Views of Sequim, the Olympic Peninsula. . .and beyond
This striking image was photographed by my friend, and fellow photographer, Lewis Bennett. You’ll be seeing more of his work (and others) throughout the week, so enjoy, and rest assured that whatever comments you may have will be shared with him.
“Early Morning Fog—On a Thanksgiving trip to Victoria, Canada, we visited the Malahut Tower, about an hour’s drive north of Victoria. This is the first time I have seen the fog and mist intertwine and dance among the trees!”
If you’re like me, you love being by saltwater, and the site of a lighthouse is a clear indication that you’ll find what you like.
Fortunately, we have Dungeness Light right here in Sequim, and Pt. Wilson close by in Pt. Townsend. Since I haven’t built up the gumption to walk the 10-mile trail to ours as of yet, I drive to Pt. Townsend to visit Pt. Wilson Light instead – and it’s always worth the trip.
If you haven’t visited as of yet, I highly recommend it, and if at all possible, volunteer. You are sure to meet others who share your love of lighthouses, the community, and sharing its history with other visitors.
The Pt. Wilson website at www.pointwilsonlighthouse.org states that, ‘Volunteers are needed in many areas. Lighthouse Tours on weekends are run from May through September. Volunteer docents are needed to help interpret and lead visitors through the lighthouse. Share your enthusiasm with interested guests from around the world. Training provided. Fundraising and Public Outreach are a vital part of this project. If this is something you enjoy, we look forward to having your help. Future Plans include education programs, and exhibit design.
If you go to visit, you may want to stay for the sunset (and the stunning views). You can make plans to sleep in one of their vacation rentals, open year round, or just do a day trip.
Whatever you decide, be sure to dip your toes in the saltwater – and to snap a few photos of this wonderfully picturesque lighthouse, or bring along your watercolors or your digital paintbox!
Although you may recognize this as 3 Crabs Beach, it certainly didn’t appear like it back on December 30th of 2022.
We had a high tide of 9.13 feet that day, and although I’m not aware that it broke a record, it certainly appeared like it. I understood it to be a ‘King Tide’, but was curious as to whether the description was accurate.
While NOAA states that, ‘A King Tide is a non-scientific term people often use to describe exceptionally high tides’ whatever term you care to use, is fine with me. I found it incredibly inviting, and I was tempted to grab my kayak and paddle out, but as the sign indicates, the land and tide plains are protected; so I resisted, although of sinking the sign did come to mind…
A friend and fellow photographer and I took a lengthly drive on Blue Mountain Road a few years ago on a wintery day like today.
Like many other nature photographers, we sought to find inspiration to create unique images from what we found. And if you’ve driven Blue Mountain Road, you’ve may have found some photographic opportunities yourself (beyond the transfer station), e.g., the church, the rusted farm equipment, the Sears house, etc., just as we did.
But this particular day we were feeling creative, and therefore, experimented a bit with in camera movement (ICM) – a technique in which one zooms the lens forward and/or back to convey a sense of depth, and in this case, a bit a mystery as to how it was accomplished.
I hope you enjoy the end result, but if not, feel confident; the church, the rust, the house…they’re coming soon.
I don’t know the history or the current status of this Sequim icon, but I certainly enjoy seeing it everyday, and because I see it more as a work of art, I decided to treat it as such.
I hope you enjoy the end result and if you have some knowledge of the owners, etc., please share it with me, and thanks much!
My apologies, I guess my colorful photo art post yesterday sent the website into a tizzy since the scheduled post didn’t go through until I published it manually…oh well, maybe this black and white image will get things back on track.
Otherwise, I find this walking bridge, aka the railroad trestle, to be photo worthy anytime of year, even in the dead of winter.
A great place to take visiting friends or family, it truly has an interesting history, as the sign indicates, as well as the website, https://peninsulapassage.com/johnson-creek-train-trestle/ :
“410 feet long and 86 feet high, it is the largest railroad trestle on the Olympic Peninsula. It is curved and banked for strength and stability. These two platforms originally held barrels of water for use in the event of a fire. Platforms were built with money raised by friends of Jerry Williamson…1947-2002”
Fast forward to today, and we find it being part of the Olympic Discovery Trail (since 2002) and a beautiful crossing for runners, walkers and bikers. Another reason to tackle the temps and get outdoors!
Another favorite spot for many us is the Nature Center, and although I photographed it in spring, the infrared/sepia treatment I applied to it almost makes it appear like snow on the trees.
If you haven’t visited the center, or haven’t since the new building and landscaping redesign, then you’re truly missing what is now one of Sequim’s most beautiful attractions.
As stated on their website at https://dungenessrivercenter.org/about-us/our-story/, “The Dungeness River Nature Center’s mission is to inspire understanding, respect, and stewardship of our natural and cultural resources”. And the trestle still stands a bridge between Sequim’s past and its present.