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

First snow in Sequim 2008

When we woke up yesterday morning and looked out of the window, we got a big surprise...Sequim was covered in a nice layer of white powder snow! The night before, some small hail had been coming down, which we did not like too much. This Sequim winter wonderland dream got displayed with beautiful sunshine and blue skies. Beautiful!

When we arrived at SARC for our workout at 9:45am, we found out that the gym was just opening at 10am, somewhat delayed (regular opening hour is 6am) through the snow. What was amazing today that despite of raising temperatures caused by a steady sunshine, the white beauty still kept in Carrie Blake Park. We had a wonderful walk! Enjoy snowy, sunny Sequim!

Tags: Sequim, travel, vacation

Sequim Town News January 2008

Dear Sequim town visitors,

In Hawaii we used to say when getting up in the morning "Another beautiful day in Paradise!'. Guess what for the entire week we have been saying another beautiful day in sunny Sequim! This wonderful weather is not just great for outdoor activities but is lifting our spirit and makes us happy. We never regretted one bit having moved to Sequim 2 years ago.

Tuesday this week, we decided this is just the perfect weather for a visit to Hurricane Ridge. So we called the Olympic Park Weather hotline but were disappointed to hear that the road to Hurricane Ridge was closed till yesterday. We might try our luck again tomorrow.

In the meantime, we are regularly working out at our wonderful gym with Olympic Pool SARC (I always call it one big reason to move to Sequim), go for great walks through Carrie Blake Park (all bundled up and with food for the ducks and really enjoy our views from the house over the snow-covered Olympic Mountains sparkling in the full sun. The morning sunrises are amazing!

Here are a few other tidbits from our life in Sequim, which might be of interest to Sequim residents and Sequim vacationers alike:

I've found this advertising in the Sequim Senior Center monthly for Sanctuary, a place where one can get facials, pedicure and manicure from students. As the price was right ($20 a facial), I tried a facial. It was wonderful. I was very impressed by the professional yet extremely comfortable setting. You feel good all the time through the treatment and feel happy afterwards to have done something for yourself. Try it out Mo - Fri 2 - 8pm. Call the Sanctuary 360-683-5911.

QFC, one of the big markets in Sequim took the initiative for offering a store coupon for a week to customers who'd bring in 10 plastic bags. They will get in return a reusable tote! I am so often disappointed why shoppers don't bring their own bags with them when going shopping in Sequim. I guess sometimes the human mind only will change under pressure. In Europe, people have to pay about 25 - 30 Euro cents for 1 shopping bag. If that would happen here, people would soon bring their own bags. Just make it your routine and keep your shopping bags in your car for your next shopping. It's for your planet!

The Superbowl is looking around the corner. The Senior Center in Sequim will be having its 3rd Annual Superbowl Party on Sunday February 3, 2008. Game kickoff is 3:18pm. The main room doors at the Senior Center open at 1:30pm. You will watch the game on a 60" big screen. Pizza, drinks (non-alcoholic) and snacks will be provided. Tickets for this Superbowl fun event are $5. With our favorite Seattle Seahawks out of the picture, it might be nice if the New England Patriots can go undefeated through the whole season in this game against the New York Giants.

We see you around in Sequim. Enjoy the sun as long as it lasts. Who knows when the snow will show up in Sequim. The Sequimers.

Tags: Snowshoeing on Hurricane Ridge, Sunny weather in Sequim

2nd Anniversary of Moving to Sequim

Today, it's exactly 2 years on the dot since our moving to Sequim from sunny, warm Hawaii to sunny, cold Sequim. Our moving strategy was quite involved as Keoki packed everything himself into a moving van - a huge garage sale in Hawaii helped to get rid of lots of stuff - which was shipped to Seattle just like our car. Thanks to Keoki's meticulous plan and efforts, our moving happened like clock work! Interestingly, we experienced the same 'warm' Sequim weather in January 2006 (around 50F) as we do have now.

Our 2nd Moving Anniversary actually coincides with the opening of Hurricane Ridge to winter activities. We considered a trip to the Ridge today, but postponed as we will have some fiends coming over tonight, had to do some shopping errands and of course, Keoki had to watch the football match of the Seahawks against Greenbay Wisconsin. I never watch football but could not resist to watch the battle with the huge white snow flakes. Unbelievable. Anyhow, we postponed our plans to visit Hurricane Ridge but it's definitely in our thoughts.

