Sequim Vacation Rental 2014 Revisited

Dear Sequim Visitors,

We are so happy to see the first inquiries for a 2014 Sequim visit coming in. Since summers are getting hot in AZ, TX, CA or others, Sequim is perfect for visitors who want to escape the heat. If you have never been here before but heard all the good things about little Sequim town, consider staying with us for a month and see for yourselves. If our blog did not tell you what you wanted to know BEFORE your visit, your questions are most welcome at SequimRental.

When looking for a nice Sequim vacation, 'Bell Hill View' vacation rental might just be what you are looking for. 'Bell Hill View' Sequim vacation rental home is a fully equipped 1Bd/1Ba located in a peaceful upscale Sequim setting, yet in walking distance to shopping, restaurants & park. Sequim Vacation Rental features top amenities like FREE wireless Internet access + long distance calls. For peace of mind, read a few Sequim guest reviews from our guest book.

2014 Sequim vacation rental rates - Same affordable rates as 2013

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

2014 Low Season Rate (May - June) $850/mo.

2014 High Season Rate (July - August) $950/mo.
2014 Fall Rate (September - October) $900/mo.

Sales tax is included. Sorry, no pets allowed.

Sequim Vacation Rental

‘Bell Hill View’ is a charming, affordable Sequim vacation rental 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, home away from 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 1Bd/1Ba 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, which is great for staying in touch with Sequim realtors or your home business.

Choose from 90 cable channels, when relaxing on your recliner love seat after a day of adventure on the Olympic Peninsula or your search for a Sequim home to buy. 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 Home’. Looking forward to hearing from you. Greetings from Sequim

Sequim vacation rental amenities:

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

-HD TV with DVR for recording your favorite programs
-Over 100 cable channels + 45 music channels to choose from

-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 are available 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

More Sequim Vacation Rental photos

Related Articles Sequim Vacation

Things to Do on Sequim Vacation
See Sequim Area photos

Tags: Vacation Sequim, Sequim Vacation Rental

Our lunch at the Black Bear restaurant in Sequim

Eating out in Sequim

All our guests at Sequim 'Bell Hill View vacation rental' or visiting friends from out of town, want to know what's a great restaurant to eat out in Sequim.

Well, tastes and favorite meals for dining vary a lot, especially so when it comes to name what is Sequim's best restaurant. So at our vacation apartment we keep all the Sequim town restaurant menus in a folder and let guests decide which restaurant offers their favorite food and the want to try out. Read why the Black Bear diner menu has become a great addition to our Sequim town restaurant menus.

Recently, we heard more and more great feed-backs and reviews about the new 'Black Bear' restaurant next to 'Holiday Inn Express' in Sequim. When my birthday was coming up, it was time to check out the new popular diner on our own. Big surprise when we showed up at an early lunch time 11:30am and found the restaurant parking lot already filled. One space was open just right for us.

We were warmly welcome by a big bunch of carved cute black bears at all kinds of of places. Blooming flowers in hanging baskets and containers were everywhere. And with the blue Sequim summer skies as a backdrop, we did not not know where we should start taking photos. We'll share some with you right here on our Sequim Town blog.

Long story short, when we had settled down at our outdoor table and the waitress showed up in now time, we felt we were at the right place. And we did not get disappointed a bit. Keoki had 'French dip' with a load of crispy French fries - once a year we can indulge! - and I had 'Pecan Crusted Trout'. During our not too long waiting time, we learned more about Sequim in 1969 from the 'Black Bear Gazette', which interestingly served as the menu. We also learned that there are 58 (!) other Black Bear restaurants along the West Coast.

Visiting Sequim? We can definitely recommend a visit to the Black Bear restaurant. Great ambience, fast service and delicious food! We'll be back for dinner.

5 Best reasons to spend a Summer vacation in Sequim

Dear Sequim researchers,
When you found our Sequim Town blog in your Google search, you were already familiar with little Sequim Town in general but were in search of more details for spending a summer vacation there. Here are our 5 best reasons for spending a summer vacation in Sequim. Remember this is our very personal opinion as residents of Sequim for over 6 years:

1. Take a summer vacation in the town where you want to retire

OK you have heard so many good things about Sequim, and even know how to pronounce it, this little retirement town on the Olympic Peninsula but have NEVER been there. Take a summer vacation in Sequim and find out whether it's the town where you'd like to retire. That's at least what we did and what we recommend to everybody. Talk to as many people as possible, when you are here. To regular folks like us. Just ask them "And where are you from?" This opens all the doors to interesting stories.

