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A Weekend Trip with Kids to the Olympic Peninsula
This summer, Mariah Voutilainen went on a whirlwind weekend trip through the Olympic Peninsula with her husband and two children (ages 3 and 5). In just three days and two nights, the intrepid Seattle-based family visited Sequim, Dungeness Spit, Port Angeles, Joyce, Makah Indian Reservation, Cape Flattery, Elwah Dam and Hurricane Ridge. That’s a total of 339 miles — but who’s counting? Let’s find out more about Mariah’s trip through the Olympic Peninsula. Q: What was your favorite town or destination in the Olympic Peninsula? What did you like about it? My favorite part of the trip was the drive from Sequim all the way to Cape Flattery. I really liked the small…
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Peak Experience: Port Angeles with kids
I’d never given much thought to the area around Port Angeles, Washington. I thought of it as a working town, without much for kids. Just a stop en-route to and from Victoria, BC. But our recent trip enlightened me. I now think the Olympic Peninsula’s outdoors options are among the Pacific Northwest’s best bets. Adventure comes in all sizes here, whether you let a inch-long crab pinch your  finger or you’re willing to summit a 5,200-foot-tall, wildflower-draped mountain. If you’re going on a family trip to the kid-friendly Port Townsend, make time to explore the Olympic Peninsula’s natural wonderland. Port Angeles makes for an easy day-trip from Victoria, BC, just a…
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Spotlight: Fort Worden — Got a flashlight?
Did you bring your flashlight? A headlamp, maybe? Good. In Port Townsend, Wash., Fort Worden’s grey-concrete gun batteries once provided shelter to soldiers on the lookout for saboteurs, spies and submarines trying to enter the Puget Sound. Today, the batteries provide shriek-filled echo chambers full of childish delight. Play flashlight tag through windowless, unlit corridors and the barren, pitch-black rooms. Wear sturdy shoes and make sure your tetanus shots are up to date – broken glass and water are everywhere. The dank walls seem to reach out and touch you first, urging you to keep your coat on. Pick up a map at the visitors’ center, right inside the fort’s…
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Kid-Friendly Restaurants in Port Townsend
Port Townsend’s well-travelled residents wouldn’t accept just any ol’ menu. So you’ll find a wealth of kid-friendly picks to refuel your family travels and adventures. Breakfast In the “Uptown” above downtown Port Townsend, you’ll find two excellent breakfast options within walking distance of the town’s Victorian-era mansions. Enjoy the fruits of residents’ refined tastes at Pane d’Amore, a tiny shop that brims with customers, before the sign is flipped to “open.â€Â Kids love the cinnamon twists, a braid of crunchy, buttery delight. Adults might opt for the sophisticated apple-shaped danish. Eat these flaky delicacies outside or you’ll find crumbs under the carseats for weeks. If you’re looking for a little…
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15 Things to Do with Kids in Port Townsend
Many Northwest adults remember Port Townsend, Wash., as a romantic getaway, full of proper architecture and fine dining. But you’ll be cheered to discover that Port Townsend loves traveling families, too. You won’t even need a stroller, because Port Townsend’s downtown core is an eminently walkable seven-block spread. How’s that for kid-friendly? One of only three Victorian Seaports in the United States and located 40 miles northwest of Seattle, Port Townsend’s a weekend escape. If you have a few extra days, it makes an excellent base for daytrips to Port Angeles and the Olympic Peninsula. Port Townsend is divided into two sections. “Uptown” is stocked with Victorian Houses and Euro-style bakeries;…
