Traffic Delays Hurricane Ridge

July and August are our high season for Sequim vacation. One of the biggest vacation highlights is a visit to Hurricane Ridge. We love to take visiting family and friends for an outing to Hurricane Ridge and Crescent Lake. Get some hiking done in the middle of the Olympic National Park - great exercise! - and enjoy the most stunning views. When we recently saw this beautiful photo of wild flowers in full bloom on Hurricane Ridge Trail, we decided it's time for a return visit in the middle of summer!

Good for us that we've found two days later in the Peninsula Daily News the article about 'Expect delays on Hurricane Ridge Rd - Crews work to install new conduits, rock walls, repave road'. Bottom line of the article is that visitors may expect delays of up to 40 - 50 minutes each way on Hurricane Ridge Road during construction. Here is an important notice for hikers in this part of the Olympic Mountains: The Switchback Trail parking area, which is about 3 miles north of the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center, will be closed beginning today, Monday 7/28/08. It will be closed for about 1 month to repair storm damaged sites.

New conduits have been installed and new rock walls are being completed. Construction crews have started the process of milling the old pavement and repaving Hurricane Ridge road. Flaggers and pilot cars will guide traffic. The road will stay open 24hrs a day. So far weekend work has not been scheduled. This might be the best chances for visitors and hikers to make it up to Hurricane Ridge without big delays. The crews are working hard to complete this road rehabilitation project my mid-November 2008.

Hurricane Ridge Rd will be closed to all traffic Monday through Thursday from September 15 - October 15. It will remain open Friday through Sunday, weather permitting. For more trail and hiking information, check the Olympic National Park website or call 360-565-3100 or call the Park hotline for additional information 360-565-3131.

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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

Visit Sequim for Sequim Lavender Festival 2008

It's time to talk the talk about Sequim, it's lavender fields and the Sequim Lavender Festival. The 12th Annual Sequim Lavender Festival, the biggest highlight for our small town Sequim, is quickly approaching. It will take place July 18 - 20. When we were picking strawberries at the Cameron strawberry fields, this Japanese couple talked to us and asked us where they could see some lavender? Well, we said it's all around you, as there is hardly any private garden which does not grow at least a few bushes of lavender. Our own lavender bushes at home are in full bloom. We noticed though that lavender farms grow a later kind, which is also grown at the entrance to Carrie Blake Park.

Despite the cooler weather this spring, the lavender farm growers believe that their fields will be in full bloom by the festival. Everybody in Sequim who is in the lavender business is getting business ready for thousands of visitors, tending to their lavender fields and filling up their stores with their own lavender products.

Lavender Farm Tour tickets cost $15 for adults (children age 12 and under are free) and allow you admission to eight lavender farms for all three days of the festival with unlimited use of the farm tour buses.You can buy tickets at the Sequim-Dungeness Chamber of Commerce 1192 E. You may also go shopping at the online Lavender Store offering beautiful lavender posters, calendars and even a Lavender Festival Dinner by Cedar Creek restaurant.

If you are still looking for a place to stay during the Sequim Lavender Festival, our fully equipped 1Bd/1Ba 'Bell Hill View' Sequim Vacation Rental is still available. Please, email us with subject 'Sequim Rental Lavender Festival' for rate and reservation. Why not visit Sequim for the Sequim Lavender Festival!

Tags: Sequim, vacation, travel, Sequim vacation, Sequim Lavender Festival

Berry Season in Sequim

Dear Sequim visitors,
Those of you who follow our Sequim Vacation blog regularly, stay definitely in touch with the Sequim weather. We have friends in Hawaii who intend to move here and believe us, they check our Sequim weather logo as often as possible. We had a long, much colder spring than usual. When we believe the weather guys it was the coldest spring in 100 years. Whether this is true or not, it definitely felt great when summer started and the thermometer showed summer temperatures. For the last few days, it seemed actually a little bit too much with temperatures around 86 F. We even had to run the AC on two days.

Well, with spring being cold and not not as sunny as necessary for fruits, berries and vegetables growing nicely, the berry season in Sequim started really late. I'd say 2 - 3 weeks late. Last summer we were always picking something, starting with the strawberries at Graysmarsh, then cherries and blue berries at our private picking place, back to Graysmarsh for raspberries and closing the season with picking wild blackberries at our special picking spots.

When we decided on Sunday to go for our first strawberry picking to Graysmarsh, we were surprised to find the farm gates closed. They were sold out or picked out. No berries were left! We went back the way we came from, to Sequim Dungeness and just crossed the road there and followed the sign to the Cameron Strawberry Farm for about 3 miles on Woodcock. Cameron Strawberry Farm is on 899 West Hendrickson Road in Sequim. On our leisurely drive to the farm, we could not resist to take a few photos of the beautiful Olympic Mountain views!

