EXPLORE: Secret Summer with Coreen Haydock
EXPLORE NOT-SO-SECRET SPOTS TO EAT, SHOP & ADVENTURE THAT LOCALS RECOMMEND THIS SPRING & SUMMER!
Secret Summer gives you the scoop on the restaurants, shops, parks and places to explore that Kitsap community leaders & small business owners love to experience during the sunny months. Look for new Secret Summer articles on the regular around here and start planning your Summer adventures today!
coreen haydock
waterman mitigation partners,
co-owner
Website | Facebook
Coreen is a life-long volunteer and advocate for Kitsap. Her generosity and accomplishments are too long to list but here are a few that we love: She was Port Orchard’s Citizen of the Year in 2022. She was the Founding Administrator of the Clear Creek Trail System in Silverdale. Her passion for the local arts scene led her to jump in on the most recent revitalization project at the Roxy Theater in Bremerton, as one of their founding Board Members and now she's turning her attention to the revitalization of Polaris Theater in Port Orchard (where she also serves on the Board for the downtown business association). She is a 5th generation ‘Kitsap-er’ with roots going back to the S’kallam Tribe when a European settler (her great-great-grandfather) married a S’kallam native (her great-great-grandmother). Coreen has lived in Kitsap since she was born and all her grown children call Kitsap home too!
WE CAUGHT UP WITH Coreen and asked her to share the watering holes, restaurants, local businesses, places to explore, and the spots she loves to take friends when they come to visit Kitsap.
EXPLORE KITSAP LIKE A LOCAL!
Coreen, WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT KITSAP?
Coreen’s Favorite Local Meal:
“For 9 years we owned a downtown Port Orchard restaurant, The Dock Bar & Eatery and we ate there all the time! Now we are discovering new places to enjoy meals, l like the Rocketman Salad at DFP Pizza, the Open Faced Asparagus Toast at Holy Water A Heavenly Lounge, or a Harbor Haute Hot Dog special - they’re all Port Orchard eateries. I love seafood, calamari, and ahi - so enjoy the Spicy Ahi Tower or Spicy Tuna Nachos at Jo:A in Silverdale, also - check out the new fine dining option Restaurant Lola in Bremerton, you won’t be disappointed!”
Coreen’s Favorite Local Drink:
“I enjoy a Vodka Soda on the deck at the Boat Shed in Bremerton, a glass of cabernet at Holy Water, or a latte from Mercantile Coffee Co. in Port Orchard!”
Coreen’s favorite place to get outside:
“This summer you will find me in Port Orchard at the Polaris Backstage Alley events, Port Orchard Night Markets, The Classic Car Cruz, Fathoms Parade & Concerts by the Bay, or in Bremerton for the BridgeBlast and special movie events at the historic Roxy Theatre.”
Coreen’s Favorite Sunny/rainy Day Activity:
‘Two things I most like to do is swim in our beautiful waters and garden! The water literally calls to me, and while I don’t live on the water or have a boat, we have several friends who do. Every summer, whether it’s out on a boat ride or a backyard dinner, I rarely ever pass up an opportunity to jump in some cold water. I grew up swimming in these salt waters and love it. My children and grandchildren have all inherited this love and I especially love when they join me in the water.
When I can I go to my favorite nurseries Brothers Greenhouse + Valley Nursery, plants and flowers are some of my favorite things to shop for! I also love to sign up for local garden tours. One activity more folks should know about is the Kitsap History Museum’s “Eat Your Way through History” tours. Each summer the museum hosts guided history tours and pairs them with a lunch from a local eatery in the same area. One tour I enjoyed more recently was at Heronswood Gardens in Kingston, a non-profit garden restored by the S’Klallam tribe showcasing hundreds of plant species from around the world. If you love history, they are such an enjoyable time and it pairs all my favorite things: nature exploration, learning local history, and supporting non-profits, all at the same time.
Coreen’s Favorite Spot to Take First-Time Visitors:
‘I would take guests to ANY of the gardens and tours listed above or I might take them to the local antique/vintage shops on the waterfront in either Port Orchard or Poulsbo. A visit to Guillemot Cove in Seabeck, Olalla Winery and Olalla Bay Market, Elandan Gardens in Gorst, and I love to hop over to Bremerton on the historic Mosquito Fleet boat, a floating history museum, the Carlisle II, visitors love that beautiful boat!
From Coreen’s Camera Roll:
explore more of kitsap!
Coreen Haydock, Port Orchard’s Citizen of the Year and co-owner of Waterman Mitigation Partners, gives you the ‘Secret Summer’ scoop on the restaurants, shops, parks, and places to explore during the sunny months in Kitsap.