Hurricane Ridge already got its fair amount of snow on its rugged peaks. Unless, the Ridge is closed due to stormy weather, the Visitors Center, snack bar and ski shop with ski and snowshoe rentals will be open starting today. Snowshoeing seems like a fun activity to view the snow covered Olympic Mountains. There are even 90-minute guided snowshoe walks with Park rangers available over the weekends. Register at 1:30 pm at the Visitor Center. The National Park Service provides snowshoes and instructions.

If the weather looks decent tomorrow, we will check the 24-hr Olympic National Park Road and Weather information line at 360-565-3131 to make sure the weather is OK for a trip to Hurricane Ridge. We have our winter outfits with waterproof boots, mittens, warm caps, sun glasses and layered clothes ready. Snow or not, Hurricane Ridge is a great place to explore summers and winters but 1/her walk in the freezing cold might just do for our bodies used to Hawaii sun! We will be back with more adventures on our Sequim life 2008! The Sequimmers

Tags: Sequim, Vacation, Travel, Sequim vacation, Sequim weather

Happy New Year to our Sequim blog visitors and Sequim friends

Dear Sequim blog visitors and friends in Sequim and around the world,
The Christmas holidays are over and regular Sequim life has taken over again. Hope you all had a great New Year's Eve with family or friends. We had our Sun Meadow friends over for some games. Enjoyed the company and caught up with Sequim life during our vacation time in Mexico.

New Year's Eve midnight came fast and passed in Sequim without much ado. We had the best seats in town, overlooking Sequim town, Bell Hill, Emerald Heights but Sequim showed a sleepy and laid back attitude. Only a few fireworks were to be seen, which was fine with us. TV broadcasted the fireworks from the Space Needle in Seattle. It was amazing how many people had been gathering and waiting there in the cold - at least no rain! - for the big fireworks. The Spaceneedle fireworks had a few glitches but after a few minutes passed and TV reporters got a bit nervous, the fireworks finally took off and were nearly as impressive as the ones from Sydney or the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Well, here we are in the new year. Ready to roll and rumbo. I signed up again for SARC, our favorite gym and swimming indoor pool in Sequim. Keoki's Stretch Class at SARC started up again, with a number of new people, who made staying in good health and shape their new year's resolution. Keoki's Easy Stretch Routine is available on DVD + on Video.

I know that I repeat myself when I tell all these people who find our blog because of doing research about our small town retirement life in Sequim that there is hardly any day that we don't enjoy the famous Sequim blue hole in the skies. It's amazing to see the gray skies in both directions, to the east Seattle direction or the West of Port Angeles.

We get our blue hole in Sequim! Sequim weather is different! One thing though we have learnt by now. The blue hole does not last for ever, especially when it's days with weather forecasts predicting the worst weather for other areas. So when the sky shows the blue hole, don't hesitate. Bundle up and get out for your daily walk and catch of a few sun rays. After 2 hours it may be all be over. There is no better place than Carrie Blake Park, even in winter. Aaahhh the views of the snowcovered Olympic Mountains!

Anybody who wants to connect with us because they want to move to Sequim, please, feel free to leave a comment or write us an email. We even rent out our Sequim Vacation Apartment for a month in winter at a great discount rate. We will happily share our Sequim life experiences with anybody who is interested. So stay in touch with our Sequim blog and us. The Sequimmers

Tags: Sequim Town blog, Sequim blue hole

Christmas in Sequim - Merry Christmas everybody!

We just made it back from our 2-week vacation in Puerto Vallarta. Second time we were there, at an all-inclusive hotel in Bucerias, which is about 20 miles out of town. One can really get spoilt...no needs for shopping, great food (lots of fruits) with 5 specialty restaurants, peaceful adult pool and lots of stretches of empty beaches. After our return, our Sequim neighbors told us that we did not miss anything in Sequim. That it had been pretty rainy and gray even in sunny Sequim during that time of late November.

