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Sunday, May 16, 2010

Things to Do in Port Townsend

Welcome to Port Townsend







No matter where you have lived or traveled in the world, you'll soon discover Port Townsend, Washington is a great place to be! The town offers a variety of activities and opportunities.




If you choose, you may want to explore Port Townsend’s parks and beaches.













You may want  to dance to live music,

















wander through a museum,
















or have fun at a festival.








Perhaps skateboarding is your "thing".








Or you can sit back and relax and do absolutely nothing.

It's totally up to you!


No matter how you want to spend your time with us, we hope your stay will be memorable.



So as you leave the hustle and bustle of city life behind you...




















you know you'll be going to a place where time seems to slow down a bit.








Perhaps you will want to watch sailboat races in Port Townsend Bay.



If so, pack a picnic lunch, and grab a beach blanket! Don't forget your binoculars!


You may want to stop by a coffee shop for a cup of coffee or herbal tea and a freshly baked pastry.







Perhaps you'll have a friendly chat with the residents...








or visit with the other "locals"
















And at the end of the day, you may want to walk the beaches and watch the sun slowly sink into the horizon.




When you visit Port Townsend, you are in for a wonderful time.





Below you will find information of some places you can visit in Port Townsend.




















Farmer's Market


I love the Port Townsend Farmer's Market. I can spend hours there. Wonderful produce fills the booths. Simply walking up and down the aisles will turn any vegetable hater into a veggie lover! There are fresh cheeses and jams, and bread, and pastries! Oh my! There is art and jewerly for sale and live entertainment. It seems like the market is where people go to gather. The Port Townsend Farmer's Market has a great hometown atmosphere. Don't miss it!



















Whale Watching Tours
http://www.pugetsoundexpress.com/



                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
At some point in your life, you need to go on a whale watching tour. It is an experience you will never forget. Below is information from Port Townsend's whale watching company. One tour actually goes to Friday Harbor, a small town on the island of San Juan. You can watch for whales and then browse the shops at Friday Harbor. Check out the website for the best package for you. If you want to go whale watching, it will pretty much be an all day venture. You'll need a warm jacket and hat because out on the water it can be quite chilly. You also may want to take along some binoculars and a camera of course.   http://www.pugetsoundexpress.com/


Sea Glass


I have discovered the love of looking for sea glass.  I am building my collection. Sea glass or beach glass are small pieces of glass that has been tossed and tumbled on the rocks and in the sand until they are smooth and translucent. The glass comes from items that have been lost ( or simply tossed ) at sea. Usually the glass comes from bottles but glass from lights and other glass objects makes its way overboard as well.





When I find a piece of sea glass I wonder who owned the glass object. I wonder where they were going. I also think about how the piece of glass used to be something they owned and, through the passages of time, a piece ended up in my hand. This connection intrigues me. Some of the glass is very old indeed. Sea glass will excite your imagination.


Going out to the beach for a walk when the tide is out, is relaxing. I can comb the beach for hours looking for rare glass to add to my collection. ( Jade, amber, lime green, forest green, sea foam, soft green, and soft blue are difficult to find. Purple sea glass is very rare as is citron, opaque white, colbalt and cornflower blue. Extremely rare colors include gray, pink, teal, black, yellow, turquoise, red and orange. )


If you want to look for sea glass, you'll need old shoes. Beach shoes would be good. If the weather is cool, you'll need a jacket. North Beach would be a good place to begin but, you can also find some sea glass downtown just below Nifty Fifties ice cream parlor. I doubt the glass downtown is really old but one never knows!













Shopping in Port Townsend


Port Townsend does not have Target, Walmart, Macy's, Kohl's or any other big box store. The shops in Port Townsend are owned and operated by the local town's people. The town is known for its historical architecture. Many of the Victorian buildings were built in the late 1800's. The shops are unique and charming. Take your time and enjoy yourself.


There are plenty of small cafes and tea shops in case you need a bite to eat. The street that runs along the waterfront is Water Street.




Check out all the little side streets as well. There are treasures everywhere!








A short drive from Water Street is Lawerence Street. It is up the hill overlooking the water. There are more shops and cafes. You will also find many of the old Victorian houses in this area. If you feel like walking, you can walk the steps up to Lawerence Street.














