Cheap Sequim Vacation

For all those who have come to Sequim, not just for the Lavender Festival weekend but for an extended Sequim vacation, there is great news for saving money on gas when using the public bus service of Clallam County and Jefferson County. I could not believe it when I read the article on the Peninsula Daily News 'Peninsula public transportation scenic dropoffs'. A day pass for Clallam County bus transit costs $2.00 and for Jefferson County just $1.25 and best of all, the bus can take bikers or hikers close to some of the prettiest spots of the Olympic Peninsula, from waterfalls to wild beaches in La Push and stunning Crescent Lake.

When reading the complete article about using Clallam County bus for exploring some great sightseeing spots on the Olympic Peninsula and the Olympic National Park, we noticed that quite a number of Peninsula attractions which can be reached by public bus are our favorite destinations too, such as the trail to 90-foot Merymere Falls, Crescent Lake with Crescent Lake Lodge for refreshments (I love having a cocoa and sit out side on the wooden chairs watching the kayakers and the beautiful lake scenery) or First Beach at La Push. By the way, if you did not know it yet, Marymere Falls have an optical illusion: Stare at a ledge to the side, about the middle if the falls for about 1 minute and then look back at the falls, and you will see the falls go upwards. This is no joke!

Hey, hikers and bikers in the Sequim area, it gets even better. If you don't want to plan your sighseeing tour according to the Sequim bus schedule, you can plan your own schedule with 'Dial-a-Ride' from and to the Sequim Transit Center. Just make sure that you call 24hrs ahead to make your reservation.

The Dial-a-Ride' bus will take you out wherever you want to be in the Dungess Valley, including the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge's beach and other trails and points along the Olympic Discovery Trail such as the Dungeness River Audubon Center at Railroad Bridge Park, which is our favorite point for starting bike rides and easy walks with friends who visit us in Sequim. Believe it or not, Dial-A-Ride trips are covered by that $2 per person day pass. Children 6 and younger are free. That will save you and your family between $10-$40 depending on what car you drive.

Check bus schedule and route or make reservation for Dial-A-Ride online for Clallam County or call 360-452-4511 and for Jefferson County or call 360-385-4777. BTW, both bus systems offer a youth pass that covers unlimited rides all summer for $10. Again, when taking off on the regular bus route for a special area destination, tell the bus driver where you'd like to be dropped. Good planning is key for full success riding the public bus on vaction in Sequim.

Tags: Sequim, travel, vacation, Sequim vacation, best, Olympic Peninsula

Hiking at Sol Duc Hot Springs

After our last post about our visit to the Sol Duc Hot Springs we wanted to add some valuable information for those who want to do the same right now. When in the area, most visitors also want to get some hiking done once they entered and paid the admission fee to the Olympic National Park.

We are lucky our Golden Eagle Pass - you got to obtain it at the Park's Visitors Center - allows us entrance to all the National Parks in the US. Some nice benefit for being older! For those, who want to read more about hiking and camping in the Olympic National Park, I found the Olympic Park National Camping Page most helpful. OK let's get to our recommendations when visiting the Sol Duc Hot Springs right now.

When you want to do the hike to the Sol Duc Falls right now, don't take the trail from the Campgrounds A Loop (A Loop just opened last weekend when we were there) and B Loop (was still closed last week). The trail needs a lot of work done to remove the fallen trees and winter debris. This is currently not a trail for family hiking. If you want to walk, take the street to the trailhead. There is no heavy traffic or just drive your car to the parking for Sol Duc Falls. It's a 0.8 mile walk from there. There was still one big tree laying across the trail when we went, which made it hard on those people who are not in athletic condition but one can walk around it.

This area is offering lots of longer hikes to mountain lakes. Overnight camping is possible. Be aware that the trails can be buried under snow which often lingers into late summer. Route finding skills may be necessary. When we asked at Solc Duc Hot Springs Resort about the access to Lover's Lane (6 mile loop) and Mink Lake (2.6 mile one way), we were seriously discouraged and advised not to do those hikes yet. You may want to call the Wilderness Information Center 360-565-3100 for trail conditions before you head out. We tried our cell phone at different locations in the Park and had no connection whatsoever. So, don't rely on your cell phone for emergency situations when visiting Olympic National Park.

The Sol Duc Hot Springs RV Park worked perfect for us. And the price was right at $25/nt. You got to have a self-contained unit. There are no showers or restrooms on the parking ground but water and electric plug-ins come with your lot. However, it's just a short walk to the hot springs with the cleanest showers and bathrooms - everything gets cleaned 4x a day! - we have ever seen.

