Ashley Forrette
Port Hudson Marina
Port Hudson Marina is just one of the many reasons to visit the City of Port Townsend.Story and photos by Anne Norup
Lapping waves splash upon the pebble-sand beach while gulls soar on the wind overhead. Paddlers glide by in brightly colored kayaks. Dog walkers stroll along the well-groomed beach trail with Mt. Baker and the Cascade Mountains as a backdrop. Mouth-watering scents drift from any one of the three restaurants just steps away from your door. All this is part of your RV experience in Port Townsend at the Point Hudson RV Park in the heart of one of the country’s three Victorian Seaports. www.portofpt.com/rv_park.htm
It’s an easy five-minute walk or quick drive to charming downtown shops, galleries and restaurants, including cafes, bistros, bakeries and pubs. Port Townsend has two National Historic Landmark Districts—the downtown/uptown area and Fort Worden State Park. Most of the businesses downtown are housed in historic buildings erected in the 1890s when the city had dreams of becoming the “New York of the West.” Visit the Jefferson County Museum of Art and History and watch their award-winning movie, “We Came With Dreams” to learn more about the people who built the city and the continuing lure Port Townsend has for both its residents and visitors alike. The museum is open year-round. www.jchsmuseum.org
Tour the uptown area where stately Victorian homes line quiet streets. A map of historic homes and buildings is available at the Point Hudson RV Park office. A flight of steps are located by Haller Fountain on the corner of Washington Street and Taylor Street and lead to the uptown district.
Port Townsend’s art scene is vibrant with live music on most Friday and Saturday nights, local theatre performances at Key City Public Theatre (www.KeyCityPublicTheatre.org) and other performances hosted throughout the year by Centrum in Fort Worden State Park (www.Centrum.org). Gallery Walk is held the first Saturday of every month, from 5:30-8 p.m. when both the downtown and uptown galleries are open late, offering refreshments and showcasing new work by a variety of artists.
The Port Townsend Farmers Market is held uptown, on the corner of Lawrence Street and Taylor Street, every Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., April through November and additionally on Wednesdays, on Tyler Street, from 3-6 p.m., May through September. This Farmers Market was voted the best in Washington State in 2011. It’s not to be missed. www.JeffersonCountyFarmersMarket.org
Outdoor opportunities abound if you’re looking for fresh air, stunning scenery and a little exercise. Bicyclists enjoy wide bike lanes throughout the city. The Port Townsend Visitor Information Center at 440 12th Street has maps of trails that wind throughout town. Bikes are available to rent seasonally. There are miles of trails for hiking. If you brought your clubs, play nine holes at the Port Townsend Golf Club, located a five-minute drive from Point Hudson RV Park. www.PortTownsendGolf.com
Port Townsend’s second National Historic Landmark District is Fort Worden State Park, with 434 glorious acres of historic buildings, museums, trails, and two campgrounds (www.parks.wa.gov/fortworden/camping.aspx). One campground is along the beach near Point Wilson Lighthouse and the other is set back in the woods. It’s easy to spend a full day exploring this magnificent state park. There’s something that will appeal to everyone in the family here. The Port Townsend Marine Science Center (www.ptmsc.org) has touch pools and an aquarium. The Coast Artillery Museum is fascinating to tour with its military history exhibits (www.CoastArtilleryMusuem.org) and the Commanding Officer’s Quarters Museum is filled with antiques from the early 20th century (www.jchsmuseum.org/coq.html).
Fort Worden State Park is a half-hour beach walk away from Point Hudson RV Park or it’s a ten-minute drive between downtown Port Townsend and the park.
A third campground in the Port Townsend area is at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. It’s located in a rural, quiet country setting. Trails to Fort Worden State Park are easily accessible and there’s a beach just a few blocks away. www.JeffCoFairgrounds.com
Give yourself several days to stay in Port Townsend since there are so many things to see and do.
Or schedule your trip to include one of the many festivals that occur throughout the year. A schedule of these events can be found at www.PTGuide.com or explore www.EnjoyPT.com.
SIDE BAR:
Here are details you’ll want to know to plan your RV getaway to Port Townsend.
Point Hudson RV Park
103 Hudson Street
Port Townsend, WA 98368
800.228.2803
Located on the beach of Admiralty Inlet, views are of Whidbey Island and Mt. Baker, but best is the easy walk to Port Townsend’s delightful restaurants, shops and museums as well as a walk along the beach to Fort Worden State Park.
48 sites, some are waterfront, full hook-ups with free Wi-Fi, cable TV, laundry, showers, pets okay with restrictions, pull-throughs available
Prices range from $20-$52
Fort Worden State Park
200 Battery Way
Port Townsend, WA 98368
360.344.4431
www.parks.wa.gov/fortworden/camping.aspx
Beach campground: Features 50 full-service (water, electric and sewer) hookup sites tucked between the bluffs and the beaches of Point Wilson. The sites are level, spacious and open; most sites have an amazing view of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Upper campground: Features 30 sites with water and electricity, and a sewer dump station nearby. The campsites are mostly forested, some with privacy. They are fairly level, and quite long. This campground offers easy access to miles of trails.
Maximum RV length is 75’, laundry, showers, pets okay with restrictions
Prices range from $13-$42
Jefferson County Fairgrounds
4907 Landes Street
Port Townsend, WA 98368
360.385.1013
www.jeffcofairgrounds.com/JeffCo_Site/Campground_.html
No reservations—first come, first serve with a self-pay station
Groups welcome
80 campsites, with 18 full hookups, 40 with electricity and water, 22 campsites
Showers, on-site camp host, pets okay
Prices range from $15-$20
Anne Norup is a freelance writer who lives on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State.