On Lawerence Street, stop by Alrich's Market a quaint small hometown grocery store. Upstairs at Aldrich's Market is a little coffee shop and bank.




Kittycorner from Aldrich's Market is the Pane de Amore Bakery.




















They make the best bread and cookies in town. Actually it's probably the best bakery on earth!
















The Rose Theater
http://www.rosetheatre.com/

Feel like seeing a movie? The Rose Theater is a step back into time. Even if you don't like what movies that are showing, watching a movie at the Rose Theater is a great experience. No, there are not large rocking seats with cup holders. In place of all the modern trappings, you will feel cozy and at home. Usually the manager will walk to the front of the screen and introduce the movie. The popcorn is great and you'll be glad you bought a ticket to see a movie at the Rose Theater.






Hiking and Biking













There are several hiking and biking trails in the Port Townsend area.

Grab a picnic lunch, a camera, and have an adventure! A map or a GPS would be good too.



Here are some links to help you determine which trail will be the right one for you.




Would you like to try kayaking for an afternoon of fun? It seems to be a popular sport. If you would like to rent a kayak and spend the afternoon on the water, below you will find some helpful links.












Fishing


You can go fishing in Port Townsend and the surrounding areas. We haven't done any fishing yet. But there is a great deal of fishing to be done around Port Townsend. You can even fish by our house. There are some fishing charter companies in town who would be glad to take you out for the day. Or you can go low tech, grab a fishing pole, get a license, find some water, and fish. I can't promise you'll catch a fish like the fellow in the picture but, I can promise you'll enjoy yourself. Here are some links to check out to help you decide what kind of fishing experience is good for you.



















For more information, check out these links.

http://www.ptangler.com/guidedtrips.htm

http://washingtonflyfishing.com/guides/littlestone



Visit Fort Worden



Fort Worden was an active military base from 1902 until 1953. It became a state park in 1973.













Built as an artillery installation to help protect Puget Sound from invasion or attack, it never once had to fire a shot in defense.



This fort was the setting for the movie "The Officer and the Gentleman". Currently it is used for conferences and festivals. There is housing available for rentals throughout the year. A hostel is located at Fort Worden.




When you drive into Fort Worden, you get a feeling of going back into time.






























The Beach at Fort Worden

The beach at Fort Worden is nice and sandy and that's where most people go when they want to swim. The water is VERY cold so no one stays in the water for long but, the sand is warm and clean. It generally isn't crowded.











This beach is a good place to take children. Adults enjoy this beach also.



Adventures at Fort Worden





There are some old bunkers in the sand dunes of Fort Worden. These were used to defend the area from naval attacks. You can climb on the bunkers and explore them.










The Point Wilson Lighthouse

The Point Wilson Lighthouse is also at Fort Worden. There are tours of the lighthouse. If you go, you must know the climb is steep and tight. If you don't like steep and tight places, I suggest you stand at the bottom of the lighthouse and look up. The view is interesting from that perspective as well.



The beach at the Point Wilson Lighthouse is a good spot for finding shells and strolling. You may find some sea glass.



The Marine Science Center




I love visiting the Marine Science Center. This small marine center has tide pool tanks for visitors to reach in and touch sea stars, clams, and other sea animals. It's a good way to see up close what magnificiant animals are swimming beneath Admiralty Bay. It's a whole new world we rarely see.






I once saw one of these sea creatures in "real life" on the beach by our house!  It is absolutely beautiful!  It moves like a fairy in an organdy feathers.


Old Fort Townsend State Park

As of this writing, we haven't been to Old Fort Townsend and it is close by us too! I can't tell you much about it at this time. From the pictures, it looks like this fort has the same kind of bunkers as Fort Worden. If you want to go to Old Fort Townsend, check for the times it is open.



Old Fort Townsend State Park
1370 Old Fort Townsend Road
Port Townsend, WA 98368-9777
Get Directions (360) 344-4400


Whatever you decide to do while you are visiting us, we want you to have a relaxing and enjoyable time.





Give us a call.


Heaven will be under your feet as well as over your head.
(Source unknown)































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































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