Category: Parks

Maybe you shouldn’t look down

I explored Sequim Bay State Park last weekend, a beautiful spot set – where else? – along the shore of Sequim Bay. There are some beautiful campsites, and a short launching ramp. A break between storms made our stop one of those respites of lung-filling fresh air and a celebration of being outdoors. And, gee, look at those beautiful trees! Look at that great tall one there!

Maybe I shouldn’t have followed its trunk downward. These are some of its roots, exposed at the base on a bluff. I’m hoping more of them are anchored in rock, or, maybe sunk deep – way, way deep – into the soil behind it. I really do prefer trees to stay where they are.

Autumn on the bridge

Autumn moves fast here. Many of the trees that show early fall colors have begun to lose leaves just as some of the reds and golds have begun to pop. Yesterday at Railroad Bridge Park, above, people had bouquets of huge golden and brown leaves from big leaf maples, easily a full foot across. This area has plenty of evergreens, too, so it’s never entirely bare and grey.

Sharing with

Bitter cherry

The native bitter cherry (prunus emarginata) is one of the first trees to turn gold in this area, starting as early as August and paving trails in the Dungeness Recreation Area yellow. It’s especially colorful when its tiny cherries ripen to a bright red. It would be a very long stretch to make a pie from the fruit but it is a good food source for birds and small mammals.

Carrie Blake Park IV



There’s a lovely terraced community garden at Carrie Blake Park. During the Lavender Farm Faire lush lavender bushes took center stage. More recently an eye-catching display of dahlias has brightened the landscape.

Here’s a broader look at the garden as it moves toward winter hibernation.

These shots end my tour of Sequim’s Carrie Blake Park. It’s a great resource for young and old. It’s fitting that Peninsula Daily News polling awarded it “Best of the Peninsula – Local Park.”

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Carrie Blake Park III

The dog park at Carrie Blake Park is a go-to place for dogs to see and be seen. Well, to sniff and be sniffed. It’s also a good spot for their people to socialize with other dog-lovers. Although dogs must be on leash in other parts of the park, the fenced dog park allows romps for free range pups.

There is brightly colored playground equipment in the center of the park. And the periphery of the park has an abundance of play fields. There were pairs of men playing catch the morning I took these shots.

Kids and adults with younger bones than mine can use the skate park. It was being cleaned as I took pictures. A church is in the background of this shot, and Bell Hill is beyond.

And I even found a kiosk for people interested in circuit training.

Carrie Blake Park II

Sequim’s Carrie Blake Park, recently polled by the Peninsula Daily News as “Best Park” in its Best of the Peninsula ratings, has a combination of the passive and active features that draw people to parks. Above is one of several ponds that offer a soul satisfying view of nature. The park has many benches for humans and the ponds offer resting spots for ducks.

Parks also serve as a community gathering place. The Guy Cole Center, above, was built in the early 1980s by the Sequim Valley Lion’s Club. Members donated over 5,000 hours to its construction. There have been recent discussions about upgrading the building but it’s been a clean and functional location for events I’ve enjoyed.

In addition to the Guy Cole Center, the Sequim Valley Lion’s Club also constructed picnic pavillions adjacent to the Center. These offer pleasant, shady spots for picnics and outdoor activities. The Lions donated over 500 hours building the pavillions.

Another well used venue at Carrie Blake is the James Center for the Performing Arts. There are free public band performances here through the summer. A big field adjacent to the James Center is the location of the summer Lavender Farm Faire and local bands play there throughout the Faire. The accoustics seem great.

Tomorrow I’ll show more of what Carrie Blake Park offers.

Best of the Peninsula: Local Park

The Peninsula Daily News completed its Best of the Peninsula polling for 2012. Some Sequim “bests” stayed the same, some moved to Port Angeles. I’ll show you several of the new Olympic Peninsula “bests” from Sequim in the coming weeks.

The first warranted more exploring than usual. Sequim’s Carrie Blake Park was named best local park. Though I’ve been there a number of times, my most recent visit reminded me why Carrie Blake deserves “best of” recognition. I’ll start with shots of its Friendship Garden.

The Japanese style garden is lovely any time of year, with beautiful views from virtually any direction. It is dedicated to Sequim’s sister city, Shiso, Japan.

This garden welcomes as you enter Carrie Blake Park. But it’s just a beginning of what the park has to offer. I’ll show more in the coming days.