Port Townsend, Washington

This town earns its moniker as the Little San Francisco of Washington State, because of its many historic structures and Victorian homes. The Port Townsend Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, and the following year declared a National Historic Landmark. Annual events include the Wooden Boat Festival, Kinetic Skulpture Race, and the blues and jazz festival. The Northwest Maritime Center & Wooden Boat Foundation facility on Port Townsend Bay opened in 2009. On your way up to Port Townsend, take Highway 101 north along the western banks of the Hood Canal. Your eyes won't be disappointed. The bay was originally named "Port Townshend" by Captain George Vancouver (for his friend the Marquis of Townshend) in 1792.