Port Townsend Afternoon: High Tea at Pippa's

Since I wrote this, Pippa retired and sold her teahouse, which now is Cafe Tenby. I'm not sure if they will continue the high tea tradition after the pandemic. 

Here in the Pacific Northwest, an English-style High Tea at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, B.C. is an iconic regional experience. Many here have fond memories of the High Tea with their mothers, grandmothers, aunties, or the whole family. Last summer I took my niece up there for the day, and we relished the splurge.

However, for an equally special indulgence at about half the price and with more refined tea, try the High Tea at Pippa's Real Tea in Port Townsend, Washington, which lies south across the Strait of Juan de Fuca from Victoria.

When I studied abroad in England, I used to splurge on the marvelous tea with jam, clotted cream, and scones. On an earlier visit to Pippa's this year, when she mentioned their authentic clotted cream (she spent 3 months perfecting the recipe) and fresh scones with tea, I knew I had to come back. 

So I invited my niece Willa to join me again. When we arrived for our 3 pm reservations last Saturday afternoon, we were ushered back to a table set with fresh linen and flowers. (Must say, at the Empress High Tea last summer, our table wasn't as tastefully draped with linen like at Pippa's.)

With an impressive selection of black, green, white, and herbal teas to choose from, Willa went for the white peach tea and I chose my fav, jasmine pearls. When I said I was having a hard time deciding on a tea, our friendly server mentioned I could just have another pot of different tea later. (Unlimited tea is part of the High Tea service.)

Light and crisp jasmine pearls tea.

Then an enticing three-tiered tray full of artfully arranged treats arrived and the nibbling began. On top was a variety of little tarts, shortbread, cookies, and fresh berries. In the middle were several petite fresh scones with that dee-lish clotted cream and berry jam, and little tea sandwiches rounded out the feast.

It was indeed a feast for the senses. I enjoyed a couple mini-sandwiches (chicken salad, egg salad, cream cheese and pickles, salmon salad), a small currant scone slathered with clotted cream and jam, and a cookie. Then I exceeded capacity with a tiny chocolate tart and slice of shortbread.

I think perhaps drinking a whole pot of jasmine tea pretty quickly filled me up too. But it was so crisp, floral, and perfectly brewed.

My aunt and Willa's great aunt Sylvia, a Port Townsend local, joined us for tea, and Pippa stopped by our table to say hello.  When my niece mentioned an upcoming environmental studies trip to South Africa, Pippa enthusiastically offered her samples of several South African roibos teas to take home.

Pippa!

While I certainly can't indulge in a high tea more than once a year or so, it was a lovely afternoon in a lovely little town with my niece (who'll be off to college soon) and my aunt. Two thumbs up for Pippa and her beautiful teas.

When You Go
High tea is served at Pippa's on Saturday afternoons at 1 pm and 3 pm for $38/person. Reservations are required. A less expensive alternative is the cream tea offered daily, which includes two scones with clotted cream and jam and unlimited tea  for $15 and doesn't require reservations. Or stop in and enjoy a pot of tea with a variety of baked goods or snacks. Pippa's is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10:00 – 5:00 (ish) at 636 Water Street in Port Townsend.









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Port Townsend Afternoon: Discovering a Perfect Cup of Tea



While artsy, Victorian-esque Port Townsend, Washington, is indeed quieter in the winter, it's still a fun and refreshing destination regardless of the season. 

When I go there to visit family, I regularly make pilgrimage stops at some favorite local spots like William James Bookseller for used and rare books, Chimacum Corner Farmstand for local farm meats and produce, and Elevated Ice Cream for excellent ice cream. This past weekend, thanks to a transcendent pot of exquisite tea, I've added a new stop to my list.

After a tasty lunch at Silverwater Cafe, my aunt suggested a cup of tea at Pippa's Real Tea, just around the corner on Water Street. [Since I wrote this, Pippa retired and sold her teahouse, which is now Cafe Tenby.]

Last time I was at Pippa's was a few years ago, not long after it opened. I remember it as a warm, cozy yet contemporary space with nice tea.

