What Sequim residents talk about

Sequim is not any different from the rest of the states. Sequim residents don't only talk about upcoming spring 2009 - daffodils and tulips are growing fast enjoying the current Sequim sunshine - after a colder winter than average. They naturally talk about rising prices for groceries and reduced product offers.

We heard that a number of employees at our Sequim markets got laid off or have to work reduced hours. This can have tough consequences for those families when a mortgage or car loan needs to be paid. We noticed that the tightened job market situation has a positive side effect for customers: we receive the best customer service when shopping in Sequim.

Sequim real estate market has been and still is a hot topic among Sequim residents and of course, for those who want to become residents and eventually move to Sequim. Residents who want to or need to sell their home are not in the best position these days as seller of real estate or land in Sequim. Potential buyers seem to wait for getting even a better price when waiting a bit longer. Offers like 'Buy one lot, get one free' at the manufactured Homes subdivision off Hendrickson, left of road when going west, or lowering the lot prices in new subdivision 'Willow Creek' by almost 50%.

I remember when Willow Creek subdivision - really nicely landscaped - got on the market and lots got offered for sale at $100,000 over a year ago. Later, prices were lowered to $79,000 a lot. Now the asking price is $59,000 and yet, the selling is not happening despite of an excellent location: next to Carrie Blake Park bordering Sequim Wildlife Refuge and offering great mountain views from the lots. This is what Sequim residents talk about and more...

There have always been demands for bigger Sequim lots outside the Sequim city limits, meaning lot owners need to have their own well dug, which can become a luxury expense considering the new restrictions to well permits and well water use a day which the state Department of Ecology suggests called the in-stream flow rule.

This proposal is intended to keep enough water in the Dungeness River for fish, other wildlife and recreation. For a public meeting held at John Wayne Marina about 150 (!) Sequim residents showed up. The discussion proved that this new rule is not 'approved' yet. BTW, current well owners are nor affected. Read details and charges on the Ecology website.

With all that 'hoopla' about the new instream flow rule in Sequim area, I nearly forgot to mention the new Sequim projects between 2009 - 2014: tennis courts at Carrie Blake Park, soccer and softball fields, next phase of the Olympic Discovery Trail and a 45-acre Wildlife Refuge along Hwy 101. All this is on the parks and trails wish list. Sounds really good, doesn't it but who will or should pay for it?

Sequim City Council intends to impose a park impact fee on builders of houses, condominiums and apartments. Recent public hearings already showed what developers and builders think of these park impact fees. You probably guess right. You can read more on Sequim City Website.
p.s.
This is for our Sequim blog visitors who are looking for a lot to buy in Sequim and might want to check out the lots for sale at Willow Creek subdivision. I noticed on one of my recent walks there, that new signs had shown up indicating that Welcome Home has merged with JACE The Real Estate Company which obviously have now these lots under contract.

Tags: Sequim residents, Moving to Sequim, Olympic Peninsula

July 4th in Sequim

Dear Sequim town residents and visitors,
Here is a short update on our Independence Day. What a nice celebration of the 4th of July we had! The gorgeous summer weather was enjoyed by everybody to the fullest. First, we got to know new neighbors at our new Sequim house neighborhood of Carrie Blake Park area. The pot luck food was delicious. We definitely made new friends as well. It goes without saying that we will join the next July 4th pot luck party next year.

In the afternoon, we went to Carrie Blake Park for listening to the Sequim City Band on the big park stage. There was quite a crowd assembled. We did stay for about half an hour and then left for attending the next pot luck party.

Our good friends from our 'old' neighborhood in Sun Meadows had invited us. We caught up on the latest neighborhood and Sequim town development. This town is growing daily. Not all appreciated by residents but this comes with progress. Seeing more and more big businesses settle in Sequim and new townhouses and condos develop, only proves that it's a wise decision to invest in Sequim real estate. The market value of our Sequim houses will go up.

