Day 3. May 09, 2019. Poulsbo Washington

Hey there! Welcome back!

So with my first few "Life in an RV" lessons under my belt...it's time to get on with the adventure....get on with the exploring....

The whole point of this adventure is to get out there.....to see things....to experience life in, and learn about different areas of the country.

What starting in my own back yard has done....

Was show me...that if there was this amazingly beautiful, and fascinatingly historic area....

Within 50 miles or so....from where I had spent the last 23 years of my life....and I knew little about it?

What must the rest of the country have to offer?!

I'm actually getting even more excited at this point!

At the same time.

I'm reflecting...again.

I tend to do that.

Before I dig into where I am right now...In my head I am revisiting that list. All the places that led me to Washington.

Remember in episode one...when I recalled writing down all the places I had lived? 22 of them? I am thinking back over each of those spots, and wondering what I missed.

Imagining all I don't know about them?

Because I wasn't looking.

For most of them I was a kid.

And let's face it...when I was 6...I couldn't get past the fact that my new friend had a brand-new emerald green Schwinn Bike.

That kind of emerald green, with the paint flakes in it, that made it shimmer in the sun when he rode it.

Complete with a banana seat and a sissy bar and an orange flag whippin in the wind

He nearly sent me over the edge when he showed up with a headlight and tail light kit on it

The kind that powered up automatically, every time he pedaled....because of some new fancy power generating device on his back tire.

Me, I was lucky to have my K-Mart special...the faded blue bike full of scruffs and scratches and the left handle bar grip missing

No banana seat

No Sissy bar...no flag whippin in the wind

And god knows there was no auto powered headlight tail light kit in my future

I was lucky to have reflector. Fact is, I had two...one on the front, and one on the back. The one on the front, was even WHITE. So according to mom. I wasn't lucky, I was BLESSED

And, every time the subject was brought up with mom, I got, "don't be silly, you know we don't have that kind of money"

What I can now translate that into as an adult...is that what she was really saying was...Seriously dude....I can barely afford toast and tuna...and you want a new bike with a headlight?? Get over yourself! Now go do your chores...and then you can watch Gilligans Island. You've got it good kid. We have a TV that gets all three channels and, we have a clicker. Now stop complaining, and go feed your horses.

Horses are always "mine" when its time to feed them, I thought. And...I'm going to get that damn bike.

The point here, is that at 6 years old, and all this drama in my life, how could I possibly be expected to be concerned with who and how Gilroy California was discovered.

And how many super cool things might have happened here, before me. All those 6 years ago!

Final point, I have a different perspective now.

I'm making a mental note at this point...that I want to go back...back to each of those places...

I want to explore them with this new perspective...

But at the same time...remember them...through the eyes of 5...8....12...15 year old Craig

But most importantly, I want to appreciate and enjoy them...something I am pretty sure I hadn't done the first go around.

I'm writing down those 22 places again.... here.

This will be my permanent record of places to revisit at some point....So here we go...where did "Craig" happen? How did Craig happen?

Well...according to my birth certificate...it all started in a place called Mountain View California

from there...San Jose California. In my extremely young memory at the time....I can recall two houses in San Jose

Then it was on to Gilroy California. There would be three homes in 10 years during the Gilroy years.

Next up. North Branch Minnesota for a four year stint in what my 15 year old brain called a frozen wasteland.

Then, back to the west coast. This time...Fall Creek Oregon.

I would leave Fall Creek and move to Eugene after graduating from High School.

Eugene would total 3 separate apartments over the next 8 years

From Eugene it was off to Honolulu with my best friend on some half baked...not very well thought out....

but fun scheme to move to the island paradise start a business and get rich!

Instead, my time in Hawaii would introduce me to an unexpected career opportunity and ad 4 addresses, on two islands, to the list in just under 4 years.

From Hawaii...a quick succession of relocations, all work related, with the first stop being Culver City California

Then....

Pasadena California, Pleasanton California, then off to Washington State where I added Lakebay, Gig Harbor and Tacoma to the list.

So now I am only counting 21? So am I forgetting something again....or is this list right? See....thats the whole point here...document it...check sources, make sure it's right...and have a permanent point of reference.

Something we can come back to as I navigate this adventure...

I can't even really tell you why, at this point, but I feel like I want to make a point of ensuring, that the future...and my present....Intersects with my past. I think it has to do with what I said about missing out when I was there the first time.

I will make a point of learning more about each of those stops in life. I'm just not going to do it until I am physically in that spot again.

Speaking of being physically in a spot....Lets learn about this part of the country they call the Kitsap Peninsula...and Poulsbo Washington.

Geographically...The Kitsap Peninsula lies west of Seattle across the Puget Sound, in Washington state in the Pacific Northwest.

Hood Canal separates the peninsula from the Olympic Peninsula on its west side.

I've read and looked at pictures all over the internet about this place while exploring personally. I'll put links in the description below for anyone out there that might want to dig into it in more detail.

