Goodwill Grand Opening in Sequim July 15

Goodwill selects July 15 opening date for new Store

Four-day grand opening sale will be community introduction

After we had shared with Sequim residents in April that Goodwill is coming to Sequim, Goodwill's PR manager asked SequimTownBlog again to publish the more information about this Sequim event. This is a press release and no advertising. As we expect this to be useful to Sequim residents and visitors, here is the entire info about the grand opening of Goodwill in Sequim.

"The new Goodwill store will open July 15 in Sequim, filling a former empty retail space with 32,000 square feet of great values and a convenient location for donations of gently used clothes and household items.

A store-opening ceremony will take place that Thursday at 8:45 a.m. at the store, 680 C W. Washington St. The event will include Sequim Mayor Ken Hays, Goodwill CEO Terry A. Hayes and others. After the short event, the store will open to the public at 9 a.m. with a grand opening sale through Sunday.

"We’ve always looked forward to opening a store in Sequim and we're very excited to see this take place," said Hayes, who as CEO of Tacoma Goodwill oversees a 15-county service area including Clallam County. "The store represents an opportunity for jobs in the community while donors and shoppers can support our job training and placement services for people with disabilities or disadvantages."

There are several events taking place during the opening weekend July 15-18, including:

- The opportunity for shoppers to win a DVD player, iPod and $50 gas cards during the event. Other, free giveaways will also be available at the store.

- Live radio broadcasts throughout the weekend, including: KMPS 94.1-FM featuring "Today’s Country: KONP, 1450 AM and 102.1 FM; and KSQM, 91.5-FM.

- Hot dogs and soda, for $2, will be available from Healthy Families of Clallam County. The organization combats child abuse and domestic violence.

"Goodwill is looking forward to a great relationship with the community over a long time," said Jane Taylor, Tacoma Goodwill Board of Directors president. "Besides jobs, it’s a convenient place to drop off gently used clothes and household items."

The store will be located in the former Rite Aid building, 680C W. Washington St., in the Safeway shopping center. Architects BCRA and Mountain Construction remodeled the store improvements, including expanded space for donations. Goodwill hired about 40 people, including donation attendants, cashiers and supervisors.

Tony Anderson will be the new store’s manager. Anderson has been with Goodwill since 2008, working in a variety of positions in Goodwill stores in Lacey and Olympia.

"I’ve always wanted to live up here on the Peninsula since I first visited," said Anderson. He said he hoped shoppers would feel welcome in the store, where families could find great values.

The store will be the second located in Clallam County and the 26th for the agency, headquartered in Tacoma. Other Goodwill stores in the region are located in Port Angeles, 603 S. Lincoln St., and Port Townsend, 602 Howard St. Store hours are Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Goodwill has already been providing job training and placement services for Sequim-area residents through a program giving older workers experience to get back into the workforce. For a list of donation or store locations or to find out more about Goodwill programs and services, go online to www.tacomagoodwill.org"

Tags: Goodwill store opens in Sequim, Sequim shopping

Hummmingbirds are back in Sequim

Coming to Sequim from Hawaii, we did not know hummingbirds but as soon as we had built our house and saw all the hummingbird feeders at our neighbors' houses we got interested. And ever since we have those little guys come visit us at the hummingbird feeder on our balcony, in easy view from our dining table, we became 'addicted'.

Some Sequim friends told us that they had a special hummingbird kind even through winter. That gets pretty involved because the water in the feeder freezes and needs to be taken in at nighttime. Anyways, they were very proud to get those little guys through our Sequim winter. We noticed even in spring when mornings are still cold the hummingbirds have a hard time to get warmed up. One would always fly to the top of our neighbor's tree and sit there in the full sun till he warmed up.

Now it's easy for them, and everybody spoils them. Amazingly, there are still enough hummingbirds for everybody in Sequim who hangs out a hummingbird feeder. Just make sure not to put too much sugar in it. It's not good for the humans or the hummingbirds. We have also learned not to fill up the feeder with too much sugar water. It goes bad over time. Rather take a bit and fill it up anew more often.

If you have not watched Keoki's hummingbird video last year, here it is again.

Tags: Hummingbirds in Sequim

Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center goes high tech

As regular Sequim Town blog visitors you know that one of the reasons we love Sequim so much is because it's a town which offers the ingredients to keep you young and in good shape and health. It's all up to you! We love biking the Olympic Discovery Trail, hiking in the Olympic Mountains or just walking Carrie Blake Park!

Of course, there are also those months when outdoor activities are limited because of the weather. Rain shadow and blue holes are good but Sequim is still in the PNW. When we investigated about Sequim as our retirement option, we read about SARC Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center. We say it again 'This is the biggest bonus the Sequim retirement community enjoys DAILY!. The Center offers any cardiovascular or muscle-building machine you can dream of - come and see for your selves - two pools, jacuzzi, steam sauna complement the workout with nice recreation and relaxation features.

