Fort Worden State Park

After our wonderful experience at the earlier state park, we were very excited about our trip to Fort Worden in Aug 2013. My cousin, Su was staying with us for a short visit also joined us. Fort Worden is also in the Olympic Peninsula and we decided to go in the same ferry as last time. Alas, there was a long line for the ferry and we had to wait for more than 2 hours at the ferry terminal. We finally reached the park close to 8pm.

View of Seattle from the Bainbridge island ferry

The park was very big and had many buildings. We were staying at a duplex and was not what we were expecting. It was a 3 bedroom apartment on the 2nd floor. We entered to find a huge kitchen with a big dining area. There was a living room with sofa and 3 big bedrooms and a small extra room. There was 1 bath. The beds were very comfortable. The view from the balcony was of the parade ground. Althought the house was furnished, it felt like a typical barrack or army style accomodation. It was modest and not cosy. Because it was so big, it felt very drafty. A TV and a warm fireplace would have been a nice touch.

After a good nights sleep, we rose to find a very peaceful and quiet morning. We had breakfast included in our stay at one of the common areas and set off to find it. The Park was very nice with lots of things to see and do. We found the mess and had a simple breakfast. There were many museums to see, they all only accept cash. We found many students and they were there for a "camp" from the IAWW. It was nice to see all their activities and it sure seemed like a fun camp.

We enjoyed the park and its views. Then we visited the beach, which was very nice. We also stopped at their Marine Science Center which was the highlight of the trip. R loves marine life and he was very excited to see all the creatures he had read about or seen on TV. The museum was small but packed with many interesting creatures, including the fantastic Giant Pacific octopus. We were mesmerized by its display. There was also a big touch pond and the staff patiently explained all the critters on display - star fish, barnacles and so many others. Kudos to the wonderful staff (a family - we  saw grandmom, mom and a child) who explained everything and made our visit memorable.

We then visited the Orca Museum across the street, which had many interesting facts and a display of a giant orca skeleton. There was a lot of information about how the oceans are getting polluted.

We spent a lot of time by the beach near the Marine Center and it was very relaxing. The kids had a lot of fun.

The next morning, we woke up to find the park full and buzzing with people. There were so many Indians everywhere, that we thought we were in India. Turns out it was the last day of camp and the parents were there to pick up their children. I even bumped into some friends while crossing the street. We decided to leave early and beat the crowd for the ferry to Seattle.

Overall, it was a very different experience from Fort Flagler. This park had a lot more to offer in terms of activities.We skipped exploring the bunkers as the ones in Fort Flagler seemed a lot more interesting and we also ran out of time. Overall, Fort Worden is a fantastic place to visit. I will visit again just for the Marine Center.