2. Summer vacation looking for a house in Sequim

That's for those folks who know for sure that they want to move to Sequim and retire there. Do all your homework when you are still at home checking 'Sequim Houses for Sale' on the Internet. Not only real estate businesses but also 'Homes for sale by owner'. Get familiar with different areas, pros and cons of its subdivisions. Then start making a list of homes for sale matching your budget and expectations. Upon our arrival in Sequim, we checked the location and neighborhood of these house and were quite surprised that a lot did NOT meet our criteria. When we had downsized our list of homes, we contacted the realtor of our choice for real viewings. Sequim home prices were up when we bought in 2005 but now it's still a buyer's market.

3. Best things to do in Sequim in summer

Of course, a summer vacation here - BTW most years, Indian Summers last to September + October - is the perfect time of the year to explore Sequim, the Olympic Peninsula, the Olympic National Park and even Victoria in BC on Vancouver Island. Best to take a longer monthly stay, so you won't feel rushed and can have some relaxing time picking berries. Delicious fresh blueberries, raspberries and blackberries are in season. So is the wonderful lavender. If you want to stay with us for July during Lavender Festival season - 2013 Lavender Festival is July 19 - 21, make your reservation early.

4. How to socialize and make friends in Sequim?

We get quite a number of emails from people who have lots of questions about Sequim BEFORE they come and WHEN they are staying at our 'Bell Hill View Sequim Vacation Rental'. We perfectly understand. So we take the time to answer as many and as detailed as we can. A casual pizza dinner at our house on their arrival night mostly gets the conversation going. As a follow-up, our guests visit the Sequim Senior Center and Sequim Aquatic Recreational Center, our two biggest places to find kindred spirit friends. The following is a view of Bell Hill in the fog which comes from Sequim Bay.

5. Escape the summer heat of Texas, Arizona, Pennsylvania, California

Yes, you finally can breathe again outdoors on your summer vacation in Sequim. No racing for the next air conditioned building or having to spend summers indoors in your AC home because of the extreme heat in double digits. That's when we Sequim residents say "Good that we live in Sequim!" Sequim enjoys mild winter AND mild summers which makes any outdoor activity like walking, hiking, biking or kayaking a real fun summer activity. Walk along shady Railroad Bridge along Olympic Discovery Trail.

Well, what else can we say? See for yourselves and spend a vacation in Sequim this summer.
p.s.
BTW all these wonderful photos were taken by our Sequim vacation rental guests Sue and Cathy from Missouri who spent July 2012 with us. Thank you so much. Read their testimonial.

Sequim: Vacation Rental Sequim WA Reviews 2012

Dear Sequim Vacation blog visitors, 
Those last three weeks this summer 2012 have been really special in Sequim not only because of a wonderful Indian summer with lots of blue skies, ripe sweet berries, bike rides on the Discovery Trail and much more, but also because of all the nice new friends we made as hosts of our 'Bell Hill View Vacation Rental', your home away from home.

September proved again to be lovely in Sequim. Aah the views! October mostly follows suit with sunny days but colder nights preparing us for winter. Hope Julie from NM who plans to stay at our Sequim rental for a vacation this October will be as happy as our 2012 guests have been:

May 2012

Dear Heidi & Keoki,
Thank you very much for trusting us with your beautiful place, We felt very comfortable and most of all, welcomed!

Your place is spotless. I haven't seen anything close to this. Everything you think of is here ready for our use. Thank you making it easy. Thanks for the bike. My son enjoyed the ride a lot...

When you have the time, please, visit us in Manila. Many thanks, Rebecca, Manila

June 2012

Thanks so much, Heidi & Keoki. You have created a wonderful haven here: a great place to do both, work and rekax. Thanks for all your generosity and gracious hospitality. I' m already missing being here. 

Love Deb & Bob, Iowa

July/August 2012

Dear Heidi & Keoki,

We really appreciate all the things you did to make us feel at home here in Sequim - from the special blanket for the couch, to a new HDTV + DVR, for fresh raspberries, orchids & newspapers, gas barbie and two special dinners.

This was a wonderful place to use as a base to explore Sequim, the Olympic Peninsula and the surrounding areas. Thanks for your hospitality!

Cathy & Sue, O'Fallon, MO

September 2012

Hi Heidi & Keoki,

Washington always reminds me of the Munich area. Maybe that's why I enjoy Washington so much.

We had the nicest stay in your lovely apartment. Thank you so much for renting to us at such short notice. You and Keoki are wonderful hosts. We enjoyed getting to know both of you. I especially enjoyed our blueberry picking time!