SARC has changed and improved a lot ever since we joined 4 years ago when moving to Sequim. It seemed to me that SARC had achieved a high level in quality equipment and exercise classes, including Keoki's very own 'Easy Stretch class' on Monday and Wednesday mornings at 10:30am, but it still got better. When I walked into the aerobic workout room over a week ago, there were two new cross-trainers, my favorites ,and 5 new treadmills equipped with its own TV. I brought my airplane headphones and tried one of the cross-trainers. Really nice!

Reading when on the cross-trainer does not come easy and a 20-30min workout can stretch when not doing anything but pumping your arms and legs. With the new TVs, any workout becomes a piece of cake. Interestingly, the first week the machines stayed surprisingly empty but as it was and is with any technology, seniors need a little while to adjust to the challenges of new buttons. The figured out computers and cell phones. Sequim seniors will line up at the new machines pretty soon. Thanks SARC for going high tech!

Tags: Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center, retire in Sequim

Rocket Shuttle transportation from Sequim to Seatac Airport

Dear Sequim lovers,

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

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

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

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

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

Tags: Sequim Airport Shuttle, Rocket Airport Shuttle to SeaTac

Goodwill coming to Sequim

Sequim residents and visitors, especially those who are seriously interested in moving to Sequim, paid close attention to the introduction of builders impact fees for new homes in Sequim. The future will tell how this decision will affect the number of application for building permits. Our opinion: If somebody wants to move to Sequim, then he will do so, with or w/o impact fees.

A few days ago, Sequim Town Blog received the following interesting press release about a new store opening in Sequim soon. We decided to publish the complete press release, as it is of interest for our residents and Sequim visitors alike. Press release by Goodwill:

Goodwill coming to Sequim - New Store will provide jobs, donation site and great value!

SEQUIM – A new Goodwill store will open this July in Sequim, providing local jobs, a donation site for gently used clothes and household items, and great values for families to stretch their dollar in tough economic times.

The store will be located in the former Rite Aid building, 680C W. Washington St., at the corner of West Washington Street and North Fifth Avenue. Signs announcing the arrival of Goodwill at the site should up this week with Mountain Construction providing store improvements. To staff the 32,000-square-foot store, the agency is hiring about 30 people, including donation attendants, cashiers, supervisors and a store manager, with forms available at www.tacomagoodwill.org.

"Goodwill provides the community with a variety of services and our stores are long-term investments," said Jane Taylor, president of Goodwill’s Board of Directors and an agency volunteer. "In these tough economic times, Goodwill can help families and be a place for people to get that first job or second chance."

The store will be the second located in Clallam County and the 26th for the agency, headquartered in Tacoma. Other Goodwill stores are located in Port Angeles, 603 S. Lincoln St., and Port Townsend, 602 Howard St. Goodwill has already been providing job training and placement services for area residents through a program giving older workers experience to get back into the workforce.

Tags: New store in Sequim, Sequim shopping

Sequim Council approved impact fees for new home builders

Welcome back to Sequim Town Vacation blog,

Decision is made by Sequim council: Building a new house in Sequim will soon cost Sequim home builders more money. We discussed the issue of impact fees as a means for Sequim town to make some extra money to maintain streets, parks etc. in our recent post 'What is new for Sequim home owners?'

On March 222 Sequim city council and its manager Steve Burkett voted to adopt new impact fees in order to keep Sequim's infrastructure up-to-date. Starting in July 2010 new home builders in Sequim will have to pay for each single-family home an extra $4,868 in impact fees. Those charges will be added on the current $15,800 cost of a building permit.

We are happy that we did not postpone the building of our new Sequim home after we had bought our new town lot with those wonderful views of the Olympic Mountains. Building in 2007 saved us in hindsight a lot of money. Well, we don't know how much money the City of Sequim can rake in with that new impact fee, if the applications for building permits stay the same low as in 2009.

We have been talking and are still talking to quite a number of people who found Sequim Town Vacation blog on the Internet and have serious plans to move to Sequim for good. Most of them, don't want to go through the hassle of building a new home - who does when being retired and looking for an easy relaxed life. The majority wants to buy a house in Sequim which fits best their budget and expectations.

Also read our post about 'Sunland Golf Course'.

Tags: Sequim real estate, impact fees for new Sequim home builders

Sequim Golf Course Sunland

Dear Sequim lovers,

We noticed that the early spring on the Olympic Peninsula also attracted Sequim home buyers back to the area. Alas, the top bargain price of the 'Best Sequim Home for Sale' is still to high for potential home buyers. It was the same for us when we went house hunting on our Sequim vacation in October 2005. As retired people, we needed to stick with a Sequim home within our budget. Honestly, I loved the peace, the privacy and the beautiful green scenery at Sunland - though we are not golfers - but at that time, sellers still had the edge and prices were just not matching for us.

