Cheese, Louise

It felt like we were back in New Zealand during a visit to Whiskey Hill Diary just outside of Port Townsend. Diana Dyer officially opened her one-woman operation in 2008 after several years of making cheese for family and friends. With a herd of purebred registered does, Dyer claims her goats are truly "career girls" that work hard on her farm. If the critters aren't producing milk, they're producing kids for sale to other dairies or for show stock.


We drove into Whiskey Hill Farm amidst the sights and sounds of talkative goats and wandering chickens. Our objective was simply to buy goat cheese, but it wasn't clear how to go about making a purchase. We wandered around the outbuildings a bit until we stumbled upon Dyer in the midst of milking to of her does. Claiming she was on vacation, she said, "If you want cheese, help yourself - the refrigerator is outside."



Sure enough, we found a small fridge just outside the milking area. Buyers are simply instructed to choose their cheese (or eggs) and leave cash in the tupperware on the door. $15 later, we acquired some "Houston Blue" and "Greek Feta."


Before leaving the farm, I had to make acquaintance with the career girls along with the equally friendly pygmy goats. We subsequently learned that we could have purchased Whiskey Hill Farm cheese at a number of area Co-ops, grocery stores, or creameries, but this was far more entertaining.

A Maritime Center

Along with its Victorian influence and stunning natural scenery, Port Townsend is well-known as a maritime center for independent boat-builders and related industries and crafts. Much of the daily life around here is influenced by water.

Whether it's transportation


Whether it's boat-building


Whether it's fishing


Whether it's recreation




















or Whether it's Weather

Side Trip to a Cidery

We discovered a small sign advertising Alpenfire Cider just a mile or so from our cottage. We happily took a side trip down Pocket Lane to learn about and sample Washington's only organic hard cider.

Formerly called "Wildfire Cider," this family-run operation re-named itself after catching fire for using the same name as a Chicago-based restaurant chain. The smoke cleared from what must have been a difficult legal battle about a year ago, so Bear and Nancy Bishop embraced a new name and can now devote their full attention to growing apples and making hard cider.

About 10 years ago the couple visited Europe where they learned that maritime environments (like that of Port Townsend) grow the best tasting apples for cider. After placing an order for 900 French and English cider variety trees, they cleared and prepared their land for planting an orchard. The entire operation is certified organic.

The Bishops use state-of-the-art equipment and handcrafted Oregon oak barrels to chop, press and age their multiple lines of very dry cider. More recently the couple began producing an excellent apple cider vinegar which we purchased, along with a bottle of their semi-sweet, barrel-aged, unpasteurized, unfiltered, sulfite/sorbate/gluten-free Alpenfire Spark cider.

Farmers Market: Port Townsend-Style

After unpacking my bags, the next order of business was to scope out the time and location of Port Townsend's Farmers Market. I was delighted to learn that Port Townsend holds Wednesday and Saturday markets, so I immediately inked both events on my calendar.


I approached the Wednesday market from downtown, passing Haller Fountain before climbing the Terrace Steps which connects the upper and lower parts of the town.


Port Townsend was officially settled in 1851 and over time became noted for its vast collection of Victorian homes. At the top of Terrace Steps, I found myself in the neighborhood of these beautiful homes. I passed by the Bell Tower, built in 1890 and historically used for fire calls.


The Wednesday Market is small and takes over one block in Uptown Port Townsend. A handful of vendors were on hand to sell their produce - predominantly organic and beautifully displayed.


Later in the week, Tom joined me for the Saturday Farmers Market - a much larger affair, complete with flowers, upscale arts and crafts, and Kingston Trio-type entertainment.

"The City of Dreams"

Once speculated to become the largest Harbor on the West Coast, Port Townsend, Washington, is known as "The City of Dreams." It is also our home for the next 12 days while Tom is doing a locum tenens with Jefferson General Hospital. This picturesque community is on the northern tip of the Olympic Peninsula - bordered by the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the north and the Puget Sound to the east. Historically interesting and nautically-intensive, residents have worked hard to preserve the community's charming Victorian heritage.


The hospital is housing us in a cute cottage about 15 minutes from town - overlooking Discovery Bay of Puget Sound. Tom is on call 24-7, but the hospital's small size is likely to afford him a fair bit of free time.


The view from our deck gives us a breath-taking panorama of Discovery Bay - named by British explorer Captain George Vancouver in 1792. The bay's tranquil waters once served as an anchorage for wooden tall ships.


A nicely-developed walking trail is just a few steps from our door and will serve as a lovely spot to run off the wonderful seafood I'm anticipating in the coming days.