Pool hours are 9am - 8pm at $11/ adult, children 4 - 12 yrs $8 and seniors (62 yrs and older) $8. You will get a wristband for the day, so you can walk in and out of the pool area at your convenience. For those who are not coming with an RV, cabins with kitchen $172 (2 pers.)/nt. and w/o kitchen $141 (2 pers.)/nt. can be rented. Not cheap but they are very nice. And remember you pay for a unique location! We will be back at the Sol Duc Hot Springs soon!

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Visit Sol Duc Hot Springs

Well we dusted off the motor-home from its long winter hibernation and took our first trip of 2008. Maybe motor-home is too strong of a description, its more a 19' camper van with all the conveniences of home just a bit more compact. We have had a long winter here in the Pacific Northwest, so spring is a bit late and the nights are cold, but last week the weather changed for the better and we got the urge to travel.

With the price of gas we didn't want to travel far and we only had 5 days. Of course on the Olympic Peninsula there are many beautiful places within a 2 hour drive too get away to and we chose the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort, its located 50 miles west of Sequim and then 12 miles off Highway 101 in the heart of the Olympic National Forest.

We paid $25 per night with water and electric and $8.00 a day for us old guys to use the hot springs pools and facilities. We arrived late afternoon on Wednesday and after setting up the camper decided to take a walk, eat dinner and jump in the hot pools the next day. That night the electric came in handy as the night was a bit on the cold side and our heater from home keep us nice and toasty.

The next morning we went for a walk and then discovered the pleasure of relaxing in the hot mineral pools and then diving into a cold fresh water pool fed by the Sol Duc River. We spent the rest of that day except for a nap in the afternoon hanging out by the pools as the weather was warm and languid. We met quite an interesting group of people around the pools. Families from many east European countries on holiday found our neck of the woods as did many folks from around the state of Washington.

The next day we decided to first hit the hot springs pools and then take a hike up toward the Sol Duc Falls. There is a trail leading from our RV park through the forest that's about 2 miles and a 45min hike on a normal day. We started hiking and maybe got a fourth of the way there when the trail ran out crisscrossed by huge fallen trees and many patches of snow still 2 feet deep in spots. Lucky or unlucky for us, Brad the life guard from the Hot Springs Resort, came up behind us and talked us into continuing to climb trees and slough through snow to make it to the falls. There were a few times when I began to wonder if the trail still existed, though we finally made to the falls trail head and the falls were spectacular and the hike was an adventure to remember.

We could have driven to the falls trail head in 10 minutes and after that hike we were lucky to find a couple from Bainbridge Island who gave us a ride back to our home away from home. Thanks again, Janet and Larry. I tell you the hot pools never felt so go as after that hike, we spent the rest of the day lying around and relaxing. We headed home the next day, it's amazing how a short 3-day vacation close to home can make you feel. But of course we are lucky we live on the beautiful Olympic Peninsula with the most spectacular countryside and lots of fun festivals!
p.s.
Brad, the life guard from Sol Duc Resort, actually took a photo of us at the Sol Duc Waterfalls. We hope he will email it to us some day for including it here on our Sequim Town blog. Thanks Brad for guiding us through the bushes, over and under fallen trees and through the snow! We will hopefully see you at the Hot Springs on our next visit, which is planned for the near future.

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Sequim Vacation Rental Sequim Town

Dear Sequim Visitors,
Maybe you visited Sequim for our annual Sequim Lavender Festival in July and fell in love with the Olympic Peninsula and sunny Sequim in the rain shadows of the Olympic Mountains and even consider to retire in Sequim sooner or later. Yes, it's not just a legend about the Sequim weather with the blue hole. Each mile you go east or west from Sequim, you add 1 inch of rain to the annual rain fall. Enjoy small town Sequim with big town amenities surrounded by the most impressive mountain and ocean scenery at our Sequim vacation rental.

'Bell Hill View' vacation rental is available for monthly rental. Sequim Vacation Rental features top amenities in peaceful Sequim setting and is perfect for your Sequim Real Estate search on the Olympic Peninsula. Bring your own laptop and stay in touch with your home business 24/7 or even your Sequim realtor via our high speed Internet access. What better way is there to get to know Sequim and its people than staying there for a month!

New 2013 Best Sequim Vacation Rental rates

1Bd/1Ba Sequim Vacation Rental Monthly Rate (all-inclusive, sleeps 2)

2013 Low Season Rate (May - June) $850/mo.

2013 High Season Rate (July - October) $900/mo.

Sales tax is included. Sorry, no pets allowed.

