Tag Archives: Port Townsend

Spring-break-apalooza

1 Reply

I’m back.

We had a fun and action-packed spring break. We hit Seattle first, where we went to the Experience Music Project. This was ostensibly for the kids, but actually so that Min and I could lock ourselves in a soundproof room and wail on the drums and guitars as if we had actual musical talent.

After that little escapade, we headed for Port Townsend, on the edges of Olympic National Park. There were the most gigantic shells on the beaches there. My inner five-year-old went a bit bonkers.

IMG_0216

For my inner grown-up, there was a bookstore per block in Port Townsend. AND, when we sat down for lunch, the three woman at the table next to us were discussing novel structure. Not that I was eavesdropping or anything.

IMG_0220

I do love Port Townsend. But just as there are wonderful things about going away, but there are also wonderful things about coming home. Quiet, for example. And reliable wireless. And, actually, a brand spanking new Mac. (The old one was having gagging fits.)

We shall see if the faster processing speed transfers to my brain. There is a big edit awaiting me, and a new project, too. Onwards!

Whidbey adventures

Leave a reply

We went exploring on Whidbey Island last week. We stayed in a lovely guest house just a few steps from the beach, so the kids could run around rock-collecting while we sat with hot drinks by the picture window. It was perfect.

whidbey2

From that same picture window, we saw otters, bald eagles, a loon swallowing a fish that looked slightly too big for it, and several kinds of duck. We also did some beach combing at Double Bluffs Park, a short drive away.

beachwhidbey

But the highlight of the entire week, for me, was a day trip to Port Townsend. Oh my. It’s a writer’s paradise. We parked the car in front of a spice and tea shop, so I splurged there. Then we wandered down to a bookstore, where we bought, among other things, When We Were Orphans, a book on my to-read list since The Quiet Volume.

We left that bookstore only to find two more! THREE bookstores within a three-block radius. My daughter and I thought we’d died and gone to heaven. Especially when we discovered a writing room at the back of one of the stores, where they offer workshops and host writing groups. I wanted to live there. Not only in Port Townsend, but preferably inside that bookstore.

The boys got a little restless before we could hit bookstore three, so we made one last stop at the Lively Olive, where we found sulfite-free vinegar made from honey. Because of some sulfite allergies in the household, we haven’t had vinegar for a couple years now. And I have no idea how they manage to make vinegar from honey, but it’s delicious. Thank you, Lively Olive!

If I ever disappear from the blog, look for me in Port Townsend.