last fall, we decided to travel further into the pacific northwest for the Easter Weekend. We threw our bikes on the old Sentra's roof rack and took the little ferry from Fort Casey to Port Townsend. We stayed at 'The Palace', a charming Victorian hotel right in the heart of 'downtown' (as opposed to 'uptown' in Port Townsend). Like Steveston in Richmond, Port Townsend is a little town that's full of charm and history, and it really feels like it's out of time. There's a lot of independent shops run by owners who know everyone's name and what they like (or don't like) in their coffee.It was incredibly windy there the first afternoon - crazy windy!! But fun to walk around and enjoy the many great sights within walking distance of the hotel. We had a good meal at the pub that evening - aptly called 'The Public House'.
The next day we discovered a little cafe that we would end up going to several times, as it had fantastic food and a great atmosphere: the Bread & Roses Bakery. Highly recommend it if it's still there when you visit and if the management has maintained its charm (we noticed it was listed for sale at the reality office).All of the cycling built up our appetite, especially the ride around Fort Worden, which is a decommisioned military fort encompassing a good portion of Port Townsend. The great weather made up for the wind, which made the riding a little tougher. But the sights were great - the old bunk
ers and what not are fantastic. My brothers and I spent HOURS exploring them when we holidayed in PT in our early teen years. Though I must admint they are not quite as intertesting now, at least not in the same way.That night we had a very nice dinner at a lovely restaurant called Fins, with a table overlooking the ocean. Fran and I, after a few glasses of wine, got into some very deep conversation, but it was nonetheless a very pleasant - if not at times heavy - dinner; and I'm not talking about the food. All heaviness lifted with a brisk walk after dinner along the waterfront and capped off with another great sleep at the Palace.
The next morning, after a good payload from our Easter chocolate hunt, we drove to Sequim (pronounced 'squim') on the recommendation of the concierge. About 20 miles away from PT, we parked our car in Sequim and rode our bikes along a dedicated bike path all the way to Port Angeles; about a 20 mile bike ride. The path wove through farmland, forest, and ocean front, and it was a very reasonable ride and quite beautiful - aside from the ride by the local gun club (photo - we didn't need to dismount). Once in Port Angeles (not much to say about PA - Victoria ferry terminal and a bit dull) , for $.75 each we hopped on a city bus equipped with bike racks and enjoyed american chips and soda while we returned to where we started in Sequim. A very nice, and well priced, 3-hour adventure indeed. I think the chips and soda were the most expensive feature of the journey.
All in all, a very pleasant Easter weekend.
