A Camper, Submarines, and Poulsbo

One of the nice things about shopping for a camper is that it takes you to places you might not otherwise go. Take yesterday for instance. We’d found a trailer for sale in Seabeck and wanted to take a look. Located on Hood Canal, we knew we could get there by going north and taking a ferry across Puget Sound,  or south and around on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.  It would be a fun day whether we got the camper or not.

We opted to go south and over the Bridge.

The seller wouldn’t be home till later so we stopped for lunch in the charming town of Poulsbo. Founded by Scandinavian settlers on Liberty Bay over 100 years ago, Poulsbo has kept its proud heritage alive. Nicknamed ‘Little Norway,’ its historic downtown has colorful shops and eateries while its waterfront has views of the Bay, a pavilion and boardwalk.

After a lunch of fish and chips and a bit of shopping it was on to Seabeck  to check out the camper. Along the way I saw a sign which I thought said,  ‘underwater war games.’   Really?  Of course I’d heard of Bangor before and was vaguely aware that submarines navigated the deep waters of Hood Canal. Still it gave me pause.

We met the friendly couple selling the camper and I learned that both of them worked at the Naval Base nearby. In fact when I asked the wife about the badge she wore, she said she worked at the ‘top secret’ naval station.  ‘Top Secret,‘ she said.  Another reminder that in the midst of our paradise lies a fleet of nuclear submarines and ballistic missiles.   I guess as long as they’re just playing games nobody gets hurt?

The Kitsap Naval Base was created in 2004 by merging the former Naval Station Bremerton with Naval Submarine Base Bangor. You can see the restricted area near Poulsbo on the map below.

But we were there to see the camper. It was a beauty and well maintained by the nuclear submarine mechanic husband. Unfortunately it was too big for our needs and our truck, to which we were unable to hitch it. So after a stop for dinner we headed back home over the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, without a camper, but having had a fun and interesting day nonetheless.

We will continue our search for the perfect camper wherever that may lead us. Another day, another story.

~ Susanne