When we arrived at the strawberry farm, we got welcomed by Dave the owner telling us where we'd find the best berries and handing us light styrofoam containers to keep the fruits from getting smashed. We joined the pickers in the fields and were amazed to find an abundance of ripe strawberries. Within half an hour, we both had picked the ripest and sweetest strawberries. For all those Sequim visitors who like to pick berries when on their Sequim vacation, both berry farms, Cameron and Graysmarsh, charge now $1.50 per pound for u-pick your own berries. Believe us these fruits are worthwhile the money and your picking effort.

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Biking the Oympic Discovery Trail

That's quite unusual that Keoki beats me to a post but I guess he must have really enjoyed his tennis at the Sequim High School tennis courts on Father's Day. His Sequim tennis post definitely shwos his love for Sequim and for tennis. Actually, everybody liked his article about Tennis in Sequim.

Anyhow, here is what I had in mind to write about and then it got postponed. When Keoki played tennis, I went for a bike ride, which we normally do together. We both love biking, in 'old' Hawaii and in 'new' Sequim.

I did a bike ride through Carrie Blake Park past the Canadian Geese with their babies, past the fish pond where the kiddos were fishing (they actually caught a fish!), past the dog park and up and down the new development of Willow Creek with the lots for sale signs by Welcome Home Realty (one said SOLD!) and past the Peninsula Driftwood Exhibition (lots of visitors). Finally, ending up at our favorite bench at the duck pond enjoying a warm sunny day in Sequim. It was wonderful!

As said above, Keoki and I loved to bike in Hawaii on Sunday mornings when traffic was down. We'd put our bikes on our bike rack on the car, drive to the coast and ride our bikes along the Hwy which leads all along the beautiful Kohala Coast in the direction to Hawi. We never made it to Hawi, which is the turning point for the triathletes at the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon but we definitely got our work-out up and down the hills with occasional stops to watch the whales during the 'winter' months. Our 24-mile round trip of biking made us feel like accomplished bikers.


Ever since we moved to Sequim in 2006, we 'discovered' the Olympic Discovery Trail for our biking ambitions. Well, we never made it all the way to Port Angeles - probably always did like 1/3 of the Discovery Trail distance. Unfortunately, our new house construction last year slowed down our biking ambition. It was just easier to go to SARC and get everything down right there: Biking or crosstrainer, Stretching, weights and swimming laps in the pool and not to forget, relax in the sauna and jacuzzi!


However, nothing beats being outside and bike through the beautiful countryside in Sequim with the backdrop of the Olympic Mountains with a few patches of snow. We have not started our Olympic Discovery Trail biking routine yet but we both started using the bikes from our house to SARC, which is a 10-min. ride each way. Actually, with gas prices rising daily, we expect more people in Sequim will pick up biking again, just like in the old days. It's healthy and saves money!

Let me tell you it's not that bad when you avoid Washington St. Cars yield and people wave to you, even high school kids who come from P.E. This is friendly Sequim. That's why we moved here. Last but not least, for those who come here for a Sequim vacation, check out Mike's Bikes for bike rentals and Olympic Peninsula biking trails. And here is good news for those who stay a month at our Sequim Vacation Rental, we are in the process of getting another bike (we already have one) for our guests to use for free. Biking in Sequim can't get any better.

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Tennis in Sequim

Yesterday was Fathers Day and probably the most beautiful day of the year. Not to say most every day isn’t beautiful in sunny Sequim, but yesterday the sun was out the whole day not just peeking out from behind the passing clouds.

But I wander a bit off track as this post is about tennis in Sequim and not the weather in Sequim. You see I’m a tennis player transplanted from the Big Island of Hawaii, where the sun also shines but big difference is it warms the air allowing one to run around in shorts and a t- shirt when playing tennis.

Ten months ago I had surgery on a torn meniscus and was forced to lay off tennis until this spring. The knee was feeling much better and we went back to Hawaii in April. The sun was shinning and the air was warm and tennis called. It was there I got back in the tennis groove and when we returned to Sequim I went in search of a game.

The only game in town open to the public are the courts at Sequim High School. Now these are not the best and they are not the worst courts I’ve played on but you know if you really like to play tennis then its not the courts that matter. What matters are your fellow tennis players and I can say without a doubt the group of players that show at 8 o’clock in the morning weekdays are some great guys and gals who enjoy the game. I mean you got to enjoy the game to come out there in 50 degree weather, all bundled up like you are going skiing. Sure the sun comes out and maybe you have to shed a sweatshirt but let me tell you the air isn’t going to warm up much.

