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Northwest Victorian Seaports: An Exploration of Port Townsend and Coupeville

Program Number: 19426RJ
Start and End Dates:
7/28/2013 - 8/2/2013;
Duration: 5 nights
Location: Whidbey Island, Washington
Price starting at: $999.00 - Price may vary based on date, departure city
Program Type: History & Culture; Homes & Gardens
Meals: 12; 5 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches, 4 Dinners    
Meal Options: Low Fat; Low Salt; Vegetarian    

Immerse yourself in maritime culture and Pacific Northwest history as you engage in intimate study of two distinctive, preserved Victorian seaports. Visit the port of Coupeville on Whidbey Island and explore some of its more than 50 structures on the National Register of Historic Places. Across Puget Sound in Port Townsend, explore one of only three Victorian seaports in America listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Lectures by historians accent your explorations with insight into the architecture, culture and seafaring heritage of each port and its surroundings.




Highlights

• In Port Townsend, venture into privately owned Victorian mansions to share gossip and stories from the town’s history.
• Explore Ebey’s Landing Reserve, a significant historic agricultural landscape and America’s first National Historical Reserve.
• Take a boat ride and enjoy a 360-degree, unobstructed view of Deception Pass, where you watch for bald eagles, seals, porpoises and whales while hearing tales of the characters who once navigated these waters.



Activity Particulars

Walking up to two miles; some uneven terrain.



Coordinated by Skagit Valley College.




Whidbey Island

Accessible by boat or via the soaring bridge over the breathtaking high-walled gorge known as Deception Pass, Whidbey Island is a long, narrow stretch of unspoiled glacial island roughly shaped like a seahorse. The island boasts peaceful, driftwood-strewn beaches, historic forts, old barns and rural wide open spaces where wildflowers abound.
Accommodations
Modern, Northwest-style hotel on Whidbey Island.
Meals and Lodgings
   Best Western Harbor Plaza
  Oak Harbor, Whidbey Island 5 nights
 Best Western Harbor Plaza
Type: Hotel
  Description: This modern and well appointed Northwest style hotel is centrally located in Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island providing the perfect launching point for our learning activities & adventures.
  Contact info: 33175 State Route 20
Oak Harbor, WA 98277 USA
phone: 800-927-5478
web: www.bestwestern.com/harborplaza
  Room amenities: All rooms are beautifully appointed and feature air conditioning, microwave, mini refrigerator, cable TV, data ports and free hi speed wireless internet, coffeemakers, hair dryers, ironing board and iron.
  Facility amenities: The Best Western Harbor Plaza is a modern, beautifully appointed hotel featuring air conditioned rooms, seasonal outdoor pool & spa, conference center, room service, and its central Whidbey Island location is the perfect launching point for educational adventures.
  Smoking allowed: No
  Elevators available: Yes
  Additional nights prior: Varies by season Please call the hotel directly at 1-800-927-5478 for extended stay rates and reservations.
  Check in time: 4:00 PM
  Additional nights after: Varies by season Please call the hotel directly at 1-800-927-5478 for extended stay rates and reservations.
  Check out time: 12:00 PM


Travel Details
  Start of Program:
Your Road Scholar program will begin with an orientation at 5:00 pm in hotel conference room. You will be staying at Best Western Harbor Plaza that night.
  End of Program:
Your Road Scholar program will at conclude after a morning review session (approximately 9:30am) to allow ample travel time for those returning to the greater Seattle area and points beyond. You will be staying at Best Western Harbor Plaza the night before.
  Required documents:
The Road Scholar Health & Safety Form is required.
  Parking availability:
Complimentary off street parking available at hotel.
Transportation
To Start of Program
  Location:  Oak Harbor, Whidbey Island
  Nearest city or town:  Oak Harbor
  Nearest highway: Hwy 20
  Nearest airport:  Whidbey Island
  From End of Program
  Location: Oak Harbor, Whidbey Island
    (Additional transportation information same as above)
Travel Details
 

Seattle (SeaTac) Airport

 

From Airport

 
 

Service:

 

Commercial Van/Shuttle
Whidbey-Seatac Shuttle
phone: 877-679-4003
Advanced Reservations Required

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

$30-35
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

approx. 2.5 hrs 
 

Distance:

 

approx 90 miles
   

The Whidbey-SeaTac Shuttle provides 8 round trips daily between the Seattle Airport (SeaTac Int'l Airport) and Whidbey Island. Call 360-679-4003 (Local) or 877-679-4003 (Toll-free) for schedule, fare and reservation assistance, or book on line at www.seatacshuttle.com. When making your shuttle reservation, be sure to request a drop off at the Best Western Harbor Plaza in Oak Harbor, which is available only by advance request…and for minimal additional charge.

 
Driving Directions
  From Seattle From Seattle follow Interstate 5 North to SR 20 West (Exit 230). Go West on SR 20 toward Anacortes. Follow signs to Whidbey Island and Oak Harbor. End at Best Western Harbor Plaza 33175 SR-20, Oak Harbor. Seattle to Oak Harbor driving distance is about 90 miles with drive time approx 1 hour and 45 minutes.
The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.


