Family Fun

Ready for an extraordinary family vacation?

The best family vacations inspire stories your clan will tell and reminisce about for years to come. When you travel with your family, you want fun, adventure, plenty to do and probably a little R&R for the adults. We’ve compiled a list of possibilities you can tailor to fit your family and the ages of your kids. And if you’ve got teens with you, why not have them help you plan!

Half Day Itinerary

Port Townsend Marine Science Center

Discover the nearshore habitats of the Salish Sea in the Port Townsend Marine Science Center’s aquarium featuring local fish and invertebrate species. View plankton through a microscope, touch an anemone, learn about the orca ‘Hope.’ Science camps are available in the summer and a variety of programs are offered. (Note hours vary by season.) 532 Battery Way, Fort Worden, 360.385.5582.

Farm Tour at Wilderbee Farm

Explore and enjoy the simple pleasures of farm life at Wilderbee Farm, a certified organic, family-run farm specializing in u-pick lavender, cut flowers, blueberries, and pumpkins. Bring a picnic. Sip some mead. Feed the sheep. Pick a bouquet. Stroll their fields and nature trails! 223 Cook Avenue, 360.379.2434.

Explore Historic Fort Worden Bunkers

Originally designed as a military base to protect Puget Sound, Fort Worden evolved into an iconic and cherished state park. The fort – featuring 100 historic structures – spans two miles of saltwater shoreline with views of the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, and the San Juan Islands. Pick up a map of the trails and bunkers in the lobby of The Commons. For detailed info about the bunkers and their history, stop by the Coast Artillery Museum, located on the parade grounds, 360.385.0373.

Play at Chetzemoka Park

A local favorite – Chetzemoka Park’s entrance just west of Point Hudson opens to an expansive lawn with commanding views of the Cascade Mountains and the Salish Sea below. Take the steps down to the beach where, at mid- to low-tide, you can walk north to Fort Worden or south to Point Hudson in downtown Port Townsend.

Explore the čičməhán Trail 

An interpretive trail throughout Port Townsend that chronicles the history of the S’Klallam people and the European settlers as they worked to co-exist. The čičməhán Trail (Cheech-ma-han) Trail is comprised of 18 sites throughout the city of Port Townsend, Washington, that naturally divide into 3-mile, 6-mile, or 12-mile loops. The 3-mile loop focuses on downtown historical sites; the 6-mile loop extends west to Laurel Grove Cemetery; and the 12-mile loop goes all the way out to North Beach and Fort Worden. All loops contain elevation changes, with some steep uphill and downhill grades.

Hang at the Skateboard Park

Located downtown at the corner of Monroe and Jefferson streets, PT’s state-of-the-art skateboard park, designed and built by Dreamland Skateparks, provides advanced deep bowls, rails, a beginner section, and drinking fountain. Don’t forget to wear a helmet!

Play Pirate at the Northwest Maritime Center

Eye patch not required! In the commons area on the water side of the the Northwest Maritime Center downtown building, there’s a pirate ship where young sailors can steer their vessel through rough waters. There are also maritime youth programs for ages 5-17. 431 Water Street, 360.385.3628.

See Vintage Planes at the Port Townsend Aero Museum

Visit the Port Townsend Aero Museum at the Jefferson County Airport to see more than 30 rare and antique aircraft specimens – more than 60% are regularly flown! 105 Airport Road, 360.379.5244.

.

Full Day Itineraries

Whale Watching and a Show

The waters surrounding Port Townsend are called “the American Serengeti,” with some of the highest concentration of whales and dolphins and sea life anywhere in the world — including our totem species, the orca. Go whale watching with Puget Sound Express (half and full-day tours available) and then visit the tour the Port Townsend Marine Science Center to learn more about whales before catching a movie at the historic Rose Theatre.

Historic Jail, Plus Ice Cream and Hot Dogs

You’ve landed at Port Townsend in the 1880s, what do you see? If only these streets and ghost murals could talk. Take a stroll through Port Townsend’s Downtown or Uptown with Guides from the Jefferson County Museum of Art and History and see through the eyes of a foul-mouthed sailor or a Victorian lady. Explore the Museum’s jail, and then grab some scratch-made ice cream from Elevated Ice Cream, and grab some scrumptious hot dogs across the street at Dogs A Foot (March – Oct).