Sequim Vacation Rental

‘Bell Hill View’ 1Bd/1Ba Sequim vacation rental is a charming, affordable Sequim vacation home in a peaceful setting in an upscale neighborhood of sunny Sequim with lots of amenities, in walking distance to shopping, restaurants and Carrie Blake Park. Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center SARC with Olympic size lap pool, Jacuzzi, sauna, fitness center and more is a short 5-minute drive away. Experience Sequim on the North Olympic Peninsula at your own Sequim vacation home.

‘Bell Hill View’ in Sequim is the perfect vacation destination when hiking the Olympic National Park, sailing or boating at John Wayne Marina with Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, walking or biking the Olympic Discovery Trail, playing golf on Sequim golf courses, visiting the Dungeness Spit National Wildlife Refuge or spectacular hiking in Olympic National Park.


This Sequim Vacation Rental affords top privacy at your 525 sq ft vacation suite with beautiful views of Bell Hill and glimpses of the Olympic Mountains. For your utmost comfort, amenities include free wireless high speed Internet access for your laptop and free long distance Vonage phone. Choose from 60 cable channels, when relaxing on your recliner love seat after a day of adventure on the Olympic Peninsula. Select comfort beds with dual control provide you with a restful sleep.

No need to fear that your dream vacation will become a budget nightmare. For less than the cost of the hotels, you can steal away to your own fully equipped, comfortable, private Sequim vacation rental only minutes away to the beauty and adventure of the North Olympic Peninsula with the Pacific Ocean and Olympic Mountains. Get ready for your Sequim vacation on the Olympic Peninsula. Contact us today for your monthly stay with subject line ‘Sequim Vacation Rental’. Looking forward to hearing from you. Greetings from Sequim, Heidi & Keoki

Sequim vacation rental amenities:

-Free high speed Internet for your laptop with wireless card
-Free local + long distance phone calls (US, Canada) with Vonage

-Cable TV w/60 channels

-Select comfort bed with dual control
-Recliner love seat, Wall to Wall carpet in living room and bedroom
-Fully equipped kitchen w/fridge + deep freeze, microwave, stove

-A portable cooler + re-freezable ice packs for day trips
-Convenient, comfortable zone heating for colder months

-Nice private outdoor garden sitting area for hot summer days
-Beautiful views of Bell Hill
-Downstairs apartment w/private entrance - no stairs to climb
-Off Street parking
-Washer/Dryer for your convenience on vacation
-Walking distance to Shopping + Carrie Blake Park
-Great central location, next to Carrie Blake Park, for exploring Sequim, John Wayne Marina, the Olympic Peninsula & Olympic National Park.

Note: This is a non-smoking apartment. No pets allowed.

***No extra cleaning fees charged!

Sequim Town Attractions

Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center SARC

Carrie Blake Park

John Wayne Marina

Sequim Area Attractions

Olympic Discovery Trail

Dungeness Spit with Sequim Lighthouse

Olympic National Park

Crescent Lake

Visit Sol Duc Hot Springs

Sequim Vacation Activities Things To Do

Hiking, Biking, Kayaking, Bird Watching, Swimming, Relaxing

Places to visit in the Sequim area and North Olympic Peninsula area:

Seattle, Port Angeles, Port Townsend, Gig Harbor, Ocean Shores, Whidbey Island, San Juan Islands, Columbia River Gorge, Hood Canal, Victoria BC, Vancouver Island

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Sequim Things To Do on Sequim Vacation

Dear Sequim vacation visitors,

Hope you found our recent visit to the Seattle Pike Street Market of interest for your Sequim vacation. Today, we decided to share with you Sequim and Sequim Area Web Cams, which we think is a great tool for getting a first impression about things to do on your Sequim vacation.

Let's start with a glimpse of Sequim town looking East. Must admit there are better views of the town, like Views from Bell Hill over Sequim town, Victoria and the Straits de Juan de Fuca with snow-covered Mt. Baker in the back. So don't let this Sequim town web cam view disappoint you.


We just recently wrote about the Sequim Lavender Festival with a Youtube video and had included a number of Purple Haze Lavender Farm photos on another post as an enticement to visit Sequim when the lavender is blooming. With a short 1 mile drive, Purple Haze Lavender Farm is just around the corner from downtown Sequim. Visit 10 acres of organic lavender fields!

