My How The Times Have Changed...

For Mother’s Day, my sister and I decided to take my parents on a weekend getaway. We chose Port Townsend, an adorable little tourist town on the Olympic Peninsula. Founded in 1851, Port Townsend has less than 9,000 residents and prides itself on its historical charm, maritime heritage, and beautiful natural setting.

My family has spent countless vacations in this tiny little city, mostly because we own a fair amount of property on the north shore, just a block from the beach (my grandpa was actually born on the land). In addition, we feel connected to this adorable little haven because my grandma spent several years here during World War II, when Port Townsend was home to Fort Worden, a U.S. Army installation located on a high bluff overlooking the Puget Sound (to prevent any invasion attempt by sea). My great-grandfather was an officer stationed at Fort Worden, and my grandma and her family lived on base in the early 1940s.

Now, Fort Worden State Park has become a tourist destination filled with artillery museums and an extensive system of large, abandoned bunkers available for exploration. As a little kid, it was like we had died and gone to heaven. Almost every summer my parents, grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousins would book at least one long weekend in Port Townsend.

We would spend an entire day shopping in historic downtown, another day exploring museums and historical spots, evenings swimming in the hotel pool, and countless afternoons at the beach. But the most fun was packing up flashlights, headlamps and glow sticks to explore the depths of the abandoned bunkers. Some of my favorite childhood memories include running through cold, dark, cement tunnels screaming at the top of my lungs, trying not to get hit by a water balloon or grabbed from behind in a thrilling moment of terror. God, kids are easy to entertain.

Before this past weekend, I hadn’t been back to Port Townsend in years. College and life just got in the way, I guess. So Mother’s Day seemed like a great opportunity to reclaim some family time in a place filled to the brim with memories. My, how the times have changed. Although Port Townsend is still the same adorable tourist town I remember, it seems to have… shrunk. The sprawling downtown that took a day to explore each and every shop is, in reality, only about three blocks long. It took us about an hour to wander through and take in the mountains of arts, crafts and other bits of hippie junk that are fun to look at, but that you would never actually purchase.

Since we had decided to stay in the historic Waterstreet Hotel downtown, there was no pool or hot tub to lounge in, so instead we spent the evening having dinner and drinks in the tavern below.

The next day, we went hiking along the coastal bluffs. The abandoned stone bunkers were still very cool and interesting, but I no longer had the urge to run through them screeching to see how long it would echo. The inside was dark, dank and scary, and it all smelled just a little bit like urine. I preferred to stay up top and check out the breathtaking views.
I did have a wonderful time spending a few hours on the beach doing… nothing. We sat around, walked the edge of the surf looking for shells and sea glass, and skipped rocks on the waves. Life seemed very… simple and slow. Which was definitely appealing for a weekend away with my family. But by Sunday I was definitely ready to get back to the hustle and bustle of the Big City. So Happy Mother’s Day, Mom… and thanks for all the great memories.