Thanks to everyone for their great messages that influenced the planning of our trip to the Olympic Peninsula this month. Based on what we've read here and other places, here is our itinerary. Please advise of any recommended changes or additions that would make the trip more enjoyable. We're two 30-something adults who are interested in relaxing, hiking, and seeing the sights. Thanks!

Day 1:
Arrive in Seattle in the afternoon. Do a bit of sightseeing (Pike Place market, Space Needle, Underground tour, etc.) and spend the night in a hotel downtown.

Day 2:
Drive to Sequim (our base of operations for the remainder of the trip) in the morning. Visit the Lavender Festival/farm, strawberry farms and possibly the Olympic Game Farm, National Wildlife Refuge, or a winery tour (depending on time). Stay overnight at the Dungeness Lodge B&B.

Day 3:
Hurricane Ridge, Marymere Falls and Lake Crescent (Devil's Point sounds good for a hiking destination). [Time for more?]

Day 4:
Neah Bay (Cape Flattery Trail) to see the western-most part of the continental US, drive down west coast a bit, leaving enough time to return to Sequim for the night. [How much time to allow for this?]

Day 5:
Take the walk-on passenger ferry to Victoria and spend the day walking around, maybe visiting the Royal British Columbia Museum. [I see that Butchart Gardens is 13 miles north of Victoria and we won't have a car there - is bus or taxi a reasonable option?]

Day 6:
Check out of B&B. More Sequim sightseeing if we didn't see everything we wanted to already. Drive back to Seattle. More Seattle sightseeing if needed. Check into hotel by airport for easy access for flight home on Day 7.

We would love to go kayaking and horseback riding during the trip, too, but don't know when to try to work those in. Hoping to find further info on those when we get there.

Thanks for all good advice!

We also took the walk-on ferry to Victoria (from Port Angeles), and the major objective of our trip was to see Butchart Gardens. It was SOOO wonderful that by the time we returned to Victoria everything was closing and we couldn't do much but walk around, though that was fun. So if there's something in particular you want to see in Victoria, do it before you go to the Gardens, or spend less time than we did at the Gardens and hurry back.

We inquired at a very helpful visitors' information place in Victoria about how we could get to Butchart Gardens and were given several options. We took a cheap one of a city bus that made half a dozen stops leaving Victoria before getting on the highway and driving straight there. It didn't take long, but there were also several tour buses that didn't cost a lot more. Enjoy the Gardens!

Your plan sounds good to me, although I have not been to all the places you mentioned. What I do know is Victoria..Several buses available to go to Buchart Gardens. They let you off with instructions for trip back to town...Very convenient
Victoria is a great walking town.
Murchies is a "Tea" place with goodies, sandwiches (also coffee)
It is on main street downtown , sort of across from a multi-level mall-fun to look around. Also the current exchage rate is $1.50 in American. I know they just raise the prices to compensate but it feels like you are really getting a bargain
Have fun...
P.S. It is very smart to do the ferry as a walk-on as the wait in the summer can be 4-6 hrs.

I'd consider skipping Neah Bay. It is extra driving without being very scenic. There is a small harbor there and I think there's a little Makah Indian museum but don't know the hours. In the harbor, you may see the Makah boats (cedar canoe type) used for their controversial whaling activities. There is a small cafe and maybe a restaurant. It is hardly developed, there is little to see or do, and your time is short.

The beaches (I think called First, Second, and Third) are a hike, I hear, but I haven't seen them. The Hoh Rain Forest is very interesting but farther south. You might aim for it instead of Neah Bay.

I'd actually vote for cutting this day entiresly and spending more time at Hurricane Ridge and Lake Crescent. There is great hiking at Hurricane Ridge, and you won't want to rush.

Hi Deb. I live in Washington about 90 minutes from Sequim. It's considered sort of a retirement community and a gateway to the Olympic Peninsula. Not a whole lot to do there in my opinion except for going out to the Dungeness Recreation Area. I'd rather stay in Port Townsend myself, a small community on the water with beautiful Victorian homes and neat shops, and killer views of Mt. Baker across the water. Visit Ft. Worden where they filmed "An Officer and a Gentlman". I see you are going to Hurricane Ridge - great choice. You can easily spend a day there. Ask the rangers where the hike is that takes you to a point where you look out over the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Vancouver Island (Victoria).

If yo have time, drive west and south to La Push for fantastic beach scenery or Lake Ozette. Both are after you pass Lake Crescent. Not too far south from there is the Hoh River Rain Forest. I've done lots of backpacking out of there, and it's very pretty.

Victoria is one of my favorite cities. It's very European and very walkable. Buses go regularly to Butchart Gardens.

Enjoy!

Don't forget to shop at Lush while you're walking around in Victoria. Great soaps, shampoos, cosmetics.