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Hidden Gem: The Hood Canal, Washington USA

10/10/2016

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We finally visited the Pacific Northwest last month and I'm in love. My favorite spot was along peaceful shores of the Hood Canal - a fjord located on the Olympic Peninsula about an hour outside of Seattle.  We spent four tranquil days kayaking through smooth waters, eating massive oysters washed ashore on our backyard beach, hiking in the rainforest, and watching our toddler search for otters, seals, heron and bears (of the wooden variety).   

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Team B at the Hood Canal
I feel a little guilty writing about the Hood Canal because it's truly a hidden gem. Most people we met were local and when we told them we were from Boston, they responded, surprised, and asked us how we heard about the canal all the way "out east".  

The truth is I had never heard of the Hood Canal until last year, when guest blogger Elizabeth raved about her family vacation there.  After reading her story, Chris and I immediately added it to our 2016 travel list.  

We rented a fantastic house on VRBO called Once Upon a Tide. This house had everything - a private beach with endless amounts of oysters, a kayak, SUP, a lovely deck, fire pit, BBQ, cozy living room overlooking the canal, comfortable beds and even a boat house with a ping pong table. The owners even left us a bottle of the local wine to enjoy. 
Once Upon a Tide, Tahuya, Hood Canal House Rental Picture
Hood canal house rental, once upon a tide, fire pit , tahuya Picture
Hood canal house rental, once upon a tide , tahuya Picture
Hood canal house rental, once upon a tide , tahuya PicturePicture
Hood canal house rental, once upon a tide , tahuya Picture
Hood canal house rental, once upon a tide , tahuya, oysters, Picture
 We enjoyed grilled Hamma Hamma Oysters and Washington State wine on our deck while watching the seals play in the canal. So relaxing! 
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 My son LOVED the little details of the house like this little wooden bear that he hugged every time he stepped through the front door.  There was a also a mimi moose chair inside that he hugged about 10x a day and ample games and toys in the living room closet.
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Unlike east coast beach houses in places like Cape Cod, the Hood Canal is much more reasonably priced and there are no crazy crowds (at least when we were there during Labor Day week). It was the quietest, most peaceful place I've ever been in the USA.  
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Sunset on our stretch of the canal.
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Every day incorporated a different adventure - hiking in Olympic National park, lunch at the stunning Alderbrook Resort (the only really nice resort along the canal), or oysters al fresco at Hamma Hamma (they sell their oysters to Island Creek Oysters in Boston - one of our nicer seafood restaurants). 
Olympic National Park, Staircase Trails, Baby Hiking, Osprey Baby Backpack, Picture
We hiked the easier trails along the Staircase area of Olympic National Park.  We are huge Osprey backpack fans. We used them for our trip around the world and they are still in amazing condition so we purchased the Osprey baby pack and LOVE it. 
Olympic National Park, Staircase Trails, Baby Hiking, Osprey Baby Backpack, Picture
I've added this to a the list of tall people problems:) 
Olympic National Park, Lack Cushman, Picture
Beautiful Lake Cushman
Olympic National Park, Alderbrook Resort, Washington Resorts, Hood Canal Hotel, Picture
Alderbrook Resort - the only fancy resort in the area.  Beautiful property and friendly staff.  This would be a great  spot for a destination wedding. 
Olympic National Park, Alderbrook Resort, Washington Resorts, Hood Canal Hotel, Picture
Painting en plein air at the Alderbrook Resort. I could spend a week (or more) doing this every single day.
Kayak Hood Cancal, Baby Kayak, Hood Canal Activities, Once Upon a Tide, Picture
B and I taking  a spin in the kayak at our home rental (Once Upon a Tide) .  The house provided adults sized life vests, we brought B's life vest from home. The were barely any waves and I stayed in the shallow water near the shore while B was in the kayak. He loved it. 