So, what's new at Sunland for current homeowners and what should future Sunland homeowners know? A couple months ago, the Sunland golf club membership had fallen below what would support keeping the course open. Sunland golfers have attemped to enlist new members even opening it to outside players, but it seems to have come down to having the homeowners vote on whether to increase the homeowners fees to support the golf course. There are 180 homeowners but not all are golfers. It would be interesting to know how many of the Sunland homeowners are active golfers. Bottom line, the non-playing golf homeowners don't seem to care to pay, so others can push the ball around the grass.

The big argument is that the value of Sunland homes benefits from keeping this private golf course well maintained. The entire Sunland Golf Course issue has become a big 'dispute' and 'The Peninsula Daily News' gets frequently letters concerning this topic. Even though, it's none of my concerns, I've found it quite interesting that members and investors of Sunland Golf & Country Club demand that all Sunland homeowners unilaterally be mandated to contribute $300 per year to support the golf course. And if homeowners wouldn't comply, a lien could be placed on their home. Can they do that?

Another letter to the editor claimed that the sole purpose of the $300/yr is to recover the money that a group of club members invested in a new 1-million dollar sprinkler system. They could do so with the assessed payment for 5 years. Nothing has been finalized yet, last I read in letters to the editor they are planning a vote but no date has been set. If they vote not to support the golf course, the home values could go down and of course the other way the Sunland homeowners' fees would go up. Something to think about when looking at homes for sale in Sunland.

Tags: Sequim Golf Course, Sequim Sunland Golf Community

Best Price Sequim Home for Sale

Dear Sequim town visitors,

We are so happy to hear from people who found our SequimTown blog and appreciate all the information we post here for future retirees to read about our life in sunny Sequim.

We received a number of emails about our recent post 'What is new for Sequim homeowners?'. Believe me the discussion about the new impact fees to keep Sequim's infrastructure maintained is not letting up and is still going on. We will have to wait for final result till March 22 when the City Council will make its decision.

If you follow our Sequim blog regularly - easy to do just click the link on the side bar where it says 'Subscribe by email' - you know that Sequim Real Estate always attracts my attention, even though we are no realtors. But hey Sequim is a retirement town and people from all of the nation want to move here, just as we did from Hawaii.

We wrote in the past about houses for sale in Sequim and want to continue that tradition today. This Sequim Luxury Home of our friends is back on the market with the biggest price drop we've seen so far ever the housing bubble burst in Sequim! Our friends want to move on with their lives and move back to CA, where all their 3 children and families live.

Luxury Sequim Home for Sale with spectacular Water and Mountain Views

Best price Sequim Home for Sale New Asking Price $449,000


Architect designed modern Victorian home built in 1999 on two lovely quiet acres affords magnificent views from every room of the Olympic Mountains, San Juan Islands, Strait of Juan de Fuca, Mount Baker, Sequim Lighthouse and Victoria. This Sequim home is 3588 square feet with multiple levels filled with light and openness. There are three bedrooms, one office/den, three full bathrooms, one 3/4 bathroom, large family room, dining room with cathedral ceiling, balcony overlooking dining room, formal living room with octagon, large recreational room, utility room with handicap shower, wine cellar, indoor shop, 2+car garage and garden shed. Wrap around front porch and back patio built with Timbertec deck.

When we visited this home, we got a exciting tour of the Sequim house by the owners and couldn't believe what a special place they have created over many years. Please, also read more about and see more photos of this Luxury Sequim Home for Sale. I tell you what, no words can do justice to the the real house experience.

So please, if you are interested in buying this Sequim home, send us an email and we will connect you with the owners and Sequim realtor for setting up a viewing appointment. For those who don't qualify but still would love to see this magnificent house, there will be an 'Open House' soon. We will post the date and time here on our SequimTown blog. Remember it is a buyer's market in Sequim!

Tags: Best price Sequim home for sale, Luxury Sequim home for sale, biggest price drop Sequim home

What's new for Sequim home owners?

Well, the 'Economic Slowdown" did not go around the city of Sequim, as Sequim home owners might have hoped for. Sequim City struggles to make ends meet just like the rest of the nation. The big question is where to get the money from for improvements of streets, parks, public transportation, police etc.

Financial means for education seems to be taken care of after a recent vote for Sequim Schools where 61% of Sequim residents voted for a higher property tax for Sequim home owners to generate some extra money for Sequim education. The votes included Sequim residents who don't own a home and won't be affected by the higher taxes, at least not at first glance. Eventually, home owners who rent out a second home will try to get some money back from their tenants by raising their rent!

