Condo Tour

Here are some YouTube videos of the units I looked at today. The first video is of the unit that has a balcony and the second video is of the unit that is lower in price that has the fireplace and no balcony. It is a little larger and the space seems to be in the bedroom area. Without the balcony the bedroom is about 4 feet longer. Bedroom in the first unit is about 10.5X10.5 and the second unit is about 10.5X14. The living area is about 23L X 14 W from the kitchen. the Entry is about 4-5 feet wide and 7.5 feet from the door into the unit. The kitchen is about 8-9 feet in length. The first unit is 660 and the second is 690.

I am in the process of uploading photos. They will take me a little longer. Once you have seen these we should chat about them. I have some information on the unit with the balcony.

Unit without Balcony

Interior Hallway

Exterior from across the street

Lobby and side, back of building

Bremerton’s Blackberry Festival – Labor Day Weekend Fun

Labor Day weekend | 20th Annual Blackberry Festival

Sept 5-Sept 7, 2009

Hours: Saturday, Sept. 5th- 10 AM to 8 PM,

Sunday, Sept. 6th- 10 AM to 7 PM

Monday, Sept. 7th- 10 AM to 5 PM

You want to know where the action will be this weekend in Bremerton? DOWNTOWN – HARBORSIDE! This is the weekend for the 20^th Annual Blackberry Festival held down on the Bremerton Boardwalk.

There will be over 100 booths with everything from arts & crafts to you guessed it “FOOD”! You know what kind of food I am talking about! Hamburgers, hot dogs, corn dogs, chicken burgers, BBQ ribs, chicken and beef brisket, corn on the cob and oh man dare I say more!?

You will also find tons of amazing ethnic foods like teriyaki, shrimp on a stick, spring rolls, gyros, crepes and tacos! Don’t forget the Blackberry delights!! Blackberry slugs, scones, pie and that amazing Blackberry shortcake!! After all it is the Blackberry Festival.

I don’t know why I love it so – I sure hate those pesky bushes creeping up in my flower beds!! But on this weekend they are my friend!!

Bremerton Marina – A North Woods Production

Ron Finney of North Woods Productions left a comment on my Port Orchard | The Video post about a new project that he completed in January for the Port of Bremerton’s New Marina. I have posted video of the New Bremerton Marina on my own but not being the professional I wanted to share Ron’s awesome production.

He has captured not only the New Bremerton Marina but so much more of the ever changing downtown area of Bremerton. The Harborside District, the festivals, the Harborside Fountain Park. Just an amazing capture of the exciting and ever changing Bremerton Downtown area. This is why I have so much fun going downtown!

Port Orchard Video

A couple of months back I received a contact from Ron Finney of NorthWoods Productions requesting permission to use a photo I had taken and uploaded to Google Images. This photo uploaded to Google led him to my web site where the photo is used. You see Ron was in the process of putting together the Visitor’s Video for the Port Orchard Chamber of Commerce and must have been researching for local area photos. Of course I said yes and have been checking for the video on-line every so often.

Well, today I was reading the blogs over at the Kitsap Sun – the local newspaper and found the information on Chris Henry’s blog Speaking of South Kitsap about the release of Ron’s video.

“Ferries, Bridges and Boats: The Adventure Begins with the Journey”

If you look real quick at 9:33 on the time line there is a picture I took of the Naval Museum in Bremerton. How exciting to be a part of the local area! Thanks Ron for including me in the video and you did an amazing job! I love it and will be sending the link to those relocating to the area!

Bremerton Marina | The Lone Sailor | He’s HERE!

Watch Bremerton’s Lone Sailor Monument in Video Blogs |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

The “Lone Sailor Project” is over halfway funded and the casting has begun thanks to the support of the local community. It has been reported that all those donations under $100 are what has given the fund-raising project the boost to be able to boast over $210,000 in donations on the way to the $300,000 goal.  The casting has now begun….

