Sequim, Washington is on the northern edge of the Olympic peninsula at the base of the Olympic Mountains and along the shores of the Dungeness River.  Its population is around 8,000. My brother, Rick, and my mother have lived in Sequim for about 5 years. I’ve visited several times since they moved here and each time I come back, I find even more surprises.  It’s in what is referred to as a “Rain Shadow” which is an area with significantly reduced rainfall.  Seattle just a few short hours away is known for its annual rainfall where rain jackets and boots are a must. Sequim only averages 16 inches a year. This is actually one of the reasons my brother and his girlfriend decided to move here 5 years ago.  There are more surprises here than just it’s lack of rain.

Here are some surprising things about Sequim:

Coffee.  Well of course there is coffee in Seattle but considering there are only 8,000 potential coffee drinkers in Sequim, there are an inordinate amount of coffee shops.  I stayed in both an Airbnb and an RV park in different areas of Sequim. I could have crawled to two or three coffee shops from each location.  When I did a search, there were 25 coffee shops…25!  I highly recommend both Hurricane Coffee and Essence Coffee Roasters.

Lavender.  I go for a walk every morning and, in Sequim in June, it’s an aromatic experience.  There are lavender plants along practically every street in downtown Sequim.  There seems to be several different varieties but some are especially fragrant. There is also the annual Lavender Festival which takes place in mid-July.  I know I passed at least 10 lavender farms while scooting around Sequim.  During the lavender festival this year, 19 farms will be open. In fact, my daughter, Natalie, and son in law, Kevin, had a magical wedding on a lavender farm called Purple Haze.  In addition to all the farms, there many gift shops that specialize in all things lavender.  So, you don’t need to go to Provence, just head over to Sequim.

Biking. Another one of the reasons my brother moved here was because it was a bike friendly town.  A few years ago, we rode electric bikes over to Railroad Bridge Park which is within the city limits of Sequim and is a lovely park with a bridge over the Dungeness River.   There is the Olympic Discovery Trail which is a 135 mile multi use trail from Fort Townsend to La Push (on the Pacific Ocean).  40 miles of the trail is paved and my brother explores a lot of the Olympic peninsula on his bike.  We also took a rail trail a few years ago along Crescent Lake which is about an hour west of Sequim.  Whether in town or out of town, there are bike trails.

Olympic National Park.  I think the first time I was in Olympic National Park I was on a cross country trailer trip with my family when I was 8 years old.  As an adult, I’ve been up to Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park which has a tremendous view of the Olympic Mountain Range including Mount Olympus, Obstruction Peak, Elk Mountain and Blue Mountain.  My brother took me on a hike up to Hurricane Hill (not to be confused with Hurricane Ridge).  It was a spectacular hike in late June with marine fog hiding the valleys below with a clear blue sky above and at least 15 snow covered peaks.  The wildflowers came out throughout the day as the sun rose as the deer and marmots rested in the various meadows.  If you hike one hike, head up to Hurricane Hill.  I felt like Julie Andrews in Sound of Music with the vast meadows and snowy peaks in the distance. 

Strait of Juan de Fuca. Sequim is only a few miles from the Strait of Juan de Fuca which is the waterway between Canada (specifically Victoria and Vancouver Island) and the United States.  From Hurricane Hill we could see Victoria across the water.  There are kayaking, paddle boarding, sailing and ferries that cross the straits on a daily basis. In the last few years, I have taken the ferry to Victoria for a vacation and went with my family on a day long whale watching boat with a stop at Friday Harbor. If you are headed to Sequim, there will be water.

Each time I visit Sequim I find new discoveries.  I’m sure that there are many more waiting for me when I return.  It’s a small town with a terrific location and many opportunities to explore.