We were actually quite happy when we noticed that our high Sequim property tax had gone down for 2010 but that 'saving's evaporated with the recent vote approval for raising the taxes for schools which meant another $200 more property tax on a Sequim estimated home value of $250,000. Quite a steep raise, we think.

Still there remains the question where to get the money from for keeping Sequim's infrastructure updated and in good shape. Well, the solution seems to be very easy, at least according to a consultant the City of Sequim hired. The 'magic word' is introducing 'impact fees' to new home owners and builders. If the City of Sequim approves the new impact fees, then new Sequim home owners will have to pay an additional $9036, whether they build a new home for $1million or $200,000! The new impact fees would cover Sequim town's future expenses for improvements of infrustructure, parks, transportation, general government and police.

This will be a tough decision to be made by the City Council and Sequim City's new manager Steven Burkett. Naturally, the new impact fees find strong opponents among Sequim builders and realtors. Imagine in 2005 about 190 new building permits were issued for Sequim and area, whereas in 2009, it was only 11 building permits. Sequim builders and realtors believe that those steep impact fees in a slowed-down economy, will have further negative effects and might turn off potential home builders from building in Sequim. The Sequim consultant argues that better parks and infrastructure will attract new home builders to Sequim. What do you think?

Tags: Sequim town, impact fees Sequim, Sequim home owners

Hurricane Ridge reopened for March 2010

Hello Sequim visitors,

Yes, our Sequim weather is still amazing. Spring is two months early. All our cherry blossom trees are in full bloom as most of the daffodils are. No tulips opened yet but they are getting there. With all the reports from the East Coast with another blizzard and electricity blackouts, we Sequim residents really feel very blessed. I just hope that we won't get any late frost in April killing the real Cherry blossoms that would be a bummer.

Anyways, here is more good news for Sequim residents and visitors who love skiing, snowboarding or snowshoeing or just enjoy some wonderful time in the snow. Hurricane Ridge Rd and Hurricane Ridge facilities reopened last weekend. A group of about 50 visitors enjoyed their first time visit on Sunday up on Hurricane Ridge - Olympic Park entry fee was waived -, after the road had to be closed over a month ago due to a huge washout of the road. Construction was finished sooner than expected.

March is actually a wonderful month for a visit in the snow on the mountain. Remember Hurricane Ridge is open on the weekends depending on conditions. Make sure to call Olympic National Park for Hurricane Ridge weather update before you get on the road 360-565-3131. This is an automated service which gets updated frequently during the day. Have fun in the snow on Hurricane Ridge.

Mild winter in Sequim January 2010

Dear Sequim Town visitors,

When the rest of the nation was in the tight grip of ice and snow during this January, Sequim and the Olympic Peninsula experienced one of the mildest winters in a long time. January 2010 is our 5th winter in Sequim. The El Nino year, which starts taking effect at the beginning of January, made Sequim's January more look like a spring month, if you believe it or not.

Average daytime temperatures January 2010 in Sequim were between 46 - 52 F. To be honest, we don't and won't complain! Keoki has been playing tennis with his Sequim tennis buddies at the Sequim High School tennis courts all through this 'winter' so far. I myself love to jog or bike to SARC these days trying to catch some sun on my way.

As mentioned, in our latest post about 'Hurricane Ridge closure', the recent warm Sequim temperatures make our spring flowers believe 'Spring is here'! Tulips, daffodils and primrose survivors come up in my flower bed. We also noticed beautiful patches of snow bells and crocus around Oak Table restaurant.

Well, speaking of Sequim restaurants, Sequim 'Oak Table restaurant' is not just a nice place to admire early spring flowers in January, but definitely a great Sequim restaurant we can warmly recommend to Sequim visitors and residents. We had never eaten there before but our good neighbors Sue and Bob shared their 44th wedding anniversary for a delicious lunch at Oak Table. Each one of us 4 had a different meal and really liked it. The nice ambiance and a friendly, efficient waitress made this lunch at Oak Table restaurant a full success.

Not all Sequim restaurants made it through the Economic Slowdown. After the German restaurant 'Sauerkraut' at Rock Plaza had to close after only being in business for 6 mos., Sequim Town Blog received an email a few days ago that the 'Cedar Creek' restaurant in 5th Ave closed too. Cedar Creek must have been in business for about 2 yrs. and seemed to be doing just fine. It's sad to see another Sequim restaurant closing its doors.

But tell you what one Sequim restaurant closes and another one opens. Just the other day, we read on the Peninsula Daily News that a Chinese Restaurant offering 'All you can eat' buffet has moved into the 4000sft place of the Sauerkraut. This new restaurant at Rock Plaza is supposed to open in a month.