That brings me back to yesterday, Fathers Day, and that beautiful day when the air did warm up and I donned my shorts and tee shirt, grabbed my tennis racquet and headed for the courts. However it being Sunday we had a different group of players than the older retired players during the week also a great bunch of people willing to take in a fellow tennis player. I had a great time and hope for more sunny days with warm air. All I can say tennis is alive and well in Sequim.

If you are coming to Sequim bring the tennis racquet and stay with us at our Bell Hill View vacation rental. We’ll go hit some balls. Hope to see you in Sequim. Keoki

Tags: Sequim, vacation, travel

Sequim Vacation Rental

We visited Sequim for the first time in October 2005 for a Sequim vacation. We wanted to find out whether this peaceful small town between water and mountains would be the right place to move to from Hawaii and retire. As you can see from our Sequim Town blog raves about Sequim Town and Olympic Peninsula, it turned out to be the perfect place for us and many other Sequim residents from CA, CO, AZ, HI and more.

Recently, the Peninsula Daily News printed an article which fits right into this topic. The magazine 'Where to Retire' listed Sequim in their July/August magazine among eight West Coast destinations as a great place to retire. The magazine's editor said "Sequim, the lavender capital of North America, provides ample outdoor recreation, a comfortable climate and quick access to the Olympic Mountains". Other retirement places profiled by the magazine included the San Juan Islands and Whidbey Island. Interesting to know that about 700,000 Americans move to a new town every year.

So, if you play with the idea of moving to Sequim, why not do what we did! Come here for a Sequim vacation and check things out on your own. Go visit Sarc Sequim Aquatic Recreational Center, our most popular meeting place of seniors after the Senior Center. Do a walk along the Olympic Discovery Trail and through Carrie Blake Park. Check out our big shopping markets, Safeways and QFC, and of course Sunny Farms and downtown Costco. After that do a little exploring in Sequim and surrounding area: John Wayne Marina, Sequim Lighthouse, Hurricane Ridge, Crescent Lake, Olympic Discovery Trail (see photo below) and so much more.


When we came here on vacation, we had done a search for Sequim Vacation Rentals. We looked for a comfortable 1Bd/1Ba Sequim rental with a kitchen + at an affordable nightly rate. We never thought that this was not that easy to find. Most Sequim vacation rentals were vacation homes for more than 2 people and started above $200/nt. Then they charged an additional cleaning fee, which we were not used to at all. We never added cleaning fees to our vacation rentals in Hawaii. What would a guest say, if he had to pay a cleaning fee at a hotel?! Well, we ended up at the Sequim West Inn, which was OK as our days were filled out with scouting Sequim and area and Sequim homes for sale.

However, we always thought how nice it would be to create a beautiful 1Bd/1Ba apartment as a Sequim Vacation Rental for all these couples who come on a Sequim Vacation and wanting to have a great time outdoors and indoors! A little Sequim 'sanctuary', with all modern comfort and quiet and peace. Some views would be nice. So we created Sequim 'Bell Hill View Vacation Rental', the perfect place to stay in Sequim for a month when pursuing moving and relocation plans. Great central location for looking for Sequim real estate!

Sequim Vacation Rental features among many others:

- fully equipped kitchen with everything you need for cooking,

- free high speed Internet access for your laptop,

- free long distance (USA + Canada) + local phone

- peaceful outdoor garden sitting area for hot summer days

- NO cleaning fees!

- BEST Sequim Vacation rates from $1200/mo. (1 - 2 persons)!

So, if you are interested in our Sequim vacation rental, check out more rental features and photos. If you think this would be the right place for you to stay in Sequim, please, email us or call us at 360-504-1157. Have a wonderful Sequim Vacation!

Tags: Sequim, Vacation, Travel, Sequim Vacation Rental, moving to Sequim

News for Sequim Residents

This time it's good news for all the Sequim residents - not so much for the visitors who come on vacation to Sequim. Actually the first information is for all Clallam and Jefferson County residents. I came across this ad in the Daily Peninsula News: Sidekick Fare Special for the Victoria Express Ferry. When you book a roundtrip for two for passage aboard the Victoria Express, the Passenger Ferry Port Angeles - Victoria, during summer sailing season May 31 - September 21, you will receive 50% off your companion's fare. Mention "SIDEKICK" when making reservation and show your residency ID. That seems like a nice incentive to me when going on a day trip to Victoria or even a longer stay downtown without taking your car on the ferry, like our Victoria visit we did last year.

