Port Townsend, Washington and a Picnic

Roger here.... Check out the opening photo taken from the Port Townsend Marina with Mount Rainier in the background.  

I will start with some good news.  The night before we dropped our daughter, Amanda, off at the Seattle Airport, we finalized plans to keep our granddaughter, Kaia, with us for two extra days when she will be flying to Southern California.  Her dad's sister arranged the flight so that she could spend time with her and her kids (Kaia's cousins).  So, we planned the activities in this post with Kaia in mind.

We started at a local produce market where we bought picnic supplies.  They had deviled eggs and fresh strawberries!  We each picked out our own pre-made deli sandwiches, put them in the cooler, and headed to the mountains for our meal.

Since Kaia and Dianne missed the views from Hurricane Ridge when I went hiking with Amanda,  we went back to Olympic National Park, taking the twisty road to the top of the mountains.  We stopped along the way to enjoy the view of Vancouver Island across the strait.

We bypassed the Visitor Center and headed straight to the picnic grounds where we found a table under the trees.

A friend joined us --- just a few feet away from our table.

After eating, I wandered a short distance from the picnic table along a narrow path and found the vista below.

I hurried back to get Dianne and Kaia.  Kaia seemed to approve.

We promised Kaia that we would not be hiking, but we did walk a short way (very flat) along the Hurricane Hill Trail so that Dianne could get a taste of the hike that we plan to take later in the week.  

We then hopped in the car for a short ride to the Visitor Center, where we encountered yet another deer.    We bought Kaia a necklace and took more pictures before heading down the mountain.

After passing by our motor home in the RV park at Sequim, we drove another 20 miles to the scenic town of Port Townsend.  This Victorian place boasts many colorful and ornate buildings and a killer view.  The main street parallels the Puget Sound.  This picture was taken from one of the many walking piers.

Our other photo from the pier shows a line of vehicles driving onto the ferry bound to Whidbey Island.  (A new adventure that we will have in a few days).  After an ice cream stop at the Nifty Fifty Cafe, we walked to the marina at the end of the street.

Dianne noticed this guy up in the air, working on his sail boat.  It is interesting to note that the town is known for building and repairing wooden watercraft.  I wandered by one of the workshops, but did not have the camera at the time.  The aroma of pine shavings surrounded the workshop on the water.

Kaia enjoyed checking out the shops that lined the main street --- actually, we all did.  The quirky shop in the photo below was one of our favorites.  Dianne bought two yards of decorated oilcloth to protect the surface of our wooden outdoor Texas bar at our winter spot at Retama Village (south TX).  (Yes, Linda, I'm copying you yet again! -- D.)

The picture below captures the pleasant feeling that we all shared in this idyllic little town, and it is a good picture of Kaia :-).

The next morning we made our third two-and-a-half hour trip to the Seattle airport to put Kaia on a plane to Orange County, CA.  We were a little nervous sending her alone, but she has traveled alone before, and is a smart and savvy young lady.  We watched her until we were sure she made it through security before sadly heading back without her :-(.  We wish her the best in the fall as she begins her freshman year of high school in Ft. Myers, Florida.  Bye, Kaia.  (Mee-Maw shed some tears...)

After a full week with our three girls, Dianne and I are alone again.  Not really.  We have the dogs and the cat.   And, we still have many things on our to-do list during our last few days on the Olympic Peninsula.  We will be posting again soon.

The pet photo of the day shows Tequila in one of her favorite spots, sharing the recliner while Dianne tries to use her computer.