Sequim: Lavender Festival and Blackberry Forest Farm

We went to our first lavender festival in Washington and it did not disappoint. Though as I read through the handful of pamphlets I picked up, I realize that it is far larger than I thought and we barely scratched the surface.

There is a large and popular Lavender Festival each year in Sequim, Washington (Save the date: July 21-23, 2017). We arrived in the heart of lavender country around 3 o'clock after a late picnic at Fort Worden. There is a lavender farm tour driving guide (click the link) that I found very helpful. Would you believe there are 7 lavender farms in Sequim!

We arrived at Blackberry Forrest Farm and it was everything we had hoped for. Beautifully tended lavender mounds in full bloom, dried lavender buds and products for sale under a tent and the chance to cut fresh lavender ourselves  - $5 to fill a purple grocery-size plastic bag. What a great price. I bought enough to make 3 large bundles, which I tied together and have drying in Seattle. They will be ribbon ready when I get back and I can hang one on the wall and give 2 away. I was so happy to be able to capture the photo (above) without any people in it, as there were families taking selfies in every direction.

After our farm visit, we drove over to downtown Sequim so that we could spend some time at the outdoor arts & crafts street fair. It was a gorgeous day and I love to see what local artists are up to. I saw some interesting jewelry where the jeweler had trapped lavender buds inside a glass pendant. I was hoping to see even more artistic innovation at other booths, but it was not to be. There were many lavender-related products (culinary lavender, bath products, bulk lavender buds for sachet-making and even lavender-inspired print fabrics) and the attendees were happy to be out and about on a summer day. Did you take time to marvel at the small lavender bundles arranged in a circle in one of the photos above? A great option for those who aren't stopping at a U-Cut farm. 

Do you remember when I used flower petals to enhance my own watercolor painting? I should do more of that! 

My favorite photo of the day was this beautiful antique cart loaded with large fresh lavender bundles. Needless to say, the whole experience in Sequim was fragrant and lovely.

Upon reading the brochures, I realized later that there are 2 other destinations that host pay-to-get-in events the same weekend - Purple Haze Daze and a 2-farm event Olympic Lavender/Jardin de Soleil festival.

What I was missing in the street fair/farm visit (cooking demonstrations, make a lavender wand lesson etc.) seem to be offered at these other two events. 

I love a Lavender Festival and I am sure that we will find ourselves back in Sequim during lavender season before long. 

A Picnic with "Family" at Fort Worden on Olympic Peninsula

We had heard that the Lavender Festival in Sequim, WA was very popular and decided that we would bring a picnic lunch with us, so that we didn't have to rely on a hot dog vendor for lunch. When a town is inundated with tourists, it is hard for the vendors and restaurants to keep up with demand. Our plan was to find a park on the water and eat a nice lunch. 

Our new favorite way to picnic is buy a combo (main dish and 2 sides for $7) at the grocery deli and pack it in my new cold food traveler from Crate and Barrel. We put the grilled chicken breast and cold turkey in a Tupperware container and the rest of the sides (potato salad, pasta salad, brussel sprout salad and beet/orange salad) in the food traveler with ice in the center. Perfect! 

I also brought along tiny oil & balsamic vinegar bottles and a packet of spiced Love olives that I bought at Cost Plus World Market. These items are picnic ready.

We were lucky to find a picnic table in a great spot looking at the water at Fort Worden. A grouping of picnic tables were just outside of a kitchen pavilion. As we were setting up, a women came out to introduce herself and let us know that she had rented the pavilion for a family reunion. We immediately offered to pack up and move when she said, "No, no, I just wanted you to know that more people are coming and that you should play along as a cousin." She was so very nice and ended up giving us maps to the area and encouraged us to return to Fort Worden to explore when we had more time. She works at the park and expounded on all the things there were to explore. There is a marine science center, a gift shop (!) and visitor center. I would love to go back.

As we were finishing lunch, the clouds broke up and we could see the beginnings of some blue sky. A day that was not too hot; just right for an outdoor festival. We packed up and as we left the picnic area, our new relatives waved goodbye and wished us well. We felt like part of the family.

We were expecting to have a long day and looking back now, I can tell you that we left our apartment at 10 am and didn't return until 11 pm - now that's a day trip! A healthy lunch in a peaceful place (and a brand new restroom across the lawn) was just what we needed before we headed into the busy festival traffic. I'll tell you about the lavender festival next.