Aussie proprietor/owner Pippa Mills (by way of London and New York) now offers High Tea on Saturday afternoons, opened a courtyard out back for warm weather tea al fresco, and has seen her business named #1 Best Tea House by the Seattle A-List (never mind that Port Townsend is over 50 miles and a ferry ride away from Seattle).

High Tea service at Pippa's

 

The real Pippa

But back to that amazing tea. I ordered the delicate Silver Needles white tea from Glenburn Tea Estate in the renowned Darjeeling region of northern India. What a revelation!

If you think you don't like tea, I say you haven't had a high-quality tea carefully brewed with expertise (good water heated to just the right temperature, steeped just the right amount of time, served in appropriate china or glassware in a pleasing setting, etc.).

I've had silver needle tea from China, but this Indian tea is smooth, buttery, floral, and light yet crisp. Words aren't doing it justice. Five days later I'm still thinking about it, how that perfect cup of tea sliced through everything and hit the sweet spot.

Pippa came to our table with a beautiful smile and got excited when I raved about the tea. She brought over several canisters of loose leaf tea from Glenburn and described how different teas come from the same plants with different harvesting times and processing techniques.

Different tea, same tea plants

Her enthusiasm and gracious manner (she calls herself a tea maven, not tea master) was infectious. I enjoyed a whiff of each, some richer, stronger, fruitier.

I asked Pippa how she came to open a tea house in Port Townsend.

"When I came to the States from London many years ago, I couldn't find good quality tea. People mostly drank tea in tea bags [which are generally lower quality teas]." When visiting relatives in Victoria, B.C., her family stopped in Port Townsend and fell in love pretty quickly.

Port Townsend, where small businesses have hand-crafted signs out front.

So she aimed to open a tea house serving quality loose leaf teas with excellent baked goods and lunches to match. I'm so glad she did. 

And now I'm off to see if I can possibly replicate the perfect cup with some of that silver needle tea I bought and brought home.

Happy trails and thanks for visiting Pacific Northwest Seasons! In between blog posts, visit Pacific NW Seasons on FaceBook, Twitter, and Instagram for more Northwest photos and outdoors news.  

When You Go
Pippa's Real Tea is located at 636 Water Street, the main street that runs along the water in old downtown Port Townsend, toward the north end of town.  They host a variety of arts and food/tea-related activities. Pippa's is open Wednesday through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 (ish) pm. From the Seattle area, easiest driving route is to catch a ferry (downtown Seattle Colman Dock Terminal to Bainbridge, or Edmonds to Kingston) and head north/west across the Hood Canal Bridge on Highway 104, then north on SR 19. Check here for detailed directions from either ferry terminal. Expect about 90 minutes travel time if driving, given the ferry loading/unloading.

Pandemic 2020: Re-emerging, Getting Outdoors, and Recreating Responsibly

 With national parks and forests, state parks, and city parks closed for a couple months this spring, many of us urban dwellers were pining to get outdoors for real. Although things started reopening in May, I decided to re-emerge even more gradually.

While Washington was in lockdown for over 2 months, I did a lot of walking/exploring close to home. I didn't fill up my car gas tank from late March to late May. But in June, well, Juneuary weather or not, I finally started to stray farther afield.

It has been beyond wonderful to see some favorite places/trails again and explore a few new places, while striving to recreate responsibly (physical distancing as much as possible and masking up around others). And honestly, these outings are a shred of normalcy in these strange days. 

The First Escape from Seattle

My first foray outside the Seattle city limits in over 3 months was a trip to the Issaquah Alps on a rainy, stormy (thunder and lightning) morning. With the sometimes scary weather (one bolt of lightning was so close it sounded like three gunshots in quick succession overhead), we only saw a couple other joggers in two hours on the trail.

The vivid spring green was a welcome dose of Vitamin N.

The Birds and Me in the Rain

A week later I took a solo trip up to the Skagit River Delta for another walk in a driving rain. The marshy river delta was rich green with late spring, and I walked along levees in solitude, passing a few birds hunkered down (a great blue heron, swallows, and red-winged blackbirds are what I could identify).

