Bainbridge Island

Bainbridge Island has several beautiful gardens and museums open to the public.

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• • • • forest garden made by the vice-chairman of a lumber company, under the influence of the conservation movement and Asian philosophy. Prentice and Virginia Bloedel wished to "capture the essence of the Japanese garden — the qualities of naturalness, subtlety, reverence, tranquility — and construct a Western expression of it". Although the Reserve includes a traditional Japanese garden, the Bloedels' approach for the rest of the property stands in contrast to that of "Japanese gardens" which achieve their effects through the use of ornament. The Bloedel Reserve has both natural and highly-landscaped lakes, immaculate lawns, woods, a rock and sand Zen garden (formerly the swimming pool where poet Theodore Roethke drowned in 1963), a moss garden, a rhododendron glen, and a Reflection Garden designed with the assistance of landscape architects Richard Haag and Thomas Church. The Bloedels' French Chateau-style home including many original furnishings, is preserved as a Visitor Center.
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Bainbridge Island is a great destination for bicycles - rolling hills and spectacular scenery. During the summer you'll find bike rentals near the ferry dock and year 'round you can rent or purchase bikes at Classic Cycle. Each February the Chilly Hilly, one of the classic bike rides kicks off the bicycle season with a ride around the island. You can get information on this ride from Cascade Bicycle Club.

There are a variety of excellent restaurants on Bainbridge, with a full-range of cuisines and price-ranges.

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| address= | lat= | l | directiTown Square at City Hall | ph | tollfree= | fax= | hours=Mid-Apr — mid-Sep: Sat 9AM-1PM | price= | cshop, eat, listen to great music, and enjoy one of Bainbridge Island's best traditions. }}

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Arriving by ferry there are usually cabs at the ferry terminal and Kitsap Transit has busses that meet each ferry. It is a short walk into Winslow, the primary shopping district on the island.