Gig Harbor: Tides Tavern was a Lucky Find

Gig Harbor is a little resort town that we barely had the chance to visit, but I already know that I want to go back. When we drove through town I saw cute gift shops, ice cream and plenty of places to sit and enjoy the water. If you look in the photo above and find the kayak, look directly above him, that's Mount Rainier!

We took a driving trip in late May with the goal of reaching Port Townsend on the northeastern tip of the Olympic peninsula. It was a beautiful day, we had a picnic in the cooler and our plan was to enjoy the ride.

We stopped in Gig Harbor to stretch our legs and find a picnic table. We noticed a large public dock called the Maritime Pier and parked so that we could walk out onto it. From the pier, we noticed this seafood restaurant called Tides Tavern.

Out of nowhere, my mom said that she thought she had read about Tides Tavern in Coastal Living magazine recently. Really? I goggled "coastal living, tides tavern" and sure enough, Tides Tavern was selected as one of the best seafood dives in all of Washington. Good job, Mom - what a memory! We decided that if the timing was right, we'd return to the restaurant that night for dinner. 

We found a spot in Gig Harbor for our picnic lunch and then packed up and drove to Port Gamble, then up to Port Townsend, back down through Port Ludlow and then made our way back to Gig Harbor again around 7:30. It sounds like a lot, but it was an easy drive and simply beautiful!

When we returned, we noticed that the tide had come back in! Look how pretty the restaurant looks in the evening. We had to wait about 30 minutes for a table, but enjoyed our fish & chips in a favorite local hangout.

Gig Harbor, we will be back! #summerinwashington #daytripping #finddelight