Lavender, Glaciers and a River Running Free

July 30 - August 4, 2019
Sequim, Washington

Pay attention to where lavender grows abundantly. The climate is bound to be as lovely as the flowers.

"Lavender is a Mediterranean plant, and requires a similar climate to thrive. The Provence region of France is where most lavender is commercially grown, as the climate, with mild winters and warm, sunny summers, is ideal for lavender production. Lavender needs full sun to do well, but not too much summer heat."

I don't think anyone thinks of any part of the Pacific Northwest as "mediterranean", yet lavender farms are prolific in the little town of Sequim, Washington. With mild temps throughout the year, and less than 16 inches of rain, Sequim (squim) is a sweet spot for both flowers and humans (and fluffy dogs).

Add expansive views, the Strait of San Juan de Fuca, a clean and whimsical downtown, delectable eateries, all the services you need, close proximity to other gems like Port Angeles and Port Townsend, nice people, and the massive Olympic National Forest, and you've got a location that we love. It was high on the short list of places we could land, but housing prices and distance to an airport took it out of the running.

Still, we'll continue to find our way back here often. And for longer than the brief five nights I planned this time!

For the second time we're staying at the well-maintained little urban GilGal Oasis RV Park on the east side of town. With just 28 sites it fills up fast for the summer. I was able to get a larger pull-through with decent views of the mountains, but sadly can't get level. These are snug asphalt and grass sites, but with wide open spaces in front of us, it feels bigger.

After setting up we head for a favorite Mexican food restaurant (Washington gets it right more often than Oregon - by a lot). Baja Cantina never disappoints.

Bill is a melophile and we always have music playing at home and in our vehicles. Always. So when our stereo quit on our last day in Forks there was no doubt that fixing it was the priority at our next stop! The Jeep dealer refers him to a local shop where he heads early Wednesday morning. I sleep in.

Simple beauty on a walk around the neighborhood.

We cannot be trusted on our own. I came home from Sisters, Oregon, with that cute little art piece that we didn't need, but I loved. Not to be outdone, Bill returns with, not a repaired, but a brand new fancy schmancy stereo. 

It's so cool! Connected to our phone it displays and narrates Google maps, and plays his playlists. Score! It does lots of other nifty stuff like connecting to our tire monitors to show their individual air pressure. Probably something that many others have, but for us it's a huge upgrade.

No we don't need it, but we sure do love it. Like the art piece :-) We probably shouldn't shop without supervision....

Lavender lemonade is the nectar of the gods, and Purple Haze Organic Lavender Farm has a delicious blend. It's also a beautiful setting that smells wonderful.

Some things just shouldn't surprise us. Like high winds at Hurricane Ridge! And at 5200', it's chilly too. Fortunately we both have warm jackets with hoods - and even better, the crowd isn't bad on Thursday. Although the parking lot is nearly full, people have spread out along the many trails and throughout the two-story visitor center. The gift shop is the exception with wall-to-wall people. Nothing I need here.

This is the only place we've found where we can see Mt Olympus. And even with a few clouds, the glaciers are stunning. The craggy ridges and deep pockets at nearly 8000' are majestic and powerful, and it's easy to imagine the gods calling this home.

Blue Glacier  and Hoh Glacier (the longest at just over 3 miles)

Summer splits in the snow pack.

Clouds compete for the wows.

A small doe grazes while Piper reflects our treeline views.

The flower-lined drive provides multiple views.

On our first visit to the area I read a wonderful book, Breaking Ground, about the successful campaign to remove two dams on the Elwha River. Restoring salmon spawning and a damaged critical ecosystem was the goal of the removals in 2011. The dam was no longer producing a significant amount of power to the area. We also visited the Glines Canyon Dam Site, heartened at seeing the river once again running free.

We aren't able to visit this time because the road to the dam site washed out during the last big storm. The irony is not lost on me. 

They'll figure it out. The salmon suffered for decades, humans can be inconvenienced for a bit.

Although it will take at least another 10 years to return to pre-dam conditions, the full and healthy Elwha River is a joy to see.

She's a beauty.

Our last day we visit Salt Creek Recreation Area, a favorite of several friends. I want to see about staying here next time. The water views are wonderful although as expected it's very full of big families enjoying the last of their summer. Hopefully we can get in coming back from Canada next year.

Although I'm sorry I didn't give us more time, I'm very excited about moving on. Next stop is the Seattle area where we'll visit with my youngest, our number four!! It's been way too long and I can't wait!