A gorgeous summer Saturday, so it’s time to hit the road. Tossing my camera, a few bottles of water, and no game plan into the car, I picked up my mother for a spur-of-the-moment drive to Lake Crescent.
The third weekend in July is Lavender Weekend and Festival here in Sequim. For the 26th year, the Sequim Lavender Growers Association puts on a 3-day extravaganza.
Summer hasn't quite made it here yet, a few warm days here and there, but a lot of cloudy skies and mid-60s temperatures. So when a reasonably sunny day showed up, off west I went. I found myself driving down Hwy 101, past Lake Crescent and on a whim, decided to take Hwy 110 to La Push.
Happy Independence Day!
So it's off on a road trip to Forks, Washington for their Old Fashioned 4th of July celebration. Camera, waterproof bag, towel and raincoat all went into the trunk, along with snacks, water and candy.
On a Saturday morning, I tossed my camera in the car and headed for Forks. Specifically, the Forks Cemetery. The Michael Trebert Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution cleans veterans' headstones and grave markers throughout the summer.
Meeting a friend at the Kingston ferry, we decided to head to Port Townsend for a day of just strolling along the waterfront and catching up. After 7 hours of hanging out, 2.7 miles walked, delicious food, and no particular plans, our day in Port Townsend was lots of fun!
What is the Race to Alaska (R2AK)? There's no official course (other than one waypoint at Bella Bella), and the tagline says it all -- 750 miles, no motors, no support. All the way to Alaska.
It's hard to describe the Olympic Game Farm - some weirdly wonderful mix of petting zoo, menagerie, animal sanctuary, and absolutely the most fun I've had driving in years, animal smells and slobber and all. How often do you get to feed wheat bread to deer, elk, buffalo, llamas, bears, yak and musk ox through your car window?
I have passed the sign for the Marvin G. Shields gravesite many times on my trips up and down Highway 101 but never stopped. Today I finally made the turn down Cemetery Road to pay my respects to the only Seabee to receive the Medal of Honor. By plain dumb luck, I arrived just prior to the Memorial Day Service.
The Swansonville Church in Port Ludlow was constructed in 1905 as a community gathering space for the Port Ludlow mill town. The mill closed in the 1930s, and the community of Swansonville dwindled. The non-denominational church shut down in the early 1990s. Empty and slowly decaying, until 2019, when The Friends of Swansonville formed to restore the church.
Gorgeous weather and airplanes go together almost as well as gorgeous weather and boats. Yes, I give the edge to maritime adventures over aeronautic ones, but it's mighty close!
The William R. Fairchild International Airport in Port Angeles hosted a military/public safety appreciation and fly-in and so, of course, I headed out west with my camera.
This year marked the 127th Sequim Irrigation Festival, the oldest continuing festival in Washington state. The festival celebrates D.R. “Crazy” Callen and his partners who designed and developed the irrigation ditches that brought water from the Dungeness River, turning a dry prairie into fertile farmland.