We had a wonderful time with lots of friends and great BBQ, appetizers and lots of good cake. Too much to eat but we loved it. Thanks so much to our good friends Gail and Gayle for putting this great party for over 30 people together. We will remember this July 4th in Sequim!

The day ended with a spectacular firework which Sequim residents all over town put on for us. We watched at least for half an hour magnificent fireworks! With our 180 degrees vies of Sequim, we were loving this Sequim firework show.

We would like to thank those who already contributed to our 'Sequim Restaurants - Where to eat' post. Please, join and let us know about your favorite place to eat in Sequim. Greetings from the Sequimers

Tags: July 4th Sequim, Sequim, travel, vacation

Sequim Town Blog Link Exchange

Welcome Sequim Business owners to our Sequim Town Blog

Please, let us know about your Sequim business. We would like to introduce it to our Sequim Town blog visitors. If we find your Sequim business of special interest for people interested in moving to Sequim and what life in Sequim is all about, we might actually ask you to provide us with an article about your business. We will publish it as an indivual post with link to your website URL. Your article may have the chance for inclusion on our page 'Popular Articles'. Submit your request by email with subject 'Sequim business post request'.

For all other Sequim business owners who are interested in a link exchange with Sequim Town Blog, please, let us know your business URL and a short anchor text for your link with subject 'Sequim business link exchange'. Link exchanges with other Washington state sites or blogs will be considered as well. We will get back to you a.s.a.p.

Thank you for your interest in exchanging links with Sequim Town Blog. The Sequimers

Tags: Link Exchange, Sequim, Olympic Peninsula

Sequim Town Blog Popular Articles

Here is a list of popular articles of our Sequim Town Blog.
This list will be updated frequently.

Sequim Vacation

Sequim Vacation Rental with Free High Speed Internet + Free long distance Phone
Things To Do On Sequim Vacation
Visit Sol Duc Hot Springs
Visit Victoria BC on your Sequim Vacation
Best Things to Do in Sequim
Sequim Vacation and Sequim Area Sights
Sequim Restaurants - where to eat in Sequim?
Sequim Bay John Wayne Marina
What to do on your vacation in Sequim?
Hiking the Olympic National Park

Sequim Real Estate

Sequim Real Estate 2008 Some Thoughts
Sequim Home for Sale
Sequim Home with a View
Sequim Real Estate - Homes For Sale Analysis April 07
Sequim Real Estate Summer Market Analysis 2007

Moving to Sequim

Retire in Sequim on the Olympic Peninsula
Sequim Senior Center
Moving to Sequim

Sequim Events & Festivals

Sequim Irrigation Festival
Sequim Lavender Festival Youtube Video

Life in Sequim

Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center SARC
Pick berries in Sequim

Sequim Photos

Hurricane Ridge in Winter
Sequim Photos Summer 2008

Please, let us know which Sequim article you found most helpful and interesting to read. Email us or even much better, get involved with our Sequim blog and leave us a comment. We and our blog visitors appreciate it.

Tags: Sequim Town Blog, Sequim, Vacation, travel, Sequim vacation

Sequim Restaurants - where to eat in Sequim?

Sequim Restaurants

When on your Sequim vacation on the Olympic Peninsula, who wants to cook each evening after lots of hiking or biking or kayaking the ocean?! Not me! We shared with our Sequim Town blog visitors on our recent 7 Cedar Casino post that you can combine entertainment with having some decent food at a good price at the 7 Cedars Casino restaurants.

In addition to the all you can eat buffet option, you can also sit at a table at the Totem Bar & Grille and choose from a regular menu. Seems like good food at decent price. We took a menu sample with us, so we know what we can expect next time, when we want to give the Bar restaurant a try.

Well, before we continue talking about Sequim restaurants we have to admit that we are not going out a lot. At most holidays, we or our neighbors, do a Pot Luck. Nobody can cook and bake at that variety as a pot luck can. We are looking forward to our 2 pot lucks we will be attending on July4 th, one at lunch in the Carrie Blake Park neighborhood and another one with BBQ later in the afternoons at Sun Meadows.