Recently, the Sequim Dungeness Lighthouse celebrated its 150th anniversary. Unfortunately, we nearly forgot to mention it. It was a big Sequim town celebration with lots of food and entertainment and facts to hear about the history of the New Dungeness LighthouseThe Dungeness Lighthouse is at the end of the Dungeness Spit, the longest natural spit in the United States. When planning a beach walk (more a hike) to the lighthouse, be aware that it's 5.5 miles one way. So plan a day trip with food, water and lots of sunscreen & a hat.



We noticed that Port Angeles Harbor is not only visited by huge container ships but it's definitely a tourist meeting spot with lots of Olympic Peninsula events taking place and having food and gift stands all year round. Port Angeles Harbor is the docking point for the ferries to Victoria BC., the Coho and the Victoria Express. Our visit to Victoria and Butchart Gardens last year May (roses in full bloom!) was one of our most impressive weekend trips (3 nights). We plan to go back with our motor-home next time. No visit to Vancouver Island is complete without a visit to The Butchart Gardens.



Hurricane Ridge was our first adventure when we were on our Sequim vacation in September of 2005, before we made the final decision to move to Sequim to retire. Hurricane Ridge is a short drive into the Olympic National Park. We got surprised by the first snow of the season. Coming from Hawaii, we admired the snow flakes falling down. We did not last long though, as we were absolutely not dressed for the elevation of 5,000 ft and the snow! We were not the only visitors one could see that they were tourists. Some people even came in shorts and sandals. So be prepared when you go visit Hurricane Ridge. The weather at that elevation can change fast. Check the weather forecast for Olympics.



One of the nicest day trips when on your Sequim Vacation is a visit to Crescent Lake. Take you time, especially when driving the curvy road along the lake. Don't forget to stop occasionally at the lookout points. It's worthwhile it. You will be rewarded with the most peaceful panorama of the lake and the surrounding areas. You can have a wonderful lunch at Lake Crescent Lodge

and even spend the night at the hotel or the cabins. So far, we each time did a day trip, enjoying our own picnic while sitting on the Crescent Lake beach wooden chairs. Nothing can beat that. If you are not a big hiker, the walk (moderate) to Marymere Waterfalls is warmly recommend




Well, I think that will do with all the vacation recommendations when visiting Sequim. You will find a big guest folder in our Sequim vacation rental with all kinds of information, including Sequim restaurant menus, detailed fishing, hiking and biking maps and tons of Sequim activity flyers. No need to print the information out. First check here what we got for you. Have a wonderful Sequim vacation. Greetings from the Sequimers
p.s.
I guess a picked the last raspberries this week at Graysmarsh U-Pick berries but blueberries and blackberries are still in big demand. The wild blackberries are now everywhere! No need to pay!

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RV Parks in the Sequim Area

Hello Sequim lovers,
Hope you enjoyed our hiking adventure to Lake Angeles in our last post and want to know more about our retired Sequim life. Having lived in Hawaii for so many years, we did not only notice the dramatic difference in climate and nature between the two states but there was another big life style difference. We noticed immediately that every second home had a recreational vehicle standing on their property, from small camper van to trailer and big RV buses. On our first outings around Sequim and Olympic National Park, we were impressed by the good size number of RV parks at all kinds of locations, rates and features.

A little while later, it must have been after our visit to Victoria B.C. on Vancouver Island, we thought wouldn’t it be nice to have a small unit ourselves, big enough to sleep and cook but small enough to still get some decent mileage with the ever rising gas prices and be able to drive comfortably. The search started! The Internet was the best way to go. We were lucky to find a nice camper van Coachmen 1991, really well taken care of by a couple living about 80 miles south of Sequim. They had already bought a bigger unit, as they wanted to take the grand children along for their trips. We liked the camper van, checked everything out carefully and drove it home the same day.

Our first longer visit took us to Bavarian Village in Leavenworth, after we visited long time friends from Hawaii on Whidbey Island. Whidbey Island…beautiful place too! Our new motor home drove fine up into the mountains, even mastered the 4000ft pass without a problem. And Leavenworth turned out to be that wonderful place to be as announced online and in catalogues. We loved the setting in between forests and high mountains (must be gorgeous in winter!). You love gift shopping? No better place to be. Influenced, of course, by German traditions, like nutcrackers and wonderful Christmas pyramids. If you like German cuisine, plenty of restaurant choices there serving German dishes like Sauerkraut with Bratwurst or Wiener Schnitzel.

Our KOA RV Park was totally meeting our expectations. Wonderful green settings with stream running by and panoramic mountain views. Swimming pool and Jacuzzi and very clean and modern showers and bathrooms made our stay complete. We met the nicest people from all kinds of places, from Canada and even Germany. Take your RV or motor home to Leavenworth. You will love it!

