July, 2025
I decided to walk into the town of Port Townsend today … but I never got there, ha! I did head out on foot from my camping spot but, even tho the marina/RV park is immediately on the northern edge of Port Townsend, I still didn’t get into town … too much to see on the way! Here’s an overview of the marina/RV park … you can see there are lots of buildings there, lots of small businesses. The dark BROWN line that wiggles around was my walking path today … no wonder I never made it into Port Townsend!
The RED rectangle is where I’m camped. The GREEN circle is the marina/RV office where I stopped and asked questions and then had a really nice chat with the folks there. The YELLOW Star is the “haulout” where a “travel lift” is used to lift boats out of the water so they can be stored on land or so they can be worked on at the shipyard that’s right next to the green circle. The RED arrow is the main street of Port Townsend, it’s that close! The YELLOW triangle is … well you’ll see the otters soon, coming up below. And the RED circle out in the water is where the very small boat is in the photos below … perfectly safe and having a great time. So, that’s an overview of where I walked. As mentioned, I thought I would get into Port Townsend … nope, never made it this day … too much to see as I simply walked around the marina.
Notice the buildings on the northern edge of the marina … lots of businesses, lots of great old buildings, I’ll show you just a few. Ordinarily, walking without hesitation (or without taking photos), the walk around the marina from my campsite in order to reach that northern-most street of downtown Port Townsend would take about 15 minutes. Well it took me a couple of hours because I stopped and looked, and chatted with people, then wandered around to the other side of building to see what was over there, etc. I don’t seem able to walk a straight line … and I’m good with that! 🙂 I find such interesting things by wandering. Ok, let’s go for this walk around the marina. 🙂
In the photo above, I’m standing in the RV park near the beach, looking south at that line of buildings. The largest building, the one on the left above is Doc’s Marina Grill … it has the BEST food! Yum!
Below … the Point Hudson Cafe. I’ve eaten there twice and the food was delicious.
The Point Hudson Cafe is on the right in the photo above. One of these days, I need to try the Shanghai Restaurant.
Chums, above, is a very small store with basic household things you might want or need on your boat or in your RV. Notice that it is built out above the water on pilings.
The “Pavilion Building” is above. It’s used for community gatherings, local political events, and can be rented for private gatherings.
And then there are the necessary facilities … garbage, recycling. With my campsite payment, I was given the code to get in that gate. There were almost no unsightly garbage cans anywhere on this property.
At the west end of the marina, there is a “haul out” facility. You can schedule your boat to be taken out of the water here … lifted out by a travel lift using extremely sturdy canvas straps to lift your boat. Maximum weight lift of this travel lift is 30 tons … that’s 60,000 pounds. That’s approximately what a 50-60 foot boat would weigh, but it all depends on whether the boat is made of wood or steel or fiberglass, whether it’s a sailboat with a heavy keel and heavy masts, and whether the boat (sail or power) has a huge or small engine in it and how much fuel it carries. The travel lift itself weighs the boat as it slowly lifts the boat out of the water, so all is safe.
Right next to that travel lift was this piece of art work (below) … actually it is usable art work! It’s a bench that’s made to look like a boat or dock cleat that you would tie your lines to. The company makes them in all sizes, whatever you wish and are willing to pay for. This one was about eight feet long and would seat several adults. Most REAL cleats on boats and docks that I’m familiar with are anywhere from three inches to 14 inches long.
And then I was walking along the south side of the marina, enjoying the view of the boats … and of the entrance to the marina.
In the photo below, the small row boat in the middle had just left the marina. Such a beautiful, calm day for a little exercise and pleasure out on the water. But the fellow doing the rowing seemed to be hunched over, or sitting sideways … is something wrong? There were lots of other boats out there too, small row boats and small sailboats so he would have help if needed. Still I was puzzled and concerned.
