Fort Worden Park, Port Townsend, Washington. Grass, a road, trees with golden fall leaves in the distance--and behind them, the ocean and cloudy skies.

Fall Foray Through Port Townsend

Fort Worden Park, Port Townsend, Washington. Grass, a road, trees with golden fall leaves in the distance--and behind them, the ocean and cloudy skies.

“Jump in the leaves enough times, and you’ll find an octopus.” If I had a dime for every time I heard this cautionary phrase, I’d have no dimes because no one says that. But if you take a day trip to Port Townsend in Washington state in the fall, you can jump in the leaves and see an octopus—while staying relatively dry.

The best way to find an octopus in Port Townsend, is to go there not expecting to see one at all. Just tool around a bit trying to find a parking spot on a Saturday, and when you do, make a beeline for the Pirate Store. It’s filled with every cute sweater and trinket any wench could want. Truly. I’ve always asked myself, “what’s my style? How would I describe it?” Now I know: wench wear from the Pirate Store, and I think I want to go back for my birthday. Yo-ho-yo-ho, a pirate shopping spree for me!

Plenty of art shops line the streets, and you can get a bite to eat at the Cornish pasty restaurant, which also serves delicious craft brews, but if you drive a little further on, you’ll find yourself at Fort Worden State Park. And there, tucked among the walkways and trees with golden leaves, you’ll find the octopus—inside the Port Townsend Marine Science Center. However, it will be hiding in an aquarium—and no, you can’t touch it. But yes, it can see you. Probably. And it will grab a hold of you—metaphorically. You’ll be thinking about it all squished up against the glass, trying its hardest to look like something boring, like a tube—and it will be hard to concentrate during the tour of the Commanding Officer’s Quarters Museum—even as you view the roped-off parlor, where you think you hear a disembodied woman’s voice say, “and this is where I cried every day when I realized I’d be entertaining uppity dignitaries at a moment’s whim.”

An octopus at the edge of a tank, its tentacles pushed up against a corner of glass, a ladder outside leaning against the aquarium.

Sometimes, when I look at the trees still holding onto their leaves, I think I see tentacles snaking around the trunk. And I smile.

Your Turn: What’s your favorite day trip in the fall?

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Published by ckennedy

Author of the DIY blog: Fixin' Leaks and Leeks. Paper/Rock Writing Consultation, Sole Proprietor.

25 thoughts on “Fall Foray Through Port Townsend”

  1. You might want to check out Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt which includes narration by an octopus. My spouse grabbed it at the library for me and I had no idea what it was about, but ended up enjoying it very much, in large part, due to all I learned about the capabilities and intelligence of those amazing creatures.

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  2. I started to write a comment and then saw that Tracy was referring to that book! We read it for library book club this year. It’s amazing!!! And MY favorite fall trip is to the top of Brockway Mountain in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Unfortunately, I haven’t been there for years…

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  4. Autumn in Adelaide is much like autumn in Canberra. For a real difference, I’d return to Darwin for a few days and experience no autumnal colours but enjoy the lack of leaf litter on the ground.

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