WA -- Sequim, 1-17 April 2018

Final two weeks in Sequim, Washington…

Why we came…

Moderate winter weather and plenty to do!

The campground…

We are staying at the John Wayne Waterfront Resort and like it!  The resort and marina sit on Sequim Bay just a couple of miles from town.  We are in the front row and have a nice view of the bay from our windows.  The gravel sites are decent sized but a bit unlevel.  Parking is tight in some of the sites, especially for folks with an RV and two vehicles.  We have full hook-ups, cable tv, decent wi-fi, and a reliable 2 bar LTE Verizon phone signal.  Most of the sites sit in the open so satellite TV is no problem.  The laundry room has two washers and two dryers.  The bathroom facilities are nice and include coin operated showers.  Everything is well maintained and kept clean.  Tracy and the rest of the crew do a good job.  We’re also thankful that they accept our mail.

There are quite a few long-term residents in the campground.  The other rows feel crowded with all of the extra vehicles.  However, we were very comfortable in the front row. 

We really enjoy walking around the marina a few times a day.  The Olympic Discovery Trail is also just up the road.  We like the location and are happy to spend our winter at John Wayne Waterfront Resort!

Sadly, as of late March 2018, Port of Port Angeles commissioners are considering whether or not to sell the marina and surrounding prime real-estate:

https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/second-developer-inquires-about-john-wayne-marina/

We are very comfortable in the front row of the John Wayne Waterfront Resort

 

We walk around the marina a few times each day.  There is always something interesting to see.

Nearby towns…

Sequim has a population near 7,000, but the surrounding area has about 28,000 people. Sequim, pronounced “skwim”, is on the northern side of the Olympic Peninsula and sits in the “rain shadow” of the nearly 8,000 foot high Olympic Mountains.  While most of the Olympic Peninsula gets 100-200 inches of rain a year, Sequim get lets than 20 inches!  Plus, the relatively warm Straight of Juan de Fuca and Pacific Ocean keep the temperatures fairly mild.  The average winter low temperature is in the mid 30s and the average winter high temperature is in the mid 40s.  However, it can get cold.  Record low temperatures for November, December, and January are in the single digits!  Thankfully the lowest temperature we had all winter was only 24F.

The town of Sequim offers quite a few restaurants, stores, and services.  It has a large and active retirement community and there are plenty of things to do.  People are friendly and laid back.  We like Sequim!

Port Angeles has a population approaching 20,000 people.  It’s an easy 20 mile drive west of the RV park.  It has even more restaurants, stores, and services.  It has an active deep water harbor, a Coast Guard Station, and the Port Angeles/Victoria Ferry.  It can be congested and busy, but it’s a cool town.  And we appreciate the kind and knowledgeable folks at Waters West fly-fishing shop for hooking us up with gear and info!

We were surprised to learn that the Sequim/Port Angeles area has nearly 70,000 people!

Port Angeles Bay and the Olympic Mountains

Adventures…

Victoria, British Columbia…

We wanted to spend a few days in Victoria, British Columbia, which is just a quick 25 mile ferry ride north from Port Angeles.

“Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia, is on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. The city has a population of 85,792, while the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria has a population of 383,360.

Victoria is one of the oldest cities in the Pacific Northwest, with British settlement beginning in 1843. The city has a large number of historic buildings, including its two most famous landmarks, Legislative buildings (finished in 1897) and the Empress hotel (opened in 1908).

The region's Coast Salish First Nations peoples established communities in the area and had large populations at the time of European exploration.

Known as "The Garden City", Victoria is an attractive city and a popular tourism destination with a thriving technology sector. Victoria is in the top twenty of world cities for quality-of-life.

Victoria is very popular with boaters with its beautiful and rugged shorelines and beaches. Victoria is also popular with retirees, who come to enjoy the temperate and usually snow-free climate of the area as well as the usually relaxed pace of the city.”

