All of Summer’s Sunsets: Finding Beauty in Kitsap County’s Changing Seasons

There are moments when I’m driving through Kitsap County, going about my perfectly ordinary day, when I look out the window and think, Man, I love living here. Sometimes I even say it out loud, even when I’m alone in the car. It usually happens when I’m driving along the waterfront through downtown Port Orchard, heading toward Gorst on my way to Bremerton or Silverdale. Now, if you live around here, you might be laughing at the idea that anything about Gorst could inspire such affection. I understand. Gorst isn’t exactly the first place people think of when they picture the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, but if you’ve ever driven along Sinclair Inlet on one of those misty autumn mornings, you might know exactly what I’m talking about.

Sometimes the water is so still that it looks like a mirror, reflecting the hillsides, the boats, and the trees along the shore. The brilliant reds and oranges of autumn mingle with the deep greens of the evergreens, creating a reflection that seems almost too beautiful to be real. Then there’s the mist. It hangs over the water in little patches, sometimes drifting between the boats. On mornings when the clouds are beginning to break, thin rays of sunlight find their way through, lighting up small portions of the landscape. Seabirds bob gently on the surface of the water, seemingly without a care in the world. Even when I’m surrounded by traffic, there’s something about that view that fills me with peace. It’s one of those moments that makes me grateful to live here.

More Shades of Green Than I Knew Existed

I wasn’t born in Washington. In fact, I spent the first 38 years of my life in California. Southern California, to be more specific. If you’ve spent much time there, you probably know that the landscape comes in a remarkable variety of browns. There’s sandy brown, golden brown, tawny brown, dark brown, and, during particularly dry years, that lovely shade of gray that happens when the scrub brush has practically given up on life. Add in the occasional wildfire smoke and the relentless summer heat, and you might understand why I wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about spending time outdoors.

Most of my days involved moving from one air conditioned space to another. I’d leave my air conditioned house, climb into my air conditioned car, and drive to whatever air conditioned building I needed to visit. Nature was something I mostly admired from a safe distance, preferably through a window. It wasn’t that I disliked being outside. It was just difficult to enjoy it when the sun seemed to be actively trying to kill me.

Then, about 24 years ago, while my husband and I were dating, I visited Washington. I remember my future in-laws telling me that the area was experiencing a drought. A drought! I looked around and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. There were more shades of green in that Washington drought than I had ever seen in my entire life. Trees everywhere. Lush hillsides. Green ferns and plants growing in places where I couldn’t imagine anything growing. Water that seemed to be around every corner. Meanwhile, I was accustomed to a Southern California drought looking like the land hadn’t received rain in approximately 347 million years.

In California, getting to the coast often meant planning a drive. Here, the water was simply part of the landscape. I remember looking around at all that green, the trees, and the water and thinking, I was born in the wrong state. Sometimes you visit a place and enjoy it, and sometimes you visit a place and immediately know there’s something special about it. For me, Washington was the second kind.

When Autumn Puts on Its Finest Colors

One of my favorite things about living in Kitsap County is the incredible contrast between our evergreen trees and the deciduous trees that change color in the fall. I’ve always liked to say that autumn leaves are all of summer’s sunsets displayed. All those brilliant oranges, fiery reds, warm yellows, and golden colors we admire in a beautiful summer sunset suddenly appear among the trees. Against the deep green backdrop of our evergreens, those colors become even more striking. It’s one of the things I look forward to every year, and I never seem to get tired of it.

There are certain trees I watch for every autumn. Along the waterfront in Port Orchard, across from the yacht club marina, there’s a group of four trees that turn the most incredible shade of red. Every year, I look for them when I’m coming into town. They’re only dressed in those colors for a short time, which makes me appreciate them even more. I know they won’t stay that way, so I enjoy them while they’re there. They might not mean anything special to someone else driving by, but they’ve become one of my favorite little signs that autumn has arrived.

There’s another spot along Highway 303 between Silverdale and Bremerton that catches my attention every fall. Along one stretch of road, there’s a row of evergreens, and tucked among all that green is one solitary tree that turns a brilliant orange. It looks like someone lit a fire right in the middle of the forest. I love that tree. It’s not a tourist attraction. There’s no parking area, no sign telling you to stop and admire it, and no special reason to notice it except that it’s beautiful.

I think that’s one of the things I appreciate most about Kitsap County. So much of its beauty is woven into the ordinary places we pass every day. We don’t always have to go looking for something spectacular or plan a special outing to experience it. Sometimes we just need to notice what’s already there, whether that’s a brilliantly colored tree on our commute or a view across the water that looks completely different from the day before.

Yes, I’m One of Those People Who Loves the Rain

I know this might sound strange to some people, but I genuinely love our rainy weather. I believe the word for someone who loves rain is pluviophile. I came across that somewhere, and it certainly seems to describe me. I love the sound of rain, the smell of rain, and even being outside in it. There’s a particular smell just before the rain arrives that I find wonderful. It’s a combination of the pavement, the road, and that rich, spongy earth that seems so characteristic of the Pacific Northwest. Sometimes I can smell the rain coming before the first drops fall, and I look forward to it.

