With its brightly painted Victorian mansions, convivial cafés and vigorous cultural scene, PORT TOWNSEND has always had aspirations beyond its small-time logging roots. Gothic mansions sprang up above the flourishing port in the 1890s, when confident predictions of a railroad terminus lured in the rich. Unfortunately for the investors, the trains never arrived, and the town was left with a glut of stylish residences and a very small business district.

Port Townsend's physical split - half on a bluff, half at sea level - reflects nineteenth-century social divisions, when wealthy merchants built their houses uptown, far above the rowdy clamor and working-class color of the port below. The downtown area is at the base of the hill, its shops and pleasant cafés centering on Water Street - lined with proud 1890s brick and stonework. In recent times the old mansions have been restored, and the town has mellowed into an artsy community with hippie undertones and a fair amount of charm. For a more detailed look at the area's rich history, check out the museum of the Jefferson County Historical Society , 540 Water St (daily 11am-4pm, Sun opens at 1pm; $2; ), which offers more information about the town's historic Victorian structures.

Though fairly bustling year-round, the town is busiest during its summer music festivals - principally Jazz Port Townsend in late July, and American Fiddle Tunes in early July - which take place at the state park at FORT WORDEN , the remains of a military encampment two miles north of town.

Port Townsend

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