She's No Lady - Fay-Bainbridge Is Just A Great Park

Destination: Fay-Bainbridge State Park, Bainbridge Island.

Getting there: Take the Bainbridge ferry from downtown Seattle. Proceed on state Highway 305 to the Day Road turnoff. Turn right and follow signs to the park, which is on Sunrise Drive Northeast.

Stuff to do: Fay-Bainbridge, one of the very best things about Bainbridge Island, is a wonderful place to laze away a breezy summer afternoon. The 1,400-foot beach at this north-end island park is sandy smooth, with just enough driftwood to lean on and very nice picnic facilities nearby. But the main draw is the view: You look straight across the Sound into the teeth of the beast - downtown Seattle - whose skyline buildings look a lot less imposing from here than when you're stuck between them.

The 17-acre park, open all year, also has a small camping area. It's not as scenic as the beach; the 36 sites are sort of cramped. But they're a short distance from the water and all park facilities.

Local history: There was no one named "Fay Bainbridge." The park's unusual hyphenated name is a conglomeration of the location and the original property owners, the Fay family, who sold the land to the state in 1944 for $5,000.

What's nearby: Across the island, Fort Ward State Park is a mostly undeveloped property with some nice beach walking; Eagle Harbor Waterfront Park is a pleasant picnic spot at Winslow.

More information: Washington State Parks, 800-233-0321.

Ron C. Judd is author of "Inside Out Washington: A Best Places Guide to the Outdoors."