A gray, cloudy day makes me happier than a bright, sunny one. I know that’s not everyone’s preference, but after spending so many years dealing with the heat in California, I find our cooler weather refreshing. My eyes are also very sensitive to light, so the softer winter sunlight is a welcome change, even though I still find myself wearing sunglasses on cloudy days. I’ve always said that when it’s cold, you can put on another layer of clothing. When it’s hot, there’s only so much you can take off before things become indecent. That’s a philosophy I’ve lived by for quite some time.

Autumn and winter are easily my favorite seasons here. I miss the wonderful crunch of dry leaves underfoot that I remember from California, since our wetter autumn weather doesn’t always give us quite the same experience. But what we sometimes lose in crunchy leaves, we more than make up for in color. And winter brings its own beauty, especially when we get the occasional snowfall.

There’s something magical about the way snow transforms an ordinary landscape. An old woodpile suddenly looks picturesque. A weathered barn becomes something you’d expect to see on a Christmas card. Familiar streets, yards, and rooftops take on an entirely different appearance beneath a blanket of white. Of course, snow doesn’t always make driving particularly enjoyable, and I can appreciate its beauty while also appreciating the opportunity to stay home when the roads get slippery. Still, I wouldn’t trade our changing seasons for anything.

The Beauty of Living Near the Water

As much as I love our trees, there’s another part of Kitsap County that has captured my heart, and that’s the water. I don’t need to be on a boat or standing on a beach to enjoy it. Simply being near the water brings me a sense of peace. Living in Port Orchard means I’m never very far from a waterfront view, and that still feels like a gift after nearly 13 years.

One of the things I especially love about our coastline is how different it looks from one day to the next. There are mornings when Sinclair Inlet is perfectly still, its surface reflecting every tree and cloud along the shoreline. Other days, the water moves beneath a gray sky, and the entire landscape takes on a different mood. In autumn, when the colorful leaves are reflected alongside the evergreens, the view becomes especially beautiful. The combination of water, trees, mist, and changing light is something I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing.

Perhaps that’s why I enjoy taking the waterfront route through Port Orchard whenever I can. It isn’t necessarily about getting somewhere as quickly as possible. Sometimes the route itself is part of the pleasure, and those extra moments spent looking across the inlet can change my whole mood. I may be heading to an appointment, running errands, or just going about my day, but seeing the water and the surrounding hillsides reminds me why I love calling this place home.

Somewhere Along the Way, This Became Home

I’ve lived in Kitsap County for almost 13 years now. That’s considerably less time than I spent in California, where I was born and raised. Yet Washington feels more like home to me than California ever did. Some of that feeling comes from the natural beauty I’ve grown to love, but there’s much more to it than the scenery.

This is where I’ve built wonderful friendships with people who have become like family. It’s where I’ve found a church community that is part of my life well beyond Sunday mornings. These are people I spend time with, share experiences with, and genuinely enjoy having in my life. Most importantly, Kitsap County is where we met our daughter. My life is woven into this place now in ways I couldn’t have imagined when I first visited all those years ago.

I still miss my family in California, of course. I always will. But when I think about home, this is the place that comes to mind. The trees, the water, the rain, the changing seasons, and the people I love have all become part of that feeling. Kitsap County makes my soul sing, and I don’t think I’ll ever lose the sense of wonder I felt when I first saw all those shades of green.

Take Another Look at the Place We Call Home

I sometimes wonder how many beautiful things we miss simply because we’ve grown accustomed to seeing them. When you drive the same roads every day, it’s easy to focus on the traffic, the errands you need to run, or the next place you need to be. I do that too. But every so often, something catches my attention. A tree glowing orange among the evergreens. A patch of sunlight breaking through the clouds. A sailboat reflected in perfectly still water. A thin layer of mist resting along the shoreline. Those moments remind me how fortunate I am to live here.

Maybe the next time you’re driving through Gorst, you’ll glance toward the inlet and notice the reflections on the water. Maybe you’ll spot those brilliant red trees along the Port Orchard waterfront or discover a favorite tree of your own somewhere along your regular route. Perhaps you’ll find yourself enjoying the rain a little more, or noticing how beautiful the clouds can be when the light finds its way through.

We live in a place where forests meet the sea, where autumn paints the hillsides with color, and where even an ordinary morning drive can offer a view worth remembering. I first fell in love with Washington because I couldn’t believe how many shades of green existed here. Nearly 13 years after making Kitsap County my home, I’m still discovering new reasons to love it.

Sometimes, all it takes is remembering to look around. And when I do, I still find myself saying, out loud, with a smile on my face, Man, I love living here.

Jessica Contreras
WA LIC#23005400
(951) 537-7460

_{Jessica is a buyer specialist with The Contreras Team at Windermere Professional Partners, where she focuses on helping first time homebuyers and clients shopping for vacation and second homes in Kitsap County. She is known for her calm, patient approach and her ability to turn an overwhelming process into something clear and manageable.}

_{Jessica is an Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®), recognized by the National Association of Realtors, and she holds the Commitment to Excellence (C2EX) endorsement, reflecting her ongoing dedication to professional growth, ethics, and client care.}

_{Her goal is simple: help people make confident decisions at their own pace, with clarity, honesty, and support every step of the way.}