When you start booking for next summer, please keep us in mind. We'd love to come back.

Take care, Gabriele and Jon, Rockport TX

New event in Sequim: Sequim Balloon Festival in September

Sequim computer service needed at Sequim vacation rental?

Dear Sequim Vacation blog visitors,

When moving to Sequim from Hawaii in 2006, we faced lots of adjustments as everybody else who moves to an area they are totally new to. Our 12-day Sequim vacation in October 2005 was more or less focusing on finding the perfect Sequim home to buy which we actually did.

Upon our final moving to Sequim in January 2006, we had our hands full moving into our house in Sun Meadows, finding new kindred spirit friends and make ourselves familiar with Sequim town services with priority being shopping. Well, to find the right guy for overseeing the hard and soft ware of our PC and laptop seemed to be quite challenging. I even called my Hawaii computer expert friends occasionally.

We also tried several times our luck with Sequim guys who advertised their Sequim computer service in Sequim publications which worked mostly just OK till we heard from our good neighbors about a computer guy Bob Bennett from Port Angles. Bob had worked for years in the computer business before he finally started his own computer business in the Port Angeles/Sequim area.

Bob solved any of computer issues to our total satisfaction. Best part when working with Bob is that he set up a virtual assistant meaning he can check our computer from his home without having to come for an appointment to Sequim.

Why do we tell you about Bob's computer service in Sequim? Our Sequim vacation rental offers FREE wireless Internet to our visitors. 95% of our guests take advantage of this offer by bringing their laptop to Sequim in order to be connected with friends + family or their Sequim realtor on their Sequim vacation. Good to know that an experienced computer expert is only a phone call away when Microsoft Windows plays tricks on you.

Tags: Sequim Computer Service

Hurricane Ridge visit October 2011

Whenever we Sequim residents have visitors, we share with them the beauty of the Olympic Peninsula like Crescent Lake and Hurricane Ridge. Hurricane Ridge is attracting more visitors on their Sequim vacation after funds were raised last year to keep Hurricane Ridge open all year round 24/7. This is a big commitment for the Olympic National Park and the responsible authorities. Port Angeles and Sequim businesses expect more visitors this winter from skiers, snow-shoers and hikers to visit winter wonderland at the Ridge.

On our first Sequim vacation in September 2005, we encountered the first snow of the season on Hurricane Ridge. It was funny to see people in flipflops and shorts walking around in the snow. No snow this week though, and it's already end of October. We had paid attention to the general weather forecast for the Peninsula for this week and figured Tuesday would be a nice day to have some sun on our visit to Hurricane Ridge.


Before driving up, we checked with the daily Hurricane Ridge weather and street update 360-565-3131, which we definitely recommend to everybody to call who plans a visit to the Ridge. At 9am the fog was still hanging over Hurricane Ridge and the streets still had a bit of ice. We postponed to 2pm.


When arriving at the Visitors' Center, we double checked the Hurricane Ridge webcams whose images are now available there on good size monitors. Great for visitors who are still uncertain whether it's worthwhile driving up to the Ridge. The webcam images looked promising and we made our way up to Hurricane Ridge through some low hanging clouds into beautiful sunshine. No winds blowing which is very rare on Hurricane Ridge. We walked around to enjoy the views, sat a bit in the sun and took some photos. Please, enjoy our latest Hurricane Ridge photos.

Tags: Visit Hurricane Ridge, Hurricane Ridge photos from Sequim Vacation

Another dog show in Sequim this summer

We are not owning a pet, dog or cat, but we also mostly stop at our Sequim dog parks. Sequim dog owners really appreciate the park with two different areas, one for little dogs and one for big ones. As our walk passes the dog park for little dogs, we mostly stop and have a 'talk' to those cuties (there are some yapping ones too) and their proud owners.


Last weekend Sequim hosted another one of its famous dog shows when dog lovers from all over Washington make it to Sequim with trailers and motor homes and of course their beloved animals. My friend Sue, herself a passionate dog lover, and I were visit the show in the morning. It was so much fun to watch all those different dogs doing their exercises and competing. A tough work-out for the dog owners as well guiding their dogs around the course as fast as possible and with the least mistakes.

Well, if you are a dog owner and never visited Sequim for a dog show, just check with our Sequim Visitor's Center and they will probably tell you when the next dog show in Sequim will take place.

