Port Gamble

Residents from the opposite side of America founded Port Gamble around a sawmill in 1853; hence its New England–style architecture mimicking founder Captain William Talbot's hometown of East Machias, Maine. Its setting amid the Kitsap Peninsula's tall stands of timber brought in great profits, but the mill was later destroyed by fire, and much of the forest has disappeared. A walk through town takes you past the 1870 St. Paul's Episcopal Church as well as the Thompson House, thought to be the state's oldest continuously lived-in home, and a handful of shops and restaurants. The town also stages a popular medieval-inspired June Faire each summer. This is also an excellent hiking area, with numerous backcountry trails throughout.