From Seattle
Take the Kingston or Bainbridge ferry, then drive north on the peninsula to Chimacum. We’ll send turn-by-turn notes after you book.
Olympic Peninsula
Day trips, if you want them
Most groups spend the week at the house. When you want town or water, Port Townsend is a short drive.
If you leave the acres
Port Townsend is the useful town
Most groups spend the week at the house — woods, a ravine, and a field for the kids. When you want groceries, the waterfront, or a meal you didn’t cook, Port Townsend is a short drive.
Nearby
Guides from Chimacum
Each page is about the place itself. Drive time from the house is at the top.
about 15–20 minutes
Port Townsend
Walkable Victorian downtown, a working waterfront, and enough food and shops for a town day without turning the week into an itinerary.
Read the guideabout 20–25 minutes · ~16 miles
Fort Worden
Beaches, bunkers you can explore, and bluff trails at the north end of Port Townsend — the outing the original site always listed first.
Read the guideabout 20 minutes to the dock
Whale watching
Day boats on the Salish Sea from Port Townsend — orcas and other whales in season, booked as a single outing, not a week-long safari.
Read the guide
about 15–20 minutes to the launch
Kayaking
Kayak, SUP, and bikes from Port Townsend — a water day that still gets everyone home for dinner on the acres.
Read the guide
about 1 hour 45 minutes to Hurricane Ridge
Olympic National Park
Hurricane Ridge for a mountain day; rain forest and coast if you want a longer drive. One park day, then back to Chimacum.
Read the guide
about 40 minutes
Sequim
Dungeness Spit, lavender farms in summer, and drier Olympic Peninsula weather — a westbound day that is still shorter than the national park.
Read the guide
you are already here
Chimacum
Farm valley, a corner store, and the quiet town the house actually sits in — groceries, views, and no need to perform tourism.
Read the guideferry plus a peninsula drive
Getting here
Kingston or Bainbridge ferry, SEA, and the 516 map pin — practical arrival notes before anyone puts 512 in the GPS.
Read the guideGetting here
Ferries, groceries, and which address to use
Airports
SEA is the usual inbound. Plan for the ferry plus the drive — this is not a 15-minute airport run.
Groceries
Chimacum, Port Hadlock, and Port Townsend. A short list goes out with the arrival notes.
The map pin
Navigate to 516 Blue Mountain Rd. 512 is Dave’s house, for mailed checks only.
On the property
You don’t have to leave
Valley view, woods, field, and the house. Town is optional.
Common questions
Getting here
Seattle ferries, and why you should never put 512 in the GPS.
How do we get here from Seattle?
Most groups take the Kingston or Bainbridge ferry, then drive up the peninsula to Chimacum. We’ll send directions after you book. Don’t put 512 in the GPS.
How far is Fort Worden from the house?
About 16 miles — 20 to 25 minutes through Port Townsend. Kayak rentals and whale-watch boats leave from the same town.
Do we need to leave the property?
You don’t have to. Most groups spend the week in the woods, the playrooms, and the kitchen. Town and the parks are half-days if you want them — not a driving vacation.
Dave & Patti
Come for the acres. Take a day in town if you want.
Check the calendar, then call Dave.