Here is more good news for Sequim residents. Music and Movie in the Park program starts Tuesday June 24, 2008 at Carrie Blake Park 6 - 9pm, City of Sequim announced in their news. They were saying that this is possible due to donations by local companies like Team McAleer, Lakeside Industries, Clark Land Office among others. The city of Sequim is still looking for more support through other sponsors. Companies receive free advertising in return! Music bands are representing all kinds of styles: Old Time Folk, Rock, Contemporary, 50 - 70s, Dixieland Jazz, Big Band Swing. So make sure that it's the music you like listening to when joining Music in the Park.

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Developments in Sequim

We mentioned several times in previous post how much and how fast Sequim Town is growing. It's really hard to keep up with all the new developments. To tell you the truth not everybody likes it, especially not those who have been living in Sequim for many years. However, this seems to be the fate of any area or town which attracts people because of its special location and unique features. The word spreads fast about Sequim on the Olympic Peninsula - whether it's for vacation or for buying real estate and eventually moving to Sequim.

The biggest development is in the building sector of new subdivisions and building of private Sequim homes, townhouses and condos. In addition, there are new hotel projects like the one by the Jamestown S'Klallam tribe. By the way, did you know that that klallam means 'strong people'? Good to know when you intend to move to Sequim in Clallam County.

Anyways, Jamestown tribe owns 7 Cedars Casino besides other local businesses. The Jamestown tribe intends to make more use of their land possession of 275 acres. They already finished a new convenience store and gas station on Hwy101, next to 7 Cedars Casino. With a wine shop, walk-in cigar humidor, plush cafe, fireplace and 12 gasoline pumps, the Longhouse Market has become addition to the Jamestown S'Klallam tribe's enterprises on the North Olympic Peninsula.

An even bigger project will be new resort hotel behind the Casino, which was announced plans in 2005 as a 135-room hotel. Now, plans have changed to a much larger hotel with 175 rooms with conference facilities. The hotel will rise behind 7 Cedars, but it won't cater only to the casino customer. The estimated costs are around $100 million.

The tribe's vision is a destination resort with amenities that will put Sequim on the national conference map plus while attract travelers who look for ultramodern comfort. The new hotel at 7-Ceadra Casino is estimated to open in 2010, following the Olympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia. More Sequim Town development news to come! Visit Sequim Town blog for staying updated for your next Sequim Vacation.

p.s.
Read our update on ferry service Port Townsend - Whidbey Island.

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Whidbey Ferry from Port Townsend

I guess we could have included thoday's ferry update into our recent Sequim Town News from May 2008 but then this important news might have gone lost among others.

This is some important information when you stay in Sequim on vacation and plan to take the ferry from Port Townsend to Whidbey Island. We did that several times in the past not just to see our friends from Hawaii on Whidbey but also to get to know the island. Whidbey Island is beautiful and definitely worthwhile a visit, and so is Port Townsend.

Here is what happened. The two older ferries - already 80 years old - were taken out off service last year November for safety reasons. Now it's only the 325-passenger, 54-car Steilacoom II, which is replacing 2 ferries. To help dealing with traffic from Port Townsend to Whidbey a ferry reservation system has been started by the Washington State Ferries, which seems to be working, at least so far and proved valuable over busy Memorial Day weekend.

However, the busy vacation time on the Olympic Peninsula and surrounding areas has just started. Time will show whether the reservation system will hold up for the busy summer vacation time, when cars have been ling up in the past. Here is how you can make your ferry reservation from Port Townsend to Whidbey Island in order to save yourselves trouble and inconvenience waiting for a ferry you can get on.

You can go online to the Washington State Ferries Internet home page or by phoning 888-808-7977 (toll free), 206-464-6400 or 5-1-1 between 7am and 9pm daily to make sure to get on the ferry you have pllaned to take. I read on the Peninsula Daily News that the passengers who made the reservation received preferred boarding which makes sense when implementing this reservation system.

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Sequim Town News May 2008

After we enjoyed hot summer weather for hiking in cooler mountains of the Olympic National Park and soaking in the hot springs at the Sol Duc Hot Spring Resort, Sequim and we got blessed with another hot spell with blue skies and sun all over this weekend. Just perfect for extended Memorial Day weekend and the festivals and events in Sequim and beyond!

Sequim had its Saturday Open Air Market in Cedar Street. The market with farm products, fine arts and high quality hand crafted products attracted a big crowd of residents and visitors alike. Live music and food stands make the visit to the market complete not only for those on a Sequim vacation.

The nice weather across the entire Olympic Peninsula was enjoyed by everybody who visited the Shrimp Festival in Brinnon. We really recommend to any visitor in the area to go visit Whitney Gardens & Nursery in Brinnon. It's right now an overwhelming view of colorful blooming rhodies, all styles and shapes and sizes, even tree size. We bought our 8 rhodies there. For the first year in bloom, they are doing quite well.

