Victorian Heritage Days in Port Townsend, WA

Anyone who has ever visited Port Townsend, WA, knows it to be a beautiful, historic, seaport town. Jaw-dropping views of Mount Baker, Mount Rainier, the Olympics and Cascades greet you at every turn. Closer to home, the coast of Whidbey Island evokes the White Cliffs of Dover.

Mount Baker, as seen from Fort Worden.

One hardly needs an excuse to visit Port Townsend, but there are plenty for those who feel they do. The upcoming Victorian Heritage Days, March 18 – 20, 2011, is sure to appeal to both history and architecture buffs. Special events include tours of Historic Uptown and Downtown Port Townsend (walking and bus tours available), Historic Clothing Fashion Show, and presentations on weatherizing old buildings and maintaining traditional wooden boats.

While in Port Townsend for Victorian Heritage Days, visit the local Washington State Wineries and sample their wines. FairWinds Winery and Sorenson Cellars are located in Port Townsend proper, while Eaglemount Wine and Cider, and Finnriver Farm and Cidery are located in nearby Chimacum. If you can’t make it out to the wineries, enjoy a glass of local wine at one of the many excellent restaurants in town; or stop by The Wine Seller on Water Street or Aldrich’s Market Uptown and pick up a bottle of local Washington Wine or Cider to bring home.

Winter Hurricane Ridge

A winter getaway on the Olympic Peninsula should include a trip to Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park. Stunning views begin on the drive to the peak, where pull-outs look east to Mt. Baker and the Cascades. Admire intimate views of the Olympic peaks of Mt. Dana, Mt. Carrie, and Mt. Olympus from the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center, and follow the Cirque Rim Trail on a clear day to gaze at Port Angeles, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the San Juan Islands, and Victoria, BC.

In the winter, Hurricane Ridge Ski Area is a haven for skiers, snowboarders, sledders and snowshoers. The ski area at Hurricane Ridge is relatively small, but the powder is deep and it gives way to a limitless backcountry area. Novices will be comfortable on the groomed trails, but expert skiers and snowboarders will find it hard to keep away from nearby bowls, glades, and steeps.

Hurricane Ridge Ski Area

Relax after your day of fresh air and powder with a glass of Washington State Wine from an Olympic Peninsula Winery. Several Port Angeles Washington Wineries at the base of Hurricane Ridge offer wine tastings on the weekend: Camaraderie Cellars, Harbinger Winery, Black Diamond Winery, and Olympic Cellars. Learn about these locally crafted wines at the bar as the winemaker pours you a glass, and take your time selecting a bottle or two to take home or back to your lodging.

The best part of tackling a snowy mountain, after all, is how good you feel when you come down.

Wassail Celebration at Finnriver Cidery

Finnriver Farm & Washington Cidery invites all to a Wassail Celebration this Saturday, January 15, 2011, between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m.. Wassail is an old English tradition in which the community gathers to honor apple orchards and enjoy the land. Wassail is a contraction of the Gaelic phrase, Waes Hael which translates to ‘Good Health’. Come wish Good Health for all in 2011.

Wassail Celebration at Finnriver on January 15, 2011.

In 1135, Geoffrey of Monmouth recorded in ‘History of the Kings of Britain’ his understanding of the origin of the toast: (more…)

Olympic Art Festival and Sale

With the holidays upon us, many of us are casting an eye about for unique gift items. The upcoming Olympic Art Festival, at the Olympic Art Gallery in Quilcene, is a good place to start. Doors open at 10 a.m. and stay open until 5 p.m. Many artists will be on site demonstrating their crafts as well as selling them.

Look for the following artists (among others):
Mary Ellen Gilberg – Fiber and Scratchboard Art and Jewelry
Randy Hopfer – Photography
Paul Kaiser – Turned Bowls
Dean Nelson: Oils
Ratso: Bronze Sculpture
Terry Foltz: Scrollsaw Nature Scenes
Charlie and Sally Brown: Gates, railings, hand forged home decor. (more…)

Sailing Adventure in Port Townsend

Fall means wind, and wind means sailing. It’s an exciting time to take a sailboat out from Port Townsend, on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, so why not run away for the weekend and do just that? After a day on the water, head to one of the Washington State wineries in Port Townsend for a little wine tasting – it will help warm you from the inside out.

Run Away to Port Townsend and enjoy sailing with the Port Townsend Schooner Company.

The Port Townsend Schooner Company runs sailings out of Point Hudson Marina in Port Townsend aboard their 59′ traditionally rigged Pinky Schooner, Pleiades. They specialize in two-hour tours of the Port Townsend Bay but will also make longer journeys to Protection Island, out in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, or beyond. You may make arrangements for full day sailings if you like, to simply let them take you where they will. Once you board, sit back and enjoy views of the historic waterfront town of Port Townsend and the Olympic Mountains rising beyond, or roll up your sleeves and relax. The choice is yours.

