Fort Worden--- Port Townsend, WA

I took a weekend away alone over Martin Luther King Weekend to Fort Worden in Port Townsend, Washington.

Fort Worden is a fort that once guarded the entrance to Puget Sound in combination with Fort Flagler & Fort Casey. Once decommissioned, (around 1950) the land was turned over to the state and they now let you rent out the officer's houses.

The Fort is also very near the city of Port Townsend, a very charming town.

It was a great weekend of solitude away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. I ate well, read, and was rewarded with some spectacular sunshine and mountains.

The sunset ferry ride back to Seattle was one of the most beautiful I've ever been on. The pictures don't do it justice.

Simple pleasures

I recently was unexpectedly surprised with the opening of a new park less than a block from my apartment. I live on the Fremont end of Phinney Ridge in Seattle. The views from Phinney Ridge are pretty amazing and I've often longed for a place to watch the sun set over the Olympics besides the back stairs to my laundry room.

It's been winter so I haven't been able to fully utilize the park but the other day I was rewarded with a brief glimpse of the mountains. I grabbed my camera and snapped a few photos. I can see that I will be spending some afternoons here with a book come summer.

In this photo you see more clouds than mountains... but they're there on the lower left. It's a lovely view of Ballard, nonetheless.

Pass!

I just found out I passed the first of the two exams I took this fall (the SEII exam). I'm officially a Structural Engineer in 48 states. Unfortunately Washington isn't one of them... yet. (I'm still awaiting the results of the SEIII). Time to celebrate!

2007

As mentioned yesterday, I managed to meet my goal this year of at least one outing a month in 2007. Not all made it onto the blog... so below is a quick synopsis, posted for the sake of closing out one year and looking forward to the next. (I already know my adventures for March, May and June '08-- but would welcome suggestions for the other nine.)

January '07

MLK Weekend at Fort Stevens and in Portland.

February '07

Girls gone wild in leavenworth.

The Robe trail with Jill, Eric, and Kirk.

March '07

A rainy Sunday at Snowqualmie Falls with the Minnesota Ladies.

April '07

Orcas Island, Doe Bay and Mt. Constitution.

May '07

A hike up Rattlesnake ledge & time in North Bend with Accacia

Explore Tacoma Trip #1 to the Tacoma Art Museum.

June '07

Fast track to Fun--camping at Larabee state park and a hike up oyster dome.

July '07

Mom's Retirement weekend at Marrowstone Island.

The goats of Ingalls Pass.

August '07

Sister Bonding '07 in the east cascades

Lake 22 with Natasha.

September '07

Explore Tacoma Trip #2-- Point Defiance and the worst bloody mary ever.

Hiking Cedar and Pine Lakes in the chuckanut mountains-- a rainy day in Bellingham.

September '07/October'07

East coast adventures in the white mountains, boston, NYC & the jersey shore.

November '07

Pete Lake with Mary

December 31, 2007

Half of a snow covered hike up Oyster Dome and then a beautiful drive through the Skagit Valley.