Pacific Northwest April-May 2023
On Sunday April 28 Peg and Elaine went to church with Karen and Beth. The service was lovely. Then after a little rest William, Peg and Elaine drove to Karen and Beth’s house on Samish Island for a lovely lunch of barbecue from Brando’s in Bow, WA.
On the 29th, Elaine, William, and Peg took another ferry to Port Townsend, WA, which is on the northeast tip of the Olympic Peninsula. Port Townsend is known for its many lovely Victorian buildings remaining from its late 19th century heyday.
View of the Olympic Mountains from Fort Casey State Park, near Coupeville, WA
The Kingsbury Battery at Fort Casey State Park.
Rare 10-inch “disappearing” gun at Fort Casey, from 1903.
Smile
Driftwood at Fort Casey shore. There were signs prohibiting driftwood collection, and they appear to be effective.
The entrance/exit to Fort Casey park
Ferry wake, as we get underway to Port Townsend from Coupeville.
Beautiful day on the ferry.
Looking back to the mainland and seeing Mount Baker.
A really cool museum, the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, was located in two buildings in Fort Worden State Park near Port Townsend. Elaine was very surprised at how stiff the baleen felt on this gray whale skull. She got a little thrill at touching it
Map of the Salish Sea
Orca skeleton in the science center
From the marine science center deck, looking across the Salish Sea towards Mount Baker
Elaine and Peg on the science center deck.
Sea star and sea urchin at the marine science center.
A variety of sea anemone we had not seen before.
A red sea star and a sea cucumber.
More sea cucumbers
Sea star and anemones
Rhododendrons as we were leaving Fort Worden
Jefferson County courthouse in Port Townsend, built in 1892 in the Romanesque Revival style.
Art gallery and totem pole in downtown Port Townsend
When we took the ferry back to Coupeville, all the restaurants were full or closed. So we drove on to Oak Harbor and ate a late dinner at rustica. William had his favorite, a cioppino that consisted of mussels, clams, fish, shrimp, tomato, pimento and grilled bread. But they were out of clams, so William got extra mussels.
