Thursday, August 4, 2011

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).

Boarding the ferry to PT Packed on to the ferry

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.

Mt. Baker in the distanceWith 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!

Marina looking towards Port Townsend Cottage garden

17 comments:

  1. I have found that the savings on commuting sometimes offsets the extra cost of being "right in the action". It frequently also cuts down on the "hassel factor" a lot.
    I found it a nice town and area when I visited. Have fun.

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  2. Hello you two! Where are you headed now? We are in Forks, but supposed to leave tomorrow and take your ferry in the opposite direction!! I'm curious ~ did you make a reservation?

    Wherever you're going, have a great time!! We've been here a week and the weather has been wonderful!

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  3. Port Townsend Perfection!!..enjoy the summer weather..finally!!!!

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  4. If you haven't been to Fort Flagler, it's worth a visit. :)

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  5. Thanks for the info and photos of the ferry. We have a much smaller class C but still I am intimidated by the thought of the ferries. I really WANT to use them so I guess if you can do it in Scoopy, we can do it in Therapy! Looks like a nice location you have there for exploring Port Townsend.

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  6. Watch out! We're heading in that direction.

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  7. We LOVED Port Townshend...be sure to check out Under Town cafe...side street with stairs going to the coolest underground coffee/shop cafe...great food, sometimes entertainment. Excellent review of the campground, by the way. You do a fabulous job of telling everything there is to know!

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  8. What a gorgeous summer day in a beautiful place! I love Port Townsend but haven't been there for a few years. Next summer, no long trips for us, we are going to hang around in our very own Pacific Northwest and enjoy all it has to offer!

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  9. Your RV Park costs more than the other two options, yes. But sometimes you bite the bullet and pay for what is important to you. We've done a bunch of staying at Thousand Trails parks this year (no nightly fee for us) but lacking in location or upkeep or whatever. However, we've kinda been just marking time while between family gigs. We weren't doing major sightseeing, and the money saved was worthwhile ... this time.

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  10. We also loved Port Townsend when we visited last year. We also took the ferry from Whidbey Island. We want to visit both places again. Thanks for giving us a pleasant recall.

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  11. Odel played golf! Obviously, he recovered well from his knee surgery. So good to hear.

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  12. I am glad to see you guys have run into nice weather and are having fun. We stopped in at port Townsend once and landed in the middle of a Blues festival. We had a blast!

    Croft in Campbell River, BC

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  13. I remember that uneasy feeling of being on a ferry crossing. We once crossed the Mississippi somewhere in Louisiana I think on what amounted to not much more than an open barge. We had the truck & fifth wheel at the time. I would so much like to get out & see all those sites everyone talks so much about in Oregon & Washington, but..........:((

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  14. Hi There..WE stopped at Tucannon RV on our way East & South last week..Their WiFi still not working. This is the 1st day with internet and we are @ Swiftwater RV in Whitebird ID. You should visit Anna and Alfred here. It's right on the Salmon River...priced right..fast internet.
    Headed South to Zim's Hot Springs..another place you should visit..I know you like HOTSPRINGS!!!
    UPRIVERDAVID

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  15. Nothing can beat the NW in sun. Those look like some gorgeous spots!
    Nina

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  16. Port Townsend is a gem, no question about that! Sure glad the weather has finally changed for the better.

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  17. Boy this looks great too.

    I'm just following you two around and writing down everything you do so that when I get to Washington I don't have to plan anything. I'll just do what Laurie and Odel did!

    Thanks for the tours and advice.

    Sherry
    www.directionofourdreams.blogspot.com

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