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| Aboard Zodiac, Puget Sound, WA |
Since reading The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier earlier this summer, I particularly wanted to see a glass blowing demonstration, and I wasn't disappointed. We watched the crew make a cat pitcher out of glass like the ones shown below--they weren't available in the gift shop yet, or I would've bought one!
After enjoying Tacoma, we headed north, stopping in Port Ludlow for lunch, where we saw this very cool totem pole.
Then on to Port Townsend for the Wooden Boat Festival. This was our 4th time attending the festival, and it never disappoints. We stayed about a mile from the marina where the festival is held, right on the water where we watched herons and gulls as well as a herd of deer each morning. We got well over 10k steps a day--walking to/from the festival, as well as roaming the docks, walking to various venues, etc.
The highpoints of the trip:
1) Chatting with a boat builder who built virtually the same boat that my husband, Jeff is currently building. He was a wealth of valuable information.
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| Zodiac |
3) Attending two absolutely terrific bird talks - one on puffins, by John Piatt, marine biologist and director of the World Puffin Congress, and one on the world of seabirds, by Peter Harrison, renowned seabird expert and author of the definitive guidebook on seabirds.
4) Discovering a couple of great new restaurants--if you are ever in Port Townsend, try Finistere for an upscale meal (we had a sampling of small plates and sides to share), and Tommyknockers for delicious Cornish pasties.
As always in the Pacific Northwest, we had a great time with mild weather (only one rainy afternoon) and found interesting, friendly dogs and people, including Bug and owner!
This sounds like such a fun trip. Thanks for sharing your pics. And did you get to see any puffins? They're high on my want-to-see bird list.
ReplyDeleteWe didn't see puffins on this trip, but I've seen them on both the Atlantic Coast and just off Port Townsend. Our first time to the town was for a whale watching trip, and the captain took us to the island known for loads of puffins. They are so cool!
DeleteThe Pacific Northwest is so beautiful and the photos are wonderful including Bug. He is certainly a magestic dog. Glad you had such great trip Jane.
ReplyDeleteI love big dogs, and Bug was definitely a gentle giant.
DeleteWhat a fun trip! Glad you had a great time. Those cat pitchers are wonderful 😻
ReplyDeleteI want one! I've been checking the online gift shop to see if they will turn up.
DeleteIn all the years we've traveled to Seattle, Des Moines (WA), and the Kitsap Penninsula, we have never stopped in Tacoma. The Glass Museum sounds like a good reason to do so next time we're up that way. We do have a lot of glass blowing studios in our area (Newport, Lincoln City, etc.), and we have several glass floats that we've purchased over the years. Our granddaughter even made one several years ago at the glass studio in Taft.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember if we've ever stopped in Port Ludlow, but I know we got some great pastries in Port Gamble on our way to my dad's home in Kingston.
Isn't Port Townsend a wonderful town?! We love staying at Point Hudson RV & Marina, which is so close to town. Like you, I walk a lot while we're visiting. How cool that your husband is building a boat! My dad lived on a wooden boat (on Lake Union) for 17 years. We do love boats in our family! I made a note of those two restaurants for our next visit. We enjoyed The Old Whiskey Mill the first time we visited in our RV, but it hasn't been as good the past two times. We also like Salish Grill (formerly Docs). Glad you had such a great trip!
I know Tacoma still gets a bad rap, but we enjoy visiting it and have some favorite spots.
DeleteNow I'll have to put Port Gamble on the list for next year! We also like to stop in Gig Harbor for lunch at Net Shed #9, and then I visit the used bookstore down the hill :)
I simply cannot imagine living on a boat, but I know it happens! Like Ratty in Wind in the Willows; "There is nothing — absolutely nothing — half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. "
We had lunch at the Salish Grill this year had eaten there a couple of years ago when it was Docs--great chowder!
You can see all of Port Gamble in a couple of hours. It's not very big. We have stopped in Gig Harbor a couple of times, but parking with the RV is a challenge.
DeleteI think I could live on a boat if it were moored in a place like Port Townsend, Poulsbo, or maybe Lake Union (Seattle). I'd rather live in an RV, though. Less chance of sinking!
Yes, Docs/Salish Grill has great chowder! I'm ready to return.
Those pitchers are cute. I don't blame you for almost buying one.
ReplyDeleteHow big is the wooden boat that your husband is building? That boat (1) is really cool. My husband wants to take a boat building course. We have not been to Port Townsend in many years but it would be fun to visit. Glad you had a good time.
ReplyDeleteJeff is building a 12.5 foot Soames Sound. He took three courses at the Wooden Boat School in Brooklin, ME, which meant visiting Maine for 1-2 weeks at a time, which I loved.
DeleteThat's a beautiful boat! You'll have great fun with it. Hey, Susan! If you wind up visiting Port Townsend, we should all meet up. :)
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