A weekend in the Olympic Peninsula.

Birthday Trip Kidnapped On My Birthday!
A weekend in the Olympic Peninsula.

When one shares a birthday date with such memorial events as the date Abraham Lincoln was shot (1865), the Titanic struck an iceberg (1912) and (while on things icy) - Birdseye Foods® is awarded a patent for fish sticks (1927), one hopes her luck isn't written by the way of these events. So…how is it going? "So far so good!"

For those who are impolite enough to ask, I'm stating my age as the legal speed limit, of course depending on one's locality that could mean anything from 20 - 75, if you can't figure it out, I'm not going to spell it out. I've had some memorable birthdays over the years - it's just that I'm having a hard time remembering them. However, without exception this years birthday had to be the best!

My best friend (who also happens to be my husband) kidnapped me. Actually I had 24-hours notice (he knows me so well that he allowed me this time to get my affairs in order). I was given a pre-birthday birthday card that simply stated, "It's the birthday season, so you know what that means? Road Trip!!" I was to pack for 2 nights, that's all I knew. I hadn't a clue as to where I was being taken, just that we were traveling by car and I was a willing participant - let the adventure begin!

Friday morning we departed and headed north, crossed over the Columbia River and made our way into Washington State. Two hours later, just in time for an early lunch, we arrived in Olympia, (state capital of Washington). After a bit of zigging and zagging through Olympia we hit pay dirt in locating the restaurant that we've both been to some 15 years before, called The Olympia Oyster House. It boasts itself as the "oldest seafood restaurant in the state of Washington," established in 1924. Due to a major renovation a few years earlier it isn't anything like we remembered, but it is exactly the restaurant we had in mind for our lunchtime meal. The freshest seafood of the Pacific Northwest! This restaurant holds fond memories for my first visit was in 1986, on my first trip to the Northwest while still a resident of the mid-west. Once again we dinned in 1992 when living in San Francisco and traveling to Vancouver, Canada.

Mountains What a glorious day for a road trip, the sun had finally burned its way through the winter shroud that generally covers us webfooters from November through April and things were looking lush with spring blooms as far as the eye could see. From Olympia we headed northwest via Highway 101, along the Hood Canal; this is the eastern slope of the Olympic Peninsula and Gateway to the San Juan Islands. As the canal meanders so does this coastline road dotted with fishing towns with fun names like Potlach, Hamma Hamma, and Duckabush. While our finial destination was still a secret it's pretty obvious that somewhere in the Olympic peninsula will be our home for the next few nights. As the Hwy 101 ventures further, we continued north on State Route 20 and it became clear that we're headed for the Victorian town of Port Townsend, WA & Port Townsend.

It's like being transported back into time, into the 1800's when this seaport town was first established. Victorian architecture abounds in this area; it is charming and wonderfully serene. The backdrop of this town is the Olympic Mountains with their snow-capped 7,000-foot peaks stretching across the horizon. Downtown laps the peaceful water's edge of the Strait of Jan de Fuca but most of the resident homes hang from steep buffs lending to spectacular costal and mountain views. Time may have forgotten this village of 25,000 residents but it has all the modern amenities anyone could want. Its mild year-round climate has made it a popular retirement mecca. Designated as a National Historic District, one of only three Victorian seaports listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the US and the only one on the west coast.

We spent most of the late afternoon leisurely wandering the numerous unique shops art galleries, museums and restaurants that make up the Victorian downtown water front. After our stroll we drive up onto the steep streets that surround Port Townsend to our living quarters for our bi-nightly-stay. They call this bed and breakfast, The Old Consulate Inn, as this charming Victorian Mansion (build in 1889) once served as the German Consulate from 1908 - 1911, dubbed one of the most photographed Victorian Mansions in the Northwest. We were shown to our 2nd floor room that is named the Master Anniversary Suite. This spacious abode has a King-size Victorian four-poster canopy bed with breathtaking views to the bay. The windowed rotunda sitting room houses two Queen Anne chairs perfect for spending time in reflection of the past, one's future or simply reading a great book all while sipping a complementary glass of port. The room is made cozy by a crackling fire in a wood-burning stove that helps take the chill out on rainy coastal nights. The grand bath has a claw-foot soaking tub placed at a slight slant from the wall reminiscent of luxuriant baths in Victorian times. A soak in that deep comfortable tub primed with scented bath salts and awaiting fluffy deep piled bath towels and robes helped to ease whatever tension was left in me after this exciting day.

