Off to Sequim

by Jeff · October 1, 2019

There are many strange place names in the world and this is one of the ones that really messes with Washington state visitors…phonetically: skwim. people have the hardest time with it and Puyallup (not gonna get into that one here).

We had a rare weekend off together after working nothing but weeks of steady overtime since getting back from Europe (gotta pay for that trip).
Being who we are, we decided to pack up Piper and head out to the great outdoors.

Summer had finally arrived in Western Washington and the vacationers were out in force, which makes last minute reservations anywhere kind of hard to get if you want to go somewhere, including state and national park camping.
After perusing our map of Washington, we commented to each other that we had never been to the Olympic Game Farm and that it would be nice to see the northern area of the Olympic National Forest without snow. The area is also known for its Lavender farms and they were all in bloom, so a decision on destination was made. I spent the afternoon calling around to RV parks in the area and got a space on the waterfront on Sequim Bay at:

John Wayne’s Waterfront Resort. Right across the street is the John Wayne Marina. A little history; he liked to boat here in the northwest and wound up buying his first boat called the Norwester here. He then had a converted WW2 minesweeper named the Wild Goose that he and his family spent a lot of time on. This boat still operates as a tour boat in Newport Beach, California with Hornblower Cruises.

John Wayne frequented Sequim Bay aboard the Wild Goose and bought a big chunk of land in the area. He envisioned a marina in the scenic bay and The John Wayne Marina, was constructed in 1985 on 22 acres of land donated by the John Wayne family. The Wayne family still owns 150 acres in Sequim, where “John Wayne’s Waterfront Resort,” located steps from the Marina, invites visitors to enjoy getaways or extended stays in cabins or the RV Park.
Google took us right to the resort and we got checked in…no septic at our site, but power, water and cable were available on a nice grass covered back in site along the woodline. There are 22 pull thru sites and 30 back in sites. Just an aside; If I were going to spend a long time here, I would get into sites 1-8. Even though they are next to the road I would take their unobstructed view of Sequim bay over any road noise from this country road.

We decided to home base there and venture out into the countryside at our leisure. We pulled up and E grabbed a GMRS radio and hopped out to direct me into our spot. Sometimes we use our phones but sometimes the little handheld radios work best. She guided us right into the spot with no effort and I hopped out to start setting up. I noticed she had gone over to a group of campers who were sitting watching us and was talking with them. When she got back she said they had commented that it wasn’t right that we hadn’t been yelling at each other and they thought our little radios were “cheating”. We had a laugh and got set up and ready for our first night in the area.

The weather was beautiful and we got up the next morning with our sights set on, well, the sights. Off to Hurricane ridge we headed. We were almost at the gate when I remembered that I had put the battery (I only had one) for my new camera on the charger in Piper and had not grabbed it. UGH!!! (singing the verse “if I only had a brain”). Overcome, Adapt, Persevere… Thankfully I had my cell phone which takes okay photos and our point and shoot canon so not all was lost.

Hurricane Ridge is a beautiful area in the Olympic National Forest and is great to visit in any season but this summer day was just sublime! The trails are all well marked and accurately described in the visitors info from the Rangers. Lot’s of critters to see and folks to share the views with. At one point we came around a corner to find a doe deer standing on the edge of the paved path. There are sweeping views of the valleys and the majestically soaring peaks of the Olympic Mountains. Stock up with a picnic lunch and you can enjoy a great view while relaxing.

After much hiking and many photo opportunities (grrr, good camera without a battery is no good) we headed back down the hill and dinner. Back to Piper for the night and up the next morn for another adventure.

The Olympic Game Farm. This place was originally the Rest and relaxation farm for all of the Animals under contract to the Walt Disney Film Company. It was also used as a movie set during those years. Yep, all those critters and bear stars were kept under high security and secrecy for many years. Then one day the manager of the farm had a great idea which he pitched to the company…”Why don’t we open the farm up for tours and make a little money to help with the farm bills”. They did and the rest is, as they say, history. There are Bears of the brown and black variety, exotic deer, musk oxen, llamas, zebras, elk and bison as the main attractions.

There is a short, self guided walking tour outside the fence that contains a nice freshwater aquarium, small animal petting zoo and a barn where there are vintage movie sets and equipment from the heyday of animal films as well as a reptile display. Then get in your vehicle and head for the gate. Big warning signs, No pedestrians, no riding in open vehicles, no motorcycles, DO NOT get out of your car!!! You buy entry for the vehicle and sign a waiver against potential damage and buy wheat bread by the loaf (we bought 6 loaves). They are serious about the damage waiver as you are driving through areas where the animals come up to your vehicle and can get pushy about you feeding them the bread. Many of these animals have large and sharp horns as well. Almost all of the advertisements for the farm ask the question if you have ever been drooled on by a bison. The driving tour takes about 45 minutes and you wind your way through different animal areas. No worries, ALL the predators are in enclosures and won’t be sticking their heads in your car window. That being said, All of the herbivores will get a chance to put their heads inside any opening in a vehicle in search of the ever present wheat bread. There is one particular area you should be aware of. They warn you about the bison and the elk and there is even an option for not entering into their enclosure but the real hidden risk is not mentioned at all. You have to traverse a well organized extortion ring complete with enforcers…That’s right, it’s the LLAMAFIA! This gang of distractingly cute fuzzy critters with their multi color coats and huge eyes are deceiving in the actions….they gang up and try to herd your vehicle into the waiting pack where you are inundated from both sides where they assault you with cuteness and demand bread in payment for passage. They are also devious, getting between your vehicle and the zebra enclosure to force you out of feeding range of the striped ponies. Just like in the days of Al Capone…pay your tribute to the LLAMAFIA and count your blessings!