PORT TOWNSEND SPARKLES IN THE SUMMER SUNSHINE

Say “Pacific Northwest” and I picture charming Port Townsend, Washington.  A historic town in a gorgeous setting, Port Townsend has a mellow culture that suits our style.  Good restaurants, a wonderful Saturday farmer’s market (with a smaller version mid-week), plenty of hikes at Ft. Worden State Park, enjoyable window shopping along the small main street – and big enough for a major grocery store, a food Co-op, and a very reasonably priced golf course ($20.00 for seniors includes a cart).

Driving down the ramp into the belly of the ferry.	We were a foot from the neighboring rigs.

As on past visits, we used the Keystone-Port Townsend ferry, loading Scoopy (towing Jules) onto the ferry from Whidbey Island for the 30 minute ride to Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula. We’re more used to ferry travel than we were when we first took this ride (in the other direction), but it still feels a little scary to drive onto a BOAT in our motorhome. They pack vehicles on like sardines – we barely had room to open our door once on board.

With the price of diesel so much higher than it was when we first did this ferry trip, I was curious about how the cost of the short ferry trip compared compared with the long drive.  This year, the ferry cost $70.60 for the motorhome, jeep, and Odel and I, and we spent another $6 or so on fuel to and from the ferry terminals.  A short drive, a fun ride, and we were here.  If we had elected to avoid the ferry, we would have driven 204 miles, all the way south through Seattle to Tacoma, then up the Olympic Peninsula, spending half a day and around $96 on fuel.  Hooray for the ferry!

By 2:30, we were settled in site 340 at the Point Hudson Marina and RV Park (click here to read our review and see photos).  This is a first for us; we usually stay at the Port Townsend Elks Lodge or the Escapees RV park in nearby Chimacum.  Our site here is much more expensive than either of those options, but we enjoyed the fantastic view from our site and easy access to all Port Townsend has to offer, a short stroll away.

Our visit to Port Townsend coincided with the arrival of summer weather, at last!  We’ve hiked at the nearby state park, walked all over town, and shopped at the farmer’s market.  Yesterday, I visited almost every gallery and shop in town while Odel played 18 holes of golf.  I’ve spent several hours sitting in the sunshine reading my Kindle, and we’ve dedicated plenty of time to relaxing in our outdoor chairs, absorbed in the boat traffic that passes by in front of us, the strollers and dog walkers along the beachside trail, and watching the tide ebb and flow.  Not at all a bad way to spend a few summer days… :)

Looking over the marina to downtown Port Townsend.	This cottage garden looks inviting!