Port Angeles, which is just a short 25 min drive from our house, has its Juan De Fuca Festival of the Arts with lots of vendor booths, music and dancing. It will continue tomorrow with more happenings around the Vern Burton Center at 4th St and Peabody.

We took the sunny weather to do more gardening around the house plus continue on our project for adding real grass to the outdoor sitting area for our monthly 1Bd/1Ba 'Bell Hill View' vacation rental. It's getting together! Tomorrow, we will buy the grass and roll it out. We think that our visitors will enjoy nature more than tile or rocks. So, see for yourselves. We would love to have you as our guests when visiting Sequim on an extended vacation.

p.s.

Don't think we only worked on Memorial Day weekend. We enjoyed bike rides each day and sitting outside on our balcony for lunch can't be beat. Great that we have this wonderful adjustable awning to give us just the right shade.

Tags: Sequim vacation, Sequim, vacation, travel

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 Irrigation Festival 2008 Photos

Before starting our new post about our visit to the Sol Duc Hot Spring Resort, we have to show you our photos from this year's 2008 Sequim Irrigation Festival. The festival had been a big success as usual and even Sequim weather showed sunshine for the Grand Parade on Saturday.

We had the best seats for Friday night fireworks at Carrie Blake Park, right on our balcony. I took some photos but was always pushing the button too late. Too bad the firework photos did not come out the way I expected it but most important the firework itself was a great display of colors and shapes on the Sequim night sky. Hope I will be more experienced next year to take firework photos. Well, here is our display of photos of the Grand Parade of the 113th Sequim Irrigation Festival. Washington Street was all lined up with lots of chairs and families, old and yound, cheering to festival participants. We noticed the same enthusiasm and excitement by participants and spectators alike as we saw the last 2 years of our moving to Sequim. We love living at small town Sequim with big town amenities. Our premier location between water and Olympic National Park makes Sequim a top vacation destination for hiking, biking, berrie picking and just relaxing. Plan your Sequim Vacation today.

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Sequim Vacation for Irrigation Festival

For all those, who come from Seattle for celebrating with us our 113th Sequim Irrigation Festival, our fully equipped 1 Bd/1Ba vacation apartment at peaceful location, with walking distance to QFC and Carrie Blake Park, has still a vacancy for this weekend. Take a short weekend Sequim vacation for the Irrigation Festival.

We just received the May 2008 Senior Center News. It's amazing what trips and tours are available for this month. Here are a few dates which seem really fun to attend:
Tuesday May 13, Olympic National Park, Sol Duc Hot Springs $35/member, $50/non
Wednesday May 21, Tacoma's Three Museums, Glass, Art and Washington State Historical $50/member, $65/non
Friday May 23, Brinnon, Whitney Gardens $20/member, $35 non

Here are a few Sequim Senior Center Social Events you might want to plan your vacation around:
May 20: Parents' Lunch
July 3: 4th of July BBQ
July 16: Aloha Luau Dinner
More information from our our Sequim Town blog and of course the Sequim Senior Center website down the road.

Stay tuned for photos from this year's Sequim Irrigation Festival parade!

Tags: Sequim, Vacation, Travel, Sequim Events, Sequim Irrigation Festival 2008

Sequim Irrigation Festival -113 years old.

You may have missed the beginnings of the Sequim Irrigation Festival however there is much more to come.. On May 8th & 9th, the Funtastic carnival begins at 5pm on the Sequim High School green field.

On Friday May 9th you can attend the Crazy Days breakfast at the Elks Lodge on Port Williams Rd starting at 7am. Not sure of the cost on this one however businesses and individuals come in costume and perform skits so should be lots of fun and a breakfast to boot.

Friday May 9th also has the Logging Truck and Tractor Pull. This is an event for all ages featuring axe throwing,pole climbing, lawn mower races, tractor pull and more. Plus food stands.

Hang around after the logging show for the Fireworks display at 9:30pm

Saturday May 10 is the best Salmon Barbecue on the Olympic Peninsula, being served from 11am to 6pm at the Trinity United Church next to Carrie Blake Park.

May 10th also features the Super Cruzz Parade and Car Show. The parade starts at 11am down Washington St and the car show is in the Walmart parking lot.

Last but not least to round out the week is the 113th Irrigation Parade with entries from all over the Peninsula and beyond. Get your family together and find your best spot along Washington St, it starts at noon and is good fun.

Hopefully we will have some that fine weather I mention in my previous post.
Enjoy the festivities.....Keoki

Tags: Sequim Irrigation Festival, Sequim Events

Sequim weather-It can't be beat!

