Port Townsend, Washington's Victorian Gem

In the mid to late 1800s, Port Townsend was the main port of entry to Puget Sound and the largest town on the Olympic Peninsula but as Seattle's popularity grew, Port Townsend's prosperity declined.

Nowadays it's a very popular tourist destination offering quaint shops and extremely atmospheric B&B's in restored Victorian homes. The Northwest's largest collection of Victorian homes and buildings on the National Register are located in Port Townsend and many of them are open for tours.

The Fire Bell Tower sits on a hill above town and the 1890 bell was used to signal the volunteer firemen during emergencies. When we visited it, two deer quietly sat and watched until we left.

North of Port Townsend, Ford Worden was the setting for the movie "An Officer and a Gentleman" and it also houses the Point Wilson Lighthouse.

Port Townsend gets less rainfall than Seattle and has a mild climate which makes it a popular destination year round.

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Best Way To Get Around:

The waterfront district's main shopping and restaurant area is about six blocks long so easy to walk around.

We wanted to stay in a Victorian era B&B but didn''t have reservations and after checking with seven that were fully booked, we came across the Palace Hotel.

It''s located on the main street downtown and was built in the late 1800''s to serve as a bordello. The rooms are named after the "ladies of the night" who worked here and we had Miss Claire''s room.

Some of the rooms have private bathrooms but ours shared a large bathroom with two other rooms. Luckily for us, the other rooms weren''t rented so we had the bathroom to ourself. As well as an old fashioned claw foot tub, there was a separate shower, a pedestal sink and lots of thick, fluffy cream coloured towels. Toiletries, including individual packets of herbal bath salts were personalized with a sketch of the hotel.

Our extremely high ceilinged room had a double and a single bed, rocking chair, straight back chair, a wardrobe for hanging clothes, a T.V., fan (no air conditioning in the 1800''s you know) and a table with a coffee maker and an assortment of coffee and tea supplies. The room was decorated in yellow and blue and the beds had patchwork quilts with corresponding colours. We were near the Water Street entrance so it was a bit noisey at night but not loud enough or long enough to create a nuisance.

Breakfast was left outside the door on an old fashioned padded footstool. It consisted of orange juice, fresh orange segments and a couple of danish pastries.

The rooms are all on the 2nd and 3rd floor of the hotel and there is no elevator, just an extremely wide stair case. The parlor on the 2nd floor is filled with antiques and stained glass accents and there is a library for guest use, as well as various magazines in each room.

In keeping with the Victorian theme, a store inside the hotel lobby sells Victorian era clothing and accessories.

There is free parking at the back of the hotel and lots of shops and restaurants within a few blocks.

The price was very reasonable - $65.00 per night for two people, including breakfast and all taxes.

Built in 1885, The Belmont is the only remaining 1880s waterfront restaurant in Port Townsend.

It's quite a large place, with two levels of seating, as well as cozy booths at the entrance and outside seating on the back deck overlooking the water. Inside, brick walls, lots of wooden furnishings and stained glass all enhance the Victorian decor.

Service was efficient and pleasant and the food was scrumptious. I had penne pasta with portobello, shiitake and buttom mushrooms in a spicey sun dried tomato, basil and pepper vodka sauce. It was served with steamed vegetables and grilled Italian garlic bread. My sister had chicken dijon that was served with a grated potato, poppy seed and cheese casserole. Both meals were delicious and the price was under $14.00 each. For dessert, we split carmelized, sliced bananas that were served with vanilla ice cream and a dark rum sauce - decadent, and at $4.25, what a bargain! Other dessert options (all under $5.00) included chocolate Grand Marnier ganache tart or chocolate Chambord cheesecake.

Some of the other menu items that seemed especially interesting were grilled rack of lamb wrapped with pancetta ham ($18.95), prawn or chicken fajita salad served with a tequila lime sauce ($8.95) and fresh oysters served with a wasabi cocktail sauce (6 for $8.00 or a dozen for $15.00). The chef here is definitely a keeper!

As well as a large wine list, there is an extensive selection of Port.

The restaurant is open 7 days a week, from 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Fort Worden to the north of Port Townsend, Fort Casey across Puget Sound on Whidby Island and Fort Flagler on Marrowstone Island (about 1/2 hour southwest of Port Townsend) made up a defense area known as "The Triangle of Fire".

Now State Parks, the forts were built in the late 1800s to guard Puget Sound and Bremerton's Naval shipyards. The forts were equipped with disappearing guns. Once discharged, these guns swung back out of view of any retaliating ships. They could be quickly reloaded and swung back into place to start the whole process again.

At Fort Flagler, many of the original buildings are still in existence, including the Hospital Steward's House, the Non-Commissioned Officers Housing and Waterway House which was used as a hospital dispensary. These buildings can be rented as vacation houses and there is a hostel on site as well as a public boat launch and lots of hiking trails.

The museum at Fort Flagler has a brochure for a self guided tour and also shows a continuously running thirteen minute video detailing the history of the Fort and the surrounding area. Near the entrance to the museum is a large wheel barrow that contains bits and pieces of china, tools, shells, etc. that have been found on the site and appear to be from the early days of the Fort.

We were looking for the Marrowstone lighthouse but found only a squat structure with no light. When we asked one of the museum volunteers, she said that Fort Flagler never really had a lighthouse. Instead, a large bell was attached to a house near the water's edge and the bell was rung whenever a ship got too close to shore.

All three forts are in scenic locations overlooking Puget Sound and are a worthwhile stop for anyone interested in military history, lighthouses or those who just want a scenic location for a picnic.

Admission to the Fort Flagler Museum is by donation.

This house was built in 1868 for the middle class family of D.C.H. Rothschild, a very distant relation to the European banking family. Port Townsend's Rothschild was a prominent merchant who owned and operated the general store in town.

The house was given to the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission in 1959 by one of his descendants and it was turned into a state park. It was listed on the National Register in 1974 and until recently, was the smallest state park in Washington (supposedly that distinction has now been given to a grave site).

Almost all of the furnishings in the home belonged to the Rothschilds. The parlor and front hall still have the original wall and ceiling paper and the halls and guest bedroom still have the original carpet. The woodwork in the front hall is actually a paint treatment that was made to look like wood panelling - quite a feat nowadays but considering it was done in the late 1800s, even more impressive. Near the firplace, the side closet was used as a blanket warmer - smart thinking since there was no central heating in those days.

Outside, the extensive gardens are a treat to wander through. In mid July, the rose garden is at its most magnificent. There were still some roses in bloom when we visited and they were very fragrant. There are plaques notating the year the rose was first hybridized and some date from the late 1700s and early to mid 1800s.

The herb garden has one of the largest rosemary bushes I've ever seen, as well as old fashioned plants like Fever Few and Bible Leaf.

There is a guide at the house who gives some history of the family and what their life was like in the 1800s. He is also more than happy to answer any questions.

The museum is open 7 days a week, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is $2.00. You're not allowed to take any flash photos.