moved to Gig Harbor, there was a big maple tree in the park and it was dying. And so they brought an artist to sculpt this beautiful sculpture and it was sitting here in the ground like the tree was still original. And then the tree started to rot and so they cut it down and they brought the sculpture back. And so here we are, 18 years later with this beautiful sculpture.
Other Places To Explore
Purdy Spit
Everywhere you go in the harbor, you’re only about three minutes from the water. We are at the Purdy Spit, which when my kids were little we would come here after school. We’d bring some wine, and let the kids come out and build crab castles.
At low tide you’ll see that there are literally like a million sand dollars. But it’s not like California where they dry out and die. They’re alive here, and they’re purple, and you don’t want to step on them.
Thoughts From Falynn: This is a really good spot to launch your boat from here. You can get to Dead Man’s Island (more formally known as Cutts Island State Park) super quick. And then this area is fun because it’s a little bit warmer—when the tide goes out and then it comes in, the rocks are heated and then it makes it warmer to swim here in the summertime.
OCEAN5
It does rain here, so it’s good to have indoor play. Ocean5 is one of the newest places in Gig Harbor. It’s meant to be social—they have really cool conversation pits, they have Topgolf, bowling, an arcade, laser tag… There are tons of birthday parties on Saturdays. Gig Harbor is pretty small, so practically every major event happens here or at Canterwood, but upstairs is where tons of events happen, like charity events. In the back is where Topgolf is. It is really fun. It’s good indoor play, for sure.
Canterwood Golf & Country Club
In Gig Harbor it’s all about the summers. It’s like San Diego weather for about three months—it’s pure bliss. Nobody leaves. Obviously you can swim in the Sound and the bays are warmer, but the pools are awesome and we don’t have very many of them (I have a whole blog post on Swimming Pools and Splash Pads in Gig Harbor & Beyond). The Canterwood pool is private for members only, but you don’t have to live in the neighborhood to be able to join. There are different membership levels and Canterwood as a whole has a lot of different options that are year round.
The pool is only open in the summer, but they’ll have a full snack bar, or you can order from the restaurant and they’ll bring it down here. They have a baby pool, they have a big pool, they have a swim team, and an adult swim, where there are no kids around. They have a hot tub, and shuffleboard and cabanas and pool parties. It’s super fun. They also have golf and tennis and pickleball, so lots of different activities in the Canterwood lifestyle community. If you have questions about Canterwood, we are definitely your specialists here.
Skate Park
Thoughts From Falynn: Going to the skate park is another favorite thing to do with my kids in the summertime. We’re off of Reid Drive so we can hop on the Cushman Trail from my house and I run and they bike and scooter here and then we spend an hour or two burning off some energy. It’s a great way to start our day.
Check Out The Blog!
I have a bunch of blog posts for kids that you’ll want to check out:
I hope you had fun in our kids’ guide to Gig Harbor. If you want to learn more about working with us, visit us at AskPaigeSchulte.com, where you’ll find Falynn Auston, Nicole Hodgkins, and myself, Paige Schulte. Or contact us by phone, text, or email–we’re here to answer any questions you have.