Should you decide to bring a picnic on board with you, consider stopping by one of the three wineries in Port Townsend and Chimacum for a bottle of Washington State wine or cider: FinnRiver Cidery in Chimacum has terrific hard cider; FairWinds Winery features a lovely white Burgundy, Aligote, as well as a tasty Lemberger; and Sorenson Cellars has a lovely 2007 Viognier that goes well with dried fruits and chèvre – perfect for a sailing picnic.

For more information about the Port Townsend Schooner Company, please visit their website.

Biking and Wine Tasting on the Olympic Peninsula

Looking for a reason to leave the city and head to the Olympic Peninsula? How about a bike ride on the Olympic Discovery Trail?

The Olympic Discovery Trail currently stretches from the Jamestown S’Kallam Tribal Center in Blyn (about 6 miles south of Sequim) to Ediz Hook in Port Angeles. Much of it follows an old railroad route. It runs between Highway 101 and Sequim Bay and alongside the Strait of Juan de Fuca in Port Angeles. In the future, this trail will stretch from Port Townsend to the coast of Washington by La Push.

Washington State Wineries of the Olympic Peninsula support the completion of Olympic Discovery Trail. It provides a safe alternative to road biking, while connecting many communities on the north Olympic Peninsula. (more…)

Fun Film Festival in Port Townsend

Each fall, after summer crowds have thinned and locals have bid farewell to the last of the wooden boats, an expectant air lingers in Port Townsend. Summer may be over, but festivities are not. There is still something to anticipate: the Port Townsend Film Festival.A small town connects with the world.

The 2010 Port Towsend Film Festival takes place September 24 – 26 at several venues around town. The heart of the festival is The Rose Theatre, a historic theater on Taylor Street. Straw bales are set up each evening in front of The Rose for outdoor screenings, and a beer garden makes the mood complete. Locals and visitors fill the street to watch the night sky come alive; children bundled in strollers stare at the screen with big eyes until sleep overtakes them. It is a magical experience.

Avid film buffs trot from The Rose to the Pope Marine building at the end of town, or up the steps to the Uptown Theatre. Screenings run all day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and most films show at least twice. Documentaries, feature films, and classics fill the program – something for every cinematic preference. Remember to take time out and rest your eyes from time to time; we suggest trip to one of the Washington State Wineries in Port Townsend.

The community of Port Townsend is warmer and more welcoming than ever during the Film Festival. Come see for yourself. While there, relax with a glass or two of Washington State Wine, and visit Sorenson Cellars, FairWinds Winery, and FinnRiver Farm and Cidery.

Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival

The 34th annual Wooden Boat Festival takes place in Port Townsend September 10-12, 2010. It’s a great time to head to the Olympic Peninsula. Every year, a spectacular assortment of wooden boats make the pilgrimage to Port Townsend, where they are admired and appreciated by thousands.

Now is a good time to plan to attend the Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend. Book a room and make a reservation at your favorite restaurant, but be sure to leave time for a little Washington state wine tasting at the two Washington State wineries in town: Sorenson Celllars and FairWinds Winery. On your way to or from the festival, pick up a bottle of amazing Washington State apple cider at FinnRiver Farm and Cidery, in Chimacum.

Wooden Boat Festival

Admire wooden boats and beautiful scenery during Port Townsend's Wooden Boat Fesival

The Blues and Washington Wine

The Port Townsend Accoustic Blues Festival is currently taking place at historic Fort Worden, in Port Towsend, WA. During the past fifteen years, some of the most respected names in Accoustic Blues have come to Washington’s Olympic Peninsula for this wonderful event. This year, as in the past, hundreds of musicians are spending most waking moments playing, listening, learning, and sharing the blues. (more…)

Olympic Music Festival

The Olympic Music Festival is underway for the 27th season, Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm through August 22, 2010.

Weekend afternoons, lovely chamber music fills a beautiful turn-of-the-century barn. Founder Alan Iglitzin and a wonderful collection of talented musicians delight audiences with music by composers such as Schubert, Schumann, Fujiwara, and Shostakovich, among others.

We hope you'll take time to partake in the Olympic Music Festival this summer

The setting is as beautiful as the music. The simple barn sits on 55 acres, along with an old farmhouse that is home to festival director Alan Iglitzin and his wife. Attendees are welcome to arrive early, stroll the grounds and enjoy a picnic. Once the concerts begin, some folks make themselves comfortable in church pews and on hay bales in the barn, while others prefer to remain stretched out comfortably on the lawn. Either way, the music washes over them.

This is an ideal setting to enjoy a glass of Washington State Wine. While on the Olympic Peninsula for the Olympic Music Festival, take time to visit one of seven Washington State Wineries, where you are welcome to sample the wine. Select a few favorite bottles and bring one to the Olympic Music Festival to enjoy prior to the show. Music and wine go marvelously together.

For more information about the Olympic Music Festival, please visit http://www.olympicmusicfestival.org/.