A Victorian waterfront town in a far-flung corner of America? You don’t have to tell me twice! Port Townsend is a magical place in the northeast corner of the Olympic Peninsula in the far north of Washington State. The bay on which the town sits was named “Port Townshend Bay” by George Vancouver way back in 1792. From the beginning it was recognized as a good, safe harbor and a town site was inevitable. Founded by Americans in 1851, it was the traditional homeland of no fewer than five American Indian bands. In the late 19th century, Port Townsend was called The City of Dreams and people imagined it would be the major port city to serve the Northwest United States. Grand buildings and homes were built in the Victorian style of the time and a magnificent county courthouse was erected to show the strength and stability of the town. Sadly an economic downturn caused the expected railroad links to stop far short of Port Townsend, choosing to end their cross country lines in Tacoma, Seattle and Tumwater instead. This was a huge blow to Port Townsend and one they would never really recover from. The construction of the U.S. Army base at Fort Worden around the turn of the century would keep the town afloat though and eventually people would recognize the beauty of Port Townsend. The town experienced a renewal of interest in the 1970s and many of the old buildings have been lovingly restored . Today it is a major tourism destination and has a busy ferry port as well. I really loved my stay in Port Townsend, especially exploring the downtown area and the fort (now a state park). I had a fantastic seafood feast at Sea J’s Café on the waterfront and the beers at Propolis Brewing were on a different level than most breweries. It’s a really cool town and one you should definitely put on your itinerary. Port Townsend is definitely the Crown Jewel of the Olympic Peninsula.