Port Townsend, Washington: Built on Dreams and Whiskey

When the Puget Sound seaport of Port Townsend was founded in 1851, some considered it a “City of Dreams.” Settled on the heels of the Gold Rush, there were hopes that it would thrive as the largest port on the west coast, a gateway to the Northwest. Others called it the “City that Whiskey Built.” Transient sailors, soldiers and miners converged in saloons along the wharfs; contraband was plentiful; parlors of ill repute even more so. It was sin at sea level. Take that seagoing lore in the town, add in Victorian architecture at every turn, update it with a plethora of art, music and boating festivals, and Port Townsend becomes a modern-day city of dreams for getaways on the Olympic Peninsula.

Port Townsend is a 2 ½- to 3-hour drive from Seattle (shortest time is via the Seattle-Bainbridge car ferry), and the city blends together the best of old and new. Walking down Water Street, the city’s main street along Puget Sound, it’s like stepping back in time. I pass the old City Hall and buildings that once served as rooming houses, saloons and dry goods stores. Now City Hall hosts a fascinating historical museum, the “rooms” are Victorian-style accommodations within the hotels, charming boutiques have replaced the dry goods, and the saloons — well, some good things remain the same. More than anything, however, the city revolves around its rich maritime heritage.

Maritime Festivals & More

Every September, Port Townsend becomes home to the largest wooden boat festival in North America. More than 300 wooden vessels dot the area’s waterways with islands in the distance as a backdrop. Thousands of visitors flock to the town to board a boat or for the many festivities and demonstrations planned or to simply enjoy this charming, laid back corner of Washington State. Wooden boats, however, are a year-round focus. The Wooden Boat Foundation, situated along the waterfront, is a resource and destination for wooden boat enthusiasts from all over the country. I pop into one of the soaring workshop one day and witness craftsmen employing time-honored traditions to replicate old tenders, scamps and more. The goal, I’m told, is “to keep the craft alive” and in fact, the entire waterfront with its many boatyards is a locus for woodworkers, sail makers and riggers.

There is a constant hum to Port Townsend, especially given its popularity as an easy weekend escape from the Seattle and Tacoma areas. Plan well in advance if your goal is to enjoy one of the many area festivals, which range from boats to bluegrass and fiddling, to poetry, arts and antlers. Many events take place at Fort Worden State Park, a turn-of-the-century army base — better known as the setting for the film “An Officer and a Gentleman.” It’s a bit of natural bliss just two miles from downtown with its beaches, wooded hills and open fields framed by stunning vistas of the Olympic and Cascade ranges. Historic structures remain such as the Commanding Officer’s Quarters, overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which can be toured. There are also hiking and biking trails, spots for picnicking and camping, and the park is a haven for photographers.

Natural Park Beauty

A short 45-minute drive away is Olympic National Park spanning close to a million acres, above which crests Mount Olympus at nearly 8,000 feet. The park features three types of eco-systems from sandy coastal beaches, to the lush canopy of temperate rainforests, to high-elevation alpine slopes and summits. Rivers and lakes link ocean to land. For a diverse experience, consider sampling from each eco-system by car; park destinations can be reached via Highway 101, which circumnavigates the Olympic Peninsula. Alternatively, embark on day hikes, stay at campgrounds, or join easy, Ranger-led interpretive talks and campfire events which are held in the summer.

Back to the home base of Port Townsend, there are seasonal puffin cruises (summer), cruises in search of orcas, humpback and mink whales (May-October), and bird migration cruises (Spring and Fall) in which to partake. A daylong tour to the nearby San Juan Islands is also a beautiful, scenic excursion that can include whale sightings.

High and Dry Allure

I myself don’t mind, however, staying high and dry meandering around town or indulging in winery visits in the immediate area and nearby Sequim and Port Angeles. Also a favorite of mine is the historical museum in town, the Jefferson Museum of Art and History. There’s a section displaying historic firefighting and maritime artifacts, but quirkier and more interesting are the downstairs rooms. A local historian tells me that author Jack London was once incarcerated there, supposedly because he was “in the cups” and a lady of the evening brought him there for safekeeping so he wouldn’t be robbed. Adjacent is a room that tells the story of parlor houses, which were “elegant, and some downright palatial.” Forget bordellos and brothels — Port Townsend had style.

The Sweets of Port Townsend

That brings me to the Palace Hotel, perhaps the best bargain for elegant, Old World-style accommodations in Port Townsend, with a convenient location right on Water Street. The Romanesque-style brick building was constructed by a retired sea captain in the late 1800’s and later had an interesting historical twist:  in the 1920’s and 30’s, the two upper floors became affectionately known as “The Palace of Sweets” — not for candy but for ladies. Now, each of the Victorian-decorated rooms is named after one of them. I stay in Cecilia’s room. At the top of the hotel’s long staircase stands the painting of the “Lady in Blue.” They say she is in mourning over a lost lover and sometimes comes out of her portrait at night to wander the halls in search of him. Some guests say they hear or spot her or the other ladies of the house in the wee hours, though they are usually friendly encounters.

Not everyone buys into these stories, however. Wrote one guest in the “ghost book” maintained by the hotel: “I came. I ate. I drank. I slept. I left. But I didn’t see no damn ghosts! That doesn’t mean there aren’t any. Maybe I just didn’t drink enough.” Ghostbusters have also been known to hit the town with sensors to detect paranormal activity.

Other visitors to Port Townsend choose the natural over the supernatural – storm chasing. Mary Hewitt, a manager at the Waterstreet Hotel, describes storm chasing at its winter best. The water, she says becomes, “so furious at high tide that sea foam blows …” It blows up the side streets that connect to the waterfront, and says Mary, with the sun peeping its rays between clouds of gray, it creates a panorama of rainbows amidst the foam. “This is the best town for storms,” she adds.

Her pick for storm watching is in one of the spacious suites in the Waterstreet Hotel — in Victorian style of course — that overlook the water. One has panoramic windows that offer sweeping vistas of Port Townsend including views of the old bell tower, church steeple, and the turret of the Ann Starrett Mansion. Within the latter, at the time of the solstice and equinox, beams shine through the stained glass window and fall upon the fresco which denotes the season at hand.

Suffice it to say that for a Seattle area diversion, Port Townsend is an easy getaway that can be part magical, part quirky; a laid back town that at the same time has a constant hum; a historical gem with contemporary twists and fanfare. Sin at sea level has never been so enticing.