Tags: vacation in Sequim, Sequim dog show

Sequim vacation July Round-up

Dear Sequim visitors,

Summer finally arrived in Sequim 2 days ago. Spring seemed to drag on forever this year with 4- 8 degrees lower average temperatures. Looks like our Sequim temperatures jump from one extreme to the other. Last weekend, at my garage sale I bundled up with one of my winter coats and the most frequent conversation with buyers was about our recent nippy Sequim weather. However, 3 days later summer arrived in Sequim with temperatures between 75 - 82 F.

Guess what, now people complain about the 'heat' but to tell you the truth I won't because compared to all the heat waves in the Eastern states or Texas or even right here in the Eastern parts of WA state like the Tri-cities or Seattle which experienced a heat advisory with 88F yesterday, we are doing just fine in Sequim on the Olympic Peninsula. So we can't and I won't complain about the sunny warm weather!

We can need all the sun for our fruits to ripen and get sweet and tasty. Yesterday morning, I picked strawberries at Graysmarsh. They tasted much sweeter than the ones a week ago. I was a lonesome picker at 8am and had a nice chat with the 'berry lady'. Raspberries can be picked now as well. I have already arranged with my friend to pick tomorrow morning. I actually also checked the blueberry rows. The early kind rows of blueberries are already full of ripe fruits. I expect Graysmarsh to open those for picking soon, so we will be able to pick all the fruits at one time.

What else is new in Sequim apart from IHop and Goodwill having arrived in Sequim? Well, of course, everybody who loves Sequim, loves the Sequim Lavender Festival. The 2010 Sequim Lavender Festival is coming up on July 16 with all the exciting events like: Lavender Farm Tours, the Lavender Festival Street Fair in Fir St and Music in the Park. What amazes me most is the huge variety of lavenders: all beautiful and with the specific seducing smell of lavender. Just make your way to Sequim and see for yourselves what our Sequim Lavender is like.

Come visit Sequim this summer in July for the Lavender Festival. See you there.

Tags: Sequim summer vacation, Sequim Lavender Festival

Rocket Shuttle transportation from Sequim to Seatac Airport

Dear Sequim lovers,

Don't know whether our last post about Goodwill coming to Sequim, got you off you seats but here is some really good news for Sequim residents and visitors.

We all love little Sequim town on the Olympic Peninsula with its beautiful scenery of mountains and ocean and peaceful, friendly suburban life style. Only drag may be at times when you want to go traveling and have to make it to SeaTac Airport. We just came back from our last vacation. For the first time, we had made a reservation with the Rocket transportation shuttle service to and from Seattle Airport instead of driving our own car.

It worked out great. We paid $170 RT for the two of us. When you take the extra parking fees in Seattle for parking our car into consideration, we got ourselves a good deal. Of course, the longer you stay on vacation, the better the deal with the 'Rocket' shuttle becomes.

Best part we thought when choosing the Rocket shuttle was they pick us up and drop us at our house. Both drivers were extremely friendly, courteous and di a great job with the driving, especially through the always heavily congested area in Tacoma. And they were not any slower than we are driving our own car to Seattle, which takes us mostly 2hrs. We also appreciated the help of their dispatcher Cathy who'd informed the driver that we were a bit late (our plane from Phoenix was delayed). With her help, things worked out well and we didn't have to wait an extra 3 hrs at the Airport for the next shuttle to leave. Air travel is stressful and exhausting enough these days.

The Rocket shuttle drivers also told us that they take people to other places in Seattle, like hospitals for doc's appointment etc. Anyways, we had a good, positive experience with the Rocket Shuttle service and will use it again. We hope many more Sequim residents will use this service, so it will stay in business for many years to come. You can book reservations for the Rocket Airport Shuttle Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm.

Tags: Sequim Airport Shuttle, Rocket Airport Shuttle to SeaTac

Biking the Olympic Discovery Trail from Sequim to Port Angeles

Welcome back everybody to Sequim Vacation blog,

With our most recent post 'Sequim Summer Vacation at Best Monthly Rate', we invited everybody from the hot summer state to spend a cool summer vacation in Sequim at our vacation rental.

When you like the Great Outdoors and love being outside walking, hiking, biking like we do, you will love Sequim at first sight. This is not the X-Games. Sequim vacation is for everybody, young and old, the strong athlete or the weekend 'warrior'. Activity levels all depend on what you are up to. The moderate temperatures during summer definitely help to feel good with anything you do in Sequim and the Olympics. Here is our latest activity challenge.

