When the weather is right, Port Townsend is a great little coastal town, charming and serene. Deer roam the neighborhood, grazing among Victorian ginger bread houses, and assorted seabirds huddle and hunt on Hudson Beach.

Summer time is the best time to be in Washington state and we took full advantage of a beautiful sunny day in August to visit the beach town of Port Townsend. We found a shady spot and parked on one of the streets high above the bay. We walked the neighborhood admiring the beautiful and quaint Victorian homes lining the quiet streets. As we passed a Tudor style home, a diverse group of happy people congregated just outside the picket fence. They had a certain glow about them and smiled at us, as they asked us to take a picture of their group. These Buddhist worshipers, mostly from Seattle, gathered each summer to chant together. I could sense their good energy.

Only feet away, we reached the edge of the neighborhood and feasted our eyes on a panoramic vista of the bay. We spotted a family of deer crossing the road below and ferry boats crossing the water. We found our way down the hill and walked past the small marina to Hudson Beach. Around the corner from the shops and restaurants, we chatted with a couple traveling in a classic Citroën down the coast, escaping the imminent rainy season.

Downtown, we found more quaint shops and stopped for an old fashioned sundae at the Nifty Fifty Diner, and enjoyed the view of the water, while our fur friends (dogs) enjoyed a few fries and plenty of attention from the patrons.

We headed back up the hill toward our car. A dozen or so deer and doe appeared from one of the side yards and we watched them make their way through the neighborhood, perking their ears but not feeling particularly intimidated by the humans observing them at a close distance.