Tuesday’s Adventure: Fort Worden
I can’t believe how backed up I am on sharing adventures with you all! It was over 2 weeks ago that Mr. Owl and I went to Fort Worden on a whim. I had been there before, although I never realized they had a lighthouse, but Mr. Owl had never explored the park. There are a lot of things to see there– a lighthouse, abandoned military bunkers, beautiful old military housing you can still rent, the beach, cliffs, a castle…
You’ve already seen the above two pictures, but I didn’t want to post about this trip without them. The lighthouse was the first place we went, since it was the thing we had originally come to see, and it was about what I expected. We didn’t get to go inside, since it was only open on certain days for tours, but we sort of poked around and peeked through windows and clambered on the rocks nearby.
The abandoned military bunkers are the real attraction of Fort Warden, I think. They’re big, they’re empty, they’re cement… and creepy as all get-out if you don’t have a flashlight!
We explored the outside for quite a while before we finally got up the courage to go inside and have a look. There are quite a few places to poke around in, but the huge rooms in the main part of the bunker are the best. And by “best,” I definitely mean “creepiest.”
I sort of accidentally scared Mr. Owl when we were peering into a completely dark back room and I pushed a door to get more light into the room. It clanged against the wall and reverberated through the room, and Mr. Owl jumped back a few feet, turned to me, and uttered “It’s not funny!” as I started giggling somewhat hysterically.
It WAS funny.
I think Fort Worden would be an awesome place to film a horror movie. There are these narrow hallways behind the rooms that go back and around from one end of the fort to the other, and they are seriously… if you don’t have a flashlight, you will be scared out of your pants. And if your boyfriend uses the flash from his camera to light the way, you will possibly have a heart attack from the suspense of seeing a few flashes of hallway, and then darkness, and then a few flashes of hallway, and then darkness.
Let’s just say… I am not brave, and I will not walk flashlight-less through a cement-encased hallway that has drains to who-knows-where in the floors, that is so narrow anyone wider than me would touch shoulder-to-wall, that is filled with the sounds of the wind and the gurgling of the drains, and that is great for hiding if you are an axe-murderer.
Yep.
Moving on.
Fort Worden also has a castle. Sort of.
So, probably not actually big enough to be qualified as a real castle, but they call it Alexander’s Castle (for reasons I am too lazy to research), and you can RENT this place! Ah! I so want to stay there! It’s so cool!
After exploring the base, much of which we didn’t take pictures of, we went off to wander through Port Townsend, which is nearby. We didn’t take many pictures, but we visited a few antique stores… and one very, very interesting store that was had “ohm” music playing, incense burning, and tons of books on being one with the earth.
I did like all the crystals on display, and the bird that was clambering all over behind the counter (a parakeet, I think…?). But the incense killed it for me. Incense gives me a headache.
And then after that, we went to a store where pillows were sold for $98. FOR ONE PILLOW. Ridiculous.
It was a pretty store, though.
All in all, Fort Worden is definitely one of my favorite places to visit.
And as a bonus, because I’m bad at keeping secrets, here’s a snip of something I made yesterday:
Now you tell me: is this print lemons, pears, or peppers? (The last one, not serious. That’s just what my aunt thought they were at first. Hehe.)
Have a wonderful day!
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10 Comments
Avra-Sha Faohla
Definitely lemons. Too round to be pears. 😉
Mara
Haha, yeah. I figure they’re lemons, but I was looking at them and thinking “They sort of look like pears!”
And then my aunt went and said she thought they were peppers. Which cracked me up.
Kelly
Hmm… I’m thinking lemons. I soooo want to go on a road trip to Fort Worden with my roommate (from college) ! It looks awesome! We love going on adventures and she’s an awesome photographer! She’d love it. If we ever do, I’ll deffinitely have to visit you! ; )
Mara
Ah, that would be amazing! Fort Worden is a lot of fun. Just make sure you bring a flashlight, cuz otherwise it’s really scary. Hehe.
Demy
Ok, now I feel bad that I thought they were eggs :O hahah! Whatever 😛 These pictures are amazing! I don’t think I’d go into the lighthouse. In fact, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t, since it’s so creepy and small. Oh my God. I can’t. I hate small spaces, I really do. Elevators, narrow rooms, anything small is awful, you can’t even breathe! But the “castle” is so cute! I’d really like to stay there. It’s adorable 🙂 You should rent it with Mr. Owl! And now that I mentioned him, the fact that he got scared was indeed funny 😛 😛 😀
Mara
Hahahaha! Well, I can sort of see eggs… sort of. 😀
Aw, lighthouses aren’t creepy inside! They’re usually beautiful, with pretty mosaic on the floors and really fun spiral staircases. 😀
Comy
That place is definitely creepy. I salute your bravery.
So you do own at least one pair of pants! I don’t think I’ve seen you wearing any on other pictures. Is that a red coat? I’ve been dying to get one, but finding black and grey ones is easier.
I’ve found out something about Alexander’s Castle:
“According to the legend, Reverend John Alexander built the castle for a prospective Scottish bride in a style reminiscent of his native country. In 1883, he acquired 10 acres of land near Point Wilson and constructed the building known as Alexander’s Castle. Alexander intended the building to serve as a home for him and his bride. Traveling to Scotland to get his bride, Alexander found that his bride-to-be had married another. He returned to Port Townsend alone and used the building as a temporary residence. During the park’s Army days, the castle was used for a number of purposes including serving as the first site of the Post Exchange and for many years housed the tailor shop.”
That story is a bit sad.
Pears and lemons?
Have a great day!
Mara
And now I love Alexander’s Castle even more! The sad story makes it way more interesting. 😀 What would I do if I didn’t have you to look up things like this for me? Hehe.
Comy
The story behind it does make it more interesting, even if it is a tragic one.
I like to help. 😀
NWRoadtrips
Great photos of one of those great forts in Washington. Definitely worth the visit, especially for history junkies. Thanks!