Arleen and I are not “city folk”. However, Victoria is one of our favorites. So we planned a four day visit. April was the perfect time to go. Everywhere we walked in Victoria, spring flora put on a colorful show!

We took the 90 minute Blackball Coho ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria. The ride seemed much shorter as we were walking from the stern to the bow and vice versa to take in the views of the Olympic Mountains and Vancouver Island. We were glad that the seas were calm.

As we neared Victoria we were greeted by visitors at the Breakwater Lighthouse. Further into the Inner Harbor we saw the impressive Parliament, Empress Hotel, and what we called “Little Ben”. “Look kids, its Parliament and Little Ben”, would be repeated many times throughout our stay.

Our bed and breakfast was only a five block walk from the ferry. “The English-style Rosewood Inn is situated in one of Victoria's historical preservation buildings. Each unit is unique in style and furnishings.”

Our guest suite, outfitted in turn-of-the-20th-century English décor, had a full kitchen and a gas fireplace. We walked to a grocery store just a few blocks away to pick up groceries for a few meals. A delicious three course breakfast was served in the conservatory downstairs. Plus, they offered an optional traditional English tea in the afternoon.

   

Leaving Port Angeles on the Blackball Coho ferry  /  Midway across the Strait of Juan de Fuca

Approaching Victoria, British Columbia

   

Entering the Victoria Harbour

   

Map of Victoria in 1878.  It was the largest city on the west coast north of San Francisco  /  We’re here!

   

Parliament

Arleen on the steps

   

Sunset in the harbour  /  We were very comfortable at the Rosewood Inn

DAY 1 in Victoria…

Arleen planned a self-guided walking tour around James Bay, “the oldest residential neighborhood on the West coast of North America that is north of San Francisco.”

We started our clockwise circular tour a block away in the 200 acre Beacon Hill Park. “In 1882, the land was officially made a municipal park of the City of Victoria, and given its present name. The name is derived from a small hill overlooking the Strait, upon which once stood navigational beacons.”

“The park is popular both with tourists and locals, and contains a number of amenities including woodland and shoreline trails, two playgrounds, a waterpark, playing fields, a petting zoo, tennis courts, many ponds, and landscaped gardens.” The spring trees and flowers were all blooming!

Next, we walked along the Dallas Road walking trail and followed it along to Holland Point. Here, we were assaulted by strong southwest winds. We paused to watch the ferry bucking the high swells. We were thankful we weren’t on the ferry today!

The concession was that all along here we had a great view of the expansive Strait. It was also enjoyable to watch the active Victorians out biking, running, and walking their dogs.

Then we walked out on the breakwater Unity Wall we had seen from the ferry. “In 2009, to honour the traditions and history of the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations, Greater Victoria Harbour Authority sponsored Na'Tsa'Maht - The Unity Wall Mural, a project which transforms the breakwater into an enormous canvas.”

We were really blasted by the wind here! But, we stayed true to our goal and walked out to the small lighthouse.

From the lighthouse, an ominous cloud approached rapidly from the west. By the time we walked back, the rain shower caught us! We took shelter under the overhang of the nearby police station. Thankfully the cold wind-driven rain only lasted ten minutes and we continued our walk down Dallas road.

We walked another mile to Fisherman’s Wharf. We fondly remembered it from our Vancouver Island bike tour ten years ago.

“This unique marine destination offers food kiosks, unique shops and eco-tour adventures in the heart of the working harbour.” We like to admire the brightly colored float homes that ooze character and are different from each neighbor.

Afterward, we walked another few miles along the scenic walkway that meanders in front on the landmark Inn at Laurel Point to the “Look kids, its Parliament and Little Ben”, Inner Harbor and finally back to the Rosewood Inn to complete the loop.

