Category: Businesses

Next stop: Lavender

We’re heading into the Sequim lavender season. Early blooming lavender is showing its color and our commercial lavender operations are getting ready for company: the annual Lavender Faire and Festival begins July 19. Jardin du Soleil, above, is open for business.

Sequim and the Dungeness Valley is a premier lavender growing region and as our growers open their gates to visitors and harvest this year’s crop there are plenty of attractions for visitors and locals. It’s time for total lavender immersion.

Strawberry fields. . .for a few more days

The Beatles had the right idea with “Strawberry Fields Forever,” but it doesn’t work that way in Sequim. They come and go w–a–y too fast, and our intermittent rain this month hasn’t helped much. These are the last days of strawberry season at Cameron’s, my favorite go-to spot.

Cameron’s is selling the last of their pre-picked berries and dedicated pickers like those above can still pick their own for the next several days. I stopped by, innocently, to take a few shots. Then I innocently bought some to take home for breakfast. After inhaling strawberry perfume on the way home, remembering that there are a few square inches in our freezer, I headed back for more. Strawberry smoothies anyone?

The anti-Target, or K-Mart, or WalMart

This is a marine hardware store in Annacortes. It’s the part of the store that sells used items: hardware, fittings, floats, you name it. It has a creaky, worn wooden floor and smells like your crazy uncle’s basement, full of surprises, possibilities, and, well, old stuff.

Stores like this are disappearing. A kindred cousin in Port Townsend closed not long ago, victim of our passion for quicker or cheaper or ready-made. A place like this is visual amazement. Most of the things on the shelves don’t have perfect look-alikes next to them. Nothing’s lined up like miniature soldiers ready for service. It certainly doesn’t look like one of our predictable and clean big box stores. It’s adventure shopping at its finest for the inherent scavenger. And a nightmare for anyone craving tidy.

Blondie’s Plate

There’s a new venue in Sequim’s restaurant scene, Blondie’s Plate, on Second Avenue. I’ve read it offers small plates – tapas style eating with dishes meant to be shared by tablemates. The owners/chef have come from Bella Italia, a very good restaurant in Port Angeles, so they’ve got the credentials. Online reviews are so far very positive. If I ever remove myself from my current, virtuous diet I’ll check it out and report back.

Colors of Sequim


Colors of Sequim is an art materials store that opened on Washington Street several months ago. They provide quality art supplies for serious artists and “starter” supplies for dabblers and young artists. Paint – acrylic, oils, water colors – clay, origami kits, handmade paper, calligraphy, you name it. There’s something for every budding or accomplished artist, and enough fun stuff to inspire any wanna be.

Bridget, one of the co-owners, gave me a tour of the store. In addition to supplies, they offer short classes, which will include childrens’ summer art classes in July and August. There is a small classroom at the back of the store. A schedule is on their website.

This is my favorite spot, a corner set aside for the youngest budding artists. The work of future Rembrandts or Picassos is posted on the wall.