Last but not least, an update on the closure of Hurricane Ridge Rd due to a 'washout' from all the rain the Olympic Mountains had received at higher elevations in January. Well, upon closer inspection, the damage to the road proved more severe like a 'landslide', so there is no way to get the road fixed faster than the 6 weeks estimate after it happened. Good news is that reconstruction of the road to Hurricane Ridge is already in full process. Sequim residents and visitors who love skiing and snow-shoing on the weekends on Hurricane Ridge can still have hope to do that in March 2010.

Tags: Sequim mild winter weather, Sequim warm January 2010, Olympic Peninsula, Early Spring in Sequim

Hurricane Ridge is cut off - January 2010

Residents and visitors alike love to go snow shoeing and skiing the slopes of Hurricane Ridge during the winter months. Even though the Ridge is only open during the weekends, it attracts quite a number of people on a sunny winter season weekend.

As we reported in our December Sequim Round-up, Sequim and the Olympic Peninsula experienced unusual very mild winter weather in December and now continuing all the way into January. We had several days when the warm Chinook winds were blowing and bringing Sequim weather temperatures around 58 F in the shade. Currently, we have 54 F in the shade but with sun all over Sequim. I am ready for my walk through Carrie Blake Park!

Anyways, let's get back to Hurricane Ridge. Last Friday the Ridge experienced really hurricane winds with over 80miles/hr. When Sunday morning came and Sequim town was warm, sunny and had no winds whatsoever, I decided to call the Hurricane Ridge weather station for an update to check whether it's worthwhile a visit. Well, at 8am Sunday morning, the road to Hurricane Ridge was still closed and wind gusts up to 40miles/hr were reported. This was enough for us to hear. So we postponed our Hurricane Ridge visit in the snow to another Sunday.

This opportunity might not come too soon. Here is what had happened later on Sunday. Hurricane Ridge road had to be closed just north of Heart O' the Hills campground area about five miles south of Port Angeles because of a road slip-out. Repairs could take 1 month to 6 weeks. Part of the road had slipped down during heavy rains. Ski and Snowboard Classes are supposed to begin January 30/31. The manager of the hurricane Ridge ski area still hopes for a temporary solution to bypass the problem area. Let's hope so!

Hurricane Ridge related articles

Tags: Sequim vacation, Olympic National Park, Hurricane Ridge closed, January 2010 Sequim

Sequim Holiday Season Round-up 2009

It's about time catching up with Sequim news we noticed when we received an email from a dedicated reader of our Sequim Town blog wondering where we were and whether we really stopped writing our Sequim blog.

No, we definitely did not. We only took a break from the cold, rainy November weather in Sequim heading south to Mexico enjoying sun, ocean and great food at an all-inclusive hotel, and the best month to do that is November.We repeatedly told our Sequim blog readers that we are not Sequim realtors trying to 'sell' you sunny Sequim. Our Sequim blog is a journal of our life in Sequim. Nothing more or less. Actually, we cannot believe that in January it will be already 4 years since our moving from Hawaii to Sequim in 2006.

We've learned many things during those four years in Sequim. Just read a few of our past Sequim blogs and you will see. Here is one thing we'd to share with all the newcomers to town: Plan your vacation for November! If you can afford it, choose between Hawaii or Mexico. Of course, Mexico is the much cheaper vacation, however Hawaii has the nicer beaches and clearer ocean waters. In any case, just try to head south during November. It's when the first winter storms and first snow hits the PNW. Sequim is no exception!

This year though, Sequim temperatures in November were somewhat unusual, way lower than average. It seemed like an arctic breeze embraced us when arriving in Seattle. Nice to see the sun out driving into Sequim. Well, the ponds at Carrie Blake Park were solidly frozen, so our favorite ducks were doing some slipping and sliding. Looked pretty funny!

Now, December temperatures are back to normal. Today we had day time temperatures around 44F. No more frozen ponds. The holidays season in a small town community like Sequim is always special. The main streets are decorated with Christmas wreaths and lots of lights. Naturally, Sequim home owners decorate their homes as well. So it's fun to walk the streets at night to admire all the wonderful Christmas decorations. Sequim offers lots of festive events, theater plays, music, Christmas carols and bazaars, organized by the city of Sequim and by the many churches in town and people. Sequim and area is a closely knit community where people love to socialize and volunteer to help others.

If you have any more questions about sunny Sequim and its friendly people, email us or post a comment on one of our Sequim town blog posts. Best thing to do before moving to Sequim permanently, visit Sequim for a vacation. Our fully equipped Sequim vacation rental allows you to explore life in Sequim for a longer time.

Happy Holidays. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our Sequim visitors and friends from Heidi & Keoki

Tags: Sequim vacation, Sequim weather, Sequim holidays

Sequim Vacation November Round-up

Dear Sequim vacation visitors,

November with cloudy rainy days has arrived in sunny Sequim. Mostly Sequim gets a good share of its annual average 12 inches rainfalls during the month of November. It's a good time to head south, if you have a chance to do so. Jennifer's Sequim summer vacation photos are just perfect to warm your body and soul.

