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Past Camping Trips |
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Spring ushers in a new camping season and the first trip is usually our annual jaunt to Port Townsend. This year we arrived to find some changes had taken place in the town.
I began the trip as I have the last several years with a stay on Whidbey Island. Fort Casey State Park was a military base in its former life and the barracks have been converted into lodging. The Fort Casey Inn offers a quiet and comfortable stay right at the park, only minutes from the town of Coupeville. The best part about the location is the proximity to beaches for saltwater fly fishing. But my time here was short as I only stayed Wednesday night.
I was in for a bit of a surprise when I reached Port Townsend on Thursday morning. The waterfront near the hotel was undergoing renovation which will eventually put a whole new face on the area. However, the most dramatic of these changes was the absence of Maxwell's Pub. One of the most appealing aspects of our accommodations at the Waterstreet Hotel was the presence of the pub right below our room. This made for a convenient source of fine locally produced beer. Additionally, we had a special arrangement worked out with the bartender to give us a little break on the price. Not only did we lose our source of beer, we also lost a great place to relax and play darts. Another unfortunate change was the presence of parking Nazis in town. Parking has always been scarce near the hotel but for eight years we have been parking in the so-called two hour spots for the entire day without any hassles. However, this year that was no longer the case.
Saturday we all travelled to Mystery Bay State Park since it was one the few beaches open for clamming. After we (well, actually Dean and Steve) dug up a goodly amount of tasty bivalves, we proceeded down the road to Fort Flagler State Park. Fort Flagler is another ex-military base open as a state park. We spent the rest of the day tossing around a football and hiking the beaches.
Once again, we thoroughly enjoyed our time in Port Townsend and look forward to returning next year in spite of the changes taking place.
Fort Casey
Dosewallips
Mystery Bay
Nautical Views
