Sequim has become well known around the Northwest for its many lavender farms, which paint the landscape with their colorful blooms each summer from late June through August. Sequim's climate is ideal for growing lavender, and you'll likely pass numerous large fields of this fragrant Mediterranean plant as you tour the area.
To find your way around the area's lavender farms, stop by the Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce visitor center or check out www.lavendergrowers.org. In mid-July, when the lavender gardens are in full bloom, the town observes the season with its Sequim Lavender Festival (tel. 877/681-3035 or 360/681-3035; www.lavenderfestival.com).
If you'd like to wander through fragrant fields of lavender, you've got plenty of options. Purple Haze Lavender Farm, 180 Bell Bottom Rd. (tel. 888/852-6560 or 360/683-1714; www.purplehazelavender.com), an organic U-pick farm east of downtown Sequim off West Sequim Bay Road, is one of my favorites. From April to September the farm is open daily from 10am to 5pm. The farm has a seasonal gift shop in a small barn as well as the year-round Purple Haze Lavender Downtown Store, 127 W. Washington St., in downtown Sequim. This latter shop is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, Saturday from 10am to 5pm, and Sunday from 11am to 4pm. North of here, don't miss Graysmarsh Farm, 6187 Woodcock Rd. (tel. 800/683-4367 or 360/683-0624; www.graysmarsh.com), which has both beautiful lavender fields and U-pick berry fields, where, in season, you can pick strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and loganberries.
Up near the Dungeness Spit, a very pretty organic lavender farm, Jardin du Soleil, 3932 Sequim-Dungeness Way (tel. 877/527-3461 or 360/582-0846; www.jardindusoleil.com), surrounds an old farmhouse and its Victorian gardens. From April to September the farm is open daily from 10am to 5pm; in October, November, December, February, and March, it's open Friday to Sunday from 10am to 4pm. In the same area, the Olympic Lavender Farm, 1432 Marine Dr. (tel. 360/683-4475; www.olympiclavender.com), is open in July and August daily from noon to 5pm.
Cedarbrook Lavender & Herb Farm, 1345 S. Sequim Ave. (tel. 800/470-8423 or 360/683-7733; www.cedarbrooklavender.com), is more than just a lavender farm. Here you can buy herb plants as well as herb vinegars, potpourris, dried flowers, lavender wands, garlic braids, and the like. You'll find this farm south of downtown Sequim at the top of a hill overlooking the town. In summer, it's open daily from 9am to 5pm; other months, it's open daily 10am to 4pm.
Off to the southwest of Sequim is Lost Mountain Lavender, 1541 Taylor Cutoff Rd. (tel. 888/507-7481 or 360/681-2782; www.lostmountainlavender.com). This farm is open daily from 10am to 6pm in June, July, and August; September through early March, it's open Thursday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm; and early March through May, it's open Thursday through Monday from 10am to 5pm.
If you're interested in tasting some locally produced wine, drive out to the Lost Mountain Winery, 3174 Lost Mountain Rd. (tel. 888/683-5229 or 360/683-5229; www.lostmountain.com), which produces Italian-style wines with no added sulfites. Memorial Day to mid-September, the tasting room is open daily from 11am to 5pm; November and April through May, it's open Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 5pm (call for hours other months). To find the winery from U.S. 101, go south 3 miles on Taylor Cutoff Road and turn right on Lost Mountain Road. You can also stop at Olympic Cellars, 255410 U.S. 101 (tel. 360/452-0160; www.olympiccellars.com), which is housed in a large barn on the west side of Sequim. May through October the tasting room is open daily from 11am to 6pm; November to April, it's open Monday to Saturday from 11am to 5pm and Sunday from noon to 5pm.
The Sequim-Dungeness Valley is also one of the best areas in the state for bicycle touring. The roads are flat, there are great views, and you don't have to worry as much about getting rained on. Also, the Olympic Discovery Trail, a partly paved and partly gravel bike path, crosses much of the Sequim Dungeness Valley and links Sequim to Port Angeles.
If you'd like to do some bird-watching while you're in Sequim, the Dungeness River Audubon Center, Railroad Bridge Park, 2151 Hendrickson Road (tel. 360/681-4076; www.dungenessrivercenter.org), has guided 2-hour bird walks on Wednesday mornings at 8:30am. The center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 4pm and from noon to 4pm on Sunday. The center is on the west side of Sequim (from U.S. 101, take River Rd. north to Priest Rd. to Hendrickson Rd.).
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