For starters....THE KITSAP PENINSULA WOULD BE AN ISLAND WERE IT NOT FOR A MILE OR TWO OF FOREST THAT SEPARATES NORTH BAY FROM LYNCH COVE - A RELATIVE RIBBON OF LAND THAT TETHERS THE MASSIVE PENINSULA TO THE REST OF WESTERN WASHINGTON.

The peninsula...was literally....carved from ice some 15000 years ago.

During the last Ice Age all of the Kitsap Peninsula, in fact all of British Columbia all the way up to Alaska and beyond, was under an enormous glacier that towered up to 2 miles high in spots...2 miles! Seriously...a sheet of ice that was up to 2 miles thick in places.

What would someday be Seattle, Bremerton, Olympia, Tacoma, Port Orchard, Belfair, Gig Harbor and all the rest were ground to a rocky pulp by the Southern lip of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, buried under the immense weight of the Puget Lobe.

According to Wikipedia.....The Cordilleran ice sheet was a major ice sheet that periodically covered large parts of North America during glacial periods over the last ~2.6 million years.....crazy right....to think that anywhere I step foot on the Kitsap peninsula today....at one point in time was underneath a massive sheet of ice....up to two miles tall!

The Puget Lobe....was the name given to the southern part of the Cordilleran Ice sheet. The part that crossed the present day border between Canada and the United States into Western Washington. It is estimated that this particular glacial shift took place some 19000 years ago.

The Labyrinth of waterways that ripple the edges of Kitsap were carved out by the retreating glaciers and melting water.

The channels and coves and narrows and passages and inlets and bays we see now were carved out by the grinding teeth of the last Ice Age. Essentially the same method that carved out the entire Puget Sound and leaving Washington state with one of the most distinctive, and complex coastlines in the United States.

To this day Washington is the 2nd most glaciated state in the US - Alaska is the 1st. I don't know about you....but this guy had to look up what glaciated was....so for the record...google tells me that it means "covered or having been covered by glaciers or ice sheets."

And the name? Kitsap?

Ok....in 1792, George Vancouver, an English navigator, credited with completing one of the most complex surveys in history...that of the pacific coast of north america....made contact with the Suquamish tribe. The Suquamish, were among the original peoples of the Salish Sea. The Salish Sea is a body of water encompassing parts of British Columbia, Canada, and Washington in the United States. It includes the Strait of Georgia, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Puget Sound. The sea is named after the Coast Salish, the region's first inhabitants. It's known for its intricate network of connecting channels and waterways, stretching from the Discovery Islands to Budd Inlet. The sea is partially separated from the Pacific Ocean by Vancouver Island and the Olympic Peninsula. Major cities like Vancouver and Seattle are located in this region.

Nobody knows how many thousands of years the Suquamish and the other original peoples of Kitsap lived on these shores and in these forests.

We may never know.

We do know, however, that there are over 120 distinct tribes in WA

And the earliest human remains found thus far date back to 13,000 years ago. So yea...these folks have called the puget sound home for a very long time....crazy....and I'm braggin on 23 years.

So where did the name come from? Kitsap. The Peninsula (once referred to as the Great Peninsula) and Kitsap County are named in honor of Chief Kitsap.

A legendary figure in the Peninsula's history,

Chief Kitsap was one of the most powerful leaders of the indigenous people of the Salish Sea. He led a vast intertribal coalition and built the biggest longhouse that had ever been constructed.

Longhouses were a style of residential dwelling built by Native American and First Nations peoples in various parts of North America

The Pacific Northwest Coastal Native Americans built longhouses of thick cedar planks.

These homes were also called plank houses.

Some were about 100 feet long and 25 feet wide, with low roofs for easy heating.

Each family would be assigned a living area, a space of their own, within the house.

When the owner of the house died, this arrangement ended.

Either the house was given away to someone outside the family or it was burnt to the ground. Burnt to the ground? Wow...and we thought eviction was harsh!

It was believed if the family remained the spirit of the departed might be either bothered by them or worried about them. To avoid the possibility of this, the family had to move and live elsewhere.

Chief Kitsap's figure looms large in the early history of the Peninsula and he was pivotal in the time of European contact. To this day, you can visit the site of this long house at Old Man House park in Suquamish, near Agate Pass.

Chief Kitsaps longhouse stretched an incredible 400 x 40 ft. For the time...an amazing feat of construction, dwarfing any structure that had been built to date.

Now....learning about this stuff is fascinating to me.

Just as fascinating is learning things around more modern history.

When I got to this point...it really drove home, why I want to do this.

It's overwhelming at first...to sit with the reality that I had spent 23 years of my adult life...smack dab in the middle of an area that was pivotal to the US victory in WW2. Literally...and fact based....without this areas contribution to the war efforts...things could have easily....ended very differently.

Much of areas growth began in the years leading up to WW2.

As the US feared, and began to prepare for a second world war

The country began building up armed forces across the country. The entire Puget Sounds aircraft and ship builders shifted into high gear after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

In 1940...the US census documented 1.7 million residents in Washington State. In under two years...the war efforts would ad over a quarter of a million to that number.

