Poulsbo: No mistaking where you are -- Ja!

The outing: Do not say to a person who lives in Poulsbo the following:

"Well, Liberty Bay doesn't look like any fjord I've ever seen."

OK, sheer mountain slopes don't cascade into the water below, the narrow inlet doesn't necessarily pour into the Norwegian Sea. And, granted, it might be kind of hard to find an Azteca Mexican restaurant in Norway.

But why risk the instant frown you'll get when you point out these facts about modern Poulsbo?

Do say instead:

"Man, crumkaka is lip-smackin' deeeelicious, dontcha think?"

Carol Albanese, left, from Kent and Jennifer Lobdell from Covington share a laugh outside an antique shop in Poulsbo recently. Where isn't there a shopping op in Poulsbo?

You will be welcomed with a smile.

You see, this Poulsbo — named after Paulsbo, Norway — was founded by Norwegian immigrant Jorgen Eliason in the late 1800s. Only the U.S. government goofed, and changed the a to an o, when the little settlement went after its first post office. That didn't, however, faze the large number of Norwegian and other Scandinavian settlers from recognizing home in the water and surrounding geography. They would live with Poulsbo just the way it was. Ja.

They stayed put, incorporated in 1907, and now present visitors to the setting at the end of Liberty Bay on the Olympic Peninsula, north of Bremerton and west of the northern tip of Bainbridge Island, with a big dose of their heritage.

And shops. Have we mentioned the shops?

Front Street Northeast, the centerpiece of what's called old Poulsbo, runs for a few blocks parallel to the waterfront and just about another block's walk from the beach. On a busy day, it's where what seems every tourist in the world is on a mechanical people mover wheeling in and out of a hive of storefronts.

Gisela Groth from Gig Harbor kayaks in her husband's birthday present in Liberty Bay recently while visiting Poulsbo. Venturing a swim is Groth's daughter Gabriele Hugo from Redondo.

Want Scandinavian bric-a-brac? Come on down. Books, yarn, kitchen linens? Step right up. Famous Poulsbo bread from Sluys Poulsbo Bakery? It started right here. Art, antiques, art, antiques, art, antiques? Ja.

The town center is awash in blue and white, colors that appear on nearly every Scandinavian flag — oh, and in the planter boxes and hanging baskets, poles, chairs, benches. No mistaking where you are.

Sadly, the city's Marine Science Center has been closed due to lack of funding. You can still get a water experience in a few ways, however: Stop at the waterfront park on Liberty Bay; take a bike along and head out of Poulsbo on Fjord Drive Northeast, back in the direction of Bainbridge Island (on a designated bike lane that parallels the water); or rent a kayak at Olympic Outdoor Center on Front Street (360-697-6095).

The Port of Poulsbo also has an active marina with 160 guest slots. See http://poulsbo.net/portofpoulsbo/ or call 360-779-3505.

Shopping op: Where isn't there a shopping op in Poulsbo? Front Street is chockablock with storefronts filled with housewares, baked goods, art and antiques. Check out the side streets, too. And don't forget to utter thanks for the wise person who remembered to put in public seating along the way. The find of the day — 1962 Seattle World's Fair frosted glasses with highlights emblazoned on the outside. The monorail — perfect gift for penny-pinched Seattleites — cost $8 at Foggy Notion, LLC on Front Street.

Good eats: Food abounds — from American fare to Italian, Mexican, bar food and, yes, Norwegian! You will not starve in Poulsbo. You may have a hard time choosing between enclosed cafes and eateries with views of the sea, however. Lunch at MorMor Bistro and Bar on Front Street Northeast cost $14.86 for two-piece fish and chips and a beer. See www.mormorbistro.com or call 360-697-3449.

Cost: The ferry is $13.30 one way for car and driver. Each additional passenger is $6.10.

Getting there: Take the Winslow ferry from downtown Seattle and then follow Highway 305 across Bainbridge Island, over the bridge at Agate Passage and onto the Olympic Peninsula. When you've arrived in Poulsbo, turn left off the highway onto Northeast Lincoln Road and follow it to the waterfront and Front Street Northeast. You can also take the bus from the Winslow terminus of the ferry from Seattle. See http://kitsaptransit.org/index.html or call 800-501-RIDE.

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