I reveled in the escape from traffic noises and the wide open, rain-soaked space.  An occasional distraction were a few jets from nearby Naval Air Station Whidbey Island passing overhead.

The Scenic Drive

About a week later I drove even farther north to Bellingham to take my kayak for repairs. On the scenic drive home, I stopped for a hike off lovely Chuckanut Drive that winds along the sea. 

This bluebird day was much needed. The view shown below is reason #237 why I love living in my home state. I also stopped at Snow Goose Produce on the way home for fresh wild, local shrimp.

The Getaway

Just a couple days later, my first overnight away from Seattle since late December was way overdue. I returned to Port Townsend, where I walked in the woods with friends and helped my aunt celebrate her birthday (all outdoors of course). Although Anderson Lake south of Port Townsend is closed, I snuck in a 30-minute walk skirting the south lake shoreline.

Around Port Townsend, it was quieter than it would normally be nearing peak tourist season. My lodging for the night was the historic and comfortable Palace Hotel on Water Street, where I had a view of the Keystone ferry to Whidbey Island skimming across the Salish Sea outside my window. I brought greens from my garden and other provisions to share with my aunt in her back yard rather than trying to dine out.

There were definitely people around town, but it wasn't crowded by any means. Sunday morning, however, when I stopped for tea and a late breakfast from Cafe Tenby (formerly Pippa's Real Tea), a line gathered outside. And on the drive back to Seattle Sunday evening, there was definitely a wait for the ferry.

The Real Deal

And finally, for the first time since...last fall, a real hike this past weekend. We strayed farther east up the I-90 corridor toward Snoqualmie Pass for a 2,300-foot grind upward through thick, mossy second-growth forest into sub-alpine old-growth forest with raindrop-kissed wildflowers.

As we ascended higher through the rain, the foggy/misty forest was especially magical. In the background, silhouettes of trees hovered like benign ghosts.

When we came to a dicey snow bridge crossing an avalanche gully, we decided to call it a day and head back down. It was 4.5 hours of hiking, with almost 5,000 feet of elevation gain and loss, which was fine for three rusty hikers.

Thankfully the rain kept the crowds down on the trail, and most everyone we passed was thoughtful about distancing. (It was the seventh weekend in a row here with rain, which a true Mossback doesn't mind.)

So it's not completely back to normal, but it's good to be back outdoors. Next up, a great way to get outside and distance: kayaking.

Always trying to get the shot.

How about you? Are you getting out and being/feeling safe?

Happy trails and thanks for visiting Pacific Northwest Seasons! In between blog posts, visit Pacific NW Seasons on FaceBook, Twitter, and Instagram for more Northwest photos and outdoors news. 

Northwest Winter Getaway: Port Townsend's Historic Charm and Good Eats

Every time I get on a Washington State Ferry and cross Puget Sound, I feel a little bit of magic as we draw closer to the Olympic Peninsula. From drippy ancient forests, to wild ocean beaches, to picturesque towns, it feels a place apart.

And in the winter, its charms are slightly different but just as wonderful. 

Friday
Although my destination for this chilly, gray winter weekend is Port Townsend, my first stop is in charming Port Gamble. This historic former mill town sits at the northern tip of a small finger of much larger Kitsap Peninsula between Hood Canal and Port Gamble Bay. En route to Port Townsend, I usually stop there for a hot drink at the old Port Gamble General Store, and sometimes pick up gifts too.

Mid-morning on Friday I meet a friend for sea kayaking on protected Port Gamble Bay. Yes, even in winter you can rent kayaks at Olympic Outdoor Center, which is situated in the old town firehouse. Although we have our own sea kayaks, it's easier to just rent a double and spend a few hours paddling along the mostly undeveloped shorelines.

Despite the winter chill, it's a lovely few hours exploring the shoreline and narrow inlet at the end of the bay. Our kayak glides over clear shallow water littered with barnacle-encrusted oyster shells and green-brown rockweed algae.