Ever since we have been back, we experienced our Sequim blue hole again, even if it's just for 2-3 hours a day. It's enough time for a nice walk in Carrie Blake Park, getting some decent exercise, watching the dogs at the dog park and feeding the ducks. Nice to see Sequim town and our neighborhood in all the festive Christmas decoration with lots of lights to brighten the season.

Next day after our return I went to the Lazy Tree Farm, about 10miles west from Sequim, to pick up our Christmas tree which we had tagged before we left for Mexico. To our surprise, we were lucky another time and our wonderful blue spruce tree was still standing there. It was up to me to saw it off. It was pretty proud when I had finally accomplished this task. Now, the most beautiful Christmas tree is bringing joy and nature to our lovely new house.

We wish all our Sequim friends and Sequim visitors a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Ever wondered what Christmas in Hawaii is like see here.
p.s.
Two good news from Sequim town:

Today, the Sequim Senior Center is celebrating Christmas with Christmas dinners at 11am and 2pm.

We recently found out that Sequim residents who don't have medications covered with a health plan, can pick up a Sequim RX discount card at the Senior Center or the Sequim library and save up to 20% on their meds. Why nobody at Wal Mart ever told us that, we have no clue but at least, we know now. We saved big on Keoki's recent meds! Go get your discount card for Sequim residents.

Tags: Christmas at Sequim, Sequim weather

Thanksgiving Vacation In Sequim

Thanksgiving is looking around the corner with everybody making arrangements to reunite with family and friends or maybe taking some time off from the busy city and relax for an extended holiday weekend in Sequim on the Olympic Peninsula. Why not spend a Thanksgiving vacation in Sequim!

The weather is still nice enough to enjoy some outdoor activities, like hiking and biking the Olympic Discovery Trail or just walking Carrie Blake Park with duck pond and dog park or John Wayne Marina. The new restaurant at Sequim Bay Marina with beautiful views of the Bay and Mountains on the horizon invites you for a delicious lunch or dinner served at a special ambience with white table cloths and candle lights.

When you plan a drive to Hurricane Ridge in winter, always check the weather forecast first, so you won't get turned away at the entrance of Olympic National Park because your car is not prepared for the snow on the road to Hurricane Ridge. You may call the road and weather hotline at 360-565-3131 for current Ridge information. Also bundle up with a woolen cap, mittens and a scarf when visiting Hurricane Ridge in winter. Some winter boots come helpful! You can find information on the Hurricane Ridge Visitors' Center when ski and snowshoe rental start for the season, Cross-Country Ski & Snowshoe Routes and more.

Restaurants are preparing for the Thanksgiving crowd but if you want to just enjoy a homemade turkey meal without the hassle of cooking and starting the oven at your Sequim vacation rental, our two big markets, Safeway and QFC offer great complete turkey dinners with mashed potatoes, stuffing, rolls and pumpkin pie for 6- 8people at prices of $40 - $45. This great turkey deal makes us even wonder whether we want to cook ourselves or just order in for us and a few friends.

Thanksgiving Vacation in Sequim can be fun. have a great Sequim visit for Thanksgiving. Greetings from the Sequimmers

p.s.

Nearly forgot to mention that SARC is closed for Thanksgiving but will be open all the other days for your fitness and relaxation needs with Olympic lappool, waterslide, saunas and jacuzzi. Sorry no luck with attending Keoki's Easy Stretch class, which is on Mondays and Wednesdays.

In case, you were wondering about the Senior Center Thanksgiving Dinner. It is on Tuesday 11/20/07 from 11:30am - 1:30pm with food and entertainment $4 members and $10 non-members.

Tags: Sequim, vacation, travel

What's up at Carrie Blake Park in Sequim in Fall?

After filling you in on Keoki's Easy Stretch class at SARC, it's time to do an update on our regular Sequim life. With November weather having treated us extremely nicely so far with lots of sunshine - shift seems to happen right now, but Blue Hole 'enlightens' us daily - Carrie Blake Park, which is just around the corner from our new house still attracts a crowd of walkers, joggers, remote sailboat owners (they run races on the fish pond), dog owners, duck feeders and parents with kids.

