By Karen Schaler

Karen Schaler （Author， “Travel Therapy” ）：When youre talking about getting 1）off the beaten path， its great to travel half way around the world. But dont forget those hidden gems that are right in your own backyard. I grew up in Washington State， and wanted to share three of my favorite finds thatll show you small-town charm.

When we talk about special small towns in Washington State， some of my favorite “off the beaten path” picks are right on the water， and it doesnt get much prettier than Port Orchard on a sunny day. And， yes， there are sunny days in Washington. Port Orchard has around 11，000 people， and the town is located right on the Puget Sound， 13 miles west of Seattle， with 2）ferries connecting the two cities.

凯伦·谢勒（《疗愈系旅行》作者）：当谈到远离常规热门路线，能够走遍半个地球当然不错，但是也别忘了隐藏在自家后院的风水宝地。我在华盛顿州长大，想跟你分享我最喜欢的三个地方，那里足以体现小镇的魅力所在。

当我们谈到华盛顿州的特别小镇，我最喜欢的一些远离常规路线的选择就在水上，没有比在奥查德港度过阳光明媚的一天更惬意的了。是的，华盛顿有不少阳光灿烂的日子。奥查德港人口大约有11000，就位于菩及特海湾上，距离西雅图西部13英里，通过渡船就可把两座城镇连接起来。

One of the things I love about Port Orchard， Washington， is just coming down to the 3）waterfront.

Thats because the waterfront is almost picture-perfect. Almost everywhere you look its like a postcard， so its no wonder this is a favorite place for locals to hang out.

Man 1： I actually like to come down and walk the waterfront， clear my head， and the salt air is amazing， and the Puget Sound area is…just smells great and looks great. Karen： Port Orchards main street is only a few blocks long， but here youll find some great little antique shops filled with all kinds of treasures. Youll also find some fun restaurants and my favorite sugar stop， an old-fashioned candy store with more than four dozen kinds of salt-water 4）taffy. And 5）movie buffs， youll love the Dragonfly Theater， where VIP tickets are just five bucks.

Woman： I love coming down to the old theater. They have old movies playing； old Bogart movies， etc. Love it.

Karen： Another thing to love is the decades-old 6）foot ferry.

Man 2： We like coming down here because theyve got a foot ferry that we can go over to our neighboring city in Bremerton to the nice restaurants， or we can have nice food at the local restaurants. Karen： Taking the foot ferry is also one of my favorite things to do. Just like its name， its a walk-ononly ferry. For two bucks it takes you across the water to the larger town of Bremerton， where theres a big 7）navy yard and 8）revitalized 9）marina. Whether you want to do a tour of an old 10）warship or just relax at the popular Anthonys restaurant， where， for happy hour， you can score a five-dollar drinks [sic] and seafood， youll get this amazing view of the waterfront for free.

To check out another of my favorite small towns in Washington， youll want to head north， almost to Canada to La Conner， a town of around 900 people， that the 11）Chamber of Commerce calls， “Washingtons hidden treasure”. Its on the water and its known for its famous rainbow bridge， built in 1957. My dad， an 12）avid boater， has always loved coming here， and introduced me when I was just a kid.

Man 3： Theres a variety of great restaurants， museums and its just an old town on the water. Across the 13）canal theres fishing boats， commercial fishing boats that go out for crab and salmon； a lot going on here all year long.

Karen： I love how this town 14）packs a cultural punch with cool art galleries， museums and shops， and some of the best seafood. Try the La Conner Pub 15）Tavern， where theyre known for their fish and chips and scenery like this. There are cute places to stay， like The Heron Waterside 16）Guest House and Channel 17）Lodge. And just about 15 miles north of La Conner， youll find some of the best Dungeness crabbing and salmon fishing in the entire northwest.

For my third favorite small Washington town youre going to have to leave the waterfront and drive over the Cascade Mountain Range to the town of Leavenworth. From the moment you arrive you feel like youve stepped back in time to a 18）quaint Bavarian village. And thats exactly the plan. In the 60s， when Leavenworth was almost a 19）ghost town， the locals decided to recreate the entire community of around 2，000 people as a Bavarian Village， hoping it would bring tourists. It worked， and the tourists are still coming today， charmed by the beautiful buildings painted with magnificent 20）murals and shops filled with unique collectibles. Even the pets that come to visit are cool.

Hungry？ You can fuel up for a day of sightseeing at Leavenworths legendary restaurant， Gustavs， where the sandwiches are always delicious. This towns incredible story and “can-do” spirit make it magical.

我喜欢华盛顿的奥查德港的原因之一，就是来到海滨一带游玩。

那是因为海滨一带拥有几乎无敌的美景。放眼看到的几乎任何地方都像一张明信片，所以它能成为当地人流连忘返的最佳地方就不足为奇了。

男游客1：我确实喜欢来到海边走走，理清我的思绪，带着咸味的空气很不错，菩及特海湾空气清新，风景宜人。

凯伦：奥查德港的主要街道只有几个街区那么长而已，但在这里，你会发现一些很棒的古董小店，那里琳琅满目地摆放着各种各样的宝物。你还会发现一些有趣的饭店，而我最喜欢的是一家糖果店，那是一间老式的糖果店，里面有超过48种盐水太妃糖。如果你是电影迷，那你就会喜欢蜻蜓电影院，那里的贵宾票价只需五美元。

女游客：我喜欢来这家古老的戏院，他们会播放老电影，比如鲍嘉主演的老片子等等，很喜欢。

凯伦：另一件喜欢的事情就是搭乘具有几十年历史的脚渡轮。……