Finally on the Road to Sequim

 

“I travel a lot; I hate having my life disrupted by routine.”

Our family reunion is just around the corner and we had planned to pull out Monday about noon.  How’s that for being early.  The reunion isn’t scheduled until the weekend but we figured it would be a great opportunity to spend a little more time around Sequim (skwim) and Port Angeles.  We didn’t quite leave as early as planned but we were pretty close.

Family reunion time ~~

The first thing we had to take care of was the latch to the back gate in the Jeep.  It stopped working a few weeks ago and as usual, we procrastinated with getting it fixed. Now we were down to the wire and the earliest appointment we could schedule was departure day. Thank goodness it was an easy fix.  We were finished with the appointment and on our way back to the cabin to load and pick up Duchess within an hour.

Michael and Sandi were going with us.  They loaded their sleeping bags, clothes, snacks and electronic gadgets on board.   We were finally ready to hit the road for the approximate 185 mile trip north.  It really felt good to be on the road again.

This was Sequim Lavender Festival time.  I’ve always wanted to attend the Lavender Festival in Sequim.  The problem is it was scheduled the same exact weekend as the reunion.   This festival is supposed to be the largest lavender festival in America.  Is it?  I have no clue but I’d still like to check it out.

The drive north on Highway 101 around the Hood Canal is one of my favorite drives.  Maybe it’s because I’ve been doing that since I was a small kid or maybe it’s because of the awesome scenery. The road wraps around the Hood Canal for about 50 miles.  It’s a little windy but it sure is pretty.  Depending on the tide you pass by many fishing boats, clam diggers, folks crabbing on the docks and even an oyster farm.  Of course, that’s not quite all because if you’re into casinos, there are a few of those too.

We rarely make this drive without stopping at Potlatch State Park.  It is on the south end of the Canal and is split on both sides of Hwy 101.  On the left side of the road (heading north) are the camping sites.  On the right side are the picnic tables, the beach and the restrooms.  It's a beautiful place to stop.  We exercised our legs and even Duchess got out for a walk.  We didn’t stay long and was soon on the road again.

Sandi and Terry with Duchess at Potlatch State Park

With the Lavender Festival getting ready to open, most hotels and RV parks in Sequim and Port Angeles are booked solid.  We were lucky in that the Elks RV park was only about half full.  It might have something to do with the fact that they don’t take reservations and we were a few days early.  If you’re looking for a park host job, we were told they need one.  It would certainly be a good place to spend the summer if you’re in the area

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Front side at Elks

Ten more sites at Elks

I really like the Elks in Sequim.  The only downside is that there is no RV dump.  The parking is on grass and you don’t feel like you’re elbow to elbow with another RV.  This time we picked the end spot so our site feels huge.  It also meant we needed to cancel a reservation we had previously made at a membership park.  The Elks park is closer to town and closer to the places we might want to go.  The first morning  we were off to the Visitor’s Center.  Well, three of us were off.  Michael decided to sleep in. Duchess kept him company.

And, of course, I made Sandi pose for me.

Sequim is a beautiful town with a population of just under 7,000.  It boasts that it has 300 sunny days and less than 17 inches of rain.  Sequim sits in the shadow of the rain forest.  The tall, tall mountains hold back many of those rain clouds.  Thus, the reason for very little rain.  The town has become a mecca for retirees during the summer.  Well, really during every season.  Their highest recorded temperature of 99 degrees was recorded in 1941 so it just doesn’t get real hot during the summer.  Most of the homes don’t even have air conditioning.

Farm land and snow peaked mountains.

Lavender is everywhere.

The town is surrounded by mountains, several bays and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It’s in a gorgeous location. Am I a little prejudice about this town? You bet I am. My grandparents lived here and my mom went to school here. It’s also a place where I have many memories of time spent on the local beaches and eating more than my share of clams after we dug them.

On our way back from the Visitor’s Center, we made a quick stop at the Marilyn Nelson park.  Sandi walked down to the beach with me.  This a very small park with just a boat launch and a place for a few vehicles to leave their cars.  It’s one place that’s not packed with people.

~~ Sandi at the beach

Soon we were back at the RV with ideas of other places we needed to visit on our first full day but first we had to get Michael up.  The day was still young and we had places to go.

‘Tis life on the road and it sure feels good to have great internet again.