LOCAL: Brands, Businesses + Entrepreneurs | #24 | Wandering Trails Media
Kitsap is full of incredible brands, businesses, and entrepreneurs who make LIVING in Kitsap a fun adventure.
About Brooke
What was your first job?
“My first job ever was helping teach swimming lessons for my grandma, Sal Jackson, over in Spokane Valley. Outside of family businesses, my first employer was a small, local community pool where I was a lifeguard.”
Where do you draw inspiration/creativity in your life?
“My greatest inspiration comes from how humans from all walks of life move on, interact with and connect to the land.”
About Wandering Trails Media
How did the idea of starting Wandering Trails Media begin?
“I've always been drawn to photography as a way to share the human experience. When I was a kid, I dreamt of exploring far-off lands and documenting new species of animals, or uncovering forgotten ruins. As I grew older, I've found the visual and written arts to be a powerful way of connecting people - evoking emotion through storytelling has this rare power of creating an intimate experience, even between strangers from diverse backgrounds.”
The Genesis
Tell us the story of how Wandering Trails Media came to fruition.
“I was privileged to travel a lot in my early 20's, which was an opportunity my grandmother did not have when she was my age. As a result, a driving motivation behind my desire to see the world was to capture the experiences I've had to the best of my abilities, so that I may share them with her when I returned home. The best way I found this to be feasible was through photography, journaling, and learning to cook the local cuisine. I'd visit Spokane after spending time overseas and would regale her with stories and pictures of my adventures over a delicious feast. Eventually, I was encouraged to take my work public - and after having my first piece appear in an indie print publication, my career developed from there.”
The Drive
Tell us what/who drives you to keep working hard towards your goals.
“My grandma was always my greatest inspiration, and even after her passing last fall, I still aspire to live my life as she did. Yet it's also that ability to create connection, to share the intimate and diverse experiences of being human, and to elicit a common emotion amongst strangers - that is what really drives me. Shadowing our differences while shining light on the ways we are all connected.”
Love Kitsap
Tell us your fave local drink spot - coffee, tea, wine, tequila, whatever!
“After a long day out on the trails, I love swinging by the Silver City taproom or Ashley's Pub for a drink. If I'm up North a bit more, I always stop by Valhöll Brewing.”
Tell us your fave local spot for a comfort meal - what do you always order?
“Khao Soi in Manette has been almost a weekly go-to, and I always order the Pad See Ew noodles. Although, after a REALLY long day in the mountains, a California Burrito from El Balcon is my Heaven.”
Live Kitsap
Out-of-town guests are coming for the weekend. What is the most important thing you share with them about the Kitsap Peninsula? Where do you absolutely have to take them?
“If staying in the Kitsap region, I love taking my guests paddling on the water up around Poulsbo, stopping by Sluy's Bakery for a treat, and grabbing a beer at some of the local breweries I shared. Or, I might take them for a hike out at Green Mountain, grab some fresh seafood from Central Market, and cook a nice meal at home. If they are visiting Bremerton specifically, and I really want to show off the best-in-town, I'd take them to Saboteur Bakery for a breakfast goodie, head out to Illahee for a nice forest walk, and eventually head to La Fermata for some delicious wine over Italian.”
Thrive in Kitsap
Where are your favorite places to get outside? What do you do when you go?
“I trail run weekly at either Ueland Tree Farm, Gold Mountain, or Illahee Preserve. When my legs need a rest, I'll take a Paddleboard and launch from Evergreen Park, or the docks up at Poulsbo Marina. I've also been learning to Mountain Bike, and as a beginner, I really enjoy the trails out at Gateway Park.”
our connections + friendships with local brands, businesses + entrepreneurs is something that makes living in kitsap truly unique. we aren’t just supporting a business, we’re building relationships.
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Sam Eitzen, the co-founder of SnapBar, is a truly inspiring story of grit and perseverance as he grew his company through the pandemic.