Saturday morning, we decided it's about time to take up the challenge and ride our bikes from Sequim to Port Angeles on the Olympic Discovery Trail, which crosses close-by at Carry Blake Park. Here are a few facts for those who never heard about the Olympic Discovery Trail.

Some Trail Facts

The Olympic Discovery Trail has its history in the old railroads since much of the route is located on historic grades built in 1914 and 1915. Half of its 22-mile way from Sequim to P.A. runs along old railroads. Currently 34 miles are completed with more than 30 miles under construction. Just imagine, eventually, the Olympic Discovery Trail will run nearly 125 miles from Port Townsend on the Puget Sound to LaPush on the Pacific Ocean!

Our Olympic Discovery Trail Adventure in Photos

Saturday morning 10am start of our 22-mile bike ride to PortAngeles from Sequim.

1. Photo:

Eagle Habitat taken from trail entering Railroad Bridge Park. We met our friend Bob with his trike who tells us that he encountered some strong head winds going further down the trail past Railroad Bridge.

2. Photo

Wonderful ever-changing mountain views seen riding the trail westwards. Wind is blowing strong, against us!

3. Photo

Stop at Robin Hill Park for short break and warming up in the sun. We are both in shorts and feel the wind chill factor!

4. Photo

More beautiful scenery with wild flowers (see photo) and lots of bright yellow Scotch broom (looks nice but is invasive weed, my friend Sue told me) from trail leading now along Old Olympic Hwy.

5. No Photos

We did not take any photos of 2 - 3 gulches and steep inclines at other sides, where we had to push our bikes. At this point, we decided to keep going, even though a return half the way along, would have been much better - getting the wind from the back! Well, we followed our destination!

6. + 7. Photo

After 2 hrs biking, we are arriving at the open ocean or better: the Straits of Juan de Fuca. What a difference after riding through the woods for so long. Smelling the fresh ocean air. Enjoying the new scenery. Port Angeles is still 5 - 6 miles away. We take a break in the sun.

7. Photo

The last leg of the Olympic Discovery Trail runs all along the ocean into Port Angeles Harbor. It is a beautiful ride but be aware that the trail is mostly in the shade. With the strong winds facing us, we longed for some long pants on this part of the bike ride.

After about a 3-hr bike ride from Sequim to Port Angeles with several stops resting, drinking water and taking photos, we arrived at the new Gateway bus stop in PA, a few yards from where you enter the Harbor. We were extremely lucky that the Sequim bus was still there and even our bikes would fit on the front bike rack. All for $1.50 for the 15-mile ride from PA to Sequim. It was feeling sooooooo good to finally sit down, relax and be proud of our accomplishment of biking the Olympic Discovery Trail. When we can do, so can you! Give it a try on your next Sequim vacation.

Tags: bike from Sequim to Port Angeles, Sequim vacation, best Sequim things to do

Sequim Summer Vacation Best Sequim Monthly Rate

Hooray Sequim and the Olympic Peninsula are connected with Seattle and everybody else again, as reported in our June 5th post 'Hood Canal Bridege opened early'.

Sequim Marathon last Sunday received a big boost from the early opening of the bridge. About 300 more runners signed up. Sequim weather cooperated with the marathon runners with some cooler temperatures instead of our recent hot Sequim summer weather. Effects of global warming? Who knows. Most Sequim residents don't mind, at least if temperatures don't go much beyond the 80 F.


With summer temperatures rising in states like AZ, HI, CA or TX to temperatures past the 90 F and Sequim's attraction to summer visitors rising as well, we decided to offer our visitors the LOWEST monthly rate for their Sequim vacation at $950/mo. Compare to regular monthly rates offered by other fully equipped Sequim vacation rentals at $1200/mo.


Our fully equipped private 'Bell Hill View' 1Bd/1Ba Sequim vacation rental apartment provides a great home-away-from-home to visitors to explore Sequim, the Olympic Mountains + the Olympic Discovery Trail. Not to forget there is no better time than NOW to look for and find a piece of land as investment, buy a manufactured home for summer stays or for rental income or buy a Sequim Home at the lowest price ever in recent years. Sequim realtors are awaiting your visit. Let's see what else is there to do in Sequim in June.

Sequim Events for June

Today, Friday June 12, starts the Annual Driftwood Show in Carrie Blake Park, which will last till Sunday. Great family fun and free!

The Olympic Explorer Volkssport Club will host a 10-kilometer or 6.2 mile walk along country roads and the Olympic Discovery Trail. You may meet with the group Saturday morning before 9am at QFC.