   

Walk route around Victoria  /  Beacon Hill Park is very pleasant

We love walking along the colorful roads and paths

A great place to rest near Holland Point

The Unity Wall mural

The Breakwater Lighthouse

The colorful floating houses on the Fisherman’s Warf

   

The harbour ferries ooze character too  /  A heron looks for a meal near an eccentric floating home

DAY 2 in Victoria…

We signed up for the Discovery Tour with Matt, owner of Bike Tours Victoria BC. We had originally signed up for Sunday but based on the wind forecast, we had called and asked to change to Monday. Matt was very flexible and graciously changed the day. That was a good omen.

Monday morning we met him at the North 48 Bike Shop, in Market Square. We knew we were in for a treat when he met us and said, "Hi, I'm Mat, your Canadian for the day" followed by a hearty laugh.
We took a leisurely ride to Thetis Lake after crossing the new Johnson Street Bridge and riding along the Galloping Goose Trail. The sleek bridge had just been opened that weekend. The bridge has a traffic bike lane and another with the pedestrian lane. The Galloping Goose is a 37 mile “rails-to-trails conversion that now passes through urban, rural, and semi-wilderness landscapes.”

With the city’s growth and their lack of highways into downtown, the average Victorian can ride into downtown faster than they can drive. And a large percentage of them cycle commute for that reason. The city supports them with great bike trails!

Matt led us around the network of several of the Victoria’s trail systems. Because of his guidance and the courteous Canadian drivers, we always felt safe.

We made stops along the way for Matt to update us on our location and highlight points of interest. He also offered lessons on the history and future plans for the city. The Visitors Center, that we called “Little Ben”, had been a gas station for years. We watched sculls gliding through the Gorge Waterway. We paused to look at a submarine and a few ships moored at the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt Naval Yard.

By noon, we were hungry and the three of us enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Victoria Public Market. Matt changed our afternoon route after learning what we had done the day before. We did not ask him for this. He just really listens to his customers and wants to give them the best experience.

After lunch, we detoured uphill to the Craigdarroch Castle and the Government house. He also noticed that we had a special interest in the flowers and blooming trees and led us by gardens too.

Finally, Matt took us around to see more highlights of Victoria: The Parliament Buildings, James Bay, Emily Carr House, and Beacon Hill Park. At each stop he gave us lessons on Canadian history and social studies.

We thoroughly enjoyed the day with Matt and we learned a lot! We highly recommend his bike tours.

   

Our bike route around Victoria  /  Matt was our “Canadian for the day”.  He’s a knowledgeable and fun guide.

   

Our first stop was to learn about the harbour  /  We biked through a short tunnel of flowering trees

Thetis Lake has great walking trails.  It’s very popular for dog owners to let their pups run and have fun

   

A submarine at the Esquimalt Naval Yard.  The Olympic Mountains are in the distance.  /  Craigdarroch Castle

Craigdarroch Castle

Matt explaining what can be seen from the Government House

The view west from near Clover Point

Bike ride on 6 April…

The first few weeks of April were cloudy, chilly, and wet. So when the clouds parted one afternoon, Arleen did not hesitate and took a quick bike ride on the Discovery trail to Blyn.

At the halfway point, she took a break and learned about the restoration of the former 25 acre Blyn Log yard that flooded and decimated a salmon run. From 2000 to 2008, they removed two crumbling railroad bridges and remnants of an old logging yard at the mouth of the creek, and restored the estuary for chum and coho salmon and 70 species of birds. The area is not recognizable from two decades ago.

   

Arleen’s bike route on the Olympic Discovery Trail  /  We like riding across the trestles

Fly-fishing on 6 April…

Ocean fly-fishing is very hit and miss, mostly miss.  Especially when you’re stuck on shore.

I heard recent rumors of folks catching sea-run cutthroat trout.  Conditions were nearly ideal with cloudy skies, light winds, and favorable tides so I gave it a shot.

Port Williams County Park is just a couple of miles north of the campground and provides great access to a few miles of cobble beach.  I suited up and strolled a mile south to the Sequim Bay cut where tons of water flow during each tide. 

