Here I am in Port Townsend and the more time I spend here the more I love it. It’s got a small town, seaside feel to it, but with a hip arts/culture vibe going on. I think the Victorian brick buildings give it a sense of solidity and history that just isn’t present in most American towns. Talking to the locals, it does get quiet during the winter, but shops don’t close down and the arts scene stays vibrant throughout. They have an excellent artisinal bakery, two bike shops and an art-house cinema (oddly showing the Rob Brydon/Steve Coogan travelogue comedy, The Trip, as a film – not sure how that’s going to translate). What more could you need?
I didn’t do much – wouldn’t be a rest day if I did – just pottered around and drank coffee. Actually that’s a thing. They really don’t do pubs. Either here or in Canada. They do bars, but they’re generally pretty rough and either for blokes to get drunk in or for the ‘kids’ to pull. With all this amazing countryside you’d think a few country pubs would be a gold mine, but it’s just not in their psyche to drive out for a drink and a ploughmans. More fool them.
Here are some photos of the hotel.
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Pip pip
Love
Pete
Patagonia Pete 
Hi, Pete – so glad someone else in the family has experienced Port Townsend! We loved it too and stopped in a motel on the edge of the water with herons marching to and fro below the bedroom balcony. A good place for a rest day, I’d say.
Off to Seattle now, are you? Are you sporting one of those little Union Jacks on your handlebars or is that only for tourists?
Take lots of care, and love from us all, Ba
Hi Ba Yes it’s lovely here isn’t it? Try the Palace Hotel next time you’re here. I’m off to a suburb of Seattle called Edmonds to meet up with a friend of a friend hopefully. Just a flying visit then retracing my steps back onto the islands to work my way south to Astoria.
I fixed black, reflective sticky-backed plastic cut into a union flag on to my front panniers; patriotic, but classy! See Day 1 for a photo.
Love to you, Des and the family
Pete
http://www.patagoniapete.com petecoombes@mac.com Skype:pcoombes
Hi Pete – remember me, “new best friend?” Jim told me about your adventures and being a mad-keen cyclist I’m dead jealous. I have spent the last week getting upto date with your trip and progress. I guess we’re not opening “Pete n’ Paul’s Brew n’ Bake Shop” anytime soon then…?
Have fun and look after yourself. Made a lovely Banana & Walnut loaf cake, ideal for a hungry cyclist!!
All the best – Cookie
Paul
Never say never! I maybe thousands of miles away but my heart is always in the oven(?). I say we can start the links of a bakery chain that will cover the globe. You start in England, I’ll start in New Zealand and we’ll meet in… the middle of… the Carribean? Well, that’ll be our head office then. Keep baking until I get there. In the meantime, add some caffeine to the cakes and sell them as cycling, energy bars. I just read that caffeine aids the metabolizing of carbs.
Keep the baking faith.
Pete
Right then. Is there money in pubs in Canada and the USA? I think we both have sampled enough to do a good job but are the colonials ready for it? I mean siting down and holding a jovial conversation over a few pnts was something sadly lacking on my travels through the states. Only boston came close and then we where asked to leave after a few pints of guineas by some Noraid heavies.
Ah well they’ll have to spend thousands to come to the Uk and duck there heads and grimace at the warm stuff.
Must be ble…ing watneys red barrel in LA.