From Seattle
Take the Kingston or Bainbridge ferry, then drive north on the peninsula to Blue Mountain Retreat. We’ll send turn-by-turn notes after you book.
Olympic Peninsula
Day trips, if you want them
Most groups spend the week at the house. When you want town or water, Port Townsend is a short drive.
If you leave the acres
Port Townsend is the useful town
Most groups spend the week at the house — woods, a ravine, and a field for the kids. When you want groceries, the waterfront, or a meal you didn’t cook, Port Townsend is a short drive.
Nearby
Guides from Blue Mountain Retreat
Each page is about the place itself. Drive time from the house is at the top.
about 15–20 minutes
Port Townsend
Walkable Victorian downtown, a working waterfront, and enough food and shops for a town day without turning the week into an itinerary.
Read the guideabout 20–25 minutes · ~16 miles
Fort Worden
Beaches, bunkers you can explore, and bluff trails at the north end of Port Townsend — the outing the original site always listed first.
Read the guideabout 20 minutes to the dock
Whale watching
Day boats on the Salish Sea from Port Townsend — orcas and other whales in season, booked as a single outing, not a week-long safari.
Read the guide
about 15–20 minutes to the launch
Kayaking
Kayak, SUP, and bikes from Port Townsend — a water day that still gets everyone home for dinner on the acres.
Read the guide
about 1 hour 45 minutes to Hurricane Ridge
Olympic National Park
Hurricane Ridge for a mountain day; rain forest and coast if you want a longer drive. One park day, then back to Blue Mountain Retreat.
Read the guide
about 40 minutes
Sequim
Dungeness Spit, lavender farms in summer, and drier Olympic Peninsula weather — a westbound day that is still shorter than the national park.
Read the guide
you are already here
Chimacum & Port Hadlock
The house’s valley plus Port Hadlock a few minutes down the hill — QFC grocery, farmstand, fuel, and boarding in one loop.
Read the guide
about 15 minutes · ~8 miles
Port Ludlow
Marina, championship golf, and a planned waterfront community about 15 minutes south — a half day on Ludlow Bay, then back to the acres.
Read the guideferry plus a peninsula drive
Getting here
Kingston or Bainbridge ferry, SEA, and the 516 map pin — practical arrival notes before anyone puts 512 in the GPS.
Read the guideGetting here
Ferries, groceries, and which address to use
Airports
SEA is the usual inbound. Plan for the ferry plus the drive — this is not a 15-minute airport run.
Groceries
QFC at 1890 Irondale Road in Port Hadlock is the full supermarket a few minutes from the house. Chimacum Corner Farmstand is the local grocer. Port Townsend if you are already in town. A short list goes out with the arrival notes.
The map pin
Navigate to 516 Blue Mountain Rd. 512 is Dave’s house, for mailed checks only.
On the property
You don’t have to leave
Valley view, woods, field, and the house. Town is optional.
Common questions
Getting here
Seattle ferries, and why you should never put 512 in the GPS.
Where do we buy groceries?
QFC at 1890 Irondale Road in Port Hadlock is the full supermarket a few minutes from the house. Chimacum Corner Farmstand on Rhody Drive is the local grocer. Port Townsend if you are already in town.
How do we get here from Seattle?
Most groups take the Kingston or Bainbridge ferry, then drive up the peninsula to Blue Mountain Retreat. We’ll send directions after you book. Don’t put 512 in the GPS.
How far is Fort Worden from the house?
About 16 miles — 20 to 25 minutes through Port Townsend. Kayak rentals and whale-watch boats leave from the same town.
Do we need to leave the property?
You don’t have to. Most groups spend the week in the woods, the playrooms, and the kitchen. Town and the parks are half-days if you want them — not a driving vacation.
Dave & Patti
Come for the acres. Take a day in town if you want.
Check the calendar, then call Dave.