Ok let's get back to the restaurants. Here are the ones we visited. Please, visit our blog again. Sequim Restaurants 2014 are coming soon with all the updated information on new restaurants.
 

Keoki wanted to go to Applebee's badly. When he got his wish fulfilled, he was a little disappointed but again he chose something which he was not so sure about. I was happy with my food (can't remember what I had). I was not so happy about the loud music but that is their understanding of creating cheerful atmosphere. Some easy going background music would keep guests much longer for a drink or a dessert. If I want to go for a fast, casual meal, I might go again to Applebee's. Applebee's is located at Sequim River Road Exit of Hwy 101.

OK Keoki loves Mexican. So when I was on a trip to Germany, he went to Las Palomas Mexican Restaurant in E.Washington, next to the entrance of the Ramada Inn. He liked the Mexican food a lot and wanted to take me there. However, the a friend in Sun Meadows told us that El Cazador is much better. Well, next time when Keoki wanted to eat Mexican, we ended up at El Cazador. I am not a big Mexican eater. All these places seem the same to me but to tell you the truth, Keoki said next time he will go back to Las Palomas. He still needs to take our contractor out for dinner and that is where they will go.
 

Before finishing this Sequim restaurant posts, I want to mention Papa Murphy's Pizza. You call 360-683-8102 and order what you want on your pizza, pick it up and bake it at home. Great casual dinner when playing cards with friends or relaxing after your Olympic National Park hike. You will get a coupon for a discount for your next pizza. Keep it at a good place. You will order another pizza from Papa Murphy's soon. Sequim Papa Murphy's is in Safeway Shopping Center.

Find a few more Sequim restaurants websites below.

More feedback from us and our friends on our visits to Sequim restaurants will be added here. We'd love to hear from you about your dining or lunch experience at Sequim restaurants. Eat well!
 

Cedar Creek Cuisine , Oak Table Cafe , The Buzz Icecream and Coffee Artist Cafe

Tags: Sequim restaurants, Sequim vacation

Our new Sequim Home

Dear old and new friends,
Hooray, we finally moved into our upstairs quarters two days ago! Hard to describe how good that feels, even though the house walls are full of little blue stickers where the painter needs to patch up some blemishes and electric sockets need to be aligned. But who cares.

We are in after six months of house construction! As said before we enjoy the most beautiful mountain views of the Olympic Mountains and Bell Hill. Whether we sit at our breakfast table in the kitchen or on the couch in the living room or TV-room, we cannot say enough 'Aaah the views'! Hopefully, we will never get tired of enjoying the views.

We are wasted from all the moving but could not resist to already install flower boxes are on both balconies., always with the anticipation of taking inside and outside photos soon. Here is a first photo to awaken your interest for more. So stay tuned. More photos coming soon. Greetings to all Sequim friends from the Sequimers
p.s.
Sorry but we could not make it to the Sequim Walk and Bike . Just too much to do with moving into the new home. Now, comes the fun part...decorating and picture hanging. Landscaping will be a project for coming months.

Tags: retire in sequim, moving to sequim on the olympic peninsula

Sequim Carrie Blake Park

Dear fellow Sequimers and dear Sequim vacationers,

Most of you know that the Sequim Open Air Market is worthwhile a visit on Saturdays, whether you live in Sequim or just come annually for your Sequim vacation.

Today, we'd like to mention another place we'd warmly recommend to residents and visitors. First things first. We finally moved into our new house three days ago but only into the downstairs because upstairs is not ready yet. But to tell you the truth we are so happy to be here, not only because we are in our new Sequim Home but more so because it's peace all around us. Towards the end of our stay at the Sequim West Inn, the noise level from the Laundromat and car wash right behind our rental 'cottage' was getting unbearable. Remember what we said in one of our previous post...when renting one of the cottages, rent one on the left side, if you can.

