It was time to step away from our nature immersion and soak in a bit of culture and what better place to do that than Port Townsend, cultural hub of the North Olympic Peninsula. This Washington seaport town, with its strong emphasis on locally grown, is an eclectic artistic community. The architecture of the Victorian era is peppered throughout the town in its beautifully restored homes and businesses.
Camping at Point Hudson Marina and RV Park, where the Admiralty Inlet connects the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound, we found a sweet spot to watch the ferries, various seafaring vessels, kayakers and paddle boarders glide by. It is essentially a gravel parking lot but the views and the ability to walk and bike everywhere in town made it the perfect spot to experience Port Townsend.
Each morning found me walking the tree-lined downtown streets, before much of the town awoke, starting my day with a local brew. Many carefree afternoons were spent browsing galleries and boutique shops in both uptown and downtown Port Townsend.
Looking back on our time in Port Townsend, here are our top 5 experiences:
Docents George and Joan offer tours of this fascinating center that celebrates both its maritime past and future. A boat livery, exhibition space, stunning resource library, wood shop, learning lab and classrooms occupy the inside space, while the outdoor common area has a beach boardwalk, boat staging platform, and a deepwater pier.
The Maritime Education Building offers programs featuring sail making, small-craft boat and kayak building, and maintenance. The Wooden Boat Foundation provides students a hands-on learning laboratory with a wide array of courses related to nautical science and maritime history. This is one fascinating complex.
Earlier this summer the Maritime Center sponsored the first annual “Race to Alaska”, a non-motorized race (sail, row, or paddle). Beginning at the Port Townsend pier, the qualification stage spanned the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Victoria on Vancouver Island, where a stand-up paddle boarder was among the qualifiers.
2) Rose Theatre
Opening as a vaudeville house in 1907, this venue has experienced many transitions to arrive at the one-of-a-kind movie house it is today. Choose the film playing in the upstairs Starlight Room and you can watch from your own comfy chair, with an adult beverage and meal in hand. We saw “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl”, a wonderful indie flick.
This is a super cool market featuring more than 70 local vendors. With a variety of organic produce, meats, artisan breads and pastries, cheeses, cider, and coffee, it is a definite palette-pleaser.
But the best part of the farmers’ market may be Cape Cleare Salmon, a food cart creating the most amazing grilled salmon panini, a mouth-watering mix of salmon, pesto, heirloom tomatoes, and baby greens, with a fried egg on top! I don’t often indulge in bread but we loved this one so much we came back again on our way through town for another taste. It was just as yummy the second time around!
4) Better Living Through Coffee
This one makes the list, not only for the ambiance and great coffee, but also the relaxing early morning stroll along the downtown streets to get there. Peering into darkened shops hiding their little treasures, with only my thoughts to occupy me, was something I looked forward to every morning.
This decommissioned 19th-century military fort now offers barracks converted to vacation homes, camp sites, sandy beaches, hiking/biking trails, Marine Science Center, and pretty little Point Wilson Lighthouse that must be admired from afar, as no access has been allowed since this station was automated in 1976.
Port Townsend has two breweries for craft brew lovers, the Pourhouse and Port Townsend Brewing Company. We reconnected with friends Bill and Lisa at the Pourhouse, where we enjoyed some brews and a meal while catching up on our life adventures these past couple of years. No photos, just good food and drink, and great conversation.
And if retail therapy is your passion, the shopping choices are plentiful. I was able to stock up on infused oils and vinegars at Lively Olive Tasting Bar and found some wonderful spice blends at The Spice & Tea Exchange. Pippa’s Real Tea is an excellent place to pick up some unusual teas and have a cup in their tea room, enjoyed with a proper scone served with homemade jam and clotted cream…yum!
Besides biking the downtown streets, the Larry Scott Memorial Bike Trail is easily accessible at the Boat Haven. It’s an extension of the Olympic Discovery Trail, a trail that will eventually traverse 130 miles of the North Olympic Peninsula.
We weren’t ready to leave the laid-back vibe of Port Townsend after five days, but the scent of lavender was in the air, calling to us.
Next Up: Sequim
Paint Your Landscape 
We really liked Port Townsend, too. We stayed at the fairgrounds which was just a half mile from Fort Worden so it was easy to walk or bike there. We met some locals at the brewery who told us that the Marina RV park is only $150/month in the winter, in case you’re interested;-)
We had other friends who stayed at the fairgrounds as well, which we biked over to. Love that you can park your vehicle and not get in it again until you are ready to leave. I don’t think we will need to have a place to stay in PT for the winter. 😉
Thanks for such useful information. We need to get to this area next summer. I love the sound of the Rose Theater! It reminds me of a barn we watched westerns in in Kanab, Utah. I love the use of the various chairs.
