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A tour of some of Port Townsend's favorite haunts.
The coordinates above are for the first stop on the tour. I'm going to run you all over Port Townsend, so strap on your roller skates, hop on your bicycle, warm up the roadster, let's go!
You will be visiting 8 storied local buildings, and gathering a *number* from each to fill in the final cache coordinates.
The cache itself is located at:
N48 0A BCD W122 4E FGH
The cache is hidden in a little patch of woods in PT's Morgan Hill neighborhood. As far as I know, the woods themselves aren't haunted, but it can be pretty spooky and misty in here on a foggy morning. Was that footsteps I heard?...
Stop #1. N48 06 270 W122 47 386
Constructed in 1892 as a single family home by Charles Eisenbeis, a prominent member of the early PT business community, this property now serves as a hotel. It has two supposedly haunted rooms. Room #302 is the turret room below the attic in which a priest hanged himself. Room #306 is haunted by a young woman named Kate, who had been a visitor when the house was a private residence. She allegedly threw herself out a window after learning that her fiance was lost at sea. The fiance later proved to be alive, the story goes.
For *A* add together the first and third numbers of the street address
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Stop #2. N48 08 111 W122 45 918
This is the oldest bulding at Fort Worden. John B Alexander, the rector of St. Paul's Episcopal church from 1882-86 constructed this bulding as a home for himself and his intended bride. When he returned to Scotland for her, he found that she had married another. His lonely spirit is still occasionally spotted here.
For *B* you will need to record the last digit in the year that the rector acquired 10 acres and built here. Find this on the informational sign.
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The next two stops are downtown. Parking can be tough, and it is easy enough to park once and walk between these two. It would be about 1/2 mile round trip, and give you a chance to stretch your legs. Don't forget to waypoint your car if you tend to get lost!
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Stop#3. N48 06 950 W122 45 335
This hotel with the pretty flowers in front is no longer haunted. Owner Joe Finnie says they had a ghost in two of their suites when he bought the hotel. Windows would open by themselves, curtains would blow, and a white apparition would float through the two rooms. A hotel guest, who specializes in ghost removal "cleansed the rooms of these wonderful spirits" who apparently have not been seen since.
For *C* Record the first digit in the street address.
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Stop#4. N48 06 838 W122 45 472
This hotel, which was once a brothel, is so busy with ghosts they keep a file to record the stories. It is said to be haunted by the former madam, Marie, as well as a person who was thrown from one of the loft bedrooms during a domestic dispute. The building was erected by Capt. Tibbals, and a picture of his daughter hangs at the top of the stairs. She is known to sometimes be *outside* of her painting when people walk by.
This hotel often has open house hours, where you can go in and have a look around.
For *D* find the hour that the lobby closes, and subtract 4
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Next, we go to the uptown district.
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Stop #5. N48 06 985 W122 45 686
An apparition of a man in old fashioned clothing has been reported at this B&B. Also, piano music has been heard, though there is not a piano at the inn, and cigar smoke has been smelled in an upstairs bedroom.
For *E* subtact the fourth digit in the year this house was built from the third digit of the year built
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If you are ambitious, the four uptown homes can be done as a walking tour. It would require a 1.2 mile walk to visit all four and return to your car parked here, and would give you a better feeling for the atmosphere of uptown. If you choose this option, again, I advise you to waypoint your car.
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Stop #6 N48 07 064 W122 45 482
The current owner believes it is Ann herself who can be seen in a white nightgown, climbing the circular staircase with her hair in a bun and a brass candlestick in hand.
This B&B is open for tours from noon-3 for $2/adult, 12 and under free, if you would like to enrich your uptown experience. (No, I am not affiliated with the house in any way)
For *F* record the number of letters in Ann's last name.
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Stop #7 N48 07 153 W122 45 755
This house is not to my knowledge haunted, but I have included it because it is the scene of PT's favorite mystery. On January 14, 1917, twelve days after completing his second and final term as Port Townsend's mayor, Israel Katz disappeared into eternity. A maid heard the dog barking at 7 a.m., and went in to find Israel's room unoccupied. His glasses, watch, topcoat and derby had been left behind. Despite an eventual search by friends, police and even the army, Israel was never seen again. The disappearance, and possible solutions to the mystery, have been debated ever since.
For *G* subtact 2 from the first digit of the street address.
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From here, look diagonally across Blaine Street, and you will see a huge gazebo sticking up from behind a hedge. This structure was a prop in the Stephen King movie Rose Red.
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Stop #8. N48 07 142 W122 45 959
Stories about the house being haunted were scoffed at by the current owners until the pair, working at opposite sides of their bedroom, both thought they were being nudged by the other. Another time, their young son woke up to find his bed moved across the room.
For *H* add all the digits of the street address, then subtract 1
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Finally! Time to head for the woods. The toughest part may be finding the roads that wind up the hill. The cache is hidden behind your *final resting place* (Ummm, that we be the long log lying alongside the trail. A place to rest your weary bones and examine the contents of the cache and sign the log) It is currently filled with Halloween trinkets, but it is not a theme cache, and I'd just as soon the contents get traded out before the holiday arrives, as they'll look pretty tired by November. Please re-hide the cache carefully, and make sure the lid is snapped on tight. It can be a little cranky.
Thanks for visiting! Hope you enjoyed!
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