Spectacular View Near the Dungeness Spit

After visiting the Lavender Festival in Sequim, we drove to the Dungeness County Park at the tip of the Olympic Peninsula. We stopped at an overlook to admire the Strait of Juan de Fuca and noticed 3 cruise ships inching their way across the sea. I can only imagine the photos the passengers were able to get from their vantage point. I romanticize strolling the deck of a cruise ship Love Boat-style, until we all remember how seasick I get. Remember when I almost had to become Canadian?

Dan wanted to hike a bit of the Dungeness Spit and I decided to simply enjoy the view. Can you blame me? I couldn't get over the way that the clouds and the water were each showing patterns of ripples. This is a mediation poster if there ever was one. 

Hidden Gem: John Wayne Marina on Sequim Bay

You just don't know when someone is going to offer you a chance to visit a hidden gem. I was telling a small group one evening at a cocktail party about my plans to drive to a peony farm near Sequim, WA that weekend. A gentleman, who to that point had been quiet, starting raving about a little restaurant we should visit at the John Wayne Marina. As always, I entered the recommendation into my phone for safekeeping.

A few days later, we were on the tip of the Olympic Peninsula. We had gorgeous weather and took our car on the ferry from Edmonds to Kingston. We had a picnic lunch at a park on the water before finding the peony farm. 

By 4 o'clock we were looking for a place to stop and admire the view while we drank from our latte-filled thermos. A nice afternoon, yes?  As we were driving, I noticed a sign pointing down the road that said John Wayne Marina. "That's where we are supposed to eat!," I told Dan. We drove down and around a few turns to this quiet marina. Look at all the shades of blue!

We sat in our 2 camping chairs out on a point of land (they had just taken down chairs from a small wedding held there that afternoon) and soaked up the sun and this view. Look closely and you'll see faint bumps on the horizon (above). Those are the San Juan Islands! I read on the marina website that the film star, John Wayne loved Sequim Bay and thought it was the perfect location for a marina. He donated the land where the marina stands in 1975.

Honestly, we didn't want to leave. We checked Google Maps and determined that it was better to ditch the return by ferry plan and give ourselves the freedom to drive back the 2 1/2 hours when we were ready. So what did we do? We got a reservation for 7 pm at "the little restaurant at the marina." Dockside Restaurant is a very small and very delicious restaurant that I highly recommend. Dan had this beautiful bouillabaisse. 

And I had a rich and bacon and mushroom-studded order of shrimp and grits.

By the time we finished dinner and were ready to drive back to Issaquah, the sailors were all tucked in for the night. We couldn't hear a sound. John Wayne was right; this is the perfect place for a marina. Night night.

Peony Farm: A Delightful Trip to Sequim

I don't know what's on your bucket list, but you need to add "Visit a Peony Farm in full bloom." 

This magnificent peony is named Lavon. I can't get over the shape and texture of this variety - the bloom is almost completely round. I would love to be able to make flower arrangements with these happy blooms. 

This peony farm is called Peony Farm Gardens (website and facebook: ilovepeonies.com) and it is located on the Olympic Peninsula near the town of Sequim (pronounced Skwim). I feel like I have found a hidden treasure.

We visited on June 4 this year and every plant was in bloom. I have never seen anything like it! Peonies are best when planted in the fall, so this garden is a showcase to help gardeners choose which varieties they want to grow. You can order now and they will charge and ship in the fall. How can we be expected to decide?!

Though I do know that I picked the variety called "Seashell" over and over, so that pinky/coral bloom (above) is a must. I also loved Coral Charm, Felix Supreme and Gay Paris.

The garden offers some cut flowers for sale, but honestly the choices were only the classic solids (a Sarah Bernhardt-like rose pink and another in deep magenta) which would not be the kind of bouquet I'd want. 

If the owner would offer to cut a few stems based on the color the customer wanted, I think they would sell a lot more bouquets. But...maybe that is not want they want to do. Maybe selling cut flowers would deplete their showy gardens and we wouldn't want that! I want their business to prosper so that we can do something as wonderful as plan a trip to a peony farm.

Sequim, Washington is a 2 1/2 hour drive from the east side of Seattle and arriving during peony season has made it our best road trip yet.  

Can you imagine walking these fields? I kept thinking, "If you plant it, they will come." And we did!