I really enjoy any Olive Oil/Vinegar Tasting Room:) And the Spice and Tea Exchange is my all time favorite. They are all over the country but only in more upscale areas. I order all my spices from the one in Sarasota, FL.
Glad you are having such a great summer. I can see your smile and feel your joy in your words:)
My pleasure Pam. Although the hiking trails are not abundant here, you can walk and bike everywhere. It is a great little town. It has definitely been a great summer for us. When are you heading back west?
What a great piece, we really need to put this on our travel plans …. hopefully next year we would like to be up in that neck of the woods / ok beach…grinning. Thanks for the great information as usual.
My pleasure Diana. This is a very special town. I think you and George would love it. 🙂
We also enjoyed Port Tonwsend very much ! Too bad we just missed each other. The free concert on Thursdays at the dock was fun !
It is too bad we missed one another but I feel that will be a meet-up soon. 😉 We did go to the free concert at the dock as well. This is a town we would love to come back to visit.
Port Townsend is on my list of places I want to see. Great pictures – thanks.
You mean there is finally a place I have visited that you have not? 😉 It is a wonderful little town Andrew.
It had to happen sooner or later. 😉
😀
What a nice tour! Love harbor towns, especially ones with a historical feel. Thanks for sharing.
My pleasure! It is a special town for sure.
What a quaint little spot. That Rose Theater made me smile. Love the comfy chairs!
I love the quirky vibe to this special little town Sue. I think we would go back just to visit the Rose Theatre again.
One of my favorite towns since we got on the road! I loved the hippie creative vibe.
Me too Lisa. It would definitely be a town I could live in, depending upon how I felt about the weather the rest of the year. 😉
Oh, your description of the salmon panini is so mouthwatering. I need one right now. 🙂 Port Townsend sound like a really wonderful place to visit, LuAnn. What a pretty lighthouse too.
I know you appreciate good food Sylvia. I have seen posts of yours with some “made-to-drool” eats. You would have loved this panini.
Love the thought of starting the day strolling a quaint town with a nice cup of coffee in hand…. perfect! Can’t wait for the lavender post (my latest interest). I’m currently reading a book about lavender farming.
It felt so perfect to start the day that way Ingrid, even when it was a bit rainy and foggy.
For four years, Oregon and Washington have been on my bucket list. Port Townsend sounds and looks like a place we would really enjoy!
I love your posts LuAnn…not only your beautiful photography (love the photo of the sailboats and the zinnias), but also your clever and mouth watering descriptions!
Thanks so much Gay. We have decided that Oregon and Washington are two of our very favorite states. 🙂
This is an area we are itching to spend time in and next year it may be on the list, it’s John’s #1. Thanks for the wonderful tour. Will be interested in your thoughts on Sequim as it is where John wants to have an extended stay.
We absolutely loved Port Townsend. If it wasn’t so pricey and perhaps rainy various times of the year, this would definitely be on our short list. Sequim will be my next post. 🙂
We love Port Townsend and even considered moving there several years ago, until we decided to go on the road full-time instead! It is a lovely, quirky town, and you’ve captured it beautifully in your words and photos, LuAnn. Sounds like an idyllic five days — next time we’ll have to check out the docent tour at the Maritime Center. The Rose Theatre and Farmers’ Market are two of our favorites, as well. Your site on the waterfront has a terrific view!
I am looking forward to your discoveries while the two of you were in Port Townsend. This is definitely a town that should be on the short list.
I hear they do damn fine coffee (Twin peaks reference alert!) around there. It is easy to forget that there are other wonderful places on the west Coast after all the nature you have been treating us too. I love in dependent cinema, the films can be of such high standard and those chairs…I would be a regular there.
They do make some fabulous coffee in Port Townsend. The Rose Theatre is so special. If I lived there you would find me in the Starlight Room often.
Grilled salmon panini! Sounds wonderful LuAnn. From our experiences in Oregon and Washington, these folks know how to prepare salmon: Alder-smoked…yumm. We passed through PT years ago on our way to a ferry ride through the Juan de Fuca Straits (do this if you can, it’s incredible). ~James
Thanks for the tip. We are volunteering on Lopez Island right now and are loving it!
Oh – how I would love to visit that theater!
The Rose Theatre is the very best we have ever been to. 🙂