We have much fun to watch all the different dogs at the fenced Dog Park one part for the little guys and another one for the big dogs) where they can run freely. The dog whisperer would love our dog park! The dogs play together, get a great workout and there is hardly ever a fight between them. An occasional talk with the dog owners can be a pleasant encounter too.

Best of all during our walks through Carrie Blake Park is our stop at the sunny bench by the duck pond. We made friends with them all. As soon as we stop, the ducks come to shore and wait for their bread. We have mostly a piece of flaxseed bread but also watch other people feed them an entire loaf of white bread. we don't know how healthy that is plus hope that the ducks won't forget how to find their own food, which will be even harder in winter.


If you live in Sequim and have kids, Carrie Blake Park is perfect with the duck pond for educating them about wild life in Sequim. Two terrific playgrounds with swings, slides monkey bars and more gives the kiddos a great workout. Hope to get a picture of our favorite ducks soon (always forget to take the camera). See you at Carrie Blake Park. The Sequimers

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Sequim Carrie Blake Park

Tags: Sequim, Vacation, Travel

Stretch for Health in Sequim with Easy Stretch

STRETCHERS ALERT! Easy Stretch Video and new Easy Stretch DVD are ON SALE NOW!

Remember when we told you last year about Keoki starting teaching his Easy Stretch class at SARC in Sequim, after he had been teaching the class for 20 years in Hawaii. We are happy to report that the class has become a welcome exercise class within the SARC members community with as many as 12 people enjoying the Easy Stretch routine and the guided relaxation twice a week.

Regular Easy Stretchers tell Keoki that they really benefit from the class a lot. They feel overall much better and of course, muscles and tendons feel more limber and flexible. Not to forget the relaxed state of mind from the Guided relaxation at the end of teach class. What a wonderful feedback!

As classes take place 'only' twice a week, a number of participants bought the Easy Stretch video or DVD for their home use or to give it as a present to a loved one. However, our transition from VHS Easy Stretch Video to the now more in demand Easy Stretch DVD is complete now.


This is a perfect gift of health for Christmas, especially for those people who are not into attending a gym. Best of all, Easy Stretch is a very easy stretching routine, which does not require any yoga experience. Anybody can stretch at home with Easy Stretch. Feel right in Hawaii with the Guided Relaxation to the sound of gentle ocean waves. What a nice reward for your stretching efforts.


No more waiting for your Easy Stretch DVD. Order your 'Stretch for Health' DVD now through PayPal's secure server.

People who still want to pay with check, may call us today 360-504-1157 for their order of their Easy Stretch DVD or video. Give a gift of love to yourself or a loved one with Stretch for Health 'Easy Stretch' video, the perfect gift.

People in the Sequim, WA area can call us for picking up the video in Sequim. Live a longer, happier life with Easy Stretch Body/Mind Relaxation video! We are looking forward to hearing from you. Stay happy and healthy with Easy Stretch. Stretchguy Keoki and Heidi
p.s.
Don't miss our update on Fall weather in Sequim.

Tags: Living in Sequim, Stretch Class in Sequim, Stretch DVD, Stretch Video

Sunny Sequim Weather in Fall !!!

Its as good as it gets in the Pacific Northwest. Is it time to hibernate in Sequim? Not Yet! Certainly Fall weather has arrived effecting our Sequim life each day with a color palette from golden yellow to dark reds, dahlias are still blooming in our flower beds but night temperatures are going under 50 degrees. It feels great to get the benefit of a heat pump and the ambiance of a wood stove.

For all those who still doubt the truth of the Sequim Blue Hole and our Sequim Rain Shadow weather, just a short account of these last 2 days. Ever since we moved to Sequim, 18mos ago, we have made it a habit to watch the weather forecast with Andy Wappler on KIRO 7 late news. Soon we realized though that the Seattle weather forecast and the actual Sequim weather are worlds apart. Best way to find out what Sequim weather will be like is to look out the window in the morning and watch what's happening. Yesterday Seattle and most of the rest of the Pacific Northwest were soaked in rain, coastal areas like Forks and Ocean View, Port Angeles and Seattle. Sequim did not get one drop of rain but had sunny weather all day for walks in Carrie Blake park and for bike rides on the Discovery Trail all day long.

