Skål

July 4, 2015

Downtown Poulsbo: A little bit of Norway in America

We find ourselves in the Norwegian town of Poulsbo. I've never been to Norway, but Cheri has been and said that Poulsbo reminds her of Bergen. This town was established in 1825 by Norwegian immigrants, and the primary language of Poulsbo was Norwegian until after World War II, when English speaking residents started moving into the area. It's a lovely place. Satch & Bebop accompanied us on a walk along Liberty Bay on the Puget Sound. We sat in a cafe and had fresh fish.

Poulsbo fireworks

The 4th of July celebration started on Friday the 3rd, with their big fireworks celebration on Liberty Bay. Poulsbo is designed to be a tourist attraction, as they plan weekly activities, such as last week's Scandinavian Festival and this week's 4th of July festivies.

We're staying in an RV park just on the edge of Poulsbo, and from the looks of things, more RVs here are permanent, rather than passing through. We talked to our neighbor, who lives here full-time. Same with the neighbor on the other side of us. They have their animals living with them, and Bebop decided to go make friends with the little dog who lives next door. This is something we've been seeing at a lot of the RV parks we visit. It seems many people rent their space by the month, and set down roots for months or even years at a time.

Port Townsend, a town full of history

Yesterday, on the recommendation of our friend Brad Dolbeer, we took a day trip to Port Townsend. He lived there for four years and said it is the place he's loved living the most. And I can see why. It's an artist community, featuring many 19th Century Victorian homes. We walked through the historic district and visited the shops. We found a cute '50s-themed restaurant with a deck overlooking the Sound. It sits on the northeastern tip of the Olympic Peninsula, looking across the water to Victoria, Canada.

Port Townsend Pier

We took the boys out to the end of the fishing pier and watched the sailboats in the water. One boat had a beautiful Yellow Labrador on board, and I could see Bebop was looking a little envious. This would be something he would love. As a consolation, we took Bebop and Satch down to the water's edge and let them frolic in the water.

One of the goals of our trip around the USA is to find an area where we would enjoy finally settling down. We're looking for a town that has affordable housing, has a climate we would enjoy, and a community we could easily fit into. I have to say that Northwestern Washington state certainly has a lot going for it. The area is deeply forested surrounded by the Olympic Range, making for some amazing views. Port Townsend, in particular, has a great feeling and the weather is perfect. With mild temperatures year-round, they average only between 1-2 inches of rain per month.

Tomorrow morning, we get to see our long-time friend Stan Mak, who lives in nearby Kingston, and then we hit the road for our next destination, the German-themed Leavenworth, Washington. Skål!