After a beautiful Indian Summer September in Sequim, October surprised us with more rainy days than we normally get. It didn't stop the last berries from ripening and getting eaten. My last raspberries from my own bushes at the house were a little watery though.

What else is new in Sequim? The big town talk is that the German restaurant + Deli 'Sauerkraut' had to close its doors after trying to win the hearts + taste buds of Sequim residents and Sequim visitors for 6 months. As long as our Sequim visitors were here, it seemed to work but since the number of Sequim visitors already goes down in September, little Sequim town with about 6000 residents cannot compensate. We were sorry to hear that the Sauerkraut owners had to file for bankruptcy.


I have a feeling that new businesses starting in Sequim have sometimes too high expectations and don't calculate their numbers right. OK big businesses like Costco and HomeDepot still go big, despite economic slowdown but everybody else who depends on a good number of customers struggles, even Safeway had to adjust their prices to attract daily customers back, which works well for us, the Sequim customers.

Well, Sequim visitors might have left for the winter till spring next year, unless there are a few visitors still roaming the many homes for sale in Sequim and trying to catch a bargain, when real estate prices are still low before it all turns around for the better. Anyways, Sequim is not yet 'hibernating'. I was amazed to hear from a friend who volunteers at the Sequim Visitors Center that they stay open all year round. Great to see that Sequim and its community of retired people are hustling and bustling from event to event, especially at the Sequim Senior Center.

The Fall Arts and Crafts Show is already over. Wednesday 11/8, Elwha River Casino gets visited on the special Senior Day. In addition to the daily activities at the Senior Center, there are tours to museums, nurseries and more. In the center of attraction is the Traditional Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner on November 24 at the Senior Center with 2 seatings.

However, before we start decorating our Sequim homes and houses for the holiday season, let's enjoy a few more of Jennifer's Sequim summer vacation photos - reminiscences of a beautiful Sequim summer vacation 2009. Come visit Sequim in 2010!

Tags: Sequim vacation, Sequim weather, Thanksgiving in Sequim

Sequim Vacation Photos - Summer at Hurricane Ridge

Dear Sequim vacation lovers,
As promised in our recent Sequim Vacation Photo post, we finally took the time to include more of our Hawaii photographer friend, Jennifer Crites, from her Summer vacation in Sequim. We mostly visit Hurricane Ridge in water because the white winter wonderland with the spectacular Olympic Mountains as backdrop is an experience we don't want to miss each winter.


Well, Jennifer's summer Hurricane Ridge photos will make you visit Hurricane Ridge right now. Our Indian Summer weather - today we have for the first time a cloud cover over Sequim, but blue holes are already showing - for the last week makes everybody aah and ooh. We had some great Sequim spring weather this year, no 'June gloom' whatsoever, followed by a hot summer, at least for Sequim temperature records, and looks like this will continue all the way into fall season 2009.

Maybe, the reason for this straight through sunny weather through all the Sequim seasons is El Nino or maybe it's the climate change. Who knows! We enjoy it!

Thanks for visiting our Sequim Town blog for your Sequim vacation plans. Enjoy the summer photos of Hurricane Ridge. It's not too late for a Sequim vacation.






Tags: sequim vacatation rental, sequim vacation, best monthly rate Sequim

Sequim Vacation in Photos Part 1

Dear Sequim vacation lovers,

Today, we have a special post written by our friend Jennifer Crites, renowned travel writer and Hawaii photographer. Read more about Jennifer by visiting our Hawaii blog and her photography website. Jennifer and Jerry spent an extended Sequim summer vacation on the Olympic Peninsula.

Perfect timing for getting away from hot Hawaii and enjoying a cooler weather in Sequim between the Olympic Mountains and the Straits Juan De Fuca. As a professional photographer, Jennifer could not resist 'catching' the beautiful scenery around us on her Sequim vacation with her camera. Please, enjoy Jennifer's Sequim vacation in photos Part I.

When on her Sequim vacation, Jennifer visited Crescent Lake and took this fun summer photo of youngsters enjoying the cool lake water.

"We had an absolutely wonderful time on the Olympic Peninsula thanks to our hosts, Heidi and Keoki. Not only did they provide us with maps, brochures and newspapers covering sights and events in the area, they spent time giving us their personal recommendations as to what to see and do, including where to shop for groceries.

We were greeted so warmly the moment we arrived, and felt right at home immediately (what a treat to find bowls of fresh blueberries and raspberries waiting for us on the kitchen counter). Thank you Heidi and Keoki for providing us with a home away from home (we loved everything about the apartment, including the full kitchen and sleep-number bed), and for making our stay so memorable. We can’t wait to return. Following are a few of our visual memories from the scenic Olympic Peninsula."