But then he turned the little boat a bit, and I zoomed in with the camera. No, that was no hunching of the fellow doing the rowing … that was his dog! He never did start the motor, just rowed around for an hour or so with his buddy on the bow, then eventually rowed back into the marina.
And then I was almost on the beach, out near that YELLOW triangle in the first image above. I spotted these three folks below, from a distance. It seemed odd that they didn’t move a muscle … maybe there was something over there on the right that they were afraid of.
Ha! You know what they are … they are a sculpture. They are larger than life size, but they are so realistic looking!
Then I walked out onto the pier that is the southern wall of the inlet into the marina and got a little snapshot of Towhee the Trailer and the big white truck in their campsite back over on the north side of the marina.
By this time, it was very late morning and I decided to walk back to my trailer for lunch. On the walk back around the marina, I began noticing all of the seagulls who were hanging out on top of all of the roofs … hundreds of them if you counted all of them on all of the roofs.
Some building owners had installed rows of very solid plastic spikes on their roofs to keep the seagulls off their roof. You can see how well that worked! Ha! 🙂
Hey! Bruce! Come on over here! You can settle down right in among these nice spikes and they hold you perfectly still while you have a nice nap in the sun!
I kept walking. 🙂
Just 20 feet or so before I got back to my trailer, I walked along right next to a wooden railing that ran along the edge of the land to keep people from falling in the water. That wooden railing was also a popular place for these two seagulls to perch. I’d seen them a few times already from inside my trailer. I figured that, as soon as I approached, they would fly away. They did not! In fact, this really was how close I was to them. I almost could have touched them. But they simply stood there and looked out over the marina. I’m sure they knew I was there, but they completely ignored me.
No zoom lens needed for these photos.
I was amazed they didn’t fly away, didn’t even turn and look at me.
BUT … watch this short video below. Watch the one on the left. It’s only a few seconds long, so watch carefully.
After looking at me for just those two seconds or so, that seagull turned back to face the marina again and totally ignored me. What! Do I look like a seagull? You should be afraid of me! But of course, it felt really nice that I wasn’t a threat, that I was accepted.
Back at the trailer finally, I fixed my lunch then sat out near the rocks so I could watch the boats and the water and the islands and the sky. I was just a few feet from this rock (below) when these two folks flew down and perched there. Did they want a bite of my salad, a taste of my warm lentil soup, maybe a little sip of iced tea? But they stood there, with their backs to me, completely ignoring me it seemed. I was surprised how long they stayed, maybe two minutes, then off they went for more adventures. I believe they are juvenile red-winged blackbirds, no? yes?
I think the word may have gotten around among the birds here that I’m no threat to anyone. I like that. 🙂
Oh that was fun. 🙂 Wiggly walk indeed. The water is so calm there!
Indeed, the water was calm this day. On other days, it can be terribly rough water. Mostly in summer it’s really calm like today was. Thanks Nevada. 🙂
Are we sure those seagulls weren’t sculptures?
I love when art is integrated in outdoor public spaces like that. Well, at least the otters and the deck cleat…. there didn’t seem to be a sign explaining the gull displays.
What a fun town tour Port Townsend is turning out to be!
Yes, we are sure those seagulls were NOT sculptures! 🙂 So no, there are no signs about the seagulls. You’ve lived here all your life, tunano, you can’t fool me (well sometimes you can) seagulls don’t hardly stand still for more than a second or two. You made me laugh. Thank you. 🙂
I’m glad you did NOT get to Port Townsend, this walk was great fun. You haven’t talk to eagles in awhile now so it seems appropriate that you are talking with other birds.
I’m surprised too about how calm the water is. Is that normal? That close to the strait and the ocean? Man if I lived there, I’d be out in a little boat too.
I’ve noticed that too, Greg … no eagles in my camping life lately. But yes, other birds seem to be filling that gap.
Yes, it is usually that calm here. For one thing, the waters are protected by the Olympic Peninsula and by Marrowstone Island and by Whidbey Island, from ocean waves and from most wind. But also, it really is just a whole lot calmer “inside” Puget Sound (and up in the Canadian islands too).
