The Sequim Irrigation Festival is the longest running festival in the state of Washington. 2024 marks the event's 129th year! This year's festival theme is "Mountains to Shore, Whatever You're Looking For" and will run from May 3 - 12, but the build up to the festival starts months ahead of time.
With Bird Fest this weekend (which I sadly can’t attend), it’s time to play Bird Quest! This fun scavenger hunt-style game sent Mom and me zipping around Sequim to find 20 ceramic bird sculptures made by the Sequim High School art students, hidden in 20 local businesses.
It was a beautiful sunny warm day, perfect for going somewhere outdoors, and August 6 was just crammed full of things to do. Hubby wanted to see the 5th annual Sequim Prairie Nights classic car show, so that's where we began.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Every year, Port Townsend hosts a Victorian Festival. For the Friday kick off, the Jefferson County Historical Society waived admission fees (though my donation was happily accepted) for several of their historical buildings. Grabbing my camera and my sister, we toured the 1868 Rothschild House.
A rare white Christmas snow dumped 8 inches of snow, and the temperature stayed cold enough to keep it around for 10 days. Plenty of time to take in the Jamestown S'Kallam holiday light spectacle!
Somewhere, in between running errands around Sequim, I noticed a banner strung across Washington Street at the west end of town, announcing the eighth Olympic Peninsula Air Affaire set for August 28. Well, I thought, that would be fun! Saturday morning was sunny, clear and a perfect 70 degrees, so I kidnapped my mother and we went to the Sequim Valley Airport.
Despite the clouds, I set from Sequim headed for Joyce, about 35 miles away. Founded in 1913 by Joseph M. Joyce, the little town of Joyce breaks out in a big way the first Saturday of August. Blackberries grow very well around here (too well if you ask me and my pinpicked hands after pulling them out in what feels like a vain attempt to keep them out of my yard.). The Joyce Daze Wild Blackberry Festival celebrates this tasty and prickly bush.