Sirens Restaurant at Night, Port Townsend

     We were walking downtown early evening at dusk searching for a place to eat where we could eat on the water and saw the sign and remembered the Tripadvisor reviews, so we went upstairs and were so pleasantly surprised. The room was so welcoming, warm and cozy and we took a window table (too chilly to sit outside.) We ordered the oyster appetizer (available for the happy hour 2 pm - 6 pm) on a bed of spinach and shallots and it was delicious. We split a chicken avocado cheese melt sandwich which was also delicious, and with piping hot French fries. We really enjoyed seeing the ferry coming in with its lights on. We would love to return.

Tuesday in Port Townsend: Chetzemoka Park

      Tuesday we went downtown, visiting the Chetzemoka Park, a garden dedicated in 1904 with a rhododendron walk and a rose arbor still standing since 1910.  Of course, nothing was in bloom in November, but it was still lovely to walk through, seeing the winding creek, the plantings, bridges, bandstand and beach.  

We drove by the striking courthouse on this hill, built in 1890 and the fire bell tower, also built in 1890, one of only two wooden ones still standing in the USA.  Our museum stop for the day was Jefferson Museum of Art and History housed in the City Hall building.  Built in 1892, it lost its classic third floor during a storm in 1946, but the City Council still meets there in a beautifully restored room on the second floor while the first floor and basement is the museum, complete with the “dungeon” (old jail.)

Courthouse

Historic City Hall

City Hall today

historic Fire Bell Tower

Monday in Port Townsend

     Port Townsend is one of our favorite towns and at the north end of a peninsula, water views and beaches are everywhere.  Along a strategic water route, it was a major shipping route between San Francisco and northern ports in the late 1800’s; thus, shipping magnates built large Victorian houses, many of which still remain and are a unique draw for tourists.  Then in the later 1890’s, three Army Coast Artillery forts (Worden, Flagler, and Casey) were constructed to create a “deadly triangle” to protect Puget Sound.   We visited both Fort Worden, in Port Townsend, and Fort Flagler on Marrowstone Island which are now Washington State Parks.  The military housing from 1904 is still standing and maintained, and actually can be rented for vacation stays.  Ron enjoys visiting the array of gun batteries and bunkers and we spent time Monday at the Coast Artillery Museum at Fort Worden.  

Usually we eat all our meals in the timeshare but since this was Joan’s birthday trip, we decided to eat lunch out several days.  Monday we ate at the Commons Café at Fort Worden.  It had a beautiful vaulted ceiling with large windows, and the food and service was great.  

Eating at the commons

The Commons from outside

Beautiful marina in the fog

At dusk, we went to the lighthouse on the point and the beach strewn with driftwood. 

Old fashioned photo

Even showing a ferry boat

Kala Point Resort, Port Townsend, WA

Do you like peace and quiet in the midst of trees with beaches and a Victorian seaport nearby?  Then Kala Point Village in Port Townsend, Washington is for you!  When a week at became available right after Thanksgiving with DAE, we booked it immediately, despite the chilly November weather prospects (just rain though, not snow).  Kala Point timeshare units, thirty-eight units in five buildings, are in a gated community of residences.  Two buildings are two stories with units down and up, and three buildings are three-story townhouses with the bedrooms and baths downstairs, the living, dining and kitchen with a balcony are upstairs, and the third floor is a loft with a table and chairs for games. The resort is pet-friendly, so we were a little concerned about possible allergy reactions, but the unit (at 1160 square feet) was totally clean with no problems.

         Upon entering our unit number 22, there was a coat closet to the left, and somewhat narrow carpeted stairs going up and down.  As we went upstairs, the living room was filled with light from windows and a balcony overlooked a grassy area surrounded by tall evergreen trees with a peek-a-boo view of the water.  The full kitchen had more items than are sometimes found in a timeshare, since owners are encouraged to add extra items they especially want, owning four weeks a year.  The sofa and stuffed rocking chair, fireplace (use DuraFlame logs only) were so comfortable we didn’t even want to get up when we first sat down.  After unpacking the car, we relaxed for the rest of the day:  so cozy, warm, and homey!

from the loft

Master bedroom with patio outside

      Downstairs, the master bedroom had a queen bed, with chests of drawers on both sides serving as nightstands, a good use of space, with an ensuite bathroom with tub and shower.  There was also a patio off the master bedroom.  The second bedroom had twin beds with another bathroom with a shower on the small hallway. There was plenty of closet space, with two closets off the master and one in the second bedroom and a linen closet in the hall.  The stacked washer and dryer were also downstairs at the end of the hall.  Heating was by electric baseboard, separate for each room. 

     There was only one television, a flat screen in the living room, but that was fine with us; the wi-fi worked fine.  We like the townhouse configuration, with storage space, no one above or below and being able to park right in front. 

view from balcony

     This unit had a log written by the owners since the beginning in 1981, and as we read it, it was like becoming friends with them, as they would write about their families each year as well as what they did.  Since ownership is 1/12^th of a unit, one week per quarter, and rotating in that season so that it is fair for everyone (and it is relatively easy to trade weeks internally), people come often and make friendships. Through the years, they even got together to purchase things like the upscale bar stools, as well as leaving behind mugs, extra glasses, small appliances, a DVD player and even a bar-b-que grill outside which everyone enjoys. 

   There are no planned resort activities, but the clubhouse has a pool (outdoor, seasonal), hot tub, sauna, fitness and recreation room, and on-site tennis courts, horseshoe pits, etc. are available as well as a private mile-long beach at the bottom of the hill. 

The Perfect Road Trip: Two Hours to a Timeshare Destination from Home

    Twenty minutes to a ferry boat ride in south Seattle, Fauntleroy to Southworth, then three miles up and down hills to a favorite restaurant, Kelley’s Cafe and Expresso, leisurely lunch and coffee, 20 minutes to Costco in Silverdale for gas, then north to Kala Point, another 20 miles.

      The Washington State Ferry system has a great website that enables us to see the real time ferry capacity, the vehicle lineup on the dock, and also to track the ferries along their water paths (like you can with airlines too.)  Here is the ferry we are hoping to catch and also (see times, which change very two minutes) , then the photo of the cars on the dock after we got there:  we are the third auto from the back 

(Our son actually said, when we sent him the photo:  “You mean you can see your own car in the photo while you are in it?”  Yep!)
We are the third car  up.

Here's the ferry

On the water

Passing another ferry going to the Vashon Island dock

     We’d been to Kelley’s before so looked forward to lunch there.  You can see that it is very pro-Seahawks, as well as offering Cutter Point coffee, which we like so much.

     Continuing north, we went over the Hood Canal Bridge.  It was always tricky to build a bridge there (especially a floating one) because of the tides and wind (and sometimes even now it is closed.)  When Joan was a child, she would ride with her father as he drove to Port Townsend from Seattle and it was necessary to take TWO ferries to get there, the Edmonds-Kingston and then the second one (Lofall-South Point) which the bridge replaced.