As our new Sequim house is very close to Carrie Blake Park, we went for a walk to the Park, when the blue hole was there and the sun peeked though the clouds. We were pleasantly surprised. When we lived in our house in Sun Meadows (off West Sequim Bay Rd towards the Sequim Marina), we'd get on our bikes and bike through the Park and from there we mostly followed the Discovery Trail . We never paid much attention to detail, we just biked, enjoying the big picture. Well, this time we were on foot and were able to admire all the little details and the love which Sequim residents put into this wonderful park.


Most amazing was the Japanese Garden, which got developed in teamwork with our Japanese sister town. There are 11 blooming cherry trees and lots of other beautiful plants and bushes, a lantern island in the middle of the duck pond, a beautiful wooden Japanese gate and much more. What do realtors say? You must see to appreciate! Carrie Blake Park has a big stage for summer performances, a playground for kids and its most recent addition, a playground for dogs where dogs can play with each other without being on a leash. It was fun to watch! Obviously Sequim dog owners and the dogs, big and small, enjoyed their time in the open. Oops , I nearly forgot the fishing pond where children are allowed to fish. That's much more fun than a video game!

With the next sunshine, we will be out taking photos of wonderful Carrie Blake Park for our Sequimtownblog . See you in the park. The Sequimers

p.s.

Our post on Sequim Environmental Issues is still open for discussion. We thank Sequimers Jason and Patricia for their comments on our Sequim environment blog post. Thanks also to the editor of Sequim This Week for publishing our letter to the editor.

5/30/07:

As you noticed, the Carrie Blake Park photos are here. Enjoy a walk through the park in sunny Sequim.

Tags: Vacation in Sequim, Sequim Sights, Olympic Peninsula

Spring in Sequim

Spring has finally arrived in Sequim! I remember when we moved to Sequim last year and our new neighbors would say say "Wait till spring is coming!". Yes, they were so right. I guess after all those those many years living on a tropical island one forgets about the magic of the seasons, with spring being the most impressive. Blossoms in all colors, buds and greens everywhere. Don't we just love our life in sunny Sequim?!

Today, we woke up to blue skies and beautiful sunshine. Don't get me wrong. At 10am, the mountain air is still crisp with 50F in the shade but by now we are used to bundle up and just enjoy the most amazing countryside setting with the blue Pacific Ocean on one side and the still snowcovered Olympic Mountains on the other. And all in between...there is spring in Sequim!

With the speed limit being in most streets a meager 25miles/hr, driving through Sequim is like taking a scenic tour. They should call not only call Sequim the lavender capital of the world but also town with the most cherry blossom trees. I am still 'hunting' for this one special photo taking a view of the trees with the mountains as background but was not lucky so far. The trees in front of the Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center should do for now. Tulips, daffodils, primroses, forsythia, early rhododendrons and more complete nature's spring design in Sequim.

Just a short update on our Sequim house construction. It seems like everything is on schedule. We will be moving out of our Sun Meadows house in about 14 days. To bridge the time till we can move into our new Sequim house in the peaceful Carrie Blake Park neighborhood, we have already rented a fully equipped vacation rental place with kitchen. We stayed there when vacationing and real estate hunting in Sequim in fall of 2005. Sequim vacation rentals are not cheap, we noticed. It might be an idea to look into offering a nice vacation rental at an affordable rate. Our many Sequim outdoor attractions and festivals like the upcoming Sequim Irrigation Festival on May 5 and the Sequim Lavender Festival July 20 attract lots of visitors who are looking for a Sequim vacation rental. It's something to think about.

We are looking forward to your comments or posts. For comments, just click comment, then 'Other' and write what you would like to share with our Sequim blog visitors (we will get your comment for approval!). If you have an idea for a post on our Sequim Town blog, please, email us. Enjoy spring in Sequim! The Sequimers.

p.s.

Hope the Sequim Elks won't do too much damage to farmer's and nature's efforts. We know we will be facing the deer roaming around our new house (Oak hill has been their long time habitat) and will have to come up with some special landscaping ideas.

Tags: Sequim town, retire in Sequim, Sequim vacation