Fort Worden Bike-or-Hike, with Bunker Explorations

Via nearly 12 miles of forest and beach trails, explore the hidden gun emplacements and defense batteries left over from the Fort’s WWI & WWII-era role defending the Puget Sound from potential enemy invaders. While there, check out the bunkers where the Fort’s ‘Triangle of Fire’ guns used to be housed. Bike rentals are available either on the beach at Fort Worden, or at these downtown locations:

The Broken Spoke: 360-379-1295
Williwaw Cycles: 360-379-8809
PT Cyclery: 360-385-6470
The ReCyclery: 360-643-1755

Larry Scott Trail + Farm Tour

The Larry Scott Trail starts in Port Townsend and travels 7.3 miles South and West towards Four Corners where it ends at Milo Curry Trailhead. The Larry Scott Trail is part of the Olympic Discovery Trail and the Pacific Northwest Trail. The Larry Scott Trails is beautifully constructed and is available for non-motorized transportation and recreational purposes including walking, bicycling, wheeling, and horseback riding. When you are done, pop on over to Wilderbee Farm for a relaxing time sipping mead or petting sheep.

2-Day Itineraries

Whether visiting on a weekend, or mid-week, 2 days is a fantastic length of time to experience Port Townsend with the family.

Outdoor Adventure

Day One: Larry Scott Trail, Lunch at Blue Moose, Afternoon Whale Watching

The first part of the day involves hiking or cycling the the Larry Scott Trail – a waterfront and forested 7.3 mile trail that starts at the Port of Port Townsend’s Boat Haven. The trail is part of the Olympic Discovery Trail and the Pacific Northwest Trail. The Larry Scott Trails is beautifully constructed and is available for non-motorized transportation and recreational purposes including walking, bicycling, wheeling, and horseback riding. Back at the Boat Haven, make your way to the Blue Moose Cafe for lunch. This is a busy, local favorite! In the afternoon, discover why Port Townsend is quite possibly the best place in the country to see whales on a Puget Sound Express whale watching tour.

Day Two: Fort Worden, Marine Science, and History

Originally designed as a military base to protect Puget Sound, Fort Worden evolved into an iconic and cherished state park. The fort – featuring 100 historic structures – spans two miles of saltwater shoreline with views of the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, and the San Juan Islands. It is now a center for lifelong learning, which adds to the opportunities to explore with your family.

Via nearly 12 miles of forest and beach trails, explore the hidden gun emplacements and defense batteries left over from the Fort’s WWI & WWII-era role defending the Puget Sound from potential enemy invaders. While there, check out the bunkers where the Fort’s ‘Triangle of Fire’ guns used to be housed. Bike rentals are available either on the beach at Fort Worden, or at these downtown locations:

The Broken Spoke: 360-379-1295
Williwaw Cycles: 360-379-8809
PT Cyclery: 360-385-6470
The ReCyclery: 360-643-1755

For lunch, visit Reveille at the Commons on the Fort Campus. Fort Worden takes pride in prioritizing locally sourced, sustainable, and seasonal fare and pairing our dishes with regionally-crafted brews, ciders, spirits and wines for a uniquely Pacific Northwest dining experience.

After lunch explore the nearshore habitats of the Salish Sea in the Port Townsend Marine Science Center’s aquarium featuring local fish and invertebrate species. View plankton through a microscope! See a fully-articulated orca skeleton! Help with feedings on Saturday afternoons through the summer season. (Note hours vary by season.)

Round out your visit to Fort Worden with a visit to the Puget Sound Coast Artillery Museum. Fort Worden is one of three forts comprising the Triangle of Fire which controlled ship access to Puget Sound. Construction at Fort Worden started in 1898 with the first guns manned in 1902 and the majority of the structures on the Fort predate WWI. The Puget Sound Coast Artillery Museum was established in 1976 to preserve and interpret Coast Artillery history with special emphasis on the Harbor Defenses of Puget Sound as they existed and functioned from the late 1800s to the end of World War II. The Museum also has exhibits showing the History of Fort Worden from it’s beginnings in 1897 through it’s use as a military base, a State Diagnostic and Treatment Center for adolescents, and finally as one of the premier State Parks in Washington.

Indoor Adventure

Day One: Downtown Strolling and Shopping

victorian heritage photo by Kevin Prime

You’ve landed at Port Townsend in the 1880s, what do you see? If only these streets and ghost murals could talk. Take a stroll through Port Townsend’s Downtown or Uptown with Guides from the Jefferson County Museum of Art and History and see through the eyes of a foul-mouthed sailor or a Victorian lady. Explore the Museum’s jail, and then head across the street to Nifty Fifty’s   a 1950s-style soda fountain and burger joint.

Programs and Camps for Kids

Several organizations offer youth summer camps and programs. Check their websites for details, dates, ages, content, etc.

 

Plan Your Future Trip

Map is a fun and interactive way to plan your future dream vacation in Jefferson County. The map links to local businesses and activities in the area, features an easy to use itinerary planner which is sharable on social media, it has a calendar of local events when safe & healthy events can once again be scheduled, and showcases popular trail maps. iMap is a trip planner right at your fingertips. Plan your trip and start exploring what Jefferson County has to offer!

 

Get started