Places to take visitors – Page 50

Jardin du Soleil

I made preview trips to two of Sequim’s biggest lavender operations yesterday. Jardin du Soleil, shown here, has lovely fields on rolling hillsides and beautiful vistas of the surrounding area. At the end of this week the open areas between the fields shown here will have crafts and food vendors as part of our annual Lavender Festival.

The gardens have a beautiful, manicured air. And on a warm afternoon that air is softly scented with lavender.

Jardin du Soleil has a gift shop which sells its lavender essences and lavender scented products.

Sequim Lavender Festival, also known as the Lavender Weekend, runs from Friday, July 21 through Sunday, July 23. Most of our local growers will be open for visitors and will sell u-pick lavender, lavender plants (there are dozens of varieties), and products.

Through the fence

This horse caught my eye at Over the Fence. They weren’t yet open, so it’s a photo through the fence.

I read recently that this business is for sale as the owners are ready to retire. This is a wonderful place to shop. I hope it stays as great in the future.

The view next door

Port Angeles, Sequim’s neighbor to the west, nestles like Sequim at the base of the Olympics. Its location offers a different perspective of the mountains. At this point in summer there’s not a lot of snow left on the peaks.

Whimsy Park

The temporary former location of the Sequim Farmer’s Market has taken on a new life. “Whimsy Park” is something of a popup park that has transformed a previously bare lot on Washington Street. A mural that was incomplete several months ago is now enhancing a space with picnic tables, a small stage, and straw bale seating.

Landscaping has been installed and wood chips soften the look of formerly bare soil. The space is inviting, colorful, and far more welcoming than it previously was.

Patience in a pot

Today is the second and last day of the Dungeness Bonsai Society annual bonsai fest, its 41st. If you’re local and would like to walk through a miniature forest of trees as art, it’s worth a trip to the Sequim Pioneer Park. The Satsuki Azalea above, over 20 years old, is one of the showiest examples of the art.

Bonsai artists confine trees in small pots and manipulate them through pruning and shaping. The effect, over time, is to create a gorgeous miniature tree.

This Japanese garden juniper is from 20 to 25 years old. Its owner began training its growth habits in 1994. This is a discipline of great patience.

There are more than 50 trees on display today, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The park is located at 387 East Washington Street.

Breakfast at the airport

Before we went to the Port Townsend Aero Museum, here and here, we went to the Spruce Goose Cafe nearby. I’d heard the food was good. I’d heard right.

The decor is all about airplanes: posters, models, framed photographs.

It was a nice day and the deck was full. After they finished their meals several diners walked down to the air field, untethered planes and took off. That’s one way to make an exit.

What’s not to like?

We camped at Fort Flagler recently. The backdrop of the Olympic Mountains along the shore of Port Townsend Bay is always a beautiful sight. And it’s only an hour from Sequim.