This a post about the weather in Sequim and the reason I'm writing this is because its raining outside and unfriendly.

Now don't get me wrong I love Sequim including the weather but every now and then the clouds come in and just hang around making for a grey day and on occasion we have rain. That's the kind of day I like to sit in my nice warm house and read a good book or as now write a post.

The one thing nice about Sequim weather is how mellow it is, no SEVERE weather for us, oh no.
When I sit at home watching CNN and see all the SEVERE weather that hits other parts of America and the world I say to myself "lucky you live in Sequim".

We don't have tornadoes, hurricanes, floods or extreme cold or heat. Sure we might have a grey day once in a while but I've never been hurt by a cloud and as far as rain goes we average less than 15 inches a year.

In the winter we have very few days that are below freezing and in the summer we have hardly any days that get up to 90 degrees. If it sounds to you that I like Sequim weather, you are right, I don't know of anywhere in our country with a more consistant weather.

Check out our post on fall weather in Sequim.

Enjoy your weather wherever you are.....Keoki

Tags: Sequim, vacation, travel, Sequim vacation, Sequim weather

Book your Sequim Vacation Rental Now

For all those Sequim visitors, whether getting away from the big city for a short weekend vacation on the Olympic Peninsula or looking for Sequim real estate for moving to Sequim, if you still want to experience snow on Hurricane Ridge, as we did at Easter, you might want to book your Sequim Vacation for April or May NOW.

Be aware that Sequim is really busy for the Sequim Irrigation Festival 5/3 - 5/11/08. Even more desired are the dates for the 2008 Sequim Lavender Festival, taking place 7/18 - 7/20/8, when thousands of visitors come from all parts of the world to visit Sequim the Lavender Capital. It's a unique experience! You can easily combine visiting one of our two most famous Sequim festivals with hiking in the Olympic National Park, visiting Victoria and famous Butchart's Gardens, biking the Olympic Discovery Trail or just enjoying some lovely walks through Carrie Blake Park watching the wild life.

Best part of your Sequim vacation is of course the Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center SARC with an olympic lap pool, water slide, fitness center for aerobic exercise, weight room, sauna (hot air + steam). How better can you relax after a day of hiking or hunting for the Sequim real estate bargain?! Afterwards, come home to 'your home away from home' - Bell Hill View Sequim Vacation Rental - for a nice dinner. If you don't feel like cooking, pick up a great meal at Sequim Costco with a bottle of their delicious wines. And voila your evening is all set. Sit down with your honey on your love seat and relax with a movie from 120 cable channels. Stay in Sequim for a month and find out how life is in sunny Sequim.

Here is an update on Olympic National Park information 3/25/08

Heart O' The Hills campground and Sol Cuc Road will reopen this Friday.

The Olympic National Park Visitors Center is open 10am - 4pm Thur- Mo. It will reopen daily from May 1st.

The Hoh Road and campground are open. Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center is open on winter schedule Fri-Sun.

All roads are open in the Lake Crescent area and Elwha Valley.

Deer Park Road is scheduled to open June 13.

Sol Duc Hot Spring Resort, 12 miles into Olympic National Park, opens for the season this Friday. The resort offers a 'Spring into Spring' Special Package.

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

Best Things to Do in Sequim - Hurricane Ridge

When we came to Sequim in September 2005 for our 12-night Sequim vacation to check out the town for moving there, we not only checked out 'Sequim Homes for Sale' but also visited Hurricane Ridge, which is on top of the best things to do in Sequim. It was quite an experience for us people from warm Hawaii.

The first snow of the season made it even more impressive. We were not the only visitors who had not expected snow so early in fall but hey these are the Olympic Mountains with Hurricane Ridge elevation of 5240ft. A lot of the tourists showed up in shorts and short sleeves. We were at least in long pants and wore anoraks, which allowed us to stay longer and enjoy the spectacular views! The below photos are all from yesterday!

Now being Sequim residents, you bet we don't only take our friends to Crescent Lake for some hiking, a visit to John Wayne Marina with a nice lunch (not cheap though) at the Marina restaurant overlooking Sequim Bay, nice walks or bike rides on the Discovery Trail and if it's berry season on a 'U-Pick Berry Tour', a visit to Hurricane Ridge is a must see on the list of things to do on Sequim vacation.

However, one thing can get in the way...it's the weather on Hurricane Ridge, which can be quite stormy. Why else the name?! That's why always make sure to call and check the 24-hr Olympic National Park Road and Weather Information Line at 360-565-3131 to make sure the weather has not shut down everything. Visit the Hurricane Ridge website for information on ski lifts, ticket prices and more.

