Skip to content

Outdoors

Read More ›

Road Trip: Port Townsend Boat Show and Film Festival

Why a trip to Port Townsend for September's Boat Show and Film festival is a must

0915roadtrip_0

This article originally appeared in the September 2015 issue of Seattle magazine.

WHERE:Port Townsend, a picturesque maritime city on the Olympic Peninsula.

WHY: Because Port Townsend is great anytime, but even better when there’s a boat show or film fest.

WHAT, PART 1: Since 1979, the Wooden Boat Festival (9/11–9/13; Point Hudson; nwmaritime.org) has celebrated Port Townsend’s historic past as a thriving seaport. This year, the party features hundreds of elegant old-school vessels, workshops on everything from sail making to varnishing, tales of epic sea journeys, beer, bands and chances to hit the water in style. Join the crew aboard a replica of Captain George Vancouver’s longboat, perhaps? Keep the kids busy with costumed treasure hunts, crafts and rides (the carousel is free all weekend). WHAT, PART 2: Return two weeks later for the Port Townsend Film Festival (9/25–9/27; various locations; 360.379.1333; ptfilmfest.com).

This year, more than 80 films will be shown in theaters around Port Townsend’s National Historical District. Kick back and relax on straw bales when Taylor Street becomes a “theater,” and catch special guests Beau Bridges and Chris Cooper as they bring some Hollywood stories and prestige to this small-town fest.

 

The Northwest’s Gateway to Wine, Culture & Adventure
Sponsored

The Northwest’s Gateway to Wine, Culture & Adventure

Escape the crowds. Slow down. Savor fall in the Lewis Clark Valley. As autumn paints the hillsides in gold, crimson, and amber, the Lewis Clark Valley becomes a picture-perfect place to slow down and savor the season. Where Washington and Idaho meet, fall brings crisp days, colorful landscapes, harvest among the vines, and plenty of…

Meet West Seattle’s “Freelance Beaver Detective”

Meet West Seattle’s “Freelance Beaver Detective”

A group of urban beavers helped Pamela Adams through a tough time. Now she’s returning the favor.

Pamela Adams was living in Port Townsend when her marriage fell apart. Little did she know at the time that she would soon find love again while doggedly pursuing the Five Families—not the ones of Mafia lore, but a four-legged sort living along the Longfellow Creek Watershed. Prior to moving to Washington, Adams resided in…

A Wellness Pilgrimage to the Olympic Peninsula

A Wellness Pilgrimage to the Olympic Peninsula

Two hours from Seattle, a new kind of luxury is taking root—one built on stillness, old-growth forests, and the subtle art of slowing down.

There is a school of thought among the overworked and overscheduled that the most subversive thing a person can do is stop. Put down the phone, close the laptop, and go somewhere that actively resists attempts to stay plugged in. The Olympic Peninsula has always offered this, in its blunt, mossy way. For some city…

Seabrook Is a Little Coastal Utopia

Seabrook Is a Little Coastal Utopia

This walkable beach town gives families room to roam, relax, and leave the car parked.

There’s nothing quite like finding an edible mushroom in the forest with a five-year-old. The excitement and pride my son displayed when we found chicken of the woods were contagious, and after battering and frying the mushrooms, our wonderful day got even better. The dark, wet forests in which our mushrooms grew are part of…