Sequim Open Aire Market is open for business Sat. June 13 from 9am - 3pm. Located in Cedar St, over 60 farmers and artists are selling their products. Live music is from 11am - 2pm, and there will be lots of food stands to enjoy some breakfast or lunch.

Summer family fun is coming our way with this new season 'Music & Movies in the Park' starting June 23 (more events 6/30, 7/28, 8/28). This is a free event to Sequim residents and visitors alike. Local sponsors make this possible. Thank you!

Last but not least, Sequim Berry season officially opened with Camron Strawberry Farm and Graysmarsh Farm announcing the U-Pick season for strawberries. I made it to Graysmarsh yesterday and picked the biggest and ripest strawberries - took me an hours to pick - which we served our friends with Vanilla ice-cream. No berries from the stores can compete with fresh berries from the field! Another reason for a Sequim vacation!

Tags: Sequim vacation, best monthly rate Sequim, Things to do in Sequim

Sequim Vacation Roundup April with Photos

Our recent Sequim town blog post Sequim WA or Santa Rosa CA got quite some attention. Wasn't that an interesting post for all those guys who consider moving to Sequim ? Hope you also had a peek at Keoki's Easy Stretch DVD. Come attend his stretch class at SARC or buy the DVD for home use or as a wonderful health present for family and friends, instead of cookies or chocolate. They will love you for it!

So, what's new in little Sequim town when you come here for your spring vacation?


114th Irrigation Festival

Sequim is getting ready for its first big festival in May. Sequim town will celebrate 114th Irrigation Festival from May 2 - 10th. As the Hood Canal Bridge will be closed at that time, we will have to see how many of the Seattle folks will find their way to Sequim with the detour through Olympia.

Sequim Library

The newly renovated Sequim Library in Sequim Ave will have a gala community celebration Sat April 25 1pm - 4pm. New paint, carpeting, furniture or equipment with cozy chairs for reading + comfortable study chairs. We can't wait to be back at our old 'new' Sequim library, third best hangout for senior citizens in Sequim after SARC and the Senior Center.

Sequim Gardens

Sequim Prarie Garden Club will hold its annual Spring Plant Sale at Pionier Park Clubhouse from 9am - noon on April 25. Plants for sale will include: annuals, perennials, herbs and veggie starters.

Sequim Fitness

Anytime Fitness has recently opened at our new Sequim market place 'Rock Plaza', located across from the entrance to Henery's Nursery. New members can visit at staffed hours Mo - Fr 9am - 6pm Sat 10am - 1pm or just use their membership card for anytime fitness 24hrs with video security around the clock. I didn't think that Sequim needed another fitness in addition to Sequim Gym in Washington St and SARC in 5th Ave with everything a Sequim senior citizen can wish for. But it might give the working people a chance to do their workout at any time they are off work!

More shops in Sequim

We've got two new bakeries, one in W.Bell St and one in S.5th Ave, which we still need to check out for ourselves and our Sequim vacation blog visitors. Everybody has been waiting for the opening of the new German Deli 'Sauerkraut'. When I biked by last Sunday, the owner was still busy working. Looks like the grand opening will happen next week.


That's it for our Sequim Vacation Roundup April. Well, last but not least, an update on Sequim weather. April has delivered a wonderful sunny weather with tons of spring flowers and blossoms everywhere. And the weekly Sequim weather forecast shows sun each day!
p.s.
Here is a short Sequim Real Estate April update for our Sequim Real Estate hunters: sellers are getting more motivated. Even though when the price seems still too high to you, why not make an offer for what your are willing to pay. We have seen buyers being lucky. BTW, Wllow Creek lots are back down to a bargain deal of $59K!

Tags: Sequim, Sequim Vacation, Olympic Peninsula

Driving to Sequim

Dear Sequim Vacation visitors,

We hope all our blog visitors enjoyed the Sequim photos we posted last time to share highlights of our Sequim life during our 3 years of living here.

Will you believe it, despite a colder Sequim winter than ever - that's at least what long time residents tell us and compared to our previous two winters we believe them - our tulips and daffodils are poking their heads out of the ground. Well, Sequim winter does not seem to be over yet, but everybody who loves the Olympic Peninsula is looking forward to spending a nice vacation in the great outdoors like hiking the Olympic National Park, visiting Crescent Lake and Marymere Waterfalls or Hurricane Ridge.