Thank you Jennifer for all the nice words you have to say about our 'Bell Hill View' vacation rental in Sequim and about us and of course, for contributing all those wonderful photos of
Sequim and area to our Sequim Town blog.

Crescent Lake area: an easy hike through forests and across picturesque wooden bridges to a stunning waterfall.





The hiking trails at Fort Worden near Port Townsend lead past scores of old military bunkers and gun emplacements, and fantastic views of the Strait of San Juan de Fuca.


Tags: Sequim vacation, Sequim photos

Organic berries in Sequim

Dear Sequim and berry lovers,

As I love any kind of berries and Sequim is berry country, this post has been on my to-do list for a long time. So, let's forget for a moment our recent 'Sequim Real Estate Update August 2009'.

In summer 2006, we experienced the abundance of berries in Sequim and surroundings the first time. I don't mean the berries in the stores but I refer to fresh berries on the bushes. We discovered strawberries + raspberries at U-Pick Graysmarsh Berry Farm in June + July and blueberries in August + September. I felt in Berry Paradise but then I remembered that I had read many times that strawberries and raspberries are more prone to picking up any bad stuff from pesticides or herbicides.

After we had sold our house in Sun Meadows with our own blueberry and raspberry bushes, I went to Henery's Nursery and picked up a number of raspberry bushes for putting in at our new house. We were surprised to see all kinds of different raspberries ripening on our bushes last year, even sweet yellow raspberries. However, we faced a problem with the deer. All our houses on Oak Hill are former deer country. The deer don't know that we live now here and still roam around at night - motion lights don't disturb them at all - and even at bright daylight.

Keoki built a fishing line protection around our raspberry bushes this year and the deer really stayed away from 'frequently 'pruning' our raspberries by munching on the fresh sprouts. The deer don't like to bump their noses into the fishing line. Our neighbor told us that trick, and it works! We have now a steady supply of fresh organic raspberries.

Coming back to our post title 'Organic berries in Sequim'. We were pleasantly surprised when Graysmarsh this spring announced that they grow now organic strawberries on separate fields. I paid a bit more more money and the plants and fruits were not as big as the non-organic, but the fruits were really tasty.

However, something interesting happened when the blueberries got ripe at Graysmarsh Farm. Newspaper ads said 'Organic Blueberries' for $2 U-Pick. As this was on the high end of U-Pick berries in Sequim, I decided to check it out and asked for the organic blueberry fields but there were none. It was the same old bushes where I had picked before. When asking about this at Graysmarsh, I was told that the raspberries + blueberries had ALWAYS been organic. They just had not said so, and they are not certified organic. The blueberries just got magically 'upgraded' to organic because people like to hear 'organic'. If only somebody could keep an eye on that name game with the word organic!

To cut a long story short. We pick our organic U-Pick blueberries for $1.50/pound at a small farm, which we know for certain that they does not use any chemical sprays or animal fertilizers. And best of all, everybody can pick organic blackberries in Sequim, just make sure not to pick along walkways where Sequim town might have sprayed to keep the weeds from growing. Sequim's blackberries are juice and sweet as ever!
p.s.
I almost forgot to update our Sequim vacation rental features. We have now for our guests a washer and dryer in the garage available. Cassie from CA will be the first one to try it out on her September stay. She is looking for a nice Sequim house to rent for herself for moving to Sequim for good. If you have a nice 2Bd/2Ba Sequim house for rent, please, email us.

Tags: organic berries in sequim, sequim home for rent, sequim vacation

Sequim Real Estate Update August 2009

Welcome back to our Sequim Town blog visitors,

First things first. We had a great break from the reported heat wave with nice cool temperatures as we are used to. Today, temperatures are climbing more than usual though. It's now 1pm and thermometer in the back of our house shows 79F. I think I will delay my walk through the Carrie Blake Park to later this afternoon, when the sun is not so strong.

Somebody told us that our Sequim hummingbirds also migrate. As we had not seen any for over a week, we stopped hanging out the feeder. We definitely miss our little friends. We have been seeing the Canadian geese crisscrossing the skies frequently. They must be gathering and getting ready for their way south!

Well, the birds move south where it's warm and toasty but you might want to move north to the Olympic Peninsula. Most of our Sequim blog visitors are the ones who love Sequim, the Olympic Mountains and our plenty of water around it for a vacation. Another group of mostly retired people have heard about Sequim as a wonderful retirement town - small town living with big town amenities!

Today's Sequim vacation blog post is an update on the real estate market in Sequim and Clallam County, which is especially for those who want to move to Sequim sooner or later. A recent article in the Peninsula Daily News "2nd Quarter home sales rise in Clallam, Prices fall" states that sales of existing home sales grew slightly in Clallam County while prices for homes dropped compared to the 1st quarter. The price of a median home is currently $212,100, which is a drop of 15.2% and somewhat below state average. There are many more real estate stats listed in the article.