This was the perfect family getaway because of the beautiful destination, cozy house rental (ideal for a toddler who wants to run around and explore), outdoor activities, animals (we watched seals playing from our dining room) and delicious food from the market.  The other special thing about the Hood Canal was it's tranquility. It was so quiet, which was incredibly welcome after a chaotic summer of work and events. Not only was this place tranquil but it was also  very spiritual. It's hard to explain - maybe it was a combo of the beauty and silence - but I felt closer to nature and myself here.  I haven't felt this way since biking through the mountains of Yangshuo China or stargazing on Heron Island, Australia. If you seek a quiet destination, quality family time and variety of outdoor activities, definitely check out the Hood Canal! 
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Family-Friendly Things to Do In Seattle

10/29/2015

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Guest blogger, Elizabeth, shares the second part of her two week journey to the Olympic Peninsula with her eight year old son. Last week, she shared a fantastic list of things to do in the Hood Canal. This week, she is taking us to Seattle!  
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Getting to Seattle from the Hood Canal

After spending one week in the Hood Canal, we left for a more urban setting - Seattle!  It was rather easy getting to Seattle from the Hood Canal. We drove to Bremerton and hopped on a car ferry to Seattle.  The ferry system in Washington is impressive.  Only a few of the ferries take reservations so at certain times you have to be prepared to wait in long lines.  We had no problem getting on with our car and paid a whopping $13 for the car and three passengers!  This was quite a shock for us since we are used to Martha’s Vineyard and Cape May ferries that require reservations and cost quite a bit more.
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Where to Stay in Seattle

In Seattle, we stayed at the Crowne Plaza downtown.  I recommend staying somewhere downtown so you can easily walk to public transportation like the Monorail and the Light rail.  These make it very easy to get around Seattle without a car.  We picked the Crowne Plaza because it was close to the convention center where we had to attend some meetings.  If I were to return to Seattle, I would consider renting an apartment or something with a kitchen.  I wanted to buy fresh food at Pike Place but had nowhere to cook it.
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Things to Do in Seattle

  • Take an Argosy Cruises Locks Tour.  This takes you through the Ballard Locks that separate Puget Sound from Lake Union.  You’ll get a great science lesson and learn a lot about the history of Seattle.  You’ll even see the Sleepless in Seattle House floating on the lake.
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Pictured Above: A couple of the unique house boats we saw on Lake Union.
  • Take the Monorail from Westlake to Seattle Center.  It was built for the world’s fair and is still operating. At Seattle Center you will find The Space Needle, The Pacific Science Center and the Chihuly Garden and Glass.  The Science Center is fun for kids but is a bit tired and in need of renovation.  The Chihuly Garden is worth every penny is costs for admission.  It is spectacular!  Dale Chihuly is the leading glass artist in the world and his work is just amazing.
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Pictured Above: Dale Chihuly's glass sculptures - a must-see when visiting Seattle!
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A view of the Space Needle from below at the Seattle Center
  • Take the Seattle Underground Tour.  Admittedly, we didn’t have time for this but were told by many that it was really good.

  • Visit Pike Place Market.  It is HUGE.  You could easily spend the day strolling through the many levels of the market.  I wish I’d had a place to cook some of the amazing food that was for sale there!  My son’s favorite was the Gum Wall…which is just as gross as it sounds!

  • Visit Beecher’s Handmade cheese!  They make delicious fresh cheese there.  Make sure to try the cheese curds. These are the halfway point product when making cheddar and have a unique taste and texture. 

Where to Eat in Seattle

  • There is a lot of good food in Seattle.  My favorite by far is Wild Ginger.  I first discovered this restaurant in 1995 when they were just a hole in the wall.  They now have a huge space downtown and the food continues to be amazing.  We had both lunch and dinner there during our visit and both meals were outstanding.
 
  • Our other favorite is Ray’s Boathouse in the Ballard neighborhood.  They have a more casual restaurant with a deck upstairs and a more elegant dinner restaurant downstairs.  We sat upstairs for Sunday Brunch and it was lovely.  The neighborhood is about 8 miles from downtown Seattle so we went on Sunday while we still had our car.  You could take a taxi from downtown but it would cost quite a bit.  Might be better to rent a zip car downtown for a few hours!
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  • Coffee is good and cheap in Washington.  Don’t be afraid of the tiny little boxes that sell coffee.  They are all good.  Starbucks is unnecessary.  