Daily Schedule

Day 1: Orientation / Welcome and Get Acquainted
(Sunday, July 28)
   
 Afternoon: Check in at hotel 4PM; Program Orientation at 5:00PM
 Dinner: In the hotel conference room - healthy and delicious Northwest-style meals prepared and served by our private caterer.
 Evening: Welcome and get acquainted program following dinner. During the week, participants will immerse in the maritime culture and history unique the Pacific Northwest via intimate study of two distinctive and beautifully preserved historic Victorian Seaports; Port Townsend, on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula and Coupeville, in the heart of Ebey’s Landing National Historic Reserve on Whidbey Island. Port Townsend is distinguished as one of only three Victorian seaports in the country listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
   
Accommodations: Best Western Harbor Plaza
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: Victorian Seaport of Coupeville: Coupeville Historical Museum / Historic Wharf / Greenbank Farm
(Monday, July 29)
   
 Breakfast: In the hotel conference room - healthy and delicious Northwest-style meals prepared and served by our private caterer.
 Morning: Presentation on Washington's Historic Seaports. Following, we venture to Coupeville, home to about 50 structures on the National Register of Historic places and the oldest standing wharf in the Puget Sound. Our town walk in Coupeville studies architecture and history of town and includes a guided visit to the Coupeville Historical Museum.
 Lunch: Enjoy a picnic lunch in the Seaport of Coupeville, followed by some free time to explore the antiques and vintage shops that line this Victorian Seaport.
 Afternoon: Afternoon field trip continues to Greenbank Farm...a 500 acre farm with fields, forest and wetlands alongside picnic lawn and reflecting pond. On site artisan cheese store, wine shop, and tasting bar. Learn how this property became a local landmark conservation story in itself, as we hike to vista points at Greenbank.
 Dinner: In the hotel conference room - healthy and delicious Northwest-style meals prepared and served by our private caterer.
 Evening: Local expert shares history and highlights the architecture in the historic Seaport buildings and barns in Coupeville and Port Townsend.
   
Accommodations: Best Western Harbor Plaza
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve / Fort Casey / Admiralty Head Light House
(Tuesday, July 30)
   
 Breakfast: In the hotel conference room - healthy and delicious Northwest-style meals prepared and served by our private caterer.
 Morning: Presentation about Ebey's Landing National Historical Preserve of Whidbey Island, the Nation's first nationally designated historic cultural landscape and a non-traditional unit of the National Park system. Field trip to Preserve follows lecture.
 Lunch: Picnic lunch at Ebey's Landing National Historical Preserve.
 Afternoon: Field trip continues into "Ebeys Landing" Reserve, a nationally significant historic landscape. Step back in time via a short hiking exploration of this rural American working community (the Nations first National Historical Reserve) agricultural landscape The back drop of this shallow bowl of farmland is the Strait of Juan De Fuca and the snow capped Olympic Mountains just to the West. Also visit the Admiralty Head Lighthouse and Fort Casey State Park.
 Evening: Evening presentation uncovers Port Townsend history (including Native history, 19th century history/development, and maritime history with emphasis on wooden boat building), architecture/historic preservation, and a dose of WWII history.
   
Accommodations: Best Western Harbor Plaza
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4: Victorian Seaport of Port Townsend: Victorian Homes Walking Tour / NW Maritime and Wooden Boat Center
(Wednesday, July 31)
   
 Breakfast: In the hotel conference room - healthy and delicious Northwest-style meals prepared and served by our private caterer.
 Morning: Special day-long field trip via scenic ferry across Puget Sound (30 min) to Port Townsend docks. Port Townsend is distinguished as one of only three Victorian seaports in the country listed on the National Register of Historic Places. We'll begin with a guided walking exploration through historic waterfront Landmark District. Enjoy insider access to privately owned Victorian homes and mansions with local expert to share “gossip & stories” from the town’s history. Afterwards, we'll walk to the Northwest Maritime Center (NMC)/Wooden Boat Foundation to learn about boat building craft traditions, for which Pt. Townsend is known. Walk through boats under construction or restoration and talk with the experts as they hone their craft and educate a new generation of boatbuilders.
 Lunch: Savor the variety of options for local fare as you enjoy lunch on your own in Port Townsend!
 Afternoon: Afternoon free time to explore Port Townsend's Waterfront District. Historic Water Street houses art galleries, antique shops, gift stores and restaurants. Afternoon ferry takes us back to Coupeville ferry landing, where we return to the hotel in time for dinner.
 Dinner: In the hotel conference room - healthy and delicious Northwest-style meals prepared and served by our private caterer.
 Evening: After our extensive walking day - enjoy a free evening ...to relax or indulge in the hotel's pool.
   
