Port Townsend, Washington

If you ever get the chance to visit Seattle area and have an extra day to spare, Port Townsend is an absolute must destination. Located about 2 hours northwest of downtown Seattle (on a no traffic day) it is a great day trip or short weekend getaway. There’s surprisingly quite a lot to do in this small coastal town. Would highly recommend doing a stop in Port Townsend on your way over to Olympic National Park (another absolute must).

The reason I even made this journey in the first place was Port Townsend is known for having one of the best sea glass/beach glass beaches in the United States. Because you have to hike 3 miles on the beach to get there, it has not been as picked through as many others. Though lessons were learned that if you take someone who loves looking for sea glass you won’t make it to the actual beach as it will take you over one hour to walk one mile due to the constant searching for this treasure. Lessons for next time.

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After we got our fill of sea glass hunting, we decided to head back into the town we passed earlier. On our way we decided to make a quick little pitstop at Fort Worden. Fort Worden was originally designed as a military base to protect the Puget Sound and is now a state park when you can learn the history of the fort, camp at one of their many campgrounds or even get the chance to stay in some of the old bunkers or old commanding officer’s homes. It’s still a completely functional base including a chapel, mess hall, artillery museum, canteen, etc. If someone were really into military history this would be a super fun place to stay just for the history aspect.

If military history isn’t your thing then you will definitely find something in the main part of town you may enjoy. It kind of reminds me a little of Boulder, CO or Charlevoix, MI if you have ever been to those two towns. Shops and restaurants line up the main street filled with just about everything. Jewelry stores, stores for the outdoorsman, independent book stores and even a 50’s inspired diner. Plus some of the best seafood ever. No better word to describe it than quaint.

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Port Townsend is just another thing that makes Washington so great. Finding these little coastal towns is one of my favorite weekend adventures and I look forward to exploring them all. Though they are similar there is something about them that makes all of them just a little unique. Definitely put this place on your list to visit for the Pacific Northwest. Already looking forward to my next trip back to Port Townsend.

Until Next Time, The Library Abroad