There is a ton to do in both Seattle and the Olympic Peninsula and we only scratched the surface on this trip.  I definitely want to go back!
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One week in the Hood Canal

10/15/2015

2 Comments

 
I’m very excited to introduce this week’s guest blogger, Elizabeth! She recently traveled to a destination that is VERY high on my bucket list - the Olympic Peninsula. Elizabeth and her son spent two weeks exploring the Hood Canal and Seattle, and kindly shared her itinerary which I’m posting in two installments. I cannot wait to replicate this trip! ​ - Eva
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In August, I took my 8 year old son on a two week vacation to Seattle and the Hood Canal in Washington state. Though I had been to Seattle a couple of times before, I decided to add a stay on the Hood Canal to this trip.

About the Hood Canal

The Hood Canal is not a canal at all but rather, one of only two natural fjords in the lower 48
states. The Canal was carved by glaciers and like all fjords has very steep sides and dramatic tidal variations of up to 14 feet.  Despite the steep sides many people have built vacation homes on both sides of the lower Hood Canal by supporting the houses on concrete bulkheads that are lapped by water at high tide.  

Our Home Rental

We found an amazing house in Tuhuya on Home Away and rented it for the first week of our vacation.  Folks coming from the East who are used to astronomically priced vacation rentals in places like Cape Cod and the Outer Banks will be pleasantly surprised by the reasonable rates for vacation rentals in places like Tahuya and Union. They may also be surprised, as I was, to learn that most rentals require a 3 night and not a full week stay. This is because many of them cater to folks from Seattle who are coming for long weekends. If you’ve never spent any time on the Hood Canal or the Olympic Peninsula I recommend a minimum of 4 nights. There is so much to see I could have easily filled two weeks!   ​
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Stunning sunset views from the lake house!
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Our house at low tide.

Seven Day Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival

We arrived in Seattle at 11am via non-stop Alaska Airlines flight from DC (great airline). We rented a car and drove to our house in Tahuya. The timing worked well because we were driving to some unfamiliar rural places all in daylight.

​​Day 2: Scenic Drive & Alderbrook Resort

On our first day we set out to explore Union, directly across the Canal from Tahuya. By boat the trip is about 10 minutes, by car about 50. The Hood Canal is basically shaped like a backwards “J”.  In order to drive to Union we had to drive around the southern end, through Belfair, and back along the southern shore line. Nearly all of the road along the Western side of the canal has incredible views of the Canal so just driving is spectacular.  

Quite by accident, we happened upon the Alderbrook resort. The resort has been remodeled in the past few years and is incredible. Rates are reasonable and vary with the seasons. They have a large piece of property with many rooms with canal views. They also have nearly 20 cabins available to rent if you need additional space. They are very family friendly, dog friendly, and gay friendly. We weren’t even staying there and were treated exceptionally well each of the times we went over.  They have a lot to offer and try to get locals to use their facilities too. The resort amenities include boats and paddleboards, a beach and swimming pool, a large golf course, and a fantastic restaurant.

Upon discovering the Alderbrook, we had lunch on their beautiful deck overlooking the canal. We also reserved a spot on their boat for a trip on Wednesday. That night, we cooked dinner at our house  (king salmon and Manila clams from the canal!).  
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Views from the Alderbrook (photo courtesy of hotel website)

Day 3: Port Townsend & Another Scenic Drive

We drove back around the Canal and through Union and continued north toward Port Townsend, a very pretty town on the Northeastern tip of the Olympic Peninsula.  We had been told that it was a 1 hour drive from Union to Port Townsend. Ha! The trip from Union to Port Townsend takes a minimum of two hours meaning our trip from the house was really three hours. With nowhere in particular that we had to be this was not a big problem, but I would have left the house much earlier had I known how long it would all take. Along the way we stopped at the Olympic National Forest Ranger station in Quilcene to get some advice on where to stop.  ​

Once in Port Townsend we drove around a bit and found Doc’s Marina Grill. They had a beautiful sunny deck where we could watch the ferries going to Whidbey and the San Juan Islands. The water and mountains looked remarkably like Alaska…no surprise considering you are very close to the beginning of the Inside Passage here.