I had no idea of the plans to bring a replica of “The Lone Sailor”
here to the Bremerton Marina! How exciting!! I was browsing the local newspaper
The Kitsap Sun and came across the article, ‘Lone Sailor’ Bound for Bremerton Marina. The title intrigued me because I am the spouse of a USN sailor. As soon as I opened the link I knew what this was about. I have been to the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington D.C. I have stood next to this “Lone Sailor”! The “Lone Sailor” is one of the many focal points at the U.S. Navy Memorial that opened 20 years ago.

The Bremerton statue will be the 11^thduplicate of the original in D.C. The Navy League will be planning the  dedication ceremony so you will want to bookmark their site for the most current updates ==> Navy League of the US | Bremerton – Olympic Chapter. How exciting to have a “National Monument” here in Bremerton. The Navy League is asking for citizen input as to which direction the “Lone Sailor” should face so please go and VOTE. I voted for location number 1.

Have a fine Navy Day!!

Here I am in Washington D.C. August 2003 with the “Lone Sailor”

Bremerton :: 19TH ANNUAL BLACKBERRY FESTIVAL :: Saturday’s 4th Annual BLACKBERRY CRITERIUM Video

On Saturday I spent the afternoon downtown Bremerton to take in the activities of the 19th Annual Blackberry Festival. I parked a couple of blocks from the Bremerton Boardwalk and was glad I did because while on my walk to the Boardwalk I ran into the 4th Annual Blackberry Criterium. I really enjoyed watching the races and took this video to share with you.

Listening to the announcer I learned that these riders were sometimes traveling at around 22 mph! The race runs all day long with lots of different levels and types. There is also a race for those under the age of 11. Total cash prize given out was at least $3600! I was amazed that some of these races were over an hour in duration! I really enjoyed watching this event at the beginning of my day and as I was leaving the festival.

Jo Soss-Olson · WestSoundLive · Copyright © 2008 · All Rights Reserved

Kitsap County Veterans Memorial

Directions:

3200 NW Byron, Silverdale WA

In 2004 the Kitsap County Veteran’s Memorial was dedicated in a ceremony that included speeches, color guards and the raising of the United States flag along with the POW/MIA flag and the service flags of each branch of the military.

I found the original program of the ceremony on the Kitsap County Veterans Memorial web site and found it to be very interesting. I wasn’t living in the area during 2004 and so was unable to enjoy this very impressive ceremony.





I have however, been to the memorial on a few occasions and find it to be one that is very peaceful and inspiring. I guess that is because it is on the waterfront. Something about paying respect to those who have served our Nation in such a setting is very calming.
The Kitsap County Veterans Memorial is located adjacent to Silverdale Waterfront Park next to the gazebo area right down on the shore.

Here is a video I recorded on July 11th.

Silverdale WA : Silverdale Waterfront Park

Directions: 3337 NW Byron St, Silverdale Washington

Silverdale Waterfront Park is more than a county park, it is a community icon. Several activities throughout the year are located at this gorgeous 2.3 acre park on Dyes Inlet of Puget Sound. The park boasts saltwater beach access, a huge kids playground, convenient restrooms, an intimate gazebo, a large picnic shelter, and many picnic tables and other picnic areas.

This park is so much more than your traditional park. You can walk the shoreline looking for sea glass, different types of rocks or maybe even crab. If you walk over to the Silverdale Port Marina Pier you can walk out and might be able to see some kind of sea life like an Orca. Remember not to park at the boat launch area, which is only for vehicles with trailers using the marina’s launch.

The use of flip-flops is helpful on the beach because it is so rocky. Keep an eye on little ones this is not a swimming type of area and there are no lifeguards on duty.

The Silverdale Waterfront Park is a designation spot for Kitsap County activities. Here is a list of the upcoming events.

