Cargo Hold, Poulsbo, Wa

[Puff Daddy]

I'd been meaning to post this for a while, but since I got back I've been working ridiculously long hours. My daughter got married the last week of June so We schlepped the kids 800 miles north for a few days stay in Gig Harbor Washington where we rented a vacation house with my brothers family. It was one of those whirlwind tours where we had planned family events every day, with a 14 hour drive on each end, so there was really no time for any kind of getting away to do my own thing, but we did manage a day of exploring (all 8 of us packed in a mini van). Luckily we ended up in Poulsbo for a walk around the harbor shops and lunch. I told the wife, if I can't have at least a half hour in Cargo Hold I'm not going, so the ladies dismissed my brother and I and we went to visit Doug Owen, proprieter and forum member.

Cargo Hold is a nautical themed store selling all kinds of cool seafaring decor and gadgets, and also a nice selection of pipes, tobaccos and cigars. If you follow the popular youtube pipe channel northwest pipesmoker you've probably seen Cargo Hold mentioned and shown several times. Poulsbo is a beautiful seaside town on the north Kitsap peninsula on Puget Sound. The wife and I are planning to retire to the area in a few more years, God willing. It's gorgeous, cool, quaint and if you love to fish (as I do) it's a perfect place to live.

When we entered, Doug was on the phone but there was an extremely friendly and enthusiastic young man working there, dressed in navy uniform, who greeted us and we immediately began talking pipes and tobaccos. Doug joined in the conversation and we had a very nice chat, and he even showed off some extremely nice old Dunhills he owned. This was the kind of shop you'd definitely be most lucky to have in your town. Very fun, very friendly, well stocked and informed, and an oasis to any brother of the briar in this day and age. If you are ever in the area you'd do well to seek this shop out. He even insisted on giving me a forum members discount I didn't ask for. This was one of the friendliest pipe shops I've ever been in and I felt it deserved to be noted here. The world needs more places like this!

 

[Puff Daddy]

Video by nwpipesmoker

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[Brewdude]

Poulsbo was my old stomping grounds from '90-'98. Got into cigars and pipes during the boom years starting in '96 or so but wasn't aware of Doug's shop back then or I'd have been a regular. Bud of mine in Poulsbo has a great big ship's wheel on his living room wall from that shop. Cool vid PD, thanks for posting.

Did you stop in at Sluy's bakery for some crunch sticks? Should be a few doors down from there.


Cheers,

RR

 

[Puff Daddy]

We went into Sluys but it was after we'd eaten lunch, so we bought a bunch of bread and pastries to take back to the house. Don't recall what we bought exactly but it was all outstanding. That little bakery was packed with people, and for good reason.

 

[loneredtree]

Thanks PB for the post. My son was renovating a sail boat in Port Orchard last year. I would have liked to visit the Cargo Hold. Nuts!

 

[AJ]

Very interesting as well as entertaining. Thanks for posting this. I enjoyed watching the video too.

AJ

 

[Brewdude]

We went into Sluys but it was after we'd eaten lunch, so we bought a bunch of bread and pastries to take back to the house. Don't recall what we bought exactly but it was all outstanding. That little bakery was packed with people, and for good reason.

Ya, that's the finest bakery I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. Can't eat sweets anymore, but back then it was like nirvana.

At the time I was at the Thomas Kemper Brewery just outside downtown Poulsbo and if we had a good week, on Friday morning I'd go to Sluy's and get a couple dozen assorted treats for the production staff.

Sure would've liked to have know about Doug's shop back then.

Poulsbo is indeed a very nice town. Been years since I've visited but have fond memories. Good times man, good times.

8)


Cheers,

RR

 

[KevinM]

Oh, my, it reads like you somehow traveled through a time warp. A decent B&M? With a bakery nearby? Next you'll tell us there's a friendly little joint across the street with .50 cent drafts!

 

[Stick]

Oh boy that place is cracking.

I don't think there's anywhere like that in Blighty?

 

[Puff Daddy]

Next you'll tell us there's a friendly little joint across the street with .50 cent drafts!

If there was I'd have never come back