We consulted a map and determined that we could take a different route home and cut an hour off our trip. This drive includes a trip across the only bridge that goes over the Hood Canal. This is a drawbridge so it is possible to get stopped here but the views are worth the wait if you get stuck.
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​Day 4: Hood Canal Boat Cruise & Hama Hama Oyster Company

We left the house around 9:45 and made it to the Alderbrook just in time to catch breakfast in the main dining room. It was a bit of a battle to determine if the Huckleberry waffle or the Northwest Omelette with Dungeness crab and tiny Oregon shrimp was better. Both were outstanding. On our way out of the restaurant we checked out their dinner menu and made reservations to return on Friday evening.  

We spent some time hanging out on the decks at the Alderbrook and then joined about 50 people on the resort’s large boat at 2pm. The boat takes a 90 minute tour of the Hood Canal. Not only do you get amazing views that aren’t possible from land, the trip is narrated by a local woman who has spent her whole life on the canal. She is full of information and can answer all kinds of questions. The resort keeps the price low enough that locals regularly take the trip too. We had a bunch of locals on our trip who shared additional information about the area.
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The boat at the Alderbrook (photo courtesy of hotel website)
After our boat trip at the Alderbrook we drove to the Hama Hama Oyster Company. The farm has a market where you can buy seafood and an Oyster Tasting Saloon where you sit by the water and eat raw and roasted oysters and drink wine and Finnriver Cider!  What could be better?
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Hama Hama Oysters (photo courtesy of company website)
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Day 5: Swimming, Kayaking and Amy’s On the Bay

After 4 days of running around and lots of driving we were ready for a day at the house.  We used the morning and early afternoon to enjoy the scenery, go swimming, and go for a paddle in the kayaks that were at our rental house. Later in the afternoon we took a short trip to Port Orchard.  The town doesn’t have a lot to offer unless you are an antiques hunter.  The gem of Port Orchard is Amy’s On the Bay which has great moderately priced seafood and a deck with nice views of Bremerton and the Naval Shipyard.
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Day 6: Olympic National Park

We left the house in the morning and drove to the Staircase Entrance of Olympic National Park. The big surprise was passing by Lake Cushman.  This is a 10 mile long man-made lake that was created when a dam was installed in order to provide power for the city of Tacoma.  Many people have built homes on the lake and it is incredibly beautiful.  
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Lake Cushman
Eventually we made our way through the National Forest which skirts the edge of the park and found the entrance to the national park. The Staircase Entrance is only open seasonally and has a wonderful camping area. Camping is on a first come first served basis and sites fill quickly. They start filling sites at 11am and by noon on summer Fridays there are usually no camp sites left. We chose to do a short hike through the forest of Douglas Firs. I could have stayed all day! We finished our day with a quick change into nicer clothes and an early dinner back at the Alderbrook Resort.  
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Douglas Firs at Olympic National Park

Day 7: Finnriver Cidery & Central Market

We drove back up to the northeastern part of the Olympic Peninsula and made a visit to the Finnriver Cidery. Here you can taste a variety of hard ciders including the Artisan Sparkling Cider which resembles a fine Champagne! There are often events going on at the cidery. We chose to go on Saturday because they were hosting Hama Hama oyster farm and we were able to enjoy oysters and cider at the beautiful farm.  

In the afternoon we made a stop at Central Market in Poulsbo. Central Market is an incredible grocery store based in Poulsbo. We were told it was like Whole Foods. And Mt. Everest is just a little hill….  Central Market would probably have my entire paycheck if I lived nearby.  
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We finished the evening with a stop in Bainbridge Island for dinner.  
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Great find at the market: Tillamook is an Oregon cheese maker that also makes yogurt and ice cream. Marionberry is a is a hybrid blackberry unique to the PNW. It's amazing!  Try anything that is Marionberry or Huckleberry!

The next day we were off on our next adventure. Stay tuned for my next blog post about things to do in Seattle!
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    Eva has been traveling for 15+ years, including an 8 month journey around the world.  

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