Planning your Sequim summer vacation should not be hard to do. Just remember that Sequim vacation rentals or hotels book fast during the week of the Lavender Festival 7/13 - 7/19/09. Otherwise, planning your Sequim vacation a few weeks ahead should be working out just fine. However, there is a problem which those will be facing, who would like to travel to the Olympic Peninsula during May and till middle of June. You might have heard that our biggest and most frequented connection between the Peninsula and the 'Mainland', the Hood Canal Bridge, will be closed for repair entire May 2009 till middle of June.

When you are planning your Sequim vacation during the months of May and June 2009, be aware that the Hood Canal Bridge will be closed and you need to do a little detour from Seattle Airport to Sequim. As I will be traveling too during that time, we checked the map and decided to do the route from Sea-Tac Airport going south through Olympia - instead of our regular driving route through Tacoma going north from the Airport - and then continue on Hwy 101 all the way to Sequim.

We have done that on our first vacation in Sequim in fall of 2005. We wanted to get to know the area of the Pacific Northwest. And, we loved it. However, you will have to add about an hour to your normal 2-hr driving time to Sequim through Tacoma. So count on a 3-hr trip from Seattle Airport to Sequim during the closure of Hood Canal Bridge.

Traveling to the Olympic Peninsula

The five alternative driving routes to the Olympic Peninsula during the six-week closure are listed below. WSDOT will be making temporary highway improvements during the closure in anticipation of increased traffic throughout Kitsap, Mason and Jefferson counties.

From Olympia: Take US 101 northbound along the western shore of Hood Canal.

From Tacoma and Bremerton: Take SR 16 from Tacoma, across the Narrows Bridge to its intersection with southbound SR 3 just south of Bremerton. Follow SR 3 to where is intersects with US 101 and follow US 101 northbound.

From Seattle: Take the Washington State ferry from Seattle to Bremerton, then follow the signs for SR 304 West until the turn off to southbound SR 3 just south of Bremerton. Take SR 3 to where it intersects with US 101, and follow US 101 northbound.

From North Puget Sound Area: Take the Washington State ferry from Keystone (on Whidbey Island north of Seattle) to Port Townsend.

From Olympia via Aberdeen/Hoquiam: Take US 101 northbound. This is a longer scenic route that includes the Pacific coastline and parts of Olympic National Park.

Read more about the Hood Canal 2009 closure. Drive safely to Sequim.

Tags: Sequim, Sequim vacation, driving to Sequim, Hood Canal Bridge

Visit Sequim for the holiday season

Here is still some additional information on Hurricane Ridge Winter Season, which our Sequim visitors should know about. For the holidays, Hurricane Ridge will be open daily December 19 through January 4. Hurricane Ridge will also be open on January 19 for Martin Luther King Day and February 16 for Presidents Day. So plan your stay in Sequim for the holiday season ahead. There are plenty of things to do during the festive season. Get away from the big city and relax in Sequim town.

Here are Sequim Christmas traditions with holiday bazaars which we tried to arrange according to the dates they will happen:

Enjoy the 10th Annual Yoletide Bazaar Nov. 15th, 9a.m. - 3p.m. at Dungeness Valley Lutheran Church. Unique handmade gifts for the Season, Heavenly baked goods for the palate.

Annual Holiday Bazaar & Bake Sale Nov. 15th 9a.m. - 3p.m. at Sequim Elks Lodge

Raffle, Crafts, Bake Sale, Lunch

2nd Annual Holiday Nature Mart, Nov. 22, 10a.m. - 4p.m. at Dungeness River Audubon Center

Crafts for kids & adults, door prizes, bird carvings, music, refreshments and more.

Sequim Open Aire Market, Indoor Home Holiday, Nov. 29, 9a.m. -4 p.m. Boys and Girls Club

Great local vendors, Live music, good food, fresh produce.

Down Home Holiday Bazaar by Sequim High School, Nov. 29, 9a.m. - 3p.m. Sequim High School

Featuring handmade gifts and crafts.

Christmas Arts & Crafts Show, Dec. 6 & 7, 9a.m. - 5p.m., Vern Burton Community Center, P.A.

Over 50 Northwest artists and craft people offering: baskets, bath & body products, candles, Christmas, decorations, Jewelry, Pottery, Stained glass, table lines and more. Bake Sale!

30th Annual Handmade Christmas Fair, Dec. 6th, 9a.m. - 3p.m., Sequim Prairie Grange

How better can you enjoy the holiday season? Enjoy the great outdoors of Sequim wonderful surroundings, get a taste of Christmas and relax at SARC swimming pool, fitness, saunas and jacuzzi.

Here is just a short update on Sequim weather. The recent storm passed Sequim without getting hit by high winds. We had some rain but nothing compared to West Washington areas which were experiencing lots of flooding. Here are the uptodate numbers of Sequim precipitation of 2008.

