Marlene Scheffer, Realtor to Kitsap County, WA

The USS John C. Stennis spent the week at sea for sea trials after a long maintenance period at the Puget Sound Shipyard. They are returning as we speak!

My son and I are sitting at my mom and dad's beachfront home, watching Adam's Daddy's ship come in on this chilly, gray March morning.

They just blew the whistle, and my mother told my son that the whistle means "Hello, Adam, from Daddy," and Adam is grinning from ear to ear.

In about 10 minutes they should be pulling into their pier at Naval Base Kitsap - Bremerton.

This is the first of many trips the USS John C. Stennis will be making this year in preparation for their next major deployment.

The USS John C. Stennis is a nuclear-powered Nimitz-class aircraft carrier homeported in Bremerton, WA. The aircraft carrier was built at the Newport News Shipyard in Virginia and was commissioned in 1995.

The carrier is named after former US Senator John C. Stennis from Mississippi, also known as the "Father of the America's modern navy".

If you are transferring to the USS John C. Stennis at Naval Base Kitsap - Bremerton and would like help with housing, either rentals or a home purchase, please contact Marlene Scheffer at Realty Station at 360-689-6836.

To see more information on the USS John C. Stennis, please visit their website.

Boaters in Kitsap County have a plethora of options to choose from when it comes to moorage, especially when travelling away from home. Guest moorage can be found at many marinas in Kitsap County, including the Port of Silverdale, Port of Bremerton, Port of Poulsbo, and Liberty Bay.

However, if you are looking for something quiet and off the beaten path, the Brownsville Marina in Bremerton is the place for you!

The Port of Brownsville lies just southeast if Silverdale and north of Bremerton. While picnicking at Brownsville, you can look out over the water at the west side of Bainbridge Island. The views are very nice, making you feel miles away from home, even if you have just motored over up from Port Orchard.

Brownsville Marina offers bathrooms, showers, laundry facilities, a deli and mini-mart. Slips include shore power and water, including guest slips. Guest slips can accommodate boats up to 24 feet. There is also a line for guest moorage along the north breakwater.

When we had our 18 foot Mariah, we frequently used the two-lane boat launch at Brownsville. The wait at other boat launches can sometimes be long, and parking has been known to be a problem. However, at Brownsville, we never had either of those issues.

We would bring a picnic lunch and eat our foot-longs at either the picnic tables in front of one of the parking areas looking out at the mud flats during low tide, or at Overlook Park up the hill, which offers recreational fun like horseshoes as well as an outstanding view.

All boaters visiting Brownsville Marina have use of the pump out station, as well as a full-service fuel station.

When motoring into the marina, be aware that you must enter through the south entrance, and you must stay on the marina side of the green buoys at all times, but especially low tide. If the mudflats don't get you, the sunken boat marked by the white buoy might!

As spring approaches and we have the larger boat, we are anxious to renew our visits with the Brownsville Marina.

For more information on the Brownsville Marina or the Port of Brownsville, you can visit their website, or call them at 360-692-5498.

Military Appreciation Day at Kitsap Mall is scheduled for next Saturday, March 29, 2008. This annual event, sponsored by Kitsap Mall, the Silverdale Chamber of Commerce, and local military installations, is a salute to our military men and women as well as their families.

Local businesses will be on hand offering demonstrations of their products, as well as discounts and specials. Many military divisions will also be showcased. Entertainment includes NJROTC drill units, Navy EOD divers, Navy Working Dogs, and performances by Navy Band Northwest. Other local entertainers will be the Clan Heather Dancers and Halau Hula O Healani.

For elementary kids, the Marine Security Force will hold a special mini-boot camp, featuring a climbing wall and giant slide.

The event is free and runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Displays will be both inside and outside Kitsap Mall in Silverdale.

Famous Dave's, the largest barbecue franchise in the nation, has opened a restaurant in Silverdale! The grand opening was today, March 17, 2008, at 3276 NW Plaza Road, between Pier One Imports and Target.

I first became familiar with Famous Dave's when my friend and past client Tara S. heard we were moving to Kansas for a year. She said we absolutely HAD to go check out this barbecue joint next to the Kansas City Speedway. Turns out, we stumbled across it when we went to Nebraska Furniture Mart, and I have to say it is some of the best barbecue I have ever had, a big compliment coming from someone born in Georgia.

Famous Dave's has "five ways to get sauced", including their Georgia Mustard sauce and the Texas Pit sauce. I haven't been brave enough to try their Devil's Spit sauce yet, and I doubt that I ever will. I'll let hubby try that one out!

They serve pork ribs, barbecue brisket and barbecue chicken, with sides that include Wilbur beans, coleslaw, and corn on the cob. The service at other Famous Dave restaurants has been exceptional, even if the lines can be long at peak times.

I am definitely looking forward to dinner at Famous Dave's later this week!

Update: The phone number to Famous Dave's is 360-307-9999. They do not take reservations, but you can call ahead to find out how busy they are.

What would happen if you asked children to design their own playground? What would that playground look like? What would a child's imagination conjure up?

To find out, spend some time at one of my favorite play areas in Kitsap County -- KitsapKids Playground at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds!

The playground was designed based on input from children, and it includes a boat, castle towers, numerous slides, several swings for big kids and babies alike, and a tot area. There are also covered picnic tables, surrounded by a great mural.

My son and his friend Alex had a wonderful time playing on the equipment last week, climbing up the ladders, running along the raised pathways from one castle tower to another, then sliding down the slide at the other end. It is a huge play structure, so it was easy for them to run away from Alex's little sister PJ.

Mom Naya and I sat in a covered seating area near the front entrance, so we could make sure no one was able to escape from the enclosed playground. The kids were especially fascinated by the large musical instruments near the entrance to the playground. It was a great way to spend an hour on a sunny March afternooon -- the kids played and wore themselves out while Naya and I got to chat and catch up.

KitsapKids Playground is located on Stampede Boulevard, just south of President's Hall at the Fairgrounds and Fairgrounds Road. The Fairgrounds area is also a nice area to live in, with affordable quality homes in the Central Kitsap School District. See an example here.