PORT TOWNSEND — A private taxi service known for its history tours of Port Townsend will be coming to an end this week.
The PTeRider, a seasonal company that has operated two seven-passenger golf carts in the city for the past four years, will give its final tour Thursday.
The golf carts will soon be up for sale, co-owner Kate Dwyer said.
“We thought it would be a good idea for Port Townsend and a profitable business,” Dwyer said Monday.
“Our notion was to prove that and sell it, because we’re old; we’re in our 70s. It’s a lot of work, and we already have other businesses.”
Dwyer is a landscape designer and Myron Gauger, her co-owner and husband, works as a specialty photographer for artists.
The PTeRider initially started as a taxi service, intended to take passengers short trips in downtown or uptown Port Townsend, Dwyer said.
“Within a day or two, we realized that wasn’t going to work,” she said.
“Luckily, we liked history and learned some more interesting history about Port Townsend.”
The focus quickly turned to providing a narrative about the city and some of the major landmarks, from the courthouse to notable residences.
“A lot of times, locals would come with out-of-town guests, and they would say, ‘I learned so much I didn’t know,’” Dwyer said. “That always made us feel good.”
They also partnered with several nonprofits to provide rides associated with Main Street programs, the Port Townsend Film Festival, the Northwest Maritime Center, Fort Worden and the Kinetic Sculpture race, Dwyer said.
For the past year, Dwyer and Gauger have been looking for buyers to carry on the intent of the business, but Dwyer they haven’t found one yet.
The red golf carts have become iconic and bring smiles to people’s faces, Dwyer said.
The business also won a state sustainability award from the Main Street program for its use of electric vehicles, Dwyer said.
“We could have bought some ugly golf carts, but we wanted something that would fit with Port Townsend,” she said.
They’ve been involved in parades and also chartered events such as weddings and parties, Dwyer said.
What started out as local knowledge turned into some significant research, complete with a script that involved historic Port Townsend, Point Hudson and uptown, she said.
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Jefferson County Managing Editor Brian McLean can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 6, or at bmclean@peninsuladailynews.com.