We had planned a winter outing to Hurricane Ridge many times during this winter season but with only the weekends offering access to the mountain, it's a gamble to find the right weekend. Many times during last winter season chains were required for the mountain access road and even our snow tires would not do. Finally yesterday on Easter Saturday, when the weather forecast for the entire day had sounded really promising, we checked first time the weather for the Ridge at 8:30am. It still sounded good with temperatures on the summit at 24 F. Brrrrrr! We checked again 2 hours later. The road was all the way open to the mountain. Snow tires were still required.

11:15am we got on our way to Port Angeles, turned on Race St to Olympic National Park, showed our senior National Park pass - allows you free entrance to all National Parks for a lifetime - at the park entrance and went up the windy road to the summit, with lots of aaahhhs and ooohhhs. What vistas! The higher we came the higher the snow piled on the side of the road. We arrived on Hurricane Ridge around 12:15pm. The sun was shining. The open area at the parking area is kind of windy and makes it feel colder there but as soon as we walked - we did not rent snow shoes, walking worked fine - to the lifts, we felt very comfortable in our warm winter clothes with gloves and scarves and hats.

The ski lifts very busy with an amazing number of snow boarders versus skiers. Lots of young people seem to prefer the snow boards to skiing these days. We had a great time to watch everybody. There was even a slalom competition for kids going on, which might have been the reason that stands sold hot dogs and hamburgers. Of course, one also could warm up at the Visitors Center and buy some food at the restaurant there. We had brought our own sandwiches and some delicious tea, which we enjoyed with the great views of the Olympic Mountains.

When you come from Seattle for a weekend visit to Sequim, bring some warm clothes with you. You may be lucky for an amazing trip to Hurricane Ridge and afterwards relax at the Jacuzzi or saunas at SARC. A Sequim vacation can be quite rejuvenating! Happy Easter everybody!

Tags: Sequim, Sequim vacation, Travel, Vacation, Hurricane Ridge

Sequim Affordable Homes

We are back!
After we articulated a few personal thoughts about 2008 Sequim Real Estate, I came across a few articles in our local newspapers like the Sequim This Week and The Peninsula Daily News, which I thought should be mentioned here on our Sequim Town blog.

As Sequim has developed into this attractive retirement town for people from CA, AZ, CO or even Hawaii over the past 20 years, a lot of them financially independent and thus building or buying quality homes at the most desired Sequim locations - ocean or mountain views being a must - it seems like the regular folks are left behind. Those people who work at Wal-Mart, Costco or HomeDepot for hourly wages around $8 can definitely not buy a house in Sequim at the current prices.

City Councilman Bill Huizinga, a former real estate agent, quoted the median selling price for Sequim in 2007 at $316,750. He concluded this number from an online search of last year's house sales. The average 3 Bd home on a lot was $230,000. These high selling prices for Sequim homes affect naturally the rents people have to pay for renting a house. When we lived in Sun Meadows, we did not see one of the 2Bd homes for rent under $1000 a month. Basically, it comes down to the situation that there is hardly any affordable housing in Sequim, whether to pay or to rent.

For all the Sequim residents or those people intending to move to Sequim and work there and who are in the low income range, the new apartment buildings 'Elk Creek' off Hwy 101 might offer a solution for finding affordable housing in Sequim. The article in the Peninsula Daily News about 'Affordable Housing in Sequim' does not only list features of the apartments, requirements for being eligible but also seriously reflects an the entire issue of promoting affordable housing in Sequim and integrating those into our community. Whether Mr.Huizinga as member of Sequim's affordable housing subcommittee, will be able to 'bring home prices down to earth' in Sequim, depends probably to a great deal on Sequim developers but also Sequim residents.

Remember the value of your house gets affected by the value of houses in your neighborhood, meaning not all Sequim residents support the idea of lower-priced homes in their neighborhood. Let's hope Sequim town will find a solution accommodating the needs for affordable homes and protecting the value of Sequim homes at the same time!

Tags: Sequim Real Estate 2008, Home Prices in Sequim

Sequim Real Estate 2008 Some Thoughts

Welcome back to our Sequim Town blog,

In our recent blog post about Sequim Spring awakening, we mentioned that it's time to talk about Sequim Vacation and Sequim Real Estate Market again. With new spring life approaching, our Sequim blog gets more visitors again, mostly consisting of tourists searching for places to stay in Sequim and things to do on the Olympic Peninsula.

Won't you believe it, it's just 2 months to the 113th Sequim Irrigation Festival, which will be held May 3rd - 11th, 2008? We reported about our 2007 Sequim Irrigation Festival experience, which was great fun for everybody, spectators like us and lots of participants! But let's not get carried away. Your next Sequim vacation will be the topic of our next blog post.

