Sequim Summer Spectacular 2020

Doug and I are very much looking forward to hosting the next family reunion June 18-20.  To help you plan your trip, I’ve put together some notes.  I’m posting it on the blog so whether you’re an early planner or a last minute planner, the information is right at your fingertips.

I’ve tried to make this as clear and concise as possible, but am happy to answer any questions you may have.


Travel
You may want to access this map as you plan your travel route.  It shows Seattle and the surrounding areas - including all the ferry crossings, their schedules and fees.
WA State Ferries Route Map


Folks traveling from Phoenix, SFO, Denver or LAX can fly into either SeaTac or Everett (Paine Field).  Everett is a much smaller airport, so flights are limited, but it would certainly be less hectic than SeaTac.

From SeaTac:
We are about 2 hours from SeaTac, assuming you don’t arrive during rush hour.  There are several routes to get here from there.

 For those planning to rent a car:

1. The most direct is probably driving south through Tacoma before heading northwest to Sequim.  There are no ferry crossings.
2. Drive to the downtown ferry and take the ferry to Bainbridge Island
3. Drive to the downtown ferry and take the ferry to Bremerton (not the most efficient...if you're at the downtown terminal, it makes more sense to go to Bainbridge Island)
(Note: the downtown ferry terminal is in the midst of being rebuilt, so it'll be a bit of a zoo if you choose to go there.)
4. Drive north to Edmonds and take the ferry to Kingston (highly recommended for the best views of the Olympics and lovely drive through Port Gamble)

The downtown ferry is near Mariners’ stadium, in case attending a Mariners game is part of your travel plan. Looks like the Mariners are at home 6/16-24.

If you are not planning to rent a car:

1. There is a door-to-door shuttle from SeaTac that costs about $60/person one way.  It’s super easy, but only does a few runs/day and you need to make your reservations at least a week in advance.  Rocket Shuttle.
2. There is a shuttle that will take you as far as Poulsbo, which is about 50 minutes from our house.  You cannot make reservations from the Seattle Airport, but it runs hourly, so there is more flexibility with your flight times.  Be forewarned that it may make several stops before you get to Poulsbo.  We are happy to pick folks up in Poulsbo if that schedule works best for you.  Cost is about $30/person one way. Kitsap Airporter
3. You can take the train from SeaTac to downtown (Pioneer Plaza or University Street), and then make your way to the downtown ferry terminal or you can get a ride service to take you to the downtown ferry – it's a little over a half-mile.  You can take the walk-on ferry to Kingston which is run by Kitsap county and we would pick you up in Kingston  https://www.kitsaptransit.com/service/fast-ferry. The downtown area is a bit sketchy so I don’t recommend walking through it with luggage.



FromPaine Field in Everett:
1. If you plan to rent a car, you would drive to the ferry terminal at Edmonds – which is approximately 10 miles – and take the ferry to Kingston.
2. If you don’t want to rent a car, you could get a ride service to the Edmonds Ferry terminal and we can pick you up in Kingston – which is about 45 minutes from our house.

When considering return flights to either airport, we strongly suggest that you do not plan to leave from Sequim to catch an early morning flight.  The traffic in Seattle is legendary and road work or an accident could cause you to miss your plane.


Lodging

Summer is a busy time in Sequim, so we recommend that you make accommodation reservations early.  We do have one guest room in our house.  It’s available to whomever requests it first.  It’s a queen sized Murphy bed with a brand new and comfortable mattress.


Camping
If you have a camper or travel trailer, we do have a parking spot with power.  Depending on the size of your rig, we might be able to get two vehicles in there, but it would be tight.  You are also welcome to sleep on a lounge outside.  The nights are mild and the stars are spectacular.  We even have a bathroom directly accessible from the backyard. Of course there is always the chance of rain…

There are two campgrounds that are relatively close.  Sequim Bay State Park is less than a mile from our house.  It’s a nice campground, but it is very close to HWY 101, so would likely be a bit noisy.  Reservations are strongly recommended.  Sequim Bay State Park

Dungeness  County Park is about 10 miles from our house.  Located on the Dungeness Spit, it would have no traffic noise.   Again, reservations are recommended . Dungeness County Park

Both campgrounds have gates that prevent you from getting in after dusk/10p.m.  This could be an issue if you’re in the middle of a good discussion or a hot card game.  Remember, it doesn’t get dark here until after 10 p.m. in June


Hotels
There is a nice Holiday Inn Express that is within 4 miles.  Breakfast is included and they have a nice rooftop deck and a Tesla charging station.  The Red Lion is about 5 miles away.

There are several other hotels in town, but they are a little further away from us.   We do NOT recommend the Sequim Bay Inn.  It’s close and inexpensive, but it’s pretty dumpy. (Or was when we stayed there a couple of years ago.)

VRBO
There are lots of VRBO and Air BNBs in town.  I found a number of VRBO that are within just a few miles of our house.

This one is super close to our house
4 bed/3 bath


We’ve stayed in this one  about 2 miles up the road which is very comfy.
2 bed/1 bath

These two are on Sequim bay and would be close to each other:

2 bed/1.5 bath

2 bed/1 bath


These two are next to each other:

3 bed/2 ba

studio


This one is near the Marina – a little further away than the others.
3 bed/2 bath


For the couple looking for a romantic getaway.
loft

If you want to consider a different place, send us the link and we can do a drive-by.



ACTIVITIES

There are lots of things to do in this area if you have a little extra time before or after the reunion.

Seattle – the Mariners, Pikes Market, the Space Needle….Seattle is a cool city with lots of things to see and do.

Port Townsend is a cute and artsy Victorian town that is about 30 miles from us. Fort Worden, an old army base, is there and also the Marine Science Center which has a cool aquarium.    There is a campground and vacation rentals.  There is also a  ferry connection from Port Townsend to Coupeville on Whidbey island.

Whidbey Island is quite the tourist place and there is a great bluff hike in Coupeville.  You can also drive from Coupeville to Anacortes  (or vice/versa).  You can access all the San Juan islands from Anacortes.  Reservations are required for the ferry ride between Coupeville and Port Townsend during the summer and probably from Anacortes to the San Juans.  You can also reach Whidbey from Mulkiteo.

Marrowstone Island is about 45 minutes from us – accessible by bridge – no ferry required.  It is also close to Port Townsend.  Fort Flagler an old army base that is now a state park- sits at the tip of the island.  It’s a cool place with great history and great views.  There is a campground there or you can reserve one of the old officer houses.  We’ve stayed in one of the old officer residences and it was very nice.

Olympic National Park can be accessed in several areas near to us and it extends to the rain forest on the western coast.  You can day hike, backpack, climb, etc.  You may want to travel all the way to Neah Bay just to say you’ve been to the westernmost point in the contiguous U.S.

The Canadian city of Victoria is on Vancouver Island and is accessible by ferry from  Port Angeles.  Package deals are available through the ferry site.  We are about 30 minutes from Port Angeles, so you could make a stop in Victoria on either end of your trip.  Be sure to bring your passport.  


I know this is a lot of information, but I hope it helps with your trip planning.  Don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions.  So excited to see everyone!