Sequim, WA

We're at Sequim Bay State Park for 5 days, after which we'll go around the Olympic Peninsula with a brief stop at Lake Quinault.  Sequim, the town, is allegedly in the 'rain shadow' of the Olympic Mts, boasts about 300 sunny days per year, and 16" of rain.  On the flip side of the Olympics, the Hoh Rain Forest - only 50 miles to the southwest - averages 13' per year.  That's not a typo: thirteen feet per year!

I used the term allegedly above because it's been raining for the past 12 hours and shows no signs of stopping.  16" per year, huh?  Color me skeptical.  No worries though, staying warm and dry in our little home on wheels.

There are several lavender farms around Sequim.

What does one do in Sequim?  Eat clam chowder, calamari, fish and chips; visit the Dungeness Spit with friends David and Elaine; bitch about the rain; Trish rides bike; Mike plays pickleball; do brats over the campfire; bitch about the rain some more.

The Dungeness Spit. above.

John Wayne liked this area, parked his yacht at the local marina, which now bears his name.

Sequim, pronounced 'skwim,' is the Indian word for skinny dipping.  "Hey Whispering Fawn, let's sneak out and go for a skwim tonight!"  Not really: it means hunting ground or good hunting.  Which reminds me of a related Indian word: vegetarian.  It means 'lousy hunter.'