• The 36th Annual Whaling Days – July 25th – 27th. Whaling Days in an official Seafair Event. For more information just click the link – WHALING DAYS

• Silverdale Thunder – August 9th & 10th. “The Ultimate Hydro Fan’s Boat Race”. For more information just click the link – SILVERDALE THUNDER

• Alzheimer’s Memory Walk – September 20th. The Memory Walk is a non-competitive fundraising celebration to raise awareness and funds for the local community. For more information just click the link – MEMORY WALK

Here is a video I shot July 11th – a weekday with lots of people enjoying the great weather we have been having.

Silverdale Waterfront Park

Washington State Ferry System :: Largest in the Nation :: More than Transportation

Can you WiFi on your commute? Can you read a book or knit a scarf on your commute? Many people that live in the Bremerton / Silverdale area of the West Sound do. How do they do that you ask? They work in Seattle and commute on the ferry. The Washington State Ferry System is the largest in the United States and the 3^rd largest in the world! Of the 24 million annual ferry riders in the Puget Sound area 50% of those are commuters. Why commute you ask? The housing in Bremerton / Silverdale area on the Kitsap Peninsula has been more affordable than the housing in the Seattle and surrounding areas of Puget Sound for several years. People realized that you could commute an hour into Seattle from many directions but not one that offered a slower pace of life and more home for your housing dollar as the Bremerton / Silverdale area.

The Ferry is also a huge tourist attraction in Washington State, so even if you don’t commute on the ferry you will enjoy the beauty of Puget Sound on a ferry ride from Bremerton to Seattle. The first time I rode a ferry was while on vacation to the west side of the state from eastern Washington. Once I relocated to Bremerton the ferry became a great weekend “out & about”. We would pack a picnic and off we would go. Yes, I have ridden the ferry just to ride the ferry. The sights and sounds of the Puget Sound are amazing.

Bremerton WA :: Downtown :: Ferry Watching from Jo Soss on Vimeo.

Bremerton / Seattle :: Summer 2008 Schedule

This schedule is effective June 22 through September 27, 2008 The approximately crossing time is 60 minutes. You don’t need a reservation.

Click Here for Schedule ==>

You will be sailing on the M/V Kitsap or the M/V Kaleetan. The State of Washington runs the largest ferry system in the United States and has an amazing website with more information than you will ever need.

Go here ==>

Did you know that you can purchase your ferry tickets online? You can purchase and print very similar to an online airline check in. You just want to make sure you have at least 30 minutes prior to heading to the ferry terminal in downtown Bremerton because the email verification can take up to 30 minutes.

So make sure to check out the “Wave 2 Go” section. Go here ==>

If you are using the ferry system to commute to employment in Seattle you can purchase a monthly passenger use only pass for the Seattle/Bremerton run for $85.80 which will save you approximately $48.00 per month.

Here are some interesting facts about the Washington State Ferry System

• Carries 24 million riders annually.
• 11 million vehicles ride the 200 miles of marine highway
• Commuters comprise 50% of the rider ship
• There are 10 ferry routes with almost 500 sailings per day.
• Very critical link between the urban areas of the east Puget Sound area to the growing communities on the Kitsap Peninsula
• For the last 50 years West Sound residents have used the ferries to commute to the Seattle area
• Critical link for the more affordable housing on the West Sound with key employment centers on the east side of Puget Sound.
• There are 28 vessels and 20 Ferry terminals in the Puget Sound System

Bremerton WA :: Things to Do :: Video Series :: 4th Street Market : Arts, Antiques & FUN!

Do you remember where you were on Saturday, June 14th? I do! I was at The 4th Street Market in downtown Bremerton. There are two Saturdays left this season so be sure to mark these dates on your calendar:

2008 Schedule: June 14th, July 12th, August 9th

This open-air market is featured as Bremerton’s first urban Art & Antique Market and is located on 4th Street in downtown Bremerton. The hours are 9am to 4pm and of course there is no admission – way cool when things are FREE!! This sounds like fun for the whole family. Here is the video I promised in my 1st article.

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