Help Me With My Vacation! (Please) (Seattle, Port Angeles: rentals, hotel, wedding)

[BurnInTheMil]

Good evening ladies & gents

I am in the planning stage for my wife and I's wedding anniversary "getaway" this year. This will take place Mid-Late October. We have always wanted to visit the Washington Coast & Olympic National Park, and this is a perfect chance for us to!

I have been looking at amazing vacation rentals, and like what I see in Port Townsend. Awesome water views and relatively close to ONP. However, there are a TON of great rentals across the water in places like Coupeville, Freeland and Greenbank. I don't mind the idea of being on an "island" but want to make sure it's not more trouble than it's worth, as in getting across the water and such. I like how Port Townsend would allow to be on the "right side" of the water, in terms of getting to ONP and places on that side. But again, if the islands offer more, then I'm open for suggestions. We want to be able to go out to eat whenever as well. Are there ferrys from Port Townsend to the other side? What's the best way to do this?

Thanks in advance!

[Seacove]

There's the ferry that takes you to Coupeville on Whidbey Island, then drive south to Clinton and take the ferry to Mukilteo. You can also drive south from Port Townsend to Bainbridge and take the ferry direct to Seattle. There's also ferries to the San Juan Islands and to Canada. Here is a route map:

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/pdf/wsfroutemap.pdf

[BurnInTheMil]

Originally Posted by Seacove

There's the ferry that takes you to Coupeville on Whidbey Island, then drive south to Clinton and take the ferry to Mukilteo. You can also drive south from Port Townsend to Bainbridge and take the ferry direct to Seattle. There's also ferries to the San Juan Islands and to Canada. Here is a route map:

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/pdf/wsfroutemap.pdf

Thank you for this!

[Seacove]

Originally Posted by Greg10556

Thank you for this!

No problem! Just no falling in the love with the place and moving; we love tourists! By mid-late October, Fall will be setting in and it will chilly with some rainy days. There are exceptions but usually daily rain doesn't hit until November.

Also, you might want to take a day and drive to Cape Flattery. Beautiful area, short hike and you can say you were at the most northwest corner. It looks on to Tatoosh Island.

[homesinseattle]

Port Townsend offers so much. Nature, culture, great food. Hard to beat.

[BurnInTheMil]

Originally Posted by Seacove

No problem! Just no falling in the love with the place and moving; we love tourists! By mid-late October, Fall will be setting in and it will chilly with some rainy days. There are exceptions but usually daily rain doesn't hit until November.

Also, you might want to take a day and drive to Cape Flattery. Beautiful area, short hike and you can say you were at the most northwest corner. It looks on to Tatoosh Island.

Thanks again! Something about rain on the rugged coast is actually an attention grabber and would be awesome!

[Hemlock140]

Being too dependent upon a ferry can waste a lot of time during peak tourist and vacation season, with a 2-3 hour wait at time, but in October we will have rain and kids are back in school so you shouldn't have any problems getting onto them. Be sure to take some time to visit the Deception Pass Bridge, the Hoh Rainforest and Hurricane Ridge. If you want to have a bit of an adventure while in Port Townsend, stay a night or two at the Palace Hotel and report back any interesting experiences. We were unaware of the reputation for being haunted until we had some unexplained night time events and then read the guestbook in the lobby when leaving.

The Palace Hotel | Haunted Places | Port Townsend, WA 98368

Palace Hotel – A Step Back In Time

[pikabike]

Port Townsend ferry runs a short trip to and from Coupeville on Whidbey Island. That is the nearest ferry.

If Olympic NP is your top interest, PT is definitely easier as a base location than the islands are. At that time of year, you should be able to take advantage of seasonal lower rates for lodging, but it depends on your exact time of visit. October is a transitional month, as it is in many parts of the US.

Also, if you have any interest in visiting Victoria BC, that is fairly easy. Drive to PA and take the private Black Ball ferry, the Coho. Viewing the Olympic Mtns from the middle of the Strait of Juan de Fuca (or from Canada) is as impressive as seeing them from WA.

PT has plenty of restaurants, but always call to make sure that one is open on the day and time you want. As the tourism high season wanes, places cut back on operating hours. And make sure you try some hot-out-of-the-oven baked goods from Pane d'Amore bakery. Breads are baked in PT at a central facility, and smaller items are baked right in the tiny shop on Tyler St. near Lawrence.

[Gardyloo]

Originally Posted by Greg10556

I am in the planning stage for my wife and I's wedding anniversary "getaway" this year. This will take place Mid-Late October. We have always wanted to visit the Washington Coast & Olympic National Park, and this is a perfect chance for us to!

By mid- to late October weather is going to be a major factor, especially on the Pacific side of the peninsula. On the beaches, you're likely as not to have stormy conditions, which can be spectacular but not especially comfortable if you want to hike. And while the Hoh and Quinault rain forests are fantastic and worth the trip on their own, well, they don't call them "rain forests" for nothing.

Port Townsend is a good three hours' drive from the La Push beaches and the Hoh rain forest, and close to two from Hurricane Ridge, so while basing yourselves in Port Townsend is fine, it's NOT a good base for exploring Olympic National Park. Port Townsend, like Sequim ("skwim") and the north end of Whidbey Island, is in the Olympic Mountains' "rain shadow," meaning it gets significantly less rainfall than areas farther west or south. So conditions around Port Townsend are likely to be nicer than in, say, Forks (a low bar to clear) but the trade-off is the distance from things.

You didn't say how long this would be for, but you might think about basing in Port Angeles instead. You can do day trips to the beaches and Hoh Valley much easier from PA than from Port Townsend, or you could do a day trip to Victoria BC on the Coho ferry from PA (go as foot passengers and save big bucks.) So you might think about two bases - one in PA and another on Whidbey Island if you want island vibe - look at Langley or Coupeville. Or stay for part of the time in Port Townsend and do a day trip over to Whidbey - visit Deception Pass, Coupeville or Langley, etc., or hit Whidbey on your way coming or going.

[margaretBartle]

I highly recommend the Lake Crescent Lodge. It's not very expensive, as hotel lodgings go. It's an old-fashioned log lodge, with a big fireplace and lot of history. When I was there decades ago, the food was great. Check some ratings places now. I love that place.