Sequim residents and all those who consider moving here will love those rain numbers:
Port Angeles 16.81 inches YTD

Forks 76.98 inches

Seattle 25.11 inches

Port Townsend 11.40 inches

Sequim 8.32 inches!!!

Today Sequim enjoys blue skies and sunshine all over. Keoki is palying tennis on the courts at Sequim high school and I am off for a walk through wonderful Carrie Blake Park. Greetings from sunny Sequim.

Tags: Sequim, Sequim vacation, holidays in Sequim

Hurricane Ridge Road Reopened

This is great news for all our Sequim visitors who love outings to Hurricane Ridge at the Olympic National Park. Friday last week the completion of Hurricane Ridge - a $12 million road reconstruction project - was celebrated. To encourage visitors to visit Hurricane Ridge, no park entrance fee was charged. We never expected the project to be done so fast. Hurricane Road reconstruction was completed a year ahead of schedule. That's such good news for residents and visitors alike.


So let those visitors from Seattle and surrounding areas come for an extended weekend Sequim vacation. Trails and hikes at Hurricane Ridge offer magnificent views of the surrounding mountains and the open meadows of the ridge, before the winter snows cover it all. Hurricane Ridge is worthwhile a visit at all times of the year. Just get dressed warmly - even when Port Angeles and Sequim are bathed in sunshine - and bring a thermos with warm tea and some sandwiches. The snack bar will be also open for your convenience, if you are not into bringing your own snack.


Here is what you should know for visiting Hurricane Ridge during winter season. Winter season for the Ridge starts November 21. With exception of bad weather road closures, Hurricane Ridge Road will be open Fridays through Sundays from 9 a.am. to dusk through March 29.

Beginning December 13, the downhill ski tows will operate from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The ski and snowshoe rentals will be open as well. Tubing and sliding will be permitted at the Sunrise Family Snowplay area. There will be snowshoe walks offered at 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The walks are 90 minutes round trip and cover a bit more than a mile.

This is very important to know: Winter season drivers to Hurricane Ridge are required to carry chains in their cars. For more information on Hurricane Ridge, visit their website
or phone the Park's hotline 360-565-3131. Sequim is worthwhile a visit during holiday season. We will tell you all about Christmas traditions and Sequim Holiday Bazaars in our next Sequim Vacation blog post.
p.s.
Don't miss our Lake Crescent photos taken by our guests from Texas during their 2008 fall vacation in Sequim.

Tags: Sequim, Sequim vacation, Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Best of Sequim

Lake Crescent Photos

Dear Sequim Vacation blog visitors,

After we made all these promises about starting a Sequim photo series , we must admit that we are running behind schedule. Well, economic situation has become top talking topic in Sequim as everywhere else. In addition, October has blessed all of the residents on the Olympic Peninsula with an amazing Indian summer. Who wants to sit at the computer and download Sequim vacation photos when the sun over the Olympic Mountains is sparkling and invites to hiking and biking the great outdoors?

Today, the skies were gray for the first time in 1 1/2 weeks and we even had some sprinkles. I went picking some more raspberries. Yes, believe it or not. It's a late kind. I even pick my raspberry bushes at the house when I walk to the mail box. The deer don't seem to eat the fruits on their nightly walks in the area but they like any new green sprouts coming up somewhere, including raspberry sprouts. Keoki's invention of 'hiding' the bushes behind a number of fishing lines don't seem to scare the deer too much.


Speaking of Indian summer. Sunday was a great time to enjoy the Olympic National Park and sharing the beauty of the Park with our good friends from Germany. One of our favorite spots, as said in the past, is an outing to magnificent Crescent Lake. How surprised were we that the Crescent Lake Lodge was already locked up for winter season and the parking area was totally empty. Well, we still parked there by the Lodge. I guess official parking is somewhere else, as we met quite a number of hikers on our walk to Marymere Waterfalls. First time that we had not taken a lunch picnic and had counted on having a delicious lunch at the Lake Crescent Lodge.

After we included a few of Ron's photos on the Sequim Dungeness post, we finally pick up our joint photo project with our guests Ron and Mary Nell.

Here is the Part 1 of our Sequim Vacation photos - Lake Crescent photos. Enjoy the views of this beautiful lake a short drive from Port Angeles.
p.s.
Photos of hike to Marymere Waterfall coming soon.

Tags: Sequim vacation, Sequim, travel, vacation, Sequim photos