ArtFest 2008 and Port Townsend, Washington

As I was looking through my picture files for images from past ArtFests I've attended, I came across a photo I took at Fort Worden in Port Townsend, WA that I liked. It was one of those moments of serendipity when a rainbow glowed above the dorm buildings where I was staying during Art Fest. Finding a group of people that shares your passion for art is a fantastic thing. Meeting and taking classed from artists that are well known in the mixed media art world is inspiring, almost like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. That is what ArtFest is. This photo was taken from the Commons area, where the dining hall, deli and various meeting rooms are. You can get your latte up until the afternoon at the deli and later than that during the Summer months.

Port Townsend is a colorful, Victorian seaport town along the Washington coast. I've added a link, if you've never visited the Olympic Peninsula make sure you add it to your 'places to see before you die' list. Fly in to Seattle, rent a car and spend a week going around the peninsula. Make sure you have reservations though, as it's not the kind of destination with Holiday Inns at every interstate crossing. There are no interstates and four lane roads are rare (only between Sequim and Port Angeles and even that goes back to two lanes in the middle for about 5 miles). Oh, and no Holiday Inns either. The Port Townsend web site is excellent as to what they have to offer in accommodations. More on the Peninsula some other time.

The Port Townsend Lighthouse is located on Fort Worden and is a short drive from the campus. You can park right in front of it and walk around it from the beach side at any time. The lighthouse itself is only open to visitors on certain days. There are many spots to get a nice picture of it and on most days with Mt. Baker in the background behind Whitbey Island. So today my journey for artistic self expression took me on a memory trip to Port Townsend. It's a favorite destination of mine at any time and I feel fortunate to live so close to it.