July 14, 2025

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, WASHINGTON, USA

Today  I went exploring what life of a resident is like living on Bainbridge Island, off the coast of Seattle. A question I have pondered ever since watching Grey's Anatomy! Today, I am getting insight from a new local resident, Peggy Frisbee, my buddy has recently relocated here from the Philadelphia area.

Phil and Kim Cleary wanted to join me as they had never been there, despite Kim growing up in the area, in her early years. So the three of us got the ferry over from downtown Seattle and took in the fabulous views.The ferry ride takes roughly 35  minutes and the ferry is rarely on time, per Peggy. The cost is $10.25, but you only pay for one way, the return from Bainbridge is free.  Peggy picked us up on the Bainbridge side and gave us a driving tour of the island.

After seeing some of the neighborhood we went to Peggy's rental home to meet her dogs. She is all boxed up to move 7/5/25. Then we went for a hike in the Grand Forest - this lovely oasis is just minutes from Peggy's house, in the middle of the island.

Next we went to see Peggy's new Home! It's lovely, can't believe it was a prefab home. It was just renovated and updated by a local architect and he really enhanced the property. The mature landscaping around it really completes the whole thing. Also above the garage there is a nice one bedroom rental unit that Peggy can put on AIRBNB and have a supplemental income. I think she is going to be very happy here and can't wait to come back and see it after she has settled in with all her unique pieces and touches.

Time was quickly passing for us on this special day. We went to see a local sculpture on our ride into town, then picked up some goodies at the local super market and then had to hurry back on the ferry to make our way back to Ship for our departure from Seattle.

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By Patricia Patrick March 4, 2026
We had a beautiful sunny day to explore Wellington ! Was a very nice change from the stormy, big swells weather we have had the last two days! Wellington is the Capital city of New Zealand and the CBD is nice and big with lots of shops and museums. We didn't make it to the LOTR studios due to the time crunch but we took the cable car up to the top, for a scenic overlook of the port and then leisurley walk down through the Botantical Gardens, parks and historical cemetary.
By Patricia Patrick March 3, 2026
Rotorua became a bonus city for us. Our Port stay in Tauranga got cut down to one day, due to NZ biosecurity regulations and since we really wanted to do Hobbiton, we decided to get off the ship and stay in hotels and get back on the ship, in a few days. Due to a variety of factors, the Ship ended up doing a quick pick up of us in Tauranga, three days later. The Kiwi's we encountered along the way, who helped with all our last minute details, were amazingly kind, hospitable and generous. Below is our tired, chilly group huddled at the security shed, outside the Port in the wee hours (1:30 am) Monday morning, awaiting our final hurdle of getting back on our Home. Home sweet home! What an adventure!
By Patricia Patrick March 3, 2026
Rotorua, New Zealand is known for it's geothermal activity ( geysers, mud pools, hot springs) and rich Maori culture . I saw lots of that last time I was here in 2016, so this time I wanted to see their Redwoods in Whakarewarewa Forest. John and Colleen joined me in exploring. Their redwoods are smaller than the ones in Muir Woods California, but still impressive. Both are planted forest dating back to around 1908.