lavender – Workplace Navigator

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.

My brother Rick and me hiking up Hurricane Hill with the Olympic Mountains in the background

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.

My daughter, Natalie, married her long-time love, Kevin in July of 2023. This wedding was two years in the making partly because of Covid and the many impacts it had on scoring the right venue and the backlog of the nuptial pipeline. They became engaged in a cemetery in Portland, Oregon, Kevin has an October birthday and both Natalie and Kevin are devotees of costumes and all things spooky. The engagement itself represents something important about them as a couple, they follow their hearts and easily shun the conventional. They knew what they wanted and they made sure that everything from the engagement to the wedding aligned with those desires.

My daughter Natalie and her husband Kevin at their magical wedding on a lavender farm

Here are the 6 elements of a magical wedding:

Location. Natalie and Kevin were married on a lavender farm in Sequim, on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. Not only was it a lavender farm but it was in the height of bloom. The Sequim Lavender Festival was two weeks after the wedding. Being surrounded by lavender (and many other flowers on the property) was a magical backdrop. I’m not sure you could take a bad picture anywhere on the grounds and you certainly couldn’t at the golden hour when the sun is a glow at around 8:30 PM. Not only was it beautiful but every slight breeze wafted up an enveloping fragrance. I’m pretty sure that for the rest of my life, the smell of lavender will kick off memories of this lovely, magical union.

Food. Kevin is a born and bred Georgian and a big fan of BBQ. They were able to have a great BBQ joint out of Seattle supply the BBQ, Collards and Mac and Cheese. Having authentic southern BBQ in the Pacific Northwest is no small feat from a BBQ place in Southern Seattle. Instead of the classic wedding cake, they had cupcakes from a bakery in Seattle (Sequim is over 2 hours from Seattle), red velvet, lavender and creme brulé were the flavors offered. I was fortunate enough to have the last creme brulé cupcake which is probably the best cupcake I’ve had in my life. They selected soulful food that connected them with their southern roots. Enjoying this delicious food in ambiance on a farm was magical.

Music. Natalie and Kevin’s friend and previous neighbor DJ’d the music. They had selected the processional music for the ceremony which was upbeat and fun. I remember them saying before the wedding that they had a specific list and order to all the music and that if someone had a request for a particular song well…they would need to go elsewhere. There were many times during the reception when the dance floor was full. The mix was eclectic and fun and it appealed to practically everyone but most especially the happy couple. Music creates magic.

Family. Natalie’s cousin, Megan officiated the ceremony with a generous but firm presence, her daughter, Jude was the flower girl although I think she felt more like a cat-lion as she meowed while dropping petals. My brothers, sisters in law, my mom, my great nieces, and Kevin’s parents and many aunts and uncles were all in attendance. Natalie and Kevins’ brothers, Brian and Benson were best man and groomsman respectively. Family flew in from all parts of the country from Florida, California and Georgia to be a part of this magical event. I’m not sure I’ve met such authentically nice folks as Kevin’s family and the joining of all of us together felt like people I had known all my life. My brother dancing with his young granddaughters on the dance floor and my son and daughter dancing together are memories I won’t soon forget. The most memorable moment will be Brian, the best man’s, speech during the ceremony when he brought out of his pocket on a red heart…” because it was from the heart”. It was so heartfelt, his brother Kevin had to comfort him in order to get through it. Magic is in the family.

Friends. Natalie and Kevin have the strongest friend group I’ve ever met. They’ve been together for over 8 years and have friends from Duke, NC State, U of Georgia and from the greater Seattle area. If someone is a friend of Natalie’s they are also, if not equally, a friend of Kevin’s and vis-a-versa. Perhaps it’s because they have moved together or because they have known each other so long but there are strong bonds between them and their friends regardless of where the friendship started. Kevin and Natalie are deeply loved by their friends and it was pervasive throughout the week leading up to the event and during the event. Upwards of twenty different friends helped set up and bring things to Sequim for the wedding. Each person in the bridal party was helpful and pulled their weight whether it was steaming someone’s gown, finding one more bobby pin or lugging coolers full of wine and beer. There was more than one friend that told me how much they love this wonderful couple. Lauren, the person of honor and a roommate of Natalie’s from Duke gave both a heartfelt speech during the ceremony and a memorable toast during the reception. Friends create the magic.

Love. One of the most memorable aspects of the ceremony is that both Natalie and Kevin spoke twice. They wrote their vows and passed the microphone back and forth. It’s the first time I’ve seen that. It felt like a conversation that we were all a part of. That the end of the ceremony wasn’t the end of conversation but that it would continue on for a lifetime. Kevin brought up taking Natalie to the emergency room on Christmas Day last year. She was having an issue after a surgery and Kevin sprang into action immediately. He was there for her. We also lost power on the coldest day in Durham, NC and he took charge by getting wood and candles as we huddled around the fire playing Uno. Natalie was in charge of the wedding plans from the start and had a clear vision of what they wanted and knew exactly how to make it happen. She loves Kevin and she wanted it to be a memorable wedding. It was. It was memorable and magical.

I had the greatest honor to guide my beautiful, precious daughter and her infectious smile and spirit down the aisle surrounded by love, acceptance and belonging by all those loved ones on a picturesque, magical Saturday evening. She will always be in my heart and the memory of that wonderful union will live with me forever.