Recyclery, Down town, Papermill loop

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Port Townsend, WA, US

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Route Overview

Drew Kerlee

Enjoy Tacoma and the Puget Sound

10 mi.

397 ft.

With only one minor hill, this route is targeted to tourists and families that want to see a good cross section of what Port Townsend has to offer.

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Route Details

This route starts from The Recyclery and goes right uphill into Uptown Port Townsend. Uptown is another cute area that not many people see, but still has a few things to offer - and provides an excellent way to the NE end of downtown PT for a complete loop.

Head up the (only) hill on Laurence and stop by any of the POI's I listed on the route. The bakery, @poi[Pan D'Amore](1109124) is a great stop for kids. Be sure to get them a $1.50 cheese stick to chew on!

If you are happening through on a Saturday, DO NOT miss our @poi[farmer's market](1109119). It is truly a gem of the entire Washington Peninsula. During summer months is 9-2 on Saturdays.

Once you're through poking around Uptown and Laurence street, take the soft hill down to Monroe. If you're smelling a nice view, you are certainly correct! Take a little detour to the left (and a little more straight) and you'll find one of PT's most scenic parks, @poi[Chetzemoka](1109138). Picnic tables, swings, two big toys, amazing tire swing to the left, access to the beach, and lovely flowering trails all await you at this little gem of a park. Oh, and a horseshoe pit, with horseshoes; the horseshoes are actually in there! If you brought bike locks with you, you can head to the beach. Take a left and walk all the way to Fort Worden along the beach, or a right to Point Hudson and downtown Port Townsend.

Back to our route here - take Monroe past the @poi[Skate Park](1109120), and down to the @poi[Northwest Maritime Center](1109122) and Velocity Cafe. The Maritime Center is open to the public. Take a walk around - if the door is open, you're welcome to walk through it and explore. So long as you don't jump any ropes or jimmy a door: you're allowed to be there. Smell the wood, and admire the tool benches and work that's always being done there.

From time to time Schooner Adventuress is parked in the Point Hudson marina. There are always other interesting boats to look at. The more industrial marina is further along this route.

Take your time with downtown Port Townsend. There are a couple of shops you don't want to miss along Water street. Namely [Elevated Icecream](http://www.yelp.com/biz/elevated-ice-cream-co-and-candy-shop-port-townsend?osq=Elevated+Icecream), [Waterfront Pizza](http://www.yelp.com/biz/waterfront-pizza-port-townsend), Better Living Through Coffee, and maybe the kids toy store Completely Puzzled. Daily Bird Pottery is in the same building as the toy store, and has neat stuff for gifts.

If you're in the mood for a burger, I have two suggestions: Don's Pharmacy has this funky soda fountain in the back. They've got red and white themed vinyl stuff, red stools, and the whole deal. It's like it's right out of the 70s (?). Or I recommend [Blue Moose Cafe](http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-blue-moose-cafe-port-townsend). Their hours are 730-200 at the time I wrote this (4/2015).

Back to our ride. Head out of down town, with the water on your left along Water Street. This portion of the road is well paved, and drivers are very conscientious of riders on the road, but it still feels like you're riding on a highway. Just before the bend to the right, look both ways, and duck across the street to get back on to side streets.

Continue down Washington street. On the corner of Decatur and Washington, on your left, you'll see the Pour House. This bar, and the @poi[Port Townsend Brewery](147516) are excellent stops on a sunny day for the 21+ crowd. If you have youngsters with you, I recommend the Pour House on the way back. There's a beach that the bar overlooks. You can watch your kids mess around on the beach while you swill pints in the sun.

Now for one of my favorite parts of the ride. Go slow, and keep your eyes peeled for trucks - but start making your way through the commercial ship yard. You can ride next to or under the giant boat travel lift. You'll see a wooden fence on your left, and at one point in that fence, you can duck down onto the beginning of the Larry Scott Trail. There's also a @poi[public restroom](1096678) along this part of the path. This path is gravel that's been pounded flat as concrete. On a dry day, it's near impossible to tell the difference.

Super flat and @poi[pleasant ride](1109132) out to the @poi[paper mill](1096677) in the distance. If you have little ones with you, I recommend turning around at the Paper Mill. If you don't mind another gradual hill, and more pretty trail, keep going until the @poi[trail stops](1096676). Then it's an out-and-back to where you can turn up to return to the Recyclrey.

A @slice[larger decent](d,8409.94,8920.37), and @slice[slight climb](d,9517.57,10126.67) await you if you continue on this loop past the end of the trail. I like doing this small loop because it takes you to the other part of The Mill property. Tomaatoe, tomahtoe at this point.

Head back on the Larry Scott Trail past The Mill overlook again, and towards the marina. Turn away from the water, go through the marina, and past Blue Moose Cafe and Port Townsend Brewery. Hit the cross button, and head between @poi[MacDonalds](1096681) and @poi[Safeway](1096680) to duck into another fine Port Townsend Park: Kah Tai Lagoon. Not the prettiest, but it has a nice little trail with small foot bridge you can ride over on your way back to the Recyclery. Look out for cool birds along this trail and in the lagoon.

Hope you enjoyed this little tour of Port Townsend! Please let me know what you think, and any modifications you might suggest.

-drew

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Recyclery, Down town, Papermill loop

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