Things to Do in Oak Harbor

Film enthusiast Roland Fernando entered the movie-rental industry more than 30 years ago, building Video Express into a movie emporium that carries hard-to-find and vintage films, independent releases, and blockbuster hits. Walls lined with blue neon tubes evoke a retro movie theatre, leading customers along shelves stocked with children's movies, dramas, horrors, comedies, documentaries, and Woody Allen's napping nook. The store also stocks video games for Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360, and offers one or two-day console rentals.

Towering trees surround Puget Sound's shores, where mountains wrapped in hazy gauze loom in the background as wild animals serenely drink from the open waters and winding Hood Canal waterways. It's here that Olympic Outdoor Center decided to stake its headquarters more than 25 years ago, and where their instructors now lead paddlers onto the water for kayak and standup paddleboard lessons. The coaches also guide salmon-fishing tours and other extended trips, as well as youth adventure camps in which kids learn to maneuver kayaks and paddleboats and master fending off sea monsters with a swift paddle-bop to the noggin.

On land, staff members guide adventurers through mountain-biking camps and competitive races on the surrounding 4,000 acres of forested trails. The staffers help organize outdoor recreation events such as annual adventure sports festivals, paddling and biking triathlons, and overnight paddling trips.

Prose in both Lushootseed and English caption the displays inside the 23,000-square-foot Hibulb Cultural Center and Natural History Preserve, chronicling the journey of the Tulalip people in honor of those who have passed. The Tulalip represent the successors to the Snohomish, Snoqualmie, and Skykomish tribes, as well as other signatories to the 1855 Point Elliott Treaty. Exhibits on their traditional territories, the importance of the cedar trees, and their seven value stories extend viewers' eyes to the distant past to learn their culture.

Historic canoes and archaeological remains provide tangible proof of the lives of the people remembered, and 50 acres of forests and wetlands preserve the natural landscape they called home. Back inside the museum, a life-size Tulalip longhouse expounds upon these artifacts and tales with recordings by Tulalip storytellers. Progressing to the present day, the exhibit Warriors: We Remember details more than a hundred years of veteran service, from the warrior spirit in ancient military traditions to recent sacrifices by men and women in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Docked inside British Columbia's former Supreme Court building in Bastion Square, the Maritime Museum of BC bridges visitors to the province's past with an affluent collection of nautical and legal treasures. More than 35,000 unique artifacts—plus 40,000 photographs—join forces to ferry eyes through history, including displays and exhibits that showcase notable pirates, explorers, heritage vessels, and shipwrecks.

A fleet of three iconic sailboats has also dropped anchor beneath the museum's roof, and, despite its age and creaky knees from years of playing pond hockey, the oldest operating birdcage elevator in North America still volunteers to tote guests from floor to floor. Aside from its seafaring trove, the museum also runs public and school programs on topics such as immigration, pirates, and women at sea.

The Braefoot Community Association was created to enrich its community with sports and recreational activities. Each of their programs is designed to help kids develop social and physical skills while encouraging healthy lifestyle habits and instilling in them an eagerness to remain active instead of imitating plastic-molded mannequins. Kids aged 16 months to 12 years can undergo non-competitive instruction in roller hockey, soccer, basketball, baseball, and tennis, and owners of fancy feet can take pre-professional and children's level dance instruction with the Westcoast Academy of Performing Arts. During the summer, a slew of camps keep children occupied and involved, teaching kids kayaking or biking basics, or helping them hone their soccer or hockey skills. The organization’s multi-use facility also has grounds for the Lakehill Soccer Association and the Saanich Lacrosse Association to play on and is working toward expanding their activities to include adult programs.

Frustrated that their three youngsters spent their indoor playtime glued to video games and TV, Doug and Kasey Lupton founded Play Kitsap as an active, educational alternative. Their 8,000-square-foot facility entices kids aged 10 and younger with 14 activities, including a 21-foot-tall inflatable slide, a bouncy castle, a sports zone, and moon sand for sculpting. Elsewhere, a toddler area accommodates younger guests with age-appropriate activities, and art and Kindermusik classes stimulate children with engaging sessions of drawing or singing. All the while, parents can watch their youngsters play, surf the net with free WiFi, or savor a snack and drink at the café. Play Kitsap also offers five party packages, including an all-night soiree where up to 20 kids can stay up eating pizza and practicing their slam dunks from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.