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.

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.

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.