Forecast for today was high winds and rain everywhere. OK admitted we woke up to really high winds and some rain, however by 10am the rain had abated though the winds were still quite cold. By noon the first blue hole showed up and by 2pm the sun was shinning through the clouds to the east and west. We had a wonderful walk through Carrie Blake park, visited the dog park and the duck pond with a amazing 72 degrees in the sun.

If you want to know more about Sequim fall activities check out our previous post

Tags: Sequim weather in fall, sunny Sequim

Sequim Pumpkin Patch is ready for Halloween.

Sequim and Sequim visitors are not ready to hibernate yet. We may not have huge Halloween celebrations or fancy haunted houses but we do have the Pumpkin Patch. This unique Fall happening coincides with the time of harvest in Sequim Valley.

Located on over 6 acres at the intersection of Highway 101 and Kitchen Dick Road, the Pumpkin Patch offers food and fun activities for all ages. The hours of operation are noon to 6p.m. Sunday thru Thursday and noon to 9p.m. Friday and Saturday until Halloween.

There is a maze cut through almost 6 acres of corn which can be navigated during the day or for a really spooky time try it at night using a flashlight. There will be horse and pony rides, wagon rides and u-pick pumpkins. One event you won't want to miss is the pumpkin catapult and you just might win yourself $100 if you can launch a small pumpkin with a giant slingshot into a waiting garbage can.

Come to Sequimon vacation and visit the Pumpkin Patch or the Hoh Rainforest as we did two weeks ago with our kids. Enjoy all the beautiful leaf colors of fall season. The Sequimers
p.s.
When on the way through Sequim or on your Sequim vacation, visit Sunny Farms, our favorite Sequim store for buying fruits, veggies and supplements. Right now, it's decorated with pumpkins all over. Don't miss that. It's that special pumpkin look of the season!

Tags: Sequim, pumpkin patch, Sequim vacation

Visit to Hoh Rainforest on Sequim vacation.

For the first time since moving to Sequim, our children came to visit, one from Hawaii and the other from Alaska. They both flew into Seatac, in Seattle around 10pm and we drove to Sequim in a couple of hours.

After a good nights sleep we decided not to waste a lot of time and got on the road to the Hoh Rainforest. This 85 mile drive takes you through some of the most beautiful areas of the Olympic Peninsula. A few words from Wikipedia on the Hoh Rainforest follow:

"The Hoh Rain Forest is one of the few temperate rain forests in the world, and is also the largest. It is located on the Olympic Peninsula in western Washington state, USA. Within Olympic National Park, the forest is protected from commercial exploitation. This includes 38 km of low elevation forest (120 to 760 m) along the Hoh River. Between the park boundary and the Pacific Ocean, 48 km of river, nearly all of the forest has been logged within the last century.

Annual precipitation ranges from 3.6 to 4.2 m (12 to 14 feet). Summers are relatively dry, but only by comparison to the rest of the year. The late fall, winter and spring floods cause the Hoh River to regularly erode its banks, change its course, and deposit fresh terraces of alluvium that are soon colonized by Red Alder. Giant trees topple into the river increasing the diversity of aquatic habitats."

The Hoh Rainforest is home to a U.S. Park Service ranger station, from which backcountry trails extend deeper into the national park. We took a short, popular trail near the visitor center to the Hall of Mosses. After we had tried on our last visit to the Hoh Rainforest to catch the height of the trees and other impressions by photo, we did not try again this time. Remember the realtor's phrase ' You have to see it, to appreciate it!'.

We hiked for a couple of hours on the well defined trails and had a wonderful time. My son, who is from Hawaii, was amazed at the size of the Sitka spruce. The tropical rainforest of Hawaii doesn't see trees growing to such height and girth. When you make it to Sequim, put the Hoh Rainforest at the top of your things to do.

All in all, we had a wonderful time with the children. So many things to do in Sequim, so little time in a 1-week vacation! Now, the kids are gone and our Sequim vacation rental is again available for guests for a relaxing monthly Sequim vacation. Remember the vacation rental is perfect for all the folks who want to retire in Sequim, search for a Sequim Home to buy and basically get to know life in Sequim. We are happy to be of help. Greetings from the Sequimers
p.s.
I nearly forgot to mention that the Sequim Health Fair was a great success. So many health care professionals volunteering their time and services.

