The motorhome bounced off the Keystone Ferry from Whidby Island into the picturesque historic town of Port Townsend, on the Olympic Peninsula.

The August sun shone through the trees as we drove south along Highway 20. The highway passed by Discovery Bay then came to an end. At this junction we turned right (north) onto Highway 101.

We drove through farmlands into a drier climate. The road wound around Sequim Bay and through the trees the sun glinted off the blue water.

Then we came to a sign that read “Welcome to Sequim” and a cut out picture of a Roosevelt Elk stood tall above the sign. Native to this area a herd of about 100 Roosevelt Elk roam the grasslands and farmlands. At the “Elk Crossing” signs we kept a look out for a glimpse of these majestic animals as they wander and graze in the fields.

This region also gets 300 days of sunshine a year and is situated between the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Olympic Mountains. A modern clean city with wide well marked streets, art galleries and shops.

Lavender in Sequim

It’s a perfect place to grow lavender and Sequim is known as the “Lavender Capital of North America”. One hundred varieties of lavender are grown on thirty farms and we were just in time for the blooming and harvesting, which happens from mid June to the end of August. July is the “Lavender Festival”, a street fair with food, music, demonstrations and farm tours. This very popular event attracts 30,000 people each year.

We wanted to visit a lavender farm and this was our chance. Our campground host recommended the “Lost Mountain Lavender Farm” off of Highway 101 south of Sequim.

Many rows of beautiful purple plants grew in a straight line as high as your waist. Just touching the plant brought out the wonderful smell of lavender. We lingered in the gardens for a long time enjoying the peaceful setting. When we opened the door of the “Cottage Gift Shop”, the lavender fragrance was overwhelming. The shop was filled with soaps, sachets, lotions, cards and many lovely handcrafted products displayed on tables and shelves.

John Wayne Marina

A short distance east of Sequim, on Sequim Bay is the John Wayne Marina. The movie star John Wayne sailed his boat “Wild Goose” into Sequim Bay many times. He donated 22 acres of land in 1975 to the port of Port Angeles and the full service marina was opened in 1985. The 245 boat moorage marina is one of the most beautiful I have seen. A grassy park overlooks the boats and the protected bay. It’s an ideal picnic or bird watching spot. We sat on the grass and watched kayaks and fishing boats, the blue sky and warm day showed me “The Duke” must have loved it here.

In our RV park lavender grew, we picked a bunch and put it our motorhome where we enjoyed the sweet calming scent. Our visit to the Olympic Peninsula was just beginning and we had a lot more to explore. Sequim was the perfect place to start. Although we didn’t see any Roosevelt Elk during our visit, we were not disappointed.