I started fishing about two hours after low tide and found the conditions I wanted:  fast moving water entering the bay like a river. Like most ocean fish, cutthroat trout are most active during tidal changes.  I was optimistic.

I fished hard for an hour and a half and got skunked!  In fact, I saw no signs of fish.  I did see a few crabs, a bunch of birds, some interesting boats, distant islands in Puget Sound, various shapes and sizes of driftwood, and the lower half of the snow-covered Cascades below the clouds.  It was a good day!

   

Walk route to fish the Sequim Bay cut  /  Happy to be fishing!

We walked a mile along the cobbled beach to the fishing spot

The incoming tide was entering the bay like a river and I hoped to catch a cutthroat trout

Fly-fishing the Sequim Bay cut.  John Wayne Marina and RV Park is in the background.

Spring foraging…

In tribute of our favorite outdoor humor writer, Patrick F. McManus, who died April 11^th, 2018:

“I popped in a leaf and began to chew, Charlie staring expectantly at me. The leaves, whatever kind they were, had what might be described as a delayed taste, which, when it finally arrived, went off in my mouth like a small bomb of bile.

‘Aaaa!’ I said calmly. ‘Now here is a good example of what miner’s lettuce ISN’T. Let this be a lesson to you, Charlie.’

About this time I became aware that wild food proponents have their own definition for the word ‘edible’. To them, ‘edible’ means any food that won’t kill you.” The Horse In My Garage

And that is why Arleen and I are only interested in finding ‘CHOICE’ wild edibles.

We spied a morel mushroom on our daily walk along the Discovery Trail. All plans for the day changed! We spent the day checking local areas for other treasures. We only found the first three morel scouts.

Arleen and I have discussed for some time taking our foraging to the next level and trying wild greens. Spring is the best time for this activity. I did research on a few local favorites and we set off to find stinging nettles, miner’s lettuce, dandelions, and fiddleheads.

We did not have to look far. Nettles are hard to harvest since you can’t touch the toxic leaves without getting a painful rash. We carefully gathered a bagful and moved onto a big patch of miner’s lettuce. A huge ant colony guarded the patch and stung us a few times in protest! We also grabbed a couple of young dandelion buds but failed to find any fiddleheads.

How did they taste? We popped the dandelion buds in our mouths and they were bitter…yuck. We sautéed the miner’s lettuce and nettles in olive oil and garlic. The miner’s lettuce was a bit slimy and tasted ok. There are better ways to prepare it including just adding it fresh and raw to a regular salad. The nettles were great…yummy! We will gladly harvest and eat more of them.

The spring time edibles inspired Arleen to try a few new dishes. We had tipsy turkey thighs marinated in gin & spices, with mashed cauliflower, porcini (from our fall harvest), miner's lettuce & nettles. Delicious!

       

First morels this year! (8 Apr 2018)  /  Nettles are yummy  /  Ants were guarding this patch of miners lettuce

Wild edibles class…

Arleen did some research and found information on a local ethnobotanist, Mac Smith, that conducts wild edible classes. We eagerly signed up for his class that Sunday!

“Mac’s thesis sprung from his admirable ability to paddle to a remote island, camp for a month, and survive by virtue of his vast wild food wisdom, a fishing line, and olive oil. A celebrated wild foods teacher, naturalist, and kayak guide for over 40 years, Mac has taught outdoor field seminars and held instructor training and given lectures for numerous institutions.”

We met at the Salt Creek Recreation area during low tide. There were about 20 people that woke up early for the class. They represented a wide variety of folks from young to older, from a botanist, to a health spa owner, to a local chef.

During the eight hour class we learned about seaweeds, shore plants, and forest plants. We always heed Mac’s advice, “Everything is edible it’s just a matter of what it does to you after you eat it”.