Tags: Hoh Rainforest, Sequim vacation, Sequim, travel

4th Annual Olympic Peninsula Health Fair in Sequim

This blog post is sponsored by Easy Stretch Video - Body/Mind Realaxation

Dear Sequim Town Blog visitors,
We are happy to see that more and more people, who intend to relocate to Sequim from California, Arizona, Colorado and even from Hawaii like us, find our blog useful for their moving plans to Sequim. Please, feel free to ask any question regards life in Sequim, weather or whatever. Please, use the comment button, so we can respond right here at the blog and other Sequim interested blog visitors can read it too.

As long time massage therapists in the state of Hawaii, we naturally pay attention to staying healthy through exercise, stretching, right eating and nutritional supplements. The 4th Olympic Peninsula Health Fair on Saturday September 15 at Sequim High School offers lots of health and wellness services. Free health screenings will be available such as blood sugar analysis and even up to 300 free tetanus inoculations. Over twenty more free screenings will be available as a gift to the community! You can bet that I will take advantage of as many as I can, as I am not on Medicare yet and my monthly premium of $300 and $5000 deductible does not cover any of those needed services.

Since this post is about health related issues, we should mention medical facilities and doctors in Sequim. There seem to be many to choose from when you first arrive but to tell you the truth it is not that easy is to find a doctor. Here is why. Keoki is on Medicare. We had to call several doctors in Sequim in order to find one which would still accept a Medicare patient. A doctor needs to make a living too and with Medicare just paying the doctors to get by, a lot of the Sequim doctors don't take new Medicare patients. So we were lucky when we found a great doctor for both of us.

As senior citizens we were concerned about having easy access to a hospital in the Sequim area. Sequim does not have a hospital at the moment but with our Sequim requirement community steadily growing we might see one soon. Currently the Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles serves also for Sequim residents. With 15 miles from Sequim, it's in easy reach. The PA hospital is well equipped and patient service is decent. To give you peace of mind, the 911 Emergency Service in Sequim responds very fast to calls.

Stay happy and healthy in Sequim. We see you at the Health Fair. The Sequimers

Sequim Indian Summer Weather Perfect for Vacation

Dear Sequim visitors or those who plan a weekend vacation in Sequim this fall,
Remember my words in one of our recent blog post about Sequim summer weather and the predictions from a long time Sequim resident that fall weather will be living up to all our expectations. Whoever told us, the prediction has come true. Ever since the beginning of September Sequim is enjoying the most gorgeous Indian summer weather, the kind of weather which we normally have in July and August. Sequim, Olympic National Park and Victoria BC invite you to a great Sequim vacation.

Keoki is doing much better after his knee surgery. When we had our friends from Hawaii, now residents in NZ, stay with us at our vacation rental, we shared as many Sequim things to do as possible. We played some tennis on the courts of Sequim High School which are mostly available over the weekends and also during morning hours for public use. We had a great drive to Lake Crescent and enjoyed the moderate hike to Merrymere Waterfalls.

As Carrie Blake Park is just around the corner from our house, our friends did early morning walks through the park. On the last evening of their stay in Sequim, we went for dinner at Las Palomas, located on Washington St next to Ramada Inn. Everybody was happy with their food and the excellent service. It was very nice to hear all the praises about Sequim town, our new house and the great peaceful yet close to everything location. To tell you the truth we have so often answered the question 'How did you find Sequim for your your retirement?', so the answer comes quite naturally.

Before more friends come visiting - more friends from Hawaii who actually contemplate seriously moving to Sequim (this is their second visit to Sequim this year) - we enjoy every day, hour and minute of this Indian summer weather. We bike a lot and still pick berries at a friend's organic garden. Late raspberries and blueberries are still growing there. I checked with Graysmarsh Farm over a week ago. They are only open now Friday - Sunday and the only berries still available there are the blackberries but with wild blackberries growing everywhere in Sequim and area, it's just so easy to walk or get on your bike and pick wherever you find the blackberries.