Afterward we grab lunch at the Port Gamble General Store & Cafe, where Matt enjoys a tasty bowl of veggie soup and I go for spicy bean and veggie tacos. By mid-afternoon I leave for Port Townsend.

My aunt had booked me a room at the old Victorian-style Palace Hotel along Water Street in downtown Port Townsend.  What a treat! With high ceilings and beautiful Victorian-era decor, I'm transported back in time and try to imagine what it would have been like here a century ago.

Whenever I go to the Port Townsend area,  I eat very well. Perhaps a little too well. Between cozy cafes, restaurants, pubs, farmstands, and more, the variety and quality of food is excellent.

Friday night dinner is a delicious Italian-style meal at cozy uptown Lanza's Ristorante. Hot-out-of-the-oven rolls arrive at our table first, followed by crisp salads and very generous entrees. Cousin Nia and I split the nightly special, a chicken breast with prosciutto and pasta in a creamy sauce.

Then off to dreamland in my room, named Miss Alice in honor of one of the "working girls" employed here during in one of the Palace's more colorful past incarnations.

Saturday
A big perk of the Palace Hotel's locations is being able to roll out of bed and stroll right across the street to Better Living Through Coffee, where I meet up with cousin John for early morning coffee.  As we catch up over hot drinks, day breaks across the water outside the widow and more locals wander in to fuel up on caffeine this dark winter morning.

After Friday night's rich dinner, on Saturday morning we all take a long walk from North Beach through upper Fort Worden State Park. We wind along the trail through forest to wind-swept bluffs with sweeping views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca  where it merges into the Salish Sea.

My aunt Sylvia declares that there's a place in Port Townsend that makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches in the United States. Of course we must check it out.

Pane d'Amore has a breadbox-sized location where they sell artisan breads and pastries, and offer grilled cheese sandwiches to go. For the sandwiches, you choose from breads baked the same day, several cheese varieties, and extras like ham, salami, pickles, pesto, and marinated hot chile peppers. 

And yes, I think those sandwiches are that good. Best in the U.S.? Maybe. Key is the high-quality, fresh bread and ingredients, much of which is produced and sourced locally.

After lunch I head downtown solo to hit a few of my favorite shops, like William James Booksellers. Then of course I must stop for tea at Pippa's Real Tea, one of my happy places.

Dinner Saturday evening at Tommyknocker's Cornish Pasty doesn't quite hit the high note of lunch, but the Washington apple salad with local greens, apples, walnuts, dried cranberries and cheese is refreshing and excellent. This cute little space is bright and clean, and the service is very friendly.

And it wouldn't be a trip to Port Townsend for my family without a stop at Elevated Ice Cream, where we all indulge in a scoop of their made-in-house gelato or ice cream. While Swiss chocolate orange is their signature flavor, I'm partial to the maple walnut.

Sunday
I awaken early, refreshed after two good nights of sleep at the Palace Hotel and a shower in their clawfoot tub. Then off for another morning coffee/tea at Better Living through Coffee, where my cousin and I bump into a Seattle ex-pat we know.

And sadly I must head home early. But not without a stop at Metro Bagels on my way out of town (because I love a good fresh toasted bagel) and then Chimacum Corner Farmstand south of Port Townsend for some fresh produce and salmon.

While there's lots more going on in Port Townsend, such as live music, literary readings, and much more, my weekend was relatively low key. But knocking around town with family, eating good food, getting some fresh air and exercise, and relaxing was just perfect.

Shout Out
On my way north up State Route 19 a few miles south of Chimacum on Friday, I stopped to check the oil in my car at the old Beaver Valley Store (now Sugar Hill Farms). Friendly owner Michael Hill offered to check it for me and was very helpful. He told me he and his wife Brenda are the new owners and sell their homemade chocolates and fudge at the corner store. I bought a chocolate raspberry truffle, which was delicious. Stop by next time you drive by!

Happy trails and thanks for visiting Pacific Northwest Seasons! 
  
In between blog posts, visit Pacific NW Seasons on FaceBook, Twitter, and Instagram for more Northwest photos and outdoors news.