Bottom line: Sequim real estate is welcoming buyers. The buyer's market is strengthening. Visit Sequim and see for yourselves what houses are available and at what prices!

A good way to find out whether Sequim living is right for you, is staying in Sequim for a month, maybe even at different months of the year. We offer the best monthly rates for a fully equipped 1Bd/1Ba Sequim vacation rental with top amenities at premier, peaceful location, near Park + Shopping! We are happy to share our knowledge of life in Sequim and moving to Sequim with everybody who stays with us!

Tags: Sequim real estate, Homes for sale in Sequim, Sequim home bargains

Heat Wave in Sequim

Has Sequim ever seen such hot temperatures like the 92 F the other day? I seriously doubt it. That's definitely the highest summer temperatures we have experienced since we moved her in January 2006. It does not seem like this heat wave will stop today. Writing this post at 11am, actually temperatures are not too bad: 23C or 74F.

I also checked my Wunderground Sequim weather forecast logo on our Sequim Town Blog and found out that this is totally off, just as our Acuweather forecast in the Peninsula Daily News is. Best you give us a call as our friends did who just moved from Hawaii to Portland OR where they encountered 104 F yesterday.

Let's get things straight. This is the Pacific Northwest which probably never had a heat wave like that in the past. I was so surprised to hear on our Seattle Kiro News last night that most Seattle houses don't have AC. Well, why should they. They never needed it in the past. Temperatures in Seattle were soaring yesterday and are expected to reach 100F today. Movie theaters are having great business because they are air conditioned. Any place which has AC gets some extra business these hot summer days in the the Pacific Northwest.

When we designed our new house in Sequim, we were wondering whether to save the $8000 on a fancy heat pump for an area which is known for its mild winters and cool summers. OK for resale value we decided to get the heat pump, which can also function as AC unit for your entire house. Can you imagine how happy we are that we had done that.

People in Sequim and Seattle are trying to keep their houses cold with portable AC units. Naturally, these are sold out everywhere. Our friend's heat pump in Sun Meadows just failed the other day. Keoki tried to make it work again but no such luck. She had to call the heat pump company and is now lined up with 72 customers all waiting for repair of their heat pumps. There is a 2-day waiting time.

In any case, Sequim summer 2009 is definitely different, compared to its past history, with high temperatures beyond the 80F mark. Everybody is used to high temperatures in TX, AZ and HI but in Sequim?!

We expect Sequim temperatures to come down again to our regular summer temperatures between 70 - 80 F on this upcoming weekend. We will keep you updated on Sequim summer. Stay cool this summer wherever you live!
p.s.
Our next post will be about U-pick berries in Sequim. Are there any organically grown berries available? That will be the question.

Tags: Heat wave PNW, hot summer Sequim, Sequim town

Hummingbirds in Sequim

Dear Sequim Town blog visitors,

Believe me this year's Lavender Festival in Sequim was a huge success. It was our third Sequim Lavender Festival ever since we moved here but this one went through the roof. One could hardly make his way through the street fair and the buses to the Sequim Lavender Farms had even people waiting in line for the next bus, at least when we went by the bus stop.

I was also under impression that the number of business booths had increased whether it was lavender products - the seducing smell was everywhere - or hats, jewelery, signs, leather bags, t-shirts, you name it, you could find it at our street fair in Fir St.

Now, let's jump to our today's post topic. When we moved to Sequim from Hawaii in 2006, we knew all about Sequim weather, annual precipitation, number of people living here, house prices and such. However, we did not know that Sequim is an oasis of hummingbirds. Actually, we did not know much about humming birds because those fun little creatures are not around in Hawaii. Read what Wikipedia has to say about hummingbirds.

Finally, when spring 2009 came to Sequim, we decided to set up a hummingbird feeder on our kitchen balcony where our little dining table is located for taking our meals. After we had watched how all our friends and neighbors enjoyed many visits by their little hummingbird, we wanted to have our own hummingbirds too, and believe us so we do. The following hummingbird video will show.

After having set up the hummingbird feeder on the balcony and adding some sugar water 1/4 cup on 2 cups of water, we had to wait a few days till the birdies showed up. What still amazes me is that the hummingbirds would still try our feeder with all the other hummingbird feeders out there by our Sequim neighbors.

Now, we love our little hummingbird friends on their daily visits and miss them when they don't show up. Anyways, watch Keoki's hummingbird video. He took it with our new digital camera - amazing what those modern cameras can do theses days - and we uploaded it to youtube. Enjoy our Sequim hummingbird video!

Tags: Sequim Lavender Festival, Sequim vacation, Sequim hummingbirds