Accommodations: Best Western Harbor Plaza
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 5: Deception Pass State Park / Rosario Beach / Deception Pass Gorge Boat Excursion
(Thursday, August 1)
   
 Breakfast: In the hotel conference room - healthy and delicious Northwest-style meals prepared and served by our private caterer.
 Morning: Our morning begins with a presentation on Deception Pass Gorge, a spectacular narrow saltwater passage on the Island's northern tip. It offers great scenery and wildlife watching, and is known for its picturesque historic bridge and ancient forests. We'll take a unique ride on a seated, open deck boat and enjoy a 360° unobstructed view as we pass through the waters of Deception Pass on a one hour tour. We'll learn the tales of characters who navigated these waters and the splendor of this National Historic Landmark and also look for wildlife such as bald eagles, seals, porpoises and maybe an occasional whale.
 Lunch: Enjoy picnic lunch on the beach.
 Afternoon: Deception State Park is over 4000 acres, with 35 miles of hiking trails, 15 miles of seashore and rugged cliffs that drop to meet the turbulent waters of Deception Pass. We'll explore the bridge area, several beaches and some coniferous forest by foot. Total trail walk is 1-1.5 miles. Learn some lore of local Native peoples, including a beautiful carving that tells a traditional story.
 Dinner: In the hotel conference room - healthy and delicious Northwest-style meals prepared and served by our private caterer.
 Evening: Enjoy a special musical farewell by local entertainer and musician.
   
Accommodations: Best Western Harbor Plaza
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6: Program Review / Farewell
(Friday, August 2)
   
 Breakfast: In the hotel conference room - healthy and delicious Northwest-style meals prepared and served by our private caterer.
 Morning: Reflect and review our week's adventure and relish in the discoveries of our nostalgic Seaport towns and villages. Program ends approximately 9:30 am to allow for comfortable travel back to greater Seattle area transportation hubs.
   
Meals Included: Breakfast

Free Time Opportunities
  
  Oak Harbor, Whidbey Island Central Whidbey Island Chamber of Commerce
Central Whidbey Island Chamber of Commerce offercs a variety of information and resource for Oak Harbor and Coupeville areas of Whidbey Island. For additional information, visit www.centralwhidbeychamber.com
  Washington State Tourism
Excellent resource for state wide travel. For additional information, visit www.experiencewa.com/
  Whidbey and Camano Island Visitors Information
Enjoy year-round vacation getaways on Whidbey and Camano Islands located in Puget Sound just a short drive north of Seattle--and only a two hour drive south of Vancouver, Canada. Find helpful tips and information for free time or extending your stay in the area. For additional information, visit www.whidbeycamanoislands.com/
Important information about your itinerary: Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information featured on this website. Itineraries are based on our best information at this time. Circumstances beyond our control may require us to adjust itineraries or other details. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. Information will be sent to you from your Program Provider approximately three weeks prior to the program start date. The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.

Suggested Reading List


A Field Guide to Coastal Flowers of the Pacific Northwest


Author: Phillipa Hudson


Description: With gorgeous full-colour photos arranged in an easy-to-use colour coded chart for quick identification, the pocket-sized format is perfect for taking along on walks and hikes through both the Pacific Northwest countryside as well as the urban wilds of West Coast cities. Supplying English and Latin names, the distribution range of each species and average plant height and flower size, Phillipa Hudson shares her knowledge of coast flora gained through over 30 years as an active amateur botanist.



North Puget Sound: Afoot and Afloat


Author: Marge & Ted Mueller


Description: An insiders guide to the North Puget Sound region of Washington State.



Port Townsend


Author: Jefferson County Historic Society


Description: The Jefferson County Historical Society was founded in 1879 and incorporated in 1951 with a mission “to actively discover, collect, preserve, and promote the heritage of Jefferson County in the State of Washington.” The images selected for this volume come from the society’s collection of over 20,000 historic photographs.



The Curve of Time: The Classic Memoir of a Woman and Her Children Who Explored the Coastal Waters of the Pacific Northwest


Author: M. Wylie Blanchet


Description: After her husband died in 1927, leaving her with five small children, everyone expected the struggles of single motherhood on a remote island to overcome M. Wylie Blanchet. Instead, this courageous woman became one of the pioneers of “family travel,” acting as both mother and captain of the twenty-five-foot boat that became her family’s home during the long Northwest summers. Blanchet’s lyrically written account reads like fantastic fiction, but her adventures are all very real. There are dangers—rough water, bad weather, wild animals—but there are also the quiet respect and deep peace of a woman teaching her children the wonder and awesome depth of the natural world.



The Light on the Island


Author: Helene Glidden


Description: Classic story of a young girl growing up on Patos Island in the San Juan Archipelago. Her parents raised thirteen children while her father served as the Patos Island lighthouse keeper from 1905-1913. Helene reminisces about the adventure and heartbreak experienced on a beautiful but remote island where smugglers, old timers, and "God" weave in and out of their lives.





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