Truth-be-told, it occurred to me that I might rent a small boat and take it out for a row myself while I was there. But I didn’t. Maybe next trip. 🙂
A Seagull Named Bruce … now there’s a good title for a kids book. You need to write one Ann! I loved this, we both did, the row boat and his dog and all the other stuff. We always look forward to Fridays. 🙂
Marge, you are close to convincing me to write a kids book. I suspect I do have enough stories from my camping trips to do that. Maybe a series of camping books for kids. Hmmmm. 🙂
“A Wiggly Walk” … now there’s a name for a kids book. But yes, whatever the name, Ann you really should write one, or two or three. Thanks for the wiggly walk around the marina. 🙂 We wiggled as we read. Ha! 🙂
LOL! I love that you/s wiggled as you read. 🙂 That made me laugh. Thank you.
Walk! Now there’s an idea. I need to do more of that. In fact, right now would be good, the sun is out and it’s not too windy. This evening is supposed to get REALLY windy and snow here in the great state of NE. Ok, coat and mittens and knit cap coming up. Thanks Ann. A wiggly walk for me too coming up. 🙂
Yes, walk, Nebraska, best thing for all of us, both physically and psychologically, get out there and see the world even if it’s close to home. I looked up the weather report for the state of Nebraska … yep, SNOW! Hope you stayed warm in your coat and mittens and knit cap. 🙂
Wonderful! Love the birds. And that you pay attention to things like the guy in the boat who might have been in trouble. Wish more people in our government cared like you do. Thanks for a breath of fresh air!
You are welcome, Ruby. I have the same wish that you do. Let’s keep working on it. Peace on earth, and taking care of everyone.
Seems like this would be a great place to live, with a view of the water, small town, peace.
When I retired and moved away from the big city, one of the places I thought about living was Port Townsend, for the reasons you mention. Being closer to more major medical facilities and to friends pulled me back. As long as I can visit with Towhee the Trailer tho, I’m ok.
You really like the marina and the boats, have you had your boat in there? Would it fit? How does that work? The birds are great, I’ve started listening to them here. They do, they speak! 🙂 Thanks, I really like your blog.
Oh, Joe, I love boats and marinas and the salt water of Puget Sound, and north into Canada. I owned my two boats for a total of about 29 years. I never drove anywhere on land except from my home to work and back … the rest of my time was spent on the water on whichever boat I owned at the time.
And, yes, I was in this very marina twice with the last boat I owned. Hmm, maybe I can dig up a photo from one of those trips and share it. Maybe next blog post?
Birds are so great aren’t they? 🙂
What a great post! Lots of detail, and I always love a good map. You seem to have about 5x the gulls that we do here. I’ve seen those spike used here to discourage pigeons. Those Otters do look very realistic.
Oh do we ever have seagulls!! Sometimes I’d RATHER have pigeons, FG. But in truth I do love the seagulls. You can see that those spikes don’t really work to deter seagulls. One shop owner in one of those buildings told me that they removed the spikes because they were not deterring the seagulls, and the owners were afraid that rainwater would get into the building through the nail holes in the roof. And truthfully, the guy then thought about it and then said, “well maybe the seagull poop plugs up the nail holes!” Fun stuff.
So much to see. So many birds to talk with. Really nice walk around the marina with a great map/description of it. I’m glad that guy in the boat was ok, and his dog too. 🙂 I do think those last two birds are indeed juvenile red-winged blackbirds. In truth, I like their plumage better than that of the adults. Loved “hey Bruce!” laughed out loud at that. Thanks for the joy. 🙂
You are welcome, Ruth. Thank you for the bird info, that’s what they seem like to me too after getting home and researching on the internet. I loved their plumage, it was really pretty, more so than that photo shows. Thanks for the comment. 🙂
And Happy New Year Ann!
Thank you FG. The very same to you and to Mrs. FG!