woodstockguy

I am visiting Washington from Sep 16 (arrive Portland) to Sep 25 (depart Seattle). I drive north from Portland past Mt.St. Helens to the Olympic Peninsula and have approx 3 night on its north side.

Is Sequim a good base for rest and sightseeing? I expect to visit Dungeness Spit, day trip to Victoria, Hurricane Ridge and Pt. Townsend while in the area.

All replies appreciated.

tcapp

If it was me, I would split my base.
The days you're planning to go to Victoria and Hurricane Ridge, I would stay in Port Angeles. I would definatly put a night on Port Townsend.
Oh, what a lovely area.

sgirlie

I agree with tcapp - while Sequim is central, there's no "there" there... and it's just as expensive as anywhere else. Port Angeles is not very touristy, but is great for going to Victoria and Hurricane Ridge. And Port Townsend is lovely, with good restaurants, nice B&B's, and the Rose Theater, a cozy 1930's movie house, where one of the staff actually introduces the movie before it shows. Be sure to go out to Fort Worden!

sgorces

Sequim has seen a minor renaissance over past year, with big main street improvements and some new restaurants. I disagree with above, there is a "there" there today. The Juan de Fuca cottages are in a spectacular spot. There is also a nice little rustic place (ie, not fancy) called Sunset Marine Resort, a bit out of town, isolated and very quiet. Petals is a local favorite cafe at the Cedarbrook Herb Farm. A walk out Dungeness Spit is a necessity.

bigtyke

We sstayed a couple of days in Sequim ande liked it. If you do stay there, be sure to visit the small city museum

April

I always thought Sequim would be an ideal base for visiting those areas. I'd pick it over Port Angeles.

traveler24

I agree with April--
We have stayed both places over the last 10 yrs..At present I would choose Squim.
Byall means don't miss Hurricane Ridge-the views are awesome..there is a phone number to call to check
if the cloud cover is too low to make trip up worthwhile. (visitors center has the number)
Also we never take our car to Victoria
Ferry "walk-on" is cheaper and no waiting in line. There are several tour buses that go to Buchart's Gardens that are quite convenient..
You will ,have a great time...

artlover

I also recommend stopping off at the Olympic Game Farm in that area. It's an incredible place--you can drive through bison, zebra, deer, etc (have crackers for them--they come right to your car and eat from your hand), and stop and see wolf and bear--many "retired" from Hollywood...fun place (try to arrive early--it's at 1423 Ward Rd. in Sequim).

woodstockguy

Thanks everyone for your replies. As usual, fodorites are the best.

Regarding Victoria, does anyone know if there is sufficient time in a day trip to visit both the city of Victoria and Buchart Gardens?

sgorces

Yes, you can visit Victoria in the morning and head up to the garden in the afternoon. It would be hard to take in something big in Victoria like the Egypt exhibit, but you would get a couple hours of shopping in. The boat from PA gets in about 9-9:30 (depending upon whether its the Coho or passenger ferry) and leaves for the return after 6:00pm. Makes for a busy but full day trip. Enjoy! Hope you have better weather than we did last Saturday.

April

I'm thinking Butchart's might be less crowded in the morning. Taking a car on the ferry is a pain, but it would also be nice to be able to drive along the waterfront from Dallas Road on your way to or from the gardens.

Gardyloo

You might find that a one-day rental car in Victoria (agencies downtown) is cheaper than 2x the car price on the ferry. Also you will have more time in Victoria without having to worry about getting the car in the ferry queue. (No reservations on the Coho.)

Schnitzel

We stayed 2 nights at the Sea Loft in Port Townsend while visiting the area and recommend it highly.

bigtyke

There is a very nice and short hiking trail at the Visitor Center before you go up Hurricane Ridge.

sgirlie

Ok, ok, ok! I'll give Sequim another try. I agree, the Juan de Fuca cottages are lovely, but I found them to be very expensive - and I regularly stay in waterside cabins when I travel in the NW. Maybe my view on Sequim is colored by the horrible time I had there a few years ago, where the B&B served a 5 course, hideous breakfast,and everyone had to sit at the same table and make small talk early in the morning, which is not what we had been told when we made the reservation. That and the fact that there was very little to do in town, and nowhere to eat other than 3 Crabs, which is dreadful.

That said, I do enjoy Port Townsend very much, and enjoy the waterside area, and love the Rose Theater for evening entertainment.

I'll be sure to give Sequim another try, and stay away from that B&B this time!