A combination of the peninsulas strategic, and safe, yet easy access to the pacific ocean

Combined with the areas dominance in the timber industry

Catapulted a sleepy community into the nations second highest producer of all things military....overnight!

The areas basic industry of lumber...suddenly played a key role in providing the billions of board ft of lumber that would be needed to construct everything from barracks....to minesweepers.

I found this....quote on HistoryLink.org that pretty much says it all:

Washington, a comparatively small and undeveloped state, played a disproportionately important role in the country's efforts to gear up for war. In January 1943, Washington Secretary of State Belle Reeves issued a report titled War Production in Washington. A year and a month after Pearl Harbor, she wrote:

"No state has been more profoundly affected economically by the expansion of war industries than Washington. By the middle of 1941, migration of war workers was already at full tide and the relation of prime military contracts in the Puget Sound area to the value of manufacturing products in 1939 was relatively five times greater than for the country as a whole. The relationship of war work to normal activity has been about twice as great as for Los Angeles and four times greater than for San Francisco."

Wow...mind boggling....this little place...called the puget sound....had been plucked from obscurity....and rocketed to the top of the list of producers of destroyers....aircraft carriers....and so many other war related items....in a matter of months. All because of where it was. A spot on the map...that...you know...just 15000 years ago...was underneath a two mile thick....sheet of ice. Huh...go figure.

So where does a quaint little community on liberty bay, on the northern end of Kitsap Peninsula fit into all this? Well first...it called Poulsbo.

The city of Poulsbo was settled by Scandinavians in the 1880’s. It is said that they were drawn to the area because of its striking similarities to the fjords of Norway...in fact...it was quickly nicknamed..."Little Norway"

In 1886, I. B. Moe, one of the earliest Norwegian immigrants, proposed that their new community required a post office and a name. He chose “Paulsbo,” meaning “Paul’s Place,” for the name of the town.

Prior to Euro-American settlement Poulsbo was in the heartland of the Suquamish People, who, as I just learned, had lived in Puget Sound for thousands of years.

Poulsbo began it’s life as a fishing village positioned strategically on Liberty Bay. The small community remained relatively unchanged....for decades....In fact....until world war 2 most of the in residents of Poulsbo maintained their native Norweigan language.

And then...WW2 hit the Puget Sound like a heat seeking missile. And just as it had the entire Puget Sound...the war would kick Poulsbo into hyperdrive.

During World War II, the town underwent a significant transformation. The U.S. military constructed about 300 residential units in Poulsbo to provide housing for workers at the nearby Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton. This led to a tripling of Poulsbo's population and a shift from Norwegian to English as the predominant language. The town's transformation during World War II represents a very American pattern of settlement and growth...it just happened much quicker for this little town.

Thousands of military folks stationed in nearby Bremerton quickly discovered the charm of the area and began calling it home. Today Poulsbo’s population of just under 12k is a reflection of how the area’s natural beauty, small town charm, and easy access to surrounding communities, continues to draw folks in to the area.

As for my time here...I spent afternoons checking out the shops in the Scandinavian style village in the heart of the city called Front Street

And on the other side of Front Street I'd explore and enjoy the city's marina on Liberty Bay.

Fun fact, Liberty Bay is the center of an impressive 4th of July celebration each year.

For days in advance, boats arrive from all across the puget sound to secure their spot in the bay for the spectacular fireworks show.

In addition, the town hosts the American Patriots cruise each year...which is an impressive collection of classic cars from around the region...all decked out in patriotic fair.

Every business along front street joins in with special events, food fairs, even craft fairs and open air markets and dont forget the bbqs and beer gardens. In total, some 40,000 visitors show up each year to enjoy Poulsbo, and Poulsbo greets each and every one with that special blend of small town charm and Scandenavian hospitality.

I would also spend hours in the Puget Sound Naval Museum in Bremerton, as well as the Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport. Just trying to soak up the Nautical, and Military history of of the area.

For me...This truly feels like the Puget Sound at it’s very best. Visiting the area in late spring and early summer...thats just...icing on the cake.

I think in summary...I'll quote a youtube video I found (again...links in the description below). The video was posted by a los angeles couple...who have traveled and lived all over the globe....Here's what they had to say about their move to Poulsbo...

We are lucky to have found this place

it looks like this

sounds like this

feels like home

weve been around the world

weve been where its hot....where its cold

and wanted a place where there is a little of both.

We found such a place in the pacific northwest.

It's called Poulsbo and its our new home

a small town of 12k people nestled within the ancient fjords of the puget sound

If I were a bird Poulsbo would be on my bucket list

I'd spread my wings and let my faith guide me where I needed to go

Id take my time here....enjoy the warmth of the sun and cool of the breeze

always remembering that my time on earth is a beautiful gift

As we now call the town of Poulsbo home...it still feels like a fairy tale

a beautiful port city town in america founded by scandenavians over 100 years ago

a town that keeps their viking heritage alive through continuing centuries of tradition, while incorporating a strong sense of community...and who they are.

Hmm...pretty cool stuff! Well done Poulsbo. Gonna take a minute to absorb all this....

And at the same time...I wonder what the next town....will teach me.