Mac covered detailed information on the main edible seaweeds, including sea lettuces, rockweed, nori, kombu, and bull kelp. One of the secrets is to collect in areas where there is good tide flow. In addition he gave us preparation and recipe ideas.

As we walked back up on the trail under the bluff, we discussed about 30 edible and medicinal plants that were in a very small area; yarrow, mugwort, nettles, dock, pearly everlasting, salal, sea rocket, wild rose, kinnikinnik, pacific silverweed, grand fir, big leaf maple, flowering current, blackberry, gooseberry, elderberry, red alder, red cedar, and Douglas fir to name just a few. Phew! On each of these plants he reviewed which parts were edible, their medicinal purposes, and uses in survival situations.

Finally, we left the beach and headed up the Bunker Trail to the remnants of Camp Hayden. Along this short trail Mac taught us about Shasta daisies, plantains, cat’s ear, wild lettuce, dandelions, sweet Sicily, horse’s tail, herb Robert’s, nettle, Siberian miner’s lettuce, whiteman’s foot, Oregon grape, red huckleberry, lady fern, western whipcord and spruce tips. Again, he discussed the edible and medicinal properties of the flowers, leaves, needles, and roots of all these plants and many more!

“A lot of plants have some degree of poison. We’ve been able to discern when/how it is edible. For example, a green, raw potato would make you very sick.”

We highly recommend Mac’s class!  Foraging for wild edibles gives us a deeper appreciation of our food. It can't get any more organic!

   

Mac gathering bull kelp and discussing one of the many types of edible seaweed

Exploring the tide pools

Learning about tide-pool plants on the Strait of Juan de Fuca

Learning about near-shore plants

               

Time to learn about forest flora

Saying goodbye to friends…

During our last week in Sequim we had a few nice meals with folks that had become our good friends during our time in Sequim.

We also took a day trip to Whidbey Island to meet our Alaska friends, Ann and Mike. We will see them on their own turf later this summer!

   

We will miss Deb, Tom, Dora, and Bronte  /  We had an excellent meal with Frank and Donna at Double Eagle Restaurant

 

   

We met Ann and Mike in Oak Harbor and will see them again in Alaska.  See the moose just above their shoulders?  /  We were last on the return ferry to Port Townsend!

Final walk…

We woke up to a glorious, final morning in Sequim! After packing and organizing everything in the trailer for the first time in over four months, we walked up Whitefeather Way for our last walk along the Discovery Trail.

We were sad to see that somebody had taken our sacrificial morel. We always leave the first one we find so it can spread its spores. However, in the week it was there, it was fun to see how much it had grown. It got too easy to see through the little cedar limb we covered it with.

Next, we walked down to the Marina. As we made our way out to Memorial Point, Arleen spotted a plume. She excitedly pointed it out to me. I did not see the plume but I saw the area of clearly agitated water.

A few minutes later, we saw another plume. It had moved closer and now we could make out its barnacled covered dorsal hump and knuckles. It was a California Gray Whale!

“Gray whales make one of the longest migrations of any mammal on earth. Every year of their lives they swim more than 10,000 miles roundtrip, between nursery lagoons in Mexico to feeding grounds in the Arctic.”

Gray whale migration info (click pic to see it clearly)

As we drove out, we waved goodbye to Tracy in the Resort office. “We’ll be back in seven months”!

Our last walk down Whitefeather Way

Next…

We spent four days near Bainbridge Island and went to Seattle Mariners baseball games.  Now we are on Whidbey Island.  In a few days we will hop on the ferry and head to Alaska for the summer!

Parting shots…

   

A herd of elk hanging out near Schmuck Road in Sequim  /  A snail on the bike trail

   

We love this quick view heading west on Highway 101 approaching Port Angeles  /  The steep and winding path near the Country Aire grocery store in Port Angeles.  Large ships in the harbor (at the top of the picture).

   

Canadian Geese and a loon at Salt Creek Recreation Area

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