Today it's time for talking business, Real Estate business in Sequim. Just kidding. Several blog visitors had asked us in the past whether we are realtors because we have several posts about Sequim Real Estate and even list two Sun Meadow homes for sale by owner FSBO on our blog. Well, reason is we try to help our friends. We are not realtors but we have the web at our fingers, with owning our own sites, like our Kohala Coast Vacation Guide and blogs, like the Sequim Town and our Best Hawaii Vacation Blog. It never hurts to have some extra exposure for a home for sale online.

When you have a close look at our Sequim town blog, you will notice that we display lots of information about Sequim, from vacation rentals & hotels, to moving & relocation resources and vacation highlights in Sequim. You won't find links to real estate companies, as there are too many to be listed and it would not be fair just to list a few and not the others.

Well, we decided to share a few thoughts about the current 2008 Sequim Real Estate market with our blog visitors. Not claiming to 100% correct or even complete with our thoughts. This is what we noticed:

Yes, Sequim has turned into a buyer's market just as so many other locations in states like CA, AZ or even HI.

Is it wise to buy now or is it better to wait even longer? Will prices for homes and land in Sequim still come more down? Well, this is a gamble, similar to the stock market. Who knows at what point the Sequim market will turn around and follow the uptrend again.

Right now it looks like developers and contractors got carried when times were good but I guess when you got once started it's not that easy to stop building. Reading the recent Olympic Peninsula Homes & Land I was more than surprised to count 23 new home developments in Sequim. 23 that is! This number does not even reflect how many building lots and sites are offered in those new home developments. Cedar Ridge alone offers 244 lots starting at $69,000 for cottage lots and asking $109,000 for estate lots. Well, considering those numbers, it looks like lot prices will have to come down.

It looks like to an outsider that not many homes get sold in Sequim these days. Our area next to Carrie Blake Park, which is much desired for retired people with walking distance to shopping and park, showed even over the winter months for sale signs and sold. Admitted, it took a much longer time to sell plus we don't know how much the seller came down in order to make the sale happen but most important it happened.

Sequim is developing and growing at a rate, residents don't know whether to welcome it or not. One thing is for certain, small town living with big town amenities + the amazing location of Sequim between mountain and ocean will keep attracting the retired folks. No question there that moving to Sequim and investing into land or house purchase seems like a good move. Make sure the price is right and you get what you wanted - sunny exposure, nice views and away from the highway! What do you think?

p.s.

Stay tuned for our next post for reasons to plan a Sequim Vacation. Don't miss our webcams - wonderful Sequim area scenery.

Sequim Real Estate Articles

Sequim Real Estate - Homes for Sale Analysis April 2007
Sequim Home for Sale in Sun Meadows
Sequim Real Estate Summer Analysis 2007
Sequim Home with a View
Sequim Home for Sale By Owner

Tags: Sequim Real Estate

Life is nice in Sequim!

Spring is here!!!! Sequim is waking up from its hibernation. It's like spring is all around us...the birds are singing everywhere, our spring flowers, tulips and daffodils, are poking their heads out of the ground about 2 inches, and the warm sunshine feels amazingly good on the skin. Sequim residents always surprise me how readily they are taking off their long sleeve sweaters and walk around in shorts, as they were walking the beaches in Hawaii. Well, if they don't feel cold, it's OK with me. Todays temperatures in were 56 F in the shade and 62 F in the sun.

With that kind of warm spring welcome, I could not resist the sunny weather. I skipped my workout at SARC and had a wonderful walk though Carrie Blake Park. OK no jacuzzi and lap-pool in the Park but hey who cares when the Sequim skies are blue and the sun is smiling all over. The owners of remote sailboats must have had the biggest number today, guiding their remote controlled boats to win the race. Dog owners took small and big dogs to the popular Sequim dog park. Dogs enjoyed their freedom from the leashes and raced for balls. Last but not least, the ducks entertain young and old.

So, forget about the first snow in Sequim 2008, which we reported in our last post. It lasted in Sequim just 2 days. Not even that long on our property which is facing south with its driveway and all our big windows. Another great advantage of our major house windows and sliding glass doors facing south, besides the tremendous views of the Olympic Mountains, is that the sun nicely heats up the great room (from 68 F to 71 or 72 F!). Our heat pump has also proved a great investments with an average electric bill of $80/month.

We will be back soon with recommendations on planning your Sequim vacation and our thoughts on the real estate market in Sequim. No realtor analysis, just our own ideas. See you soon at the Sequim Town blog!

Tags: Sequim blue hole