Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
Hood Canal Bottoms Up at Alderbrook
Hood Canal will always be a special place to me holding childhood memories of fishing and swimming at Pleasant Harbor where my grandma ran the store and my grandpa hauled in fresh shrimp on his boat.
But that was many, many, years ago in Brinnon on the north end of the Canal; I’ve spent very little time at the south end where most of the lodging and services are. So on a beautiful day last month we spent the night at Alderbrook Resort at the bottom of the Canal and oh! what a pleasant surprise!
We took the ferry from Fauntleroy in West Seattle for a 40 minute ride to Southworth on the Kitsap Peninsula.
From there it was a short drive to Belfair at the very end of the ‘fish hook’ of Hood Canal, where we had lunch and visited Theler Wetlands Nature Preserve.
We continued south to Twanoh State Park where Bob fished and I wandered with my camera – this always works well for us. 🙂
The oyster covered beach reminded me so much of those youthful days at Pleasant Harbor, where we fished from the dock using mussels as bait dropping our line next to the piling where the perch liked to feed. I still remember the smell of those mussels and was surprised to learn that people eat them today. They will always be fish bait to me!
It was all so familiar but noticeably different too – at this end, the Olympic Mountains form a backdrop to the Canal; in Brinnon they were behind us.
The same wonderful views greeted us at Alderbrook Resort. We walked the grounds, dined at the recently opened restaurant – limited capacity – no problem for a weekday in winter – and spent a peaceful night.
The next morning we walked in the woods and the thick understory was just as I remembered from taking the trails down to Pleasant Harbor.
We were happy to find a great place to stay on Hood Canal so close to home. During the summer there is even more to do with swimming and boating. We will return.
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 
That’s such a beautiful area. I used to love that drive around the canal.
Thanks Graham. It really is a special place and it was nice to find a place to stay too! 🙂
I used to make deliveries to the resort for a job I had. Looked like a great place.
It’s funny I only discovered it recently, I suppose since we spent our time at the north end of the Canal. We had a really nice stay.
I can see why you will return. Beautiful pictures of a beautiful place.
Thanks so much! It really is a special place and so close to home!
That’s a wonderful spot. I like oysters, but I really love mussels. I would eat them, not use them as bait!
Best wishes, Pete.
It’s a wonderful spot and oysters are everywhere for the picking! It’s funny but we never ate mussels and I can distinctly remember the peculiar odor from cracking them open and using them for bait! Maybe I’d feel different but I don’t think can get over that memory! 🙂
Cooked in white wine and garlic, they are delicious! 🙂
Isn’t everything cooked in white wine and garlic delicious? 😉 But okay, I may have to let go of my childhood memories and try it! After all, I learned to love shrimp! 🙂
Yes, I’ll never forget tearing mussels and barnacles off a piling and digging the meat out for the hook! Gorgeous photos!
Thanks John! All good memories! Have you tried mussels yourself? I was surprised when I saw them for sale. I still remember the peculiar smell from putting them on the hook! The perch loved them though! 😊
Yes we love mussels and I use them in my paella!
Who knew?? Maybe I’ll have to try them but only in a restaurant. I doubt Bob would let me bring them into the house! 😉 🙂
What a beautiful place to explore and photograph, Susanne. you live in such a beautiful part of the World. Thanks for sharing and have a lovely Easter weekend. Aiva 🙂
Thank you so much! I do love it here in Washington State and Hood Canal is even more special to me because of our family history. I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
A perfect place for fishing and photography. Well done! As for Alderbrook,when we moved into my childhood home we found an iron sign that said “Alderbrook.” I guess the previous owners had given the place the name. We did have alders and a brook, so it fit.
I love Hood Canal and keep discovering new places on its shores. Alderbrook is certainly descriptive when you break it down like that. I was surprised to find the resort has been in business for over a 100 years and I only recently heard of it!
Even all the years we were at Seabeck I never heard of it either.