Keoki's Stretch class at SARC has grown to a good size stretch class with average members 10 -12 a class. For many years, we have been selling his Easy Stretch video through health food stores, massage therapists, health practitioners and online. With technology moving fast to more and more people to buy DVD instead of the old fashioned video, we decided to do a big sale for our Easy Stretch video.

This sale is on as long as supply lasts. We want to get rid of all the videos and continue selling Easy Stretch as a DVD instead. It's a great gift for yourself or a loved one. Christmas is not so far away to think ahead of finding a healthy present. If you are interested in buying an Easy Stretch video at great discount price, call us today 360-504-1157.

Enjoy Sequim weather as much as we do! Greetings from the Sequimers

Tags: Sequim vacation, Sequim weather

Visit Victoria BC on your Sequim vacation

Sequim summer weather is going to an end but we are expecting nice Sequim weather this fall for September. That's at least what long time Sequim residents tell us. Let's believe them.

Our recent guests at our Sequim vacation rental had a great time on their Sequim vacation. We made new friends with a couple from California who were using our monthly Sequim vacation rental for their Sequim house search. It was nice to see when they found what they were looking for...a nice Sequim house with water views of John Wayne Marina and Sequim Bay. They are very excited to be back soon and move into their new Sequim home.

On their Sequim real estate vacation, they managed taking a day off for a relaxing visit to Victoria BC. They were the same enthusiastic about Victoria as we were. Actually, our friends from Hawaii who live now in NZ, also stayed in Victoria for 3 nights on their way to visit us in Sequim. They liked their visit to Victoria as well. So, we figured it's time to share our trip experience with our Sequim town blog visitors. No Sequim vacation is complete without a trip to Victoria!

There are so many things to do in Victoria BC or on Vancouver Island. It's quite interesting to hear what people decide to do. Our Hawaii friends did a Victoria Harbor Tour and enjoyed High Tea at The Royal Empress Hotel, which does not come cheap at $55/person but is definitely an experience to have tea at a 'royal' ambience and taste hors d'oeuvres, one does not come across normally. Our guests from California had a great time with a whale watch tour on an open Zodiac, where they watched up to 20 Orcas on their 3-hr whale watch tour.

Now, let's share with all Sequim visitors what we did last year in May when we spend 3 nights in Victoria BC. First of all, we had heard about all those great reports about seeing the magnificent flowers at Butchart Gardens. All the roses were in full bloom...fragrances, colors, varieties can't be described! Must see to appreciate! We will be back for more flowers at Butcharts Garden. Next time we'd like to see the fireworks on Saturdays between June 30 - September 1.

We also had a great time at the Royal London Wax Museum, even though after having seen the real wax museum in London, I must say it cannot live up to the expectations. The Royal BC Museum in Victoria was really impressive and educational. We split that into a morning and afternoon visit. Museums can wear you out. But most impressive was our visit to the IMax Theater where we watched the Humpback Whale migration to Hawaii (I had to close my eyes at times not to get dizzy but otherwise it was an indescribable movie experience!).

In any case, we could go on for ever on our visit to Victoria but that's it for today. Last but not least, we took the bigger Auto ferry from Port Angeles (more stable for me not getting sea sick) but if you travel to Victoria without your car, you might want to buy tickets for the faster but smaller Victoria Express Ferry from PA. Visit Victoria on your next Sequim Vacation! The Sequimers

More photos of Visit to Victoria BC

Tags: best sequim vacation, visit victoria BC, sequim vacation, Vancouver Island

Sequim Vacation Rental Sequim Town

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

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

New 2013 Best Sequim Vacation Rental rates

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

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

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

Sales tax is included. Sorry, no pets allowed.

Sequim Vacation Rental

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

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


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

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

Sequim vacation rental amenities:

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

-Cable TV w/60 channels

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

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

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

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

***No extra cleaning fees charged!

Sequim Town Attractions

Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center SARC

Carrie Blake Park

John Wayne Marina

Sequim Area Attractions

Olympic Discovery Trail

Dungeness Spit with Sequim Lighthouse

Olympic National Park

Crescent Lake

Visit Sol Duc Hot Springs

Sequim Vacation Activities Things To Do

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

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

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

More Sequim Vacation Rental photos

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Tags: Vacation Sequim, Sequim Vacation Rental