After that wonderful experience, we tried another short RV trip right here in the Sequim Port Angeles next to Olympic National Park area. Out ‘fishing’ class with Peninsula College in August helped us a lot. We did three field trips on which we were visiting secret places for fishing but also just for enjoying the great outdoors and nature. That information came handy with this RV trip.

We still went online for more RV park information and came up with some good search results http://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm We went on our way with a short list of parks which we liked according to their location, amenities and fees. However, one never knows. We pulled in at least 3 parks and pulled out again for one reason or the other. That’s the advantage with a small camper van…easy getting into a park and easy driving out again.

After checking three parks, we decided to enjoy our day before searching further for the perfect RV park. We had a wonderful picnic at Crescent Lake and enjoyed a great hike to Marymere Falls. Scenery of both places is most impressive. We never thought we’d find so many mushrooms on our way and good ones, according to our knowledge. Next purchase will be a mushroom book (better be on the safe side). In any case, when it was time to get settled for the night, we decided for Shadow Mountain http://www.shadowmt.com/park.html , which has full hookup at $25/nt. Views were nice but Hwy was a little too close. Next night, we were much happier with the free RV Park next to the Hungry Bear Café (actually wanted to stay at the Hungry Bear RV Park as it has hookup but nobody was around to take our money). That park is next to the Sol Duc River, where quite a number of people go fishing. We hiked on a trail and must admit felt very lucky that some park rangers had marked the trail with pink ribbons. One can easily get lost there otherwise. After three days in the great outdoors, we were happy to make it back home to our comfortable bed and big house.

Stay tuned till next time from sunny Sequim!

Tags: vacation in Leavenworth, vacation on Vancouver Island, vacation in Victoria, RV Parks Near Olympic National Park, Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park Hiking Adventure

Our special hiking adventure in the Olympic National Park

Hello again Sequim lovers,
The weather in sunny Sequim has been gorgeous ever since the beginning of July with blue skies and wonderful temperatures. Nights and early morning hours are little nippy for Hawaii expatriates. We love it and plan as many outdoor adventures as possible. Besides picking berries in Sequim, it's hiking the Olympic Mountains.

Well, here is our latest one. Our dear friend Bruce, a regular at the Sequim Aquatic Center just like us, told us many times to start one of those magnificent hikes from a hiking trail head area shortly before the entrance to the Olympic National Park leading to Hurricane Ridge. There was no cloud in the sky Sunday morning. We packed our lunch and water, drove to Port Angeles, from there to the trail head parking, studied the map with all the different hikes and decided for a 3.4 mile hike to Lake Angeles but missing the most important note strenuous hike.

We would find out pretty soon. The happy wanderers were pretty soon huffing and puffing and wondering whether it would go up that steep for hours. Taking little breaks and admiring the path through the woods, the bubbling noise of Angeles Creek along our way up and up into the mountains and deeper forest, we thought we can do this. Well, after some steep hill hiking for about two hours, we really met a person coming down the hill and asked him for some hikers advise. The lonely hiker told us that he had done the hike the second time within this week, that we had the toughest part behind us and it would take us just half an hour to make it to Lake Angeles, which would be worthwhile all the efforts. That sounded comforting and encouraging and we doubled our efforts.

Well, always be aware that there are different hikers categories. The lonely wanderer was obviously in the experienced half while we are Sunday wanderers. Believe it or not but it took us another full hour to make it finally to the lake, having half of our sandwich on the way to refuel our energy reserves. Here comes the good part. The scenery of Lake Angeles was from another world with sparkling lake waters around a beautiful fairy tale island in the middle, high forest covered cliffs all around the lake with dark blue skies behind and with the unusual stillness of nature, only interrupted by a few frogs croaking, some dragonflies buzzing around us and fish sending bubbles to the surface of the lake. We were beamed into another world, a lost one, which we city people have long forgotten. We took it all in for future memories.

It got later in the afternoon. We had to tackle the descend, as one does not want to get stuck in the middle of the forest with no cell phone connection available, which we had assumed would be so much easier. In some way it was but soon we noticed that we added to our sore hamstring and calf muscles some even tighter quad muscles. After about 5 hrs we made it back to our car, feeling each muscle in our body. Do not ask us how we are feeling 2 days later. Despite of stretching the recovery happens slowly. Whether we would do it again, we kind of doubt it but this hike will become a special place in our other hiking experiences. If you are not up for this challenge, make sure to check what the hike is rated at. With greetings from the Sequimers in Olympic National Park

Tags: Vacation in Sequim, Hiking the Olympic Mountains, Olympic National Park