Our evening dinner choices were numerous as Port Townsend is home to a large and varied number of dinning establishments. Almost any cuisine selection is available: the only difficult choice is paring the list down to one. We choose "T's," a relaxing bistro close to our Inn in the center of the town's busy shipyard. Our fireside table was charming and the perfect setting for our intimate dinner. Our host and hostess Gary and Nancy Tocatllian along with their chef and staff sons, Matthew and Timothy truly make this a family affair eatery. We've dinned in four and five star restaurants all over the world but have had never a finer meal then we had at T's. Just reading their menu made our mouths water; while Rob's salad low-level warning light was on, he went for the Classic Caesar (made to order and just as he liked with extra anchovies mashed in the dressing). I selected the day's soup - a wild mushroom and onion, its rich hardy broth had aromatic earthy flavors - indescribably excellent - each sip was a pleasure. However I warn you, they have the largest soupspoons in the world! While each dish on the menu described a feast, the meals served were every bit as superb - the Pan Roasted Wild Sea Scallops with herbed potato gnocchi, slow-roasted pumpkin cream, walnut-sage brown butter and tomato olive tapenade is a five-star winner. T's is one restaurant not to be missed - my only complaint is that it's a four- hour drive from home!

Olympic Peninsula
Washington
Click for enlarged view (104 KB)
Courtesy, MapQuest

Leisurely at 9:00 a.m. this bed and breakfast serves breakfast family style around a large table accommodating the other 7 rooms of guests - we met a family from New York as well as many from California and other parts of the Pacific Northwest. Even another couple whose husband also surprised his wife with a birthday get-away weekend! This morning the clouds have taken up residence again yet are still high enough to lend an astounding view of the Olympic Mountains. We're off for another day's venture further west to have lunch in Port Angeles, the county seat of Clallam County and gateway to Victoria, Canada - just a one-hour ferry ride across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Along the way we pass little harbors that have east coast namesakes such as Port Williams, Jamestown and Old Town. We make a brief but worthy stop at the town of Sequim (pronounced "Skwim"), known as the Lavender Capital of North America. Built along the highway is the tribal community center for the Jamestown S'klallam Native American Indians and features a terrific Indian arts and crafts store. This tribal, cultural and gallery center is rich in lore about the natives of the Pacific Northwest. Back on the road we easily fell into conversation about the rich history of the Indians, Spanish, English and American settlers that have all left their mark on this enormous region. To give you an idea of just how vast an area this is - Olympic National Park is just under a million acres - it reaches from the East at the base of the Hood Canal up to its highest peak 7,965-foot glacier packed Mount Olympus and down westward to the majestic haystack rock-studded shores of the Pacific Ocean.

Once in Port Angeles & Port Angeles, WA we lunch at dockside over looking the ferry terminals. My only disappointment is I'm unable to visit with a new friend who lives in this area. Her schedule made it impossible to meet for this last minute get-together. But we vow it won't be the last time that will come this way. As we make our way back to our Inn, the clouds now hanging just above the roof of our car, we anticipate an afternoon of pure selfish indulgence, sitting in our cozy room while rain gently flows down the slightly distorted antique curved windows and a fire glows in the fireplace. All the while the boats rock in the bay below and we are glad for this weekend repast that feeds our souls and renews our spirits. We reflect on how happy this birthday celebration has been. I beg you, PLEASE, don't pay the ransom!

P.S. I would be amiss if I didn't mention the The Public House Grill & Ales in downtown Port Townsend where we had a wonderful Saturday night Pub meal - with their made-to-order mouthwatering Ultimate 1/2 lb. Brewhouse Burgers (A Winner!), fabulous onion rings, homemade fries and fine selection of ales on tap. They also feature live music and